Bent Snap-Up Bracket on Reese Dual Cam? (Solved)

[ChrisZazzara]

Hiya,

I've had the pleasure of bending two clips in three trips. The guys at the dealership feel that it was a change in tongue weight as the trailer went from delivery weight to camping weight. When I was last in we spent quite a bit of time re-checking all the settings and re-measuring and placing the cams so that they fell precisely under the bar lobes.

I am picking up one more link of chain since delivery, and the changes we made tuned for that change in chain length.

Here's a pic of my set-up on the back of the truck:

[dlhoppe]

Originally Posted by Look'in To Ecapé

Yep, our bracket looks just like yours, Coops1 - except that our bolt was even straighter up and down.

You can count links and bolt turns all you want. That bracket design is just not up to the task. Look at the way it was pulled down over the top of the trailer frame. Not heavy enough gauge and bad design on the anchor bolt. If it were me, I'd have that bracket tack-welded in place in addition to using that anchor bolt. Chances are you're not going to need to move it. But if you did, a little grinding would free it.

[Coops1]

Not heavy enough gauge and bad design on the anchor bolt.

Reading on other forums Reese Tech's are sending people a heavy duty version of the bracket. Other people are suggesting they tack-weld or bolt it into place. I personally wouldn't do this unless I was instructed to by them for warranty reasons but after that I'll just make it work.

[KyDan]

I'm baffled.

One wild out there thought..... look at the hitch ball.
It's not got some long threads sticking way down past the big nut
does it?
Just a wild guess-- could one of the WD bars be binding on the bottom
of the hitch ball threads when you turn?

Have you hitched it and turned and stopped mid turn to look at
what's going on back there?

Sure hope you get to the bottom of this!
Good luck!

[KyDan]

I notice that your hitch coupler is welded to the bottom of your trailer
frame tubes.
Mine is on top.
This makes your ball much lower than mine.
Your hitch is upside down compared to mine.....at least the part
that goes into the receiver.
Just take a good look under the ball in that area and make sure nothing
is able to get pinched and bind in the area under the ball in there
where the WD bars are located.

[KyDan]

Originally Posted by mtnguy

RV.Net Open Roads Forum: Towing: Reese Dual Cam rub

Have you read this thread??

[ChrisZazzara]

Hi Dan,

Thanks for the thoughts. All of the V type Forest River Tt's seem to be putting the hitch on the bottom of the frame tubes. Not sure why that is, but we had to work with it.

I have a spare snap up bracket for a trip I have coming up at the end of the week. The dealership has been very supportive and they know that my comfort factor is limited by this problem. If I bend up another, we'll involve Reese and move to the heavier duty brackets.

[MtnGuy]

Originally Posted by KyDan

One wild out there thought..... look at the hitch ball.
It's not got some long threads sticking way down past the big nut
does it?
Just a wild guess-- could one of the WD bars be binding on the bottom
of the hitch ball threads when you turn?

Have you hitched it and turned and stopped mid turn to look at
what's going on back there?

That is an excellent idea, Dan. I read somewhere else (RV.net ??) that that could happen.

Originally Posted by KyDan

I notice that your hitch coupler is welded to the bottom of your trailer
frame tubes.
Mine is on top.
This makes your ball much lower than mine.

I think the RV manufacturers move the position around according to how low the frame is to the ground. I have a low frame, and the coupler is on the top of the tongue frame. Many longer trailers need the extra height so they don't drag, so those trailers are higher off the ground. To keep the height of that coupler somewhat uniform, they put the couplers on those trailers at the bottom of the tongue frame.

With that, the big difference is in head assembly tilt. Mine is tilted all of the way back (coupler on top), and the above photo has the head assemble tilted far forward (coupler on bottom). I sometimes wished that my coupler as on the bottom so I would not have the potential trunnion bar/yoke rub problem, and could tilt my head assemble forward. But putting the couple on the bottom of the frame on my low profile frame, the bottom of the head assembly is going to be really low, causing clearance problems with that.

[Coops1]

I have the round bar's on my set-up so I don't think yoke rub is a problem. I'm starting to think it happened when leaving my ally at home, I have a pretty good drop when turning onto the street from the ally then the lane has a rise putting a lot of stress on the bar. I picked up 2 new brackets from a local shop here in Penticton while talking to him he says he see's about 25 bent brackets a year. Maybe the HD version is made in the US.

[MtnGuy]

Originally Posted by Coops1

I have the round bar's on my set-up so I don't think yoke rub is a problem.

Correct, the round bars don't have the rub problem.

[rockwood06]

Originally Posted by ChrisZazzara

Hiya,

I've had the pleasure of bending two clips in three trips. The guys at the dealership feel that it was a change in tongue weight as the trailer went from delivery weight to camping weight. When I was last in we spent quite a bit of time re-checking all the settings and re-measuring and placing the cams so that they fell precisely under the bar lobes.

I am picking up one more link of chain since delivery, and the changes we made tuned for that change in chain length.

Here's a pic of my set-up on the back of the truck:

Something does not look right with the hitch and the ball position, what type of tow vehicle do you have? I have a 2008 Chevy Heavy 1/2 ton and my camper sets level at 18", as you can see the coupler and ball is above the bumper.

[BigDTx]

Originally Posted by ChrisZazzara

Hiya,

I've had the pleasure of bending two clips in three trips. The guys at the dealership feel that it was a change in tongue weight as the trailer went from delivery weight to camping weight. When I was last in we spent quite a bit of time re-checking all the settings and re-measuring and placing the cams so that they fell precisely under the bar lobes.

I am picking up one more link of chain since delivery, and the changes we made tuned for that change in chain length.

Here's a pic of my set-up on the back of the truck:

It looks to me in the picture that the ball mount is slid into the receiver upside down, I use a equalizer hitch and my ball mount is the other way, pointing uop not down, and you have a major angle on the draw bar also it is angleing up from your receiver and bumper. mine is level to the truck and the head is adjusted with washers to only allow the ball to tilt. Does Reese reccomned it be set up like that?

I would email that pic to Reese and let their tech dept take a look at the setup.

[MtnGuy]

Originally Posted by rockwood06

Something does not look right with the hitch and the ball position, what type of tow vehicle do you have? I have a 2008 Chevy Heavy 1/2 ton and my camper sets level at 18", as you can see the coupler and ball is above the bumper.

Wade, it looks like ChrisZazzara uses 6 chain lengths to your 5 chain lengths. If he were to also use the 5 chain lengths, he would have to tilt the head assembly back another notch, bringing it more in line with your setup. Looks like your spring bars have a little more bend in them also, but not sure what size bars you are using compared to the other. My spring bars have a similar bend to yours.

Here is my setup.....notice the extreme tilt back on the head assembly:

Originally Posted by Danielflading

It looks to me in the picture that the ball mount is slid into the receiver upside down, I use a equalizer hitch and my ball mount is the other way, pointing uop not down, and you have a major angle on the draw bar also it is angleing up from your receiver and bumper.

The Reese shank can be used either way, depending on the height of the truck bumper, and height of the trailer tongue. What ever makes the trailer ride level and to get the proper weight distributing.

[cavponysoldier]

Took delivery of 2012 Surveyor Select SV-264 on April 30. Dealer (Brambilla's in Shakopee, MN) recommended and installed Reese Strait Line hitch with 1200 lb trunnions. My experience has mirrored LookinToEscape almost exactly. Bent bracket after first 2 night "shakedown" in nearby park followed by trip back to dealer's to replace bent bracket. Just made 3rd trip and had exact same problem. Had to purchase new brackets and ship overnight for repair. Spoke with Dane at Reese and he is sending replacement "beefier" brackets. With install charge, this hitch was over $900. We have slept in trailer 7 nights. I would be interested in any advice.

[rockwood06]

Originally Posted by mtnguy

Wade, it looks like ChrisZazzara uses 6 chain lengths to your 5 chain lengths. If he were to also use the 5 chain lengths, he would have to tilt the head assembly back another notch, bringing it more in line with your setup. Looks like your spring bars have a little more bend in them also, but not sure what size bars you are using compared to the other. My spring bars have a similar bend to yours.

Here is my setup.....notice the extreme tilt back on the head assembly:

Attachment 6813




The Reese shank can be used either way, depending on the height of the truck bumper, and height of the trailer tongue. What ever makes the trailer ride level and to get the proper weight distributing.

Chap, i have the heavy duty spring bars, they have two different numbers on them 1200 lbs and 12,000 lbs on the sticker. This hitch system was $800 bucks, the hitch and ball together weighs 42 lbs. This was an up grade from the last one i had when i towed the Fleetwood Mallard, i used the same style and it was a Reese WDS.

[CamperJamie]

Ditto. I'm having the same problem. We just bought a Flagstaff TT with a Reese Dual Cam (1200 lb bars). I've bent two brackets in two trips. Dealer did the hitch install and setup. From the pics I saw on this thread - it appears everyone is bending the passenger side bracket (that's the one that bends on mine). I know it may be a stretch, but could that have something to do with it (maybe something in the design of the hitch that puts more stress on the passenger side.....)?

[CamperJamie]

Well, I just talked to the service guys at the dealership who installed my hitch. The first question he asked me was if I backed up with the bars connected (which I had). He said that the brackets would bend if you backed up. This is a problem for me because I need to have the bars connected to keep the hitch from dragging due to the incline of my driveway.......

[KyDan]

I'd sure like to know what reese says about all this.

I only use 800# bars and have had no problems but I have to
back out of my driveway onto a busy road.
NO WAY am I gonna back out and then stop and put the bars on.

Can someone explain how the direction of travel has anything to
do with bending the clips??

[MtnGuy]

Originally Posted by CamperJamie

Well, I just talked to the service guys at the dealership who installed my hitch. The first question he asked me was if I backed up with the bars connected (which I had). He said that the brackets would bend if you backed up. This is a problem for me because I need to have the bars connected to keep the hitch from dragging due to the incline of my driveway.......

The brackets have no more stress on them backing up than going forward. All of the stress is on the coupler. The problem in backing is that you can get the tow vehicle and trailer at a sharper turning angle than going forward, but not by much.....it will only turn so far before the bumper of the TV hits the trailer tongue. Certain Reese hitches and trailer frame combinations will cause the spring bars to rub the yoke of the dual cam setup during a sharp turn, but those setups are rare.......of course I would have that problem.

Now on to the steep driveway.....that could be a problem. Not particularly from the incline, but the conversion between the street and the driveway. Any dip puts more stress on the system. As the trailer tongue raises and back of the truck goes down due to a dip, the WDH is trying to keep the 2 on the same plane as being level.

[BigDTx]

Originally Posted by KyDan

I'd sure like to know what reese says about all this.

I only use 800# bars and have had no problems but I have to
back out of my driveway onto a busy road.
NO WAY am I gonna back out and then stop and put the bars on.

Can someone explain how the direction of travel has anything to
do with bending the clips??

KyDan, not sure what the anwser is for this issue with the Reese, but when I bought my Eqaulizer one of the reasons I went with it over the Reese was due to the statement that you can back up without removing the bars on the Equalizer and there are no chains to mess with. I do not understand why Reese would design a hitch that can not be used to back in when almost all TT need to be backed into a spot, what would a boat owner do? remove the hitch everytime they put the boat in the water? I think Reese made a design bobo and they are blaiming it on the end user???