Yet another reason I won't let my dealer touch my trailer

[Bobbo]

This is one reason why I don’t trust my RV dealer. It was Southaven RV in Southaven, MS. I bought my trailer new and they said they would install a weight distribution hitch as part of the deal. I had them install a Reese Strait-Line hitch with Dual Cam Sway Control. That was 3 seasons and 11,500 miles ago. A couple of days ago, I pulled into a campground in Canada, 1,500 miles from home, and found this. (Narrative continued below the picture.)



Reese specs vs their install:
Bolts 1/2” x 1.5” – used 5/16” x 1”
Grade 5 – used grade 1
Lock washer – nope
Rivet nut – nope, drilled holes and used self threading bolts

Bolt on the backside of other trailer side was tight and had jam nut tight. This side, bolt loose, jam nut halfway up bolt.

I avoided disaster here. One bolt was gone, the other was about 1/4” out from the bracket. Both holes in the frame were stripped out.

I had to drill the holes out and tap them for 3/8” bolts. I did use 3/8” x 1.5” grade 5 bolts and lock washers and tightened the bolt on the back side and tightened jam jut. This was just a temporary fix to get me home. Once home, I will re-do them both to Reese specs.

[Cummins12V98]

Thanks! Now I understand.

[Bobbo]

If you have a C channel frame, you can drill a 1/2" hole, put the bolts through and tighten them down with a nut and lock washer.

If you have a tube frame, like I do, you can't get to the inside of the tube to install a nut and washer. If you drill a 7/16" hole and thread it to take a 1/2" bolt, you only have about 1/8" of thread in the trailer frame to hold all of that pressure. That is not enough thread to be secure with the stress that it takes. The answer is to drill it out to 11/16" and insert a rivet nut. When you tighten down the bolt, the rivet nut expands behind the steel of the frame side giving a MUCH more secure connection. Google "rivet nut" and you can see how it works.

[Cummins12V98]

WHY drill a 11/16" hole for a 1/2" bolt??? What am I missing here?

[dodge_guy]

Good to hear. You shouldn't need to touch them ever now.

[Bobbo]

OP here. Just an update. I got out today and removed the sway cam arms and brackets from the trailer frame, drilled out the holes to 11/16" to take the rivet nuts, and re-installed the sway cam arms and brackets with the 1/2"x1.5" bolts the way the specs said. I even got to use a torque wrench I bought a few years ago to torque them down to 75 foot-pounds. Life is good.

[Bobbo]

I am home now and preparing to install it properly. I have the 1/2"-13x1.5" Grade 5 bolts (I discovered they make 1/2"-20x1.5" Grade 5 bolts), Grade 5 lock washers, and rivet nuts. I am also going to use red Loctite on the threads. Just waiting for a dry day to get out there.

[down_home]

ScottG wrote:
There are a lot of situations where you can't through-bolt.
In my case the bolt ends up in the webbing of the C channel that makes up my toungue. For most, using the self tapping screws would work fine as long as they're checked once in a while.
I ended up tapping the C channel and using grade 5 bolts - the frame is at least as thick as a bolt, more so at the webbing. Then I painted everything black and used some red touch up paint to make a mark so I can readily see if the bolt has moved.

The frame is mil steel or at least several times milder than a nut grade 5, 8, or 9.
I would if possible use grade 5 bolts that close fit the holes and hardened washers and locking nuts or preferably but more expensive and time consuming, drilled bolts and nuts, sometimes called safety bolts and nuts and safety wire. I have had the bolts in the sub frame of our tow bar come loose. They were simply replaced and torqued because I had someone else do it. If able I would do the safety wiring.

[mich800]

Agree, the one on the left (or similar) came with mine.

[dodge_guy]

Yep, thats the dealer that screw d up royally! Fortunately it's still an easy repair. Just drill e holes to the proper size and properly install the proper bolts.

[Bobbo]

ScottG wrote:
Not the dealers fault. the hitch came with those bolts.

dodge guy wrote:
Reese supplies all the hardware.

mich800 wrote:
Same here, all the hardware came with the kit.

All of you are correct, Reese does supply the bolts. The bolt on the left is the one Reese supplies. The bolt on the right is the one the dealer used. I still call foul on this install.

[Grit_dog]

Bobbo, gotta ignore the sky ain't blue arguments....
I don't know squat about Reese hitches, but simply by the picture you posted, the hole in the trailer is way smaller than the hole in the bracket and I seriously doubt this was some type of shouldered bolt, so you're correct, bad install job. Luckily, that application, the bolts aren't technically there for their shear or tensile value, but rather to locate the bracket only and keep it bearing on the trailer frame and it probably just came loose and backed out which is less a function of diameter and more install quality and/or missing that it was coming loose on a pre trip walkaround.

[Bobbo]

OP here. OK, if you prefer, the dealer used grade 2 bolts rather than grade 1. They still are not grade 5. Also, the 5/16" bolts they used are a FAR PIECE from the 1/2" bolts that are called for.

And if Reese "supplied the bolts" why did they supply 5/16" bolts when their installation sheets call for 1/2" bolts?

The length of time between installation and failure does not excuse such sub-standard installation.

I am not holding the dealer accountable. I am repairing them myself. I am explaining why that dealer will never touch my trailer again.

[mich800]

dodge guy wrote:
Reese supplies all the hardware. The bolts are self threading. Drill the hole to the appropriate size and then run the self tapping bolt in and torque it. I had mine on 2 trailers with the same hardware. The last trailer it was on for 13 years and never loosened up. I did check them once in a great while, but they were always tight. I do believe they screwed up the install somehow, but it should’ve been caught earlier than this!

Same here, all the hardware came with the kit.

I will add one thing. You can get into a jackknife position where those bars can put a lot of stress to the brackets. I had to get into a lot of tight spots. And you could see the obvious wear marks on the brackets and the bars.

[Fordlover]

Dave H M wrote:

K Charles wrote:
No such thing as a grade one bolt.

OK, I am familiar with grade 3 and 5 and how the head is marked.

So what grade are the ones that have no marking on the head and are sold by the pound? The cheapest and the softest?

This should help.