Whether you’re an RV owner hauling your camper cross-country or a trade worker towing equipment to a remote jobsite, ensuring your pickup truck is up to the challenge of long-distance towing is critical to a safe, efficient, and enjoyable trip. A lot can happen between Point A and Point B—to ensure it’s only good vibes and great views, let’s dive into the five upgrades that every long hauler should consider.
From stability to stopping power, Parts Via has the parts and accessories you need to make long-haul towing a breeze. Keep reading to learn how you can score FREE shipping on your next purchase.
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Heavy-Duty Hitch & Towing Accessories
When towing heavy loads over long distances, the last place you want to skimp is the hitch. This critical piece of towing equipment serves as the primary connection between your truck and trailer, securing the two together while also distributing towing forces. Suffice it to say that upgrading to a heavy-duty option can significantly improve the safety and stability of your setup, reducing stress on your vehicle and ensuring better control.
For enhanced control and load distribution, consider investing in a weight distribution (WD) hitch— especially one with built-in sway prevention features. These specialized hitches evenly distribute the trailer’s weight across your truck’s axles, improving steering, braking, and overall maneuverability. The added sway control features help prevent dangerous side-to-side movement caused by wind, road conditions, or passing vehicles.
If you’re looking for a reliable weight distribution hitch with sway control, here are three standout options:
- Husky Towing Center Line TS– Designed for a smooth, responsive, and quiet ride, this WD hitch reacts quickly to trailer sway for better stability. Each kit includes everything needed for installation—no separate components required—making it an affordable, all-in-one solution.
- Weigh Safe True Tow Middleweight– Strong, flexible, and easy to adjust, this WD hitch features built-in anti-sway friction areas to help counteract movement from wind or passing vehicles. Its standout feature, however, is an integrated scale, allowing you to accurately measure tongue weight for optimal load balance.
- Equal-i-zer 4-Point Sway Control– A 100% American-made product with national recognition for its superior performance, this WD hitch features four friction points to actively reduce sway—more than any other hitch on the market—offering unmatched stability and peace of mind.
In addition to the hitch, quality towing accessories like ball mounts, pintle hooks, and safety chains are essential for secure connections. These parts help ensure that your trailer stays firmly attached throughout your journey, reducing the risk of accidents or damage during long-distance towing. Brands like CURT/Lippert, B&W, Reese, and Gen-Y all offer reliable options designed for durability and long-time use.
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Suspension Enhancements
Towing puts significant strain on your truck’s factory suspension, especially when hauling heavy loads for extended periods. Over time, this added stress can lead to sagging, reduced stability, and a rougher ride, all of which impact both safety and comfort. Enhancing your suspension with air springs, upgraded shocks, or helper springs helps maintain proper ride height and improve handling, ultimately reducing wear on your truck’s components.
For serious load-leveling, Firestone is a trusted industry leader. The company pioneered the concept in 1938, producing durable bellows and components designed for heavy-duty work vehicles. Firestone’s Ride-Rite Helper Springs help keep your truck level under load, reducing strain on the suspension and improving overall control. Plus, most kits are no-drill systems that utilize existing factory holes, significantly reducing installation time.
If convenience is what you’re after, check out the company’s All-In-One kits. Featuring an on-board air compressor, they allow you to adjust air pressure at the touch of a button. This means you can adapt to changing loads and road conditions on the fly, ensuring a smoother, more controlled towing experience.
Whether you’re towing an RV or a fully loaded work trailer, the right suspension enhancements from Parts Via will ensure your rig is ready for the long haul.
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Braking Support
When towing heavy loads, stopping power matches pulling power in importance. But stock braking systems aren’t always equipped to handle the extra weight of a fully-loaded trailer, making upgraded braking solutions an essential truck upgrade for long-distance towing. The two key updates to consider are electric brake controllers and trailer brake upgrades, both of which enhance control and reduce stopping distances.
If your trailer’s current braking performance falls short, upgrading to a disc brake setup can make a big difference. Disc brakes dissipate heat more efficiently and provide shorter, more consistent stopping distances, making them an excellent choice for frequent long-haul towing. Brands like Lippert and Demco offer high-quality disc and drum brake systems designed to handle heavy loads.
Most modern trailers come equipped with electric brakes, and to function properly, they require a brake controller. This device syncs your trailer’s brakes with your truck’s, regulating stopping power and bringing everything to a smooth, controlled halt. There are two main types of brake controller:
- Time-delayed brake controllers– which apply a preset amount of braking power after receiving a stop signal from your truck. Because of this delay, braking can sometimes feel jerky, especially under heavy loads.
- Proportional brake controllers– which adjust braking force based on how hard you press your truck’s brakes. This results in smoother, more precise stops that closely match your truck’s braking intensity.
For a reliable and innovative proportional brake controller, check out the CURT Echo Mobile Controller. It plugs directly into your truck’s 7-way socket and connects via Bluetooth, allowing you to control all brake settings right from your smartphone.
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Mirrors & Cameras
When towing, visibility is everything—and yet, it’s consistently overlooked. Standard factory side mirrors and limited rear visibility make lane changes, reversing, and maneuvering a trailer more stressful and risky than it needs to be. By upgrading to extended tow mirrors and quality camera systems, you can get a clearer, wider view of your surroundings, improving safety for you and everyone else on the road.
Whether you prefer permanent replacement mirrors or clip-on extensions, brands like CURT, K-Source, Milenco, and CIPA USA offer durable, vehicle-specific options for a seamless fit—and they’re all available right here on Parts Via.
If you’re looking for that extra layer of towing confidence that can only come from clear camera views, then consider adding some extra angles. Traditional backup cameras, like those from ASA Electronics and Brandmotion, make reversing with a trailer far easier, eliminating the guesswork of lining up your hitch or navigating tight spots. For a full 360-degree view, check out the Furrion Vision S 3-Camera System. It offers multiple angles, real-time feeds, and night vision, giving you better visibility than a social media influencer’s highlight reel.
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Upgraded Tires
When it comes to long-distance towing—especially with heavy payloads—your tires are one of the most important upgrades to consider. After all, your tires are the only point of contact your vehicle has with the ground, so they play a crucial role in handling the extra weight and stress that comes with towing. Standard passenger tires simply aren’t equipped to provide the stability, traction, and performance needed for the job.
Look for tires with a higher load index rating—119 or higher—as they’re designed to bear the additional weight without compromising safety or driving performance. Keep in mind, though, that this vehicle likely isn’t always towing, so you want to ensure the tires you choose won’t compromise its ability to perform when not loaded.
Think about the type of load you're hauling and where you’re taking it. Are you pulling an RV to a campground? Towing a trailer full of equipment to a remote job site? Or hauling your racer to the track? These considerations will impact your tire choice. For certain terrains, such as rough trails or slippery roads, an all-terrain (AT) tire might be your best bet for better traction and control. Check out Mickey Thompson’s Baja Boss A/T, which offers durability and traction when you need it most. If you’re upgrading your trailer tires, Maxxis has a strong lineup specifically designed for trailer applications, offering added reliability and performance for long-haul towing.
Upgrade Your Towing Setup with Parts Via
Get the gear you need for safer, smoother towing with Parts Via. Shop our wide selection of hitches, brakes, tires, mirrors, and more—all from trusted brands you know and love.
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