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Last Updated on January 27, 2024 by Jeremy
Of the many Reese towing products that exist in the travel trailer universe, today’s article will focus solely on this pro series RB2 style hitch, one of Reese weight distribution hitch with sway control products.
The availabilities and different styles of hitches that Reese supplies include Steadi-Flex, Strait-Line, RB1, and RB3 pro series, however the RB2 style pro series is as unique and just as safe to use as any towing product should you choose to be in the hunt for an upgrade.
At least it was a possibility…
With an upgrade of this product, you will not find it anymore on the Reese website, as the changes have been implemented to lead you towards the RB3 series. The RB3 complete w/d hitches kit with shank include:
- 2-5/16″ chrome hitch ball
- sway control round bars
- chains & hardware
- Sway control ball
Whereas the RB2 series (this featured review article) has the same as above, minus the sway control ball. Essentially, the added upgrade adds a bit more peace of mind, and ultimately a controllable sway control feature, however it wasn’t necessary in my opinion, but that’s just me.
Product Name: Reese Pro Series RB2 Weight Distribution Hitch with Sway Control
Product Website: REESE | Round Bar WD (reeseprod.com)
Pricing: Unknown from Website
Personal Rating: 8.8/10
How The Pro Series RB2 Reese Weight Distribution Hitch with Sway Control Works
To give you a generalized idea, the purpose of weight distribution is to eliminate the downward pressure weight of the trailer going on to your ball hitch, by forcing the weight upwards onto the ball hitch, essentially leveling off your travel trailer to be even with your vehicle.
From the infographic below, you’ll notice how without weight distribution, your vehicle and trailer sit angled to each other, but when you add the weight distribution and factor it in, it makes the vessel completely leveled off.
How this specific RB2 Pro series hitch works is by having your specialized weight distribution head (item# 58333)
attached to your Chevy vs Ford vs Dodge truck, using the proper hitch pin and 2-5/16″ ball. Once installed on the vehicle, you will back up to your trailer hitch and connect the sway bars through the holes of the head by interlocking them in a rotation method.
The sway bars on the other end of them have safety chains attached, and this is where you will connect them to the trailer portion between 3-5 links usually utilizing your snap-up handle (Item # RP58162) and locking the snap pins in position with the Reese safety pin (Item# 55180).
Example Video
To get the full aspect of hooking one of these hitches up, watch the video below:
FAQs, Specs & Features of the Product
Now as mentioned earlier, this particular series IS still available, just not on the Reese website. That said, the questions I have had directed to me are:
> Do you feel your trailer behind you with your current hitch?
Yes, it’s known to be behind me, but I find it controls the sway whereas if I had NO sway control hitch behind me.
> What setting do you have your chain links at?
Some people count up, some people count down links, I have mine set between the 2nd and third from the bottom. It depends on where my weight is in the front of the trailer, and whether I’m carrying my freshwater tank with water in it or not. Essentially, I try not to have water in the front of the tank for numerous reasons, but with that said I have to play around with the positioning of the sway bar link to get ideal comfort in towing.
> Can the trailer still sway with a sway control bar attached?
Ideally, NO. Theoretically, NO. Honestly, I have seen it continue to have lateral movement, but it is more controlled, meaning your unit acts as one vs two separate vessels. This is extremely noticeable in a high wind situation, but essentially the sway has been eliminated by as much as 80-90% with this hitch.
> Is this hitch easy to use?
Absolutely, at first it seemed tricky, but after 4 or 5 hook-ups it’s a breeze!
This RB2 pro series hitch has the following dimensions: 86.36 x 17.78 x 22.86 cm; 34.02 Kilograms OR 34″ x 7″ x 9″ and 75 pounds.
As well, the hitch distribution kit has a 600 Pound Tongue Weight and a 6000 Pound Gross Trailer Weight Capacity rating, which makes it the ideal hitch to use should you be towing a trailer with a GVW less than 6000 pounds.
Warranty, Pricing, and Option to Purchase
Now after some digging, it’s unknown of the warranty on this exact hitch, but I have found that the complete kit is available on Amazon, whereas replacement parts such as the weight head itself and other items are available on a website called etrailer.com.
Alternatively, you could source out this hitch through a trailer dealership or an RV wrecker site which you can read about in this article: The Best source for RV Parts & Accessories.
Conclusion / Final Thoughts / Personal Opinion
Looking back, the Reese RB2 pro series is the perfect starter weight distribution hitch for beginners. Should you need to know you’re towing a trailer with comfort, this product will give you that satisfaction.
Seeing the advancements in other products such as the RB3 with the added sway control feature may make this RB2 series seem outdated, however it’s still an operational and dependable product in my opinion, hence why I give it an 8.8 out of a 10-towing star rating.
Some pros of this hitch are:
~ Easy to handle.
~ Easy to hook-up.
~ Controls the sway, limits lateral movement and distributes the weight of the trailer like a hitch should.
The downfalls include:
~ Becoming outdated and obsolete.
~ Manual sway control not included.
If there was an upgrade, I wanted to go to instead of sticking with a Reese towing product, I’d personally make the switch to a Curt Mfg. Weight distribution hitch (Item# 17063).
The reasoning behind this, is it’s a little more solid looking than my current RB2 hitch, plus it is rated to tow 10,000 to 14,000 lbs. gross trailer weight and 1,000 to 1,400 lbs. tongue weight vs the lesser rating of the Reese hitch. Not only that, but it’s also priced a bit cheaper which is a game-changer for me.
Overall, though, I’ll stick with what I have for now!
That brings this review to a close, should you have any more questions, please reach out, happy to answer your questions in the comments section!
Cheers!
Thanks so much for such a thorough review! My husband and I bought an RV just two years ago, so we’re total newbies when it comes to RVs, RV maintenance, RV repairs…all things we didn’t really think about when we decided the RV life was for us! LOL I’m glad I found your website. It will help us a lot, I’m sure. Thanks again!
As time goes on, you will see just how much this website will benefit you and your new RV life. From one who learns to share, I’m hoping you will share as you learn!
Cheers!