Camco EAZ-LIFT TR3 Trunnion Weight Distribution Hitch, 12K

If you've ever towed a loaded trailer that pushed the back of your truck down and lifted the nose, you already know why a weight distribution hitch matters. The Camco EAZ-LIFT TR3 takes the tongue weight sitting on your receiver and spreads it across both axles of the tow vehicle and the trailer. The result is a level rig that steers straight, brakes evenly, and keeps your headlights aimed at the road instead of the treetops.

This is the trunnion-bar version, rated for 1,200 pounds of tongue weight and 12,000 pounds of gross trailer weight. Trunnion bars mount into the head from the side rather than hanging underneath, so you get more ground clearance and a cleaner setup for heavier loads. That makes it a solid match for a big travel trailer or a tandem-axle boat trailer riding the highway for hours at a time.

Sway is the other half of the job. Crosswinds, semis blowing past, a quick lane change, all of it can start a trailer wagging behind you. The TR3 has built-in dynamic sway control that fights that side-to-side motion right at the hitch head, so you're not relying on a bolt-on friction bar to settle things down. Less white-knuckle steering, more relaxed miles.

Setup is straightforward because the important pieces come in the box. You get the adjustable shank, so you can set the ball height to match your trailer coupler and get the rig sitting level. And you get the 2-5/16 inch hitch ball already there, which is the size most heavier travel trailers and boat trailers use. No separate trip to the parts counter, no guessing on the thread size.

People ask about trunnion versus round bar all the time. Round bars hang below the hitch head and hook up underneath. Trunnion bars slide into the head horizontally from each side. Two things come out of that. You get a little more clearance under the bars, which helps on steep driveways and boat ramps, and you generally get a higher weight rating in the same family of hitches. For a 12,000 pound rig, the trunnion layout is the one you want.

A few things to know before you tow. This kit works with a standard receiver and needs the tongue weight to land inside that 1,200 pound ceiling, which is roughly 10 to 15 percent of your fully loaded trailer weight. Load the trailer so the heavy stuff sits over or just ahead of the axles, snug the spring bars to spec, and recheck ride height after the first few miles. Do that and the hitch does exactly what it's built to do, hold the whole setup flat and steady.

Maintenance is light but don't skip it. Keep the spring bar sockets and the friction points greased so the sway control stays smooth and quiet, and torque the trunnion hardware to the manufacturer's spec before every long haul. A bar that walks loose is the number one cause of a squeak or a clunk, and it's a five-minute check with a wrench. Treat it right and this hitch will outlast a couple of trucks.

Who's it for? Anybody towing a heavier trailer that squats the truck or wanders in the wind. Who's it not for? Light utility trailers well under the rating, where a simple ball mount is all you need. But if your loaded tongue weight is creeping up toward four figures and you want the truck to feel planted again, this is the hitch that gets you there. Set it up once, check your ride height on the first trip, and you'll spend the rest of the season towing without giving the hitch a second thought.