Getting Rid of my Dual Cam system
I really like this system but it's such a darn pain. It's so complex no one, anywhere, has any idea how to adjust it or install it. I just had it transferred to a new trailer and new bars also were...
Forum Discussion
Hi Mike,
I sense your frustration. Your installer did not do you any favors by the sounds of it. As a fellow camper trying to help, I’ll type some more to try to help.
There are folks who know how to set the hitch up right, just they are not where you are going to.
Your dealer is miss-informed on the head tilt. The Reese HP trunnion bar head can tilt a full 14 degrees to the rear on the new HP head and 15 degs on the prior generation. The serrated washer “does not” have to be in full contact on every tooth to hold the rated weight of that hitch head all the way to a 1,700# tongue weight. You can use the entire slot in the hitch head. When full tilt back there can be 3 to 4 teeth on the serrated washer not engaged. That is not a problem. If you want to verify this call:
“For Installation Assistance or Technical Help, Call 1-800-758-0869”
That phone number is the Cequent (Reese) tech hot line. Came right out of the hitch installation instructions here: http://www.reeseprod.com/content/downloads/installation/N66022.pdf
I called and asked when this myth when it came came up long ago. There is no requirement to have all serated teeth engaged. They must be in correct contact and not cross toothed, but not all engaged.
We can help you install it correctly in your yard. You will need to do final adjustment and tweaking in an even spot. A local school parking lot, a campground parking lot, etc. You can get it installed and adjusted enough in your yard to be able to tow it and not break it to a spot to dial it in. We can help show you how to do this if this is the route you choose.
Good for you regardless of what hitch you have! Once you work through this, then the confusion will no longer be there as you understand it.
I do not know where you stand right now on the broken hitch head. Did you try calling the Reese hot line and explain your situation? They have a life time guarantee on the hitch. And I have seen them give away a lot of free parts for areas I would even question. All to be good to the customer.
I showed you in this post what was wrong with your setup. Here
You’re A frame and mine are the same configuration along with many others here on the forum with a 6” wide A frame with the ball coupler on top. The hitch you own now can be setup to work well for you. If Reese supplies a new head, you will be out $20 for a new hi rise tow ball and some time to setup and adjust what you have.
I will again caution you to not get the Reese round bar hitch. You will not be happy with it. It will not give you the proper WD on the truck. Odds are high you will run out of rear head tilt before the WD comes in correct and then your stuck. That head, just like the trunnion bar head has friction sway control arm on it that will hit you’re A frame in a 65 degree right turn. The last time this came up you stated you had to back in sharper then 65 degrees.
Mike, if you “must” turn right greater than 65 degrees you can write off these brands and any other brand with a friction sway control arm as part of the hitch head. All Reese hitches, Husky standard round or trunnion bar, Drawtite, EAZ Lift, Curt, Valley, Maxxtow, Pro-Eagle and I’m sure some I missed some. All have an arm on the side of the head that will hit the frame going much beyond 65 degrees.
If this is a mandate and there are no other options, these hitches are a possibility.
Fast Way, Equal-I-zer, Husky Centerline, Blue Ox (you know the new issues on this one), Andersen, Pull Rite, are some that come to mind that do not have a friction sway control arm as part of the hitch head and have the potential to trun more than 65 degrees. But you need to check to be sure as even they will bind up if you go to far. The only one that will go a full 90 degrees is the Pull Rite.
Have you yet measured the angle of your turn? Being able to do that 65 degree right hand turn with the WD bars on will require writing off a lot of hitches on the market today. If there is any way you can find a solution to that turn, what you have now can be made to work well.
Hope this helps
John
I sense your frustration. Your installer did not do you any favors by the sounds of it. As a fellow camper trying to help, I’ll type some more to try to help.
Mike Up wrote:
I really like this system but it's such a darn pain. It's so complex no one, anywhere, has any idea how to adjust it or install it.
There are folks who know how to set the hitch up right, just they are not where you are going to.
Mike Up wrote:
I think mine bind on the cam installation bracket, broke the top socket out of the head, the T end of the Trunnion twisted while forcing it's way out of the head, and hit the ball threads. All of this because the dealer refused to adjust the head to a greater angle to get the bars below the cam brackets. They are sticking to their guns saying you can't adjusted the head beyond the threads on the adjustment area, therefore limiting how far back they could tilt the head. They only got 5 chain links from the bar's end to the snap up bracket with a 1200 lbs bar.
So now I'm going to shell out money and hope to install this thing in a timely manner, myself, on an uneven, slanting driveway because no one in my area knows how to install a hitch unless it's a simple WDH with no sway control.
Your dealer is miss-informed on the head tilt. The Reese HP trunnion bar head can tilt a full 14 degrees to the rear on the new HP head and 15 degs on the prior generation. The serrated washer “does not” have to be in full contact on every tooth to hold the rated weight of that hitch head all the way to a 1,700# tongue weight. You can use the entire slot in the hitch head. When full tilt back there can be 3 to 4 teeth on the serrated washer not engaged. That is not a problem. If you want to verify this call:
“For Installation Assistance or Technical Help, Call 1-800-758-0869”
That phone number is the Cequent (Reese) tech hot line. Came right out of the hitch installation instructions here: http://www.reeseprod.com/content/downloads/installation/N66022.pdf
I called and asked when this myth when it came came up long ago. There is no requirement to have all serated teeth engaged. They must be in correct contact and not cross toothed, but not all engaged.
Mike Up wrote:
I just went out and found out that they put my cam install bracket at 18" when it's suppose to be at 19 3/8". I'm also suppose to have 12" to 13" of working room for the bars or 6" - 7" underneith my 6" frame, I only have 10" total working room for the bars or 5" underneith my frame. It was installed completely wrong at every point. Yet these are professionals that do this everyday and are suppose to know what the hell they're doing. Now I have to get them to pay for the damage they caused!
At least I can get the Blue Ox pretty adjusted pretty close in my unlevel, wavy, downward slanting asphault driveway. I wouldn't even attempt this with the Reese DC. I'd want to have that on perfectly flat, perfectly level, concrete, which I don't have. I also don't have anywhere I could use without being driven off of private property.
We can help you install it correctly in your yard. You will need to do final adjustment and tweaking in an even spot. A local school parking lot, a campground parking lot, etc. You can get it installed and adjusted enough in your yard to be able to tow it and not break it to a spot to dial it in. We can help show you how to do this if this is the route you choose.
Mike Up wrote:
Since I have no working hitch right now, I'll be installing it in the driveway. The dealer is an hour away.
Good for you regardless of what hitch you have! Once you work through this, then the confusion will no longer be there as you understand it.
Mike Up wrote:
Not much a fan of those side mounted friction sway arms so I'll pass on those. I'll just wait this out. Perhaps even Reese may have a solution. As long as I'm not out of money I may entertain that.
I do not know where you stand right now on the broken hitch head. Did you try calling the Reese hot line and explain your situation? They have a life time guarantee on the hitch. And I have seen them give away a lot of free parts for areas I would even question. All to be good to the customer.
I showed you in this post what was wrong with your setup. Here
You’re A frame and mine are the same configuration along with many others here on the forum with a 6” wide A frame with the ball coupler on top. The hitch you own now can be setup to work well for you. If Reese supplies a new head, you will be out $20 for a new hi rise tow ball and some time to setup and adjust what you have.
I will again caution you to not get the Reese round bar hitch. You will not be happy with it. It will not give you the proper WD on the truck. Odds are high you will run out of rear head tilt before the WD comes in correct and then your stuck. That head, just like the trunnion bar head has friction sway control arm on it that will hit you’re A frame in a 65 degree right turn. The last time this came up you stated you had to back in sharper then 65 degrees.
Mike Up wrote:CHD Dad wrote:
Be aware the new Blue Ox Sway Pro is not the same as the old style that everybody loves. I went through a mess with them and the dealer who sold it trying to get things sorted out. They completely changed the design without telling anyone about it.
The head is no longer tilt adjustable. It is cast at a preset tilt. If you want to put more or less pressure on the bars without using the chains, you are out of luck.
The sway control is no longer adjustable! They used to have two bolts at the bottom of the head to adjust the resistance to movement. Bolts are no longer there. Again, it is a preset adjustment and there was very little tension at all on the two I received.
They basically dumbed it down as much as possible. Nothing is adjustable other than how many links you pull on the chain. The only thing they kept was the rotating latch (very nice) and the pretty much grease free setup and use.
I ended up sending it back since I didnt like any of the changes and went with the Andersen system. So far I love it. Zero grease, no noise, no porpoising and quick hookup.
Yeh, I just called and now I don't think I'm going with this either. Everything you said is true so I asked whats the preset torque setting on the trunnion lobes. I told here I know they were adjustable up to 100 lbs and came from the factory at 40 lbs. She said they are free turning now, so I guess there's no friction sway control in the system anymore. The chain bracket provides some sway control but not much IMO as it's still allowed to shift around.
I'll just have to see what my options are. I might just go with a round bar system system since the cam was installed at the right spot for this and not a trunnion system.
Mike, if you “must” turn right greater than 65 degrees you can write off these brands and any other brand with a friction sway control arm as part of the hitch head. All Reese hitches, Husky standard round or trunnion bar, Drawtite, EAZ Lift, Curt, Valley, Maxxtow, Pro-Eagle and I’m sure some I missed some. All have an arm on the side of the head that will hit the frame going much beyond 65 degrees.
If this is a mandate and there are no other options, these hitches are a possibility.
Fast Way, Equal-I-zer, Husky Centerline, Blue Ox (you know the new issues on this one), Andersen, Pull Rite, are some that come to mind that do not have a friction sway control arm as part of the hitch head and have the potential to trun more than 65 degrees. But you need to check to be sure as even they will bind up if you go to far. The only one that will go a full 90 degrees is the Pull Rite.
Have you yet measured the angle of your turn? Being able to do that 65 degree right hand turn with the WD bars on will require writing off a lot of hitches on the market today. If there is any way you can find a solution to that turn, what you have now can be made to work well.
Hope this helps
John
