The feeling of your trailer’s back end bouncing or swaying uncontrollably is one of the scariest things an RV owner can experience. Luckily, reducing that bouncing and swaying is exactly what the CURT TruTrack™ weight distribution system is designed for. Not only that, but it also levels your entire setup—from your tow vehicle’s front bumper to your RV’s rear bumper—to deliver safer, more efficient towing.
Whether you’re a new RV owner or have recently upgraded and need a new weight distribution hitch, let’s explore if the CURT TruTrack™ 4P hitch is right for you.
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ToggleDo You Need a Weight Distribution Hitch?

Simply put, a weight distribution hitch is recommended if your trailer’s loaded weight is more than half of your tow vehicle’s weight. Let’s say you’re towing with a Chevy Silverado 2500HD with a curb weight of roughly 7,500 pounds. While your towing capacity is likely north of 14,000 pounds, you’ll want a weight distribution hitch if your trailer’s loaded weight exceeds roughly 3,750 pounds.
That’s the basic formula for determining whether a weight distribution system will benefit you, but how do you choose one that works for your specific trailer and tow vehicle?
If you’re unfamiliar, begin with our weight distribution hitch buying guide to understand the selection criteria. Then, come back and find out if this CURT TruTrack™ 4P hitch meets your criteria!
Who Is This CURT TruTrack™ Hitch For?

This particular CURT TruTrack™ 4P weight distribution system (Model #17500) is designed for the following trailers specifications:
- Gross Trailer Weight: 8,000 to 10,000 pounds
- Tongue Weight: 800 to 1,000 pounds
As a reminder, gross trailer weight is a combination of your trailer’s unloaded vehicle weight (UVW) and its cargo weight. Cargo weight can include—but isn’t necessarily limited to—liquid weight in holding tanks, food, kitchen essentials, camping equipment, clothing, and other personal belongings.
All RVers should ensure their trailer’s gross weight doesn’t exceed its gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), as specified by the manufacturer. If you’re considering this CURT 17500 TruTrack™ weight distribution hitch with trailer sway control, your final gross trailer weight and tongue weight measurements must not exceed the ratings above for safety reasons.
Benefits of the CURT TruTrack™ Weight Distribution System

So, why would you choose this CURT weight distribution system? Here are the many benefits of this system:
- Adjustable Shank. It comes with a 12” adjustable shank that allows you to install it to fit the level of your tow vehicle and trailer. You can use this as a drop hitch or raised hitch, depending on your setup and measurements.
- Easy Tilt Adjustment. The shank head is designed to be tilted to multiple settings to facilitate installation. Once installed, the tilt adjustment is simple with the included spacers, so long as the spring bars are no longer under tension.
- Multiple Spring Bar Settings. This further ensures compatibility and ease of installation for both narrow and A-frame travel trailers.
- Heavy-Duty, Frame-Mounted Brackets. These brackets replace traditional spring bar chains, using friction to resist lateral and vertical movement and deliver improved trailer alignment.
- Unique Spring and Cam System. As you tow, this system actively harnesses pressure to prevent trailer sway and then relaxes to ensure smoother turning.
Additionally, CURT designed this system with interlocking nuts and preset holes for tilt adjustment. That makes this one of the easier weight distribution systems to install at home, which we’ll get into next!
CURT TruTrack™ 17500 Installation Instructions
If you’ve chosen CURT’s TruTrack™ 4P weight distribution system for your towing setup, here’s the basic installation process once you’ve determined your ideal spring bar width and adjusted the cam blocks. CURT’s written TruTrack™ 17500 installation instructions will assist you with those steps.
Here are the basic TruTrack™ hitch installation steps:
Step 1: Take Measurements for Target Height



Determine your tow vehicle’s target uncoupled hitch ball height. This will differ for all vehicles and requires three basic measurements: your trailer’s coupler height when level and the distances from the ground to your tow vehicle’s front and rear bumpers, respectively.
Begin by leveling your RV and parking your tow vehicle in front of it. It’s best to use a level surface for this installation. With your trailer and tow vehicle in position, record the following distance measurements:
- From the ground to the top of the trailer coupler
- From the ground to the bottom of the front bumper
- From the ground to the bottom of the rear bumper
Technician Tip: You can also measure from the ground to the bottom of the front and rear wheel wells and use those distances as substitutes for #2 and #3 above.
Your hitch ball’s target uncoupled height should be higher than your unloaded ground-to-trailer coupler measurement (#1 above). This accounts for sag when your trailer’s tongue weight is loaded.
To determine your target uncoupled hitch ball height, add ⅛” to your unloaded ground-to-trailer coupler measurement for every 100 pounds of trailer tongue weight.
For example, let’s say your unloaded ground-to-trailer measurement is 16”, and your trailer’s tongue weight is 800 pounds. 800/100 = 8; 8 x ⅛” = 1”; your ideal target uncoupled hitch ball height is 16” + 1” or 17”.
Step 2: Install the Shank and Hitch Head

Your next step is inserting the shank into your tow vehicle’s hitch receiver and securing it with the provided hitch pin and clip. You can do so inverted or upright, but your goal is to choose the position that allows you to install the hitch head as close to the target uncoupled height as possible.
Technician Tip: The inverted shank position is more commonly used on vehicles with high ground clearance. If used in this position, check to maintain adequate ground clearance before towing.
You can then install the hitch head using the preset holes, which allow you to position it as close as possible to your uncoupled target height. Use the provided spacers to set the hitch head’s initial tilt. You’ll notice multiple spacer positions, but CURT recommends tilting the head back toward your tow vehicle and using the preset holes closest to you during the initial setup—referring to this as spacer Position 1.
For this installation, be mindful to use the larger of the two ¾” hex bolts in the upper preset hole. Finally, tighten the hex bolts enough to hold the spacers into the hitch head, but do not fully torque them to the manufacturer’s specification yet.
Step 3: Install the Spring Bars, Brackets, and L-Supports


Insert the spring bars into the spring bar sockets extended back from the hitch head. Secure them using the included wire lock pins and clips. Then, raise your trailer coupler, carefully reverse your tow vehicle, and connect your trailer to the hitch ball. Using a spotter for this step makes life a lot easier!
Ensuring the hitch latch is closed and secured, use the tongue jack to raise the trailer coupler approximately three inches. Putting some of the tongue weight on the jack will help you secure the spring bars to the brackets when the time comes.
But before doing that, you’ll need to install the support brackets. The steps are fairly simple: mark the location, set the bracket hardware in place, and tighten to secure the brackets. However, there are some nuances.
Use the marks on the top of the spring bars to mark your bracket locations. A paint pen is a great tool for making these marks on your trailer’s frame. Trace the marks on the spring bars up to the corresponding location on the trailer frame.
Then, compile your bracket hardware. Each will consist of two wide channel brackets, a narrow channel bracket, and the recommended carriage bolts and nuts. The exterior part of the bracket will include a wide channel installed over a narrow channel bracket, and the interior part will be the remaining wide channel bracket.
Place a single carriage bolt through the top hole of all three support brackets and loosely secure a nut on the end. Based on your marks, hang the bracket in its intended location and then slide an L-support between the wide channel and narrow channel exterior brackets. Secure it with a second carriage bolt and nut located as close to the trailer’s frame as possible.
Technician Tip: When the trailer is lifted 3” with the tongue jack, the L-support height should be set as close as possible to the spring bar height.
Finally, tighten both nuts securing the carriage bolts to the manufacturer’s specification (25 lb-ft), and repeat this process to install the second bracket on the other side of the frame.
Step 4: Tension the Spring Bars

Those steps complete most of the installation, but a pivotal final point remains before you can retract your tongue jack and tow your trailer. You must set the spring bars on the L-supports and secure them in place.
Find the kit’s included lift bar and place it under one of the spring bars. The small hook on the end of the bar should be inserted into the hole in the horizontal piece of the L-support. This will allow you to lift the spring bar and place it onto the L-support, where you can secure it with the included clip and cotter pin.
Step 5: Final Checks and Torque to Spec
You’ll then need to lower your tongue jack to check your tow vehicle’s height. When adjusted properly, your vehicle should settle evenly (front to back). If the front settles more (aka – is lower) than the rear, you may need to lower the L-supports to reduce the load on the spring bars. The spring bars should be nearly horizontal when your supports are in the correct position. Similarly, if you can’t level your vehicle using Position 1, you may need to increase the hitch head tilt position so that additional tension can be applied to the bars.
Technician Tip: You MUST remove the cotter pins and use the bar lift handle to remove tension from the spring bars before adjusting the L-support height or the hitch head tilt!
When you’re satisfied with the L-support height and hitch head tilt and your tow vehicle is level, tighten the ¾” hex bolts and nuts holding the spacers into the hitch head to the manufacturer’s specification (200 lb-ft). A failure to complete this critical final step can result in complete hitch system failure!
We hope this helps you decide if this is the right weight distribution hitch for your towing setup. Here are a few more resources for safe towing:
- How To Adjust a Weight Distribution Hitch
- Sway Control vs Weight Distribution
- What Is a Trailer Brake Controller?
- Is the Echo Brake Controller Your Next RV Upgrade?
What questions do you have about this CURT weight distribution system? Let us know in the comments below.