HouseApe wrote:
Reese has a nutsert kit if your bolts strip out.
You'd be referring to Reese's rivnut which would look similar to the diagram. I looked for posts on an RV forum about anyone who might have used these and their experience with them but could not find one.
What I suspect might not work well with these is that the shoulder of the rivnet, dim. "B" in the diagram, does not allow the Reese bracket to sit tightly against the A-frame and will allow the bracket to move laterally. Over time I can see these loosening.
The advantage of a plate inside the A-frame is that it re-enforces the tubing wall. In the worst scenario, the A-frame tubing can be damaged as in the photo.