Dual Cam Snap Up Comments
Having towed for 10 yrs with my old round bar DrawTite hitch, I have never had any of the "common" dual cam problems, ie: broken cams, cracked cast heads (trunnion of course!), or the famous bent snap up or chain brackets. Until yesterday!!
Cequent recently replaced my old round bar hitch with a complete new 1200# kit (see previous post on cracked round bar head). Sat morning, I installed new head on draw bar, hooked up without bars, went to a level parking lot that I have used in the past. Unhooked, measured both ball height on trailer and unhooked ball height on Excursion. Ex was approx 1/2" higher than level trailer ball height, just as should be. Installed bars, did preliminary adj to cams, readjust ball mount angle, and got the bars reasonably close to "perfection", as if there really is a perfect setting with a dual cam!!
Headed home around a longer route to get a feel for the new hitch. First turn out of parking lot, sounded like someone took a shot next to me!! I figured that was to be expected on new bars on worn cams. Needed to make aboot 6 turns, mostly left, to get home. Each turn, in either direction was the same, a grinding and then a huge bang that could be felt through the Ex like you hit a pothole at 60mph. OK, some embellishment (!!), but I know the dual cams can be noisy, but the old set up never was like this.
This new hitch is very pretty, shiny, looks like they are using an epoxy paint. I believe the new paint was being ground off and building up between the cam and the bar ramp. Home, I unhooked, and found the left snap up (old style) loose. It was bent slightly at the bottom and the bolt dented the inside of the frame about 1/16". The right side was ok, and tight. On the trip home, left turns were 4 to 2, and it seemed that the left turn was the noisiest.
Now, the new hitch came with the new heavy duty snap ups, and this may not have happened if I had put them on, but I was going to wait since I may have to move the bottles slightly since the new ones are wider and the old ones tucked right up side the bottle pan. Also, in checking them today, I found that the new ones don't mount squarely to the frame, they have a slight rocking motion when placed (not permanently) on the frame. Anybody noticed this before??
I am going to bolt the new ones on, but I thought about a different method other than just drilling one hole for a self tapping bolt. What would the gang here think about drilling a hole on the inside of the frame just larger than the pinch bolt and then running it all the way into the frame and tightening on the inside of the outer frame. Being just under the top of the frame, it would seem to me to have a stronger attachment and resistance to twisting forces.
There was a string on the Jayco forum discussing the attachment of the snap ups on Jaycos. In fact, in the latest installation pdf, Cequent states if you have a Jayco with a bottom mounted coupler you should bolt on with one bolt. They also stated to a site member that the snap ups only needed the one bolt near the top center since it is the strongest place to put it!
Love to hear any comments on my idea from the hitch and dual cam experts.
Gerry
PS: Jury is still out on the new style round bar system!! Old one was fast hook up, didn't have to drop chains, but now have to to swing the bars in towards the trailer. Oh well, that's progress!!
Cequent recently replaced my old round bar hitch with a complete new 1200# kit (see previous post on cracked round bar head). Sat morning, I installed new head on draw bar, hooked up without bars, went to a level parking lot that I have used in the past. Unhooked, measured both ball height on trailer and unhooked ball height on Excursion. Ex was approx 1/2" higher than level trailer ball height, just as should be. Installed bars, did preliminary adj to cams, readjust ball mount angle, and got the bars reasonably close to "perfection", as if there really is a perfect setting with a dual cam!!
Headed home around a longer route to get a feel for the new hitch. First turn out of parking lot, sounded like someone took a shot next to me!! I figured that was to be expected on new bars on worn cams. Needed to make aboot 6 turns, mostly left, to get home. Each turn, in either direction was the same, a grinding and then a huge bang that could be felt through the Ex like you hit a pothole at 60mph. OK, some embellishment (!!), but I know the dual cams can be noisy, but the old set up never was like this.
This new hitch is very pretty, shiny, looks like they are using an epoxy paint. I believe the new paint was being ground off and building up between the cam and the bar ramp. Home, I unhooked, and found the left snap up (old style) loose. It was bent slightly at the bottom and the bolt dented the inside of the frame about 1/16". The right side was ok, and tight. On the trip home, left turns were 4 to 2, and it seemed that the left turn was the noisiest.
Now, the new hitch came with the new heavy duty snap ups, and this may not have happened if I had put them on, but I was going to wait since I may have to move the bottles slightly since the new ones are wider and the old ones tucked right up side the bottle pan. Also, in checking them today, I found that the new ones don't mount squarely to the frame, they have a slight rocking motion when placed (not permanently) on the frame. Anybody noticed this before??
I am going to bolt the new ones on, but I thought about a different method other than just drilling one hole for a self tapping bolt. What would the gang here think about drilling a hole on the inside of the frame just larger than the pinch bolt and then running it all the way into the frame and tightening on the inside of the outer frame. Being just under the top of the frame, it would seem to me to have a stronger attachment and resistance to twisting forces.
There was a string on the Jayco forum discussing the attachment of the snap ups on Jaycos. In fact, in the latest installation pdf, Cequent states if you have a Jayco with a bottom mounted coupler you should bolt on with one bolt. They also stated to a site member that the snap ups only needed the one bolt near the top center since it is the strongest place to put it!
Love to hear any comments on my idea from the hitch and dual cam experts.
Gerry
PS: Jury is still out on the new style round bar system!! Old one was fast hook up, didn't have to drop chains, but now have to to swing the bars in towards the trailer. Oh well, that's progress!!
