Reese dual cam problem

JBarca is right on. I'll add one more suggestion. If you have the thinner tube frame you may want to do what I did.

rather than trying to bolt into the frame, i made a 1/4" plate with holes drilled and nuts welded to the plate that would line up exactly with bolts through the bracket. plate was about 8 inches long and almost the height of the tube. Then drilled clearance holes through the tube frame for the bolts. Now the tricky part. how to align the plate with the bolts for the bracket to clamp everything in place? well I also welded a nut perpendicular to the plate and attached a threaded rod to it. then I used the threaded rod to locate the plate to line up with the holes in the tube. then using grade 8 bolts, attached the bolts through the brackets to the plate. then tighted it down tight. now the bracket is attached to the tube with a large thick plate to distribute forces and clamped with real bolts and nuts that can't pull out.

this in some ways mimicks the channel type frame that JBarca has.

Hi, I may be able to add some to maybe help. From your post, I broke it up a little so we can read it easier

djcjc wrote:
Towed with reese dual cam 1200 lbs bars with last trailer for 3 years no problem

got a new trailer dealer moved hitch to new trailer and towed with it for two years no problem

first trip out this year 3 hour trip when we got to campsite the snap up bracket on the driver side was bent out away from the frame

these brackets have two holes at the bottom with bolts threaded into the trailer frame and a single bolt at the top inside of frame that is just tightened against frame

bent bracket back as best I could and made the trip home went and bought new brackets at the dealer these now have one bolt hole in the middle of the bracket but closer to the top and still the inside frame bolt that tightens against the trailer frame

Dealer said that something must be wrong for these to bend well they set it up and have had no issues to this time. I think this new bracket will be less likely to bend with the higher mounting bolt hole could this have been caused by fatigue maybe the inside bolt was loose and I missed it? nothing has changed with setup have two links hanging, head position has not changed the one on the passenger side looked like it was bent a slight amount so replaced both brackets and kept the one for a spare drilled and tapped frame for new bolt location. Leaving next week for 2 week trip out east any thoughts?

ktmrfs wrote:
do your brackets have U shaped gussetts welded to the bracket as reinforcement? If not, I'd suggest you get the HD brackets and install them given the bars your using. Reese updated brackets a few years ago and the 1400lb brackets have gussets to prevent what you had happen. I think now even the 1200 lb system comes with these brackets.

it may be the new trailer dynamics and weight put you over the edge with the older non HD brackets if that is what you now have.

ktmrfs stated this well, I will add some more to this.

A picture of your setup will really help, but I may be able to add some to what may have contributed to your issues.

On the DC, when TW's approach 1,200#, even some at 1,000# have had this, the WD bar forces can get high enough to bend the snapup bracket in a turn on the original style snapup brackets. Many have had this issue and RV net has many members have had this. By adding 2 additional bolts and not over tightening the 1/2" set screw on top, (that is supposed to only be 1/2 turn tight) this has helped many be able to use the older brackets.

I myself have the older snap ups using 1,700# WD bars with a 1,500 to 1,600# loaded TW and the snap ups are bolted to the frame. (If I put the bikes on the trailer A frame, it is 1,600#)

I have used these snap ups since 2003 on my older trailer that had a 1,200# TW, also bolted to a channel iron frame. They have been on the current camper since 2007. We currently have over 35,000 miles on this camper in my sig.

As ktmrfs stated, Reese created the new HD bracket to help stop this issue.

So how have I with my heavy TW and the old brackets managed to not bend them, but now, you have? And your older camper did not have a problem? Good question. Here goes a little speculation... May not be that far off from what you have going on.

I have a 6" channel iron A Frame. When I drilled the holes for the 2, 3/8" carriage bolts, I favored the top of the hole so there was no play for the bracket to slip down. Since this is channel iron I can put a lot of torque into the bolts and that creates more holding friction.

Now to your situation. You used these words,

djcjc wrote:
with bolts threaded into the trailer frame

This sounds like you have a rectangular tube frame and the dealer used self taping screws. Did I get this right?

First off, have you weighed the trailer loaded tongue weight? It might be over 1,200# which more aggravates this bending issue.

Next is the dealer and the self tapping screws. Odds are high they just shot the hole in any place it would fit in the square hole in the bracket. They may not have favored the top of the hole to help prevent the bracket from slipping down.

Next is the tube frame. These new camper tube frames keep getting thinner and thinner. I do not know what wall thickness you have but odds are high those self taping screws are not very tight or they will strip out. You have less friction holding the bracket from slipping and the hole may be on the bottom of the square hole allowing the bracket to slide down.

Next is the 1/2" set screw up top. Look to see if the frame is pushed in, bent in a little from either the dealer over tightening the screw or the just the soft tube frame collapsing under load?

My channel iron frame is substantially stronger against the set screw ever crushing the frame, I have high torque on the 2, 3/8 carriage bolts, (not self taping screws which can pull out) and I drilled the hole on the top of the square hole in the bracket.

My setup my be the reason mine is holding and yours gave way.

Your older camper may have had a thicker frame and or a lighter loaded TW. And you may have found the right compound angle turn to set your rig over the edge and bend the bracket.

I agree, going to the new heavy duty snapups will give you more forgiveness against the issue. When you take the bent snap up off, look at the self taping screws and see if the metal is puckered out from the threads pulling. When that bracket bent, odds are high the screws pulled on the tube frame.

Here is a side pic of my setup. I painted the carriage bolts black, but you can still see them.



Hope this helps and let us know what you find out.

John

Ah! That's probably where it happened. May have simply over stressed the brackets backing up the steep incline. I've read from one manufacturer that states the bars should be removed for such maneuvers forward or reverse.

djcjc wrote:
I am hooked into the seventh link have two links hanging free. New bracket I got have one bolt instead of two but single bolt is mounted much higher on the hanger bracket than the two bolts that were in the bottom of the old hanger brackets. Trailer is tucked away and cant get it out and hooked up till Monday after graduation party we are having here for two grandkids on Sunday. We leave on Tuesday so I will just have to keep an eye on things again the setup has been the same for 3 years with first trailer and two years with existing trailer. Usually kick off bars if going to have to jack knife trailer when backing in. Only thing different this site was no jack knife but very steep incline backing in then trailer leveled off and truck still on steep down incline. Will try to post pics after I get it out on Monday.

that steep incline will put more load on the bars, couple that with any side load on the bracket and unless it's the heavy duty bracket shown in one of the photo's in a previous link, it may end up bending the bracket. especially if it's the older style cam arms.

I am hooked into the seventh link have two links hanging free. New bracket I got have one bolt instead of two but single bolt is mounted much higher on the hanger bracket than the two bolts that were in the bottom of the old hanger brackets. Trailer is tucked away and cant get it out and hooked up till Monday after graduation party we are having here for two grandkids on Sunday. We leave on Tuesday so I will just have to keep an eye on things again the setup has been the same for 3 years with first trailer and two years with existing trailer. Usually kick off bars if going to have to jack knife trailer when backing in. Only thing different this site was no jack knife but very steep incline backing in then trailer leveled off and truck still on steep down incline. Will try to post pics after I get it out on Monday.

That's the snap up brackets that came with my 800 lb HP as well. The HP comes with integrated cams in the trunnion style spring bars so if I ever get around to buying and installing the sway control arms, I'll be able to report the difference towing. As it is, I have very little sway from passing trucks if there's a crosswind.
Thanks for the info on the arm change. I didn't know this.

You want the HD brackets like in the photo. I bought an 800 lb DC package and it came with the HD snap-up brackets. Not sure why but am glad because I had to swap the bars out for 1200 lb ones.

Never trust a dealer to set up a WDH, esp. the Reese DC. As mentioned, need to do adjustments only after TV & TT are fully loaded. Agree, need a photo as there are too many variables at play.

Hannibal wrote:
I'd have to see a picture of the hitch ready to roll to form an opinion on what may have gone wrong. The most common reason for broken or bent parts is the head tilted to far forward and chains pulled up too tight. If you're using less than five links, it's not set up right. You should be able to turn as sharp as you need to without truck to trailer contact without removing the bars.

yes, especially the older version of the dual cam. the arms that hold the cam was changed at one time that helped prevent the bar from hitting the cam arm with to few links. If that happens very high stress on the bracket.

I'd have to see a picture of the hitch ready to roll to form an opinion on what may have gone wrong. The most common reason for broken or bent parts is the head tilted to far forward and chains pulled up too tight. If you're using less than five links, it's not set up right. You should be able to turn as sharp as you need to without truck to trailer contact without removing the bars.

do your brackets have U shaped gussetts welded to the bracket as reinforcement? If not, I'd suggest you get the HD brackets and install them given the bars your using. Reese updated brackets a few years ago and the 1400lb brackets have gussets to prevent what you had happen. I think now even the 1200 lb system comes with these brackets.

it may be the new trailer dynamics and weight put you over the edge with the older non HD brackets if that is what you now have.