Reese Dual Cam installation

[stahrmcgee]

Anyone have any problems with a Reese Dual Cam installation? I must be unlucky or something.

We just got or new rig about 2.5 months ago and just got back from our 3rd trip with it, a 12 day, 1600 mile fun fest. On the trip, in PA we noticed one of the cam bolts (the big one that is connected to the cam) was bent. I contacted the local Camping World (CW), determined I could get there safely and they said it had been installed incorrectly. The explanation made sense and they said they would take care of it as it had been installed by a CW back home. Everything looked good and actually felt better on the road after we left. Next campsite, no problems, but the following one, the two front bolts that secure it to the frame of the camper had disappeared... I called the CW and discussed it and determined I should be fine going back home, but may want to get it welded on. Spoke to them today and expressed my concern about voiding any warranty (back home and back to work) and the service manager said negative on welding it as would void the warranty... They will cover it getting a solid bolt through the frame to the other side of the cam bracket, so I am good, but has anyone else had this kind of luck with these? BTW, the guys really did take care of us, which I appreciated.

[anaro]

stahrmcgee wrote:

anaro wrote:
Camping world installed my brackets backward and screwed the entire set up on my hitch, I never was able to properly seat the cams on mine because the misaligned where they put the hitch on. It was not pretty. Jbarca, rongratz and several others on here caught the error and helped me fix it. You will learn a lot about your hitch by trying to fix it yourself. Dialing it in is a painful process but worth it in the end.

Looking at my original setup, the brackets were installed correctly, just too far away from where the cams needed to be for cinching up. This forced the cam bolt shafts to be all the way extended leaving the bolt shaft to take all of the stress and torque instead of the amount they should take when about 1/3-1/2 out. This is the original problem, which I am not sure the installation tech took into account considering the size of the trailer and the associated weights. The new, further back location is better for the stresses involved, and I will admit that the trunnion bars are seated better, however the mounting bolts are now the issue...

I wouldn't have a problem repairing this myself, however, given it is covered, I would prefer to give them a chance to stand behind their product and workmanship.

Just a bit of bad luck i guess.

Mine had that issue also. Never could quite get my cams to seat right.

[RedRocket204]

I highly recommend etrailer.com for parts but they also have good videos:

etrailer.com - Dual Cam High Performance Sway Control Installation video

[stahrmcgee]

anaro wrote:
Camping world installed my brackets backward and screwed the entire set up on my hitch, I never was able to properly seat the cams on mine because the misaligned where they put the hitch on. It was not pretty. Jbarca, rongratz and several others on here caught the error and helped me fix it. You will learn a lot about your hitch by trying to fix it yourself. Dialing it in is a painful process but worth it in the end.

Looking at my original setup, the brackets were installed correctly, just too far away from where the cams needed to be for cinching up. This forced the cam bolt shafts to be all the way extended leaving the bolt shaft to take all of the stress and torque instead of the amount they should take when about 1/3-1/2 out. This is the original problem, which I am not sure the installation tech took into account considering the size of the trailer and the associated weights. The new, further back location is better for the stresses involved, and I will admit that the trunnion bars are seated better, however the mounting bolts are now the issue...

I wouldn't have a problem repairing this myself, however, given it is covered, I would prefer to give them a chance to stand behind their product and workmanship.

Just a bit of bad luck i guess.

[stahrmcgee]

dodge guy wrote:
maybe I`ll take some pics of the install so all the dealers can see the proper way to install one and take notes or use them for reference!

:B

[Huntindog]

This thread illustrates perfectly why I often recommend that newbies start out with a standard friction control bar.
With those you can miss the setup by quite a bit, and still get some benefit out of it... Naturally The better the setup, the better it will work.
The DC pretty much forces one to get the setup good... If the same effort was out into a friction control bar system, there would be a lot more favorable comments on them.

OTOH, I have noticed that the people that gravitate towards a hitch like the DC, are more likely to be the hands on type, that will stick with it until it is right.

[anaro]

Camping world installed my brackets backward and screwed the entire set up on my hitch, I never was able to properly seat the cams on mine because the misaligned where they put the hitch on. It was not pretty. Jbarca, rongratz and several others on here caught the error and helped me fix it. You will learn a lot about your hitch by trying to fix it yourself. Dialing it in is a painful process but worth it in the end.

[dodge_guy]

My brother just bought a new used Hybrid and he asked me what would be the best hitch. I told him I really liked the DC. I gave him the part number for the proper one for his trailer and the dealer said "oh you don`t need that" he wanted to sell him one of the new Reese hitches with the new friction pads that the WD bars ride on. I said the DC is far superior than those so he insisted on it and the dealer finally gave in and ordered it. I believe it`s all because they can be time consuming to install! We are going to install it this sunday. maybe I`ll take some pics of the install so all the dealers can see the proper way to install one and take notes or use them for reference!

[mosseater]

It's true they can be finicky to install and set up. Not rocket surgery, but like most things, if done incorrectly you're going have hair pulling. Since I got mine dialed in with help of those on this board, I'm very pleased with it's performance. It's quiet, easy to use and maintain, and seems to do an excellent job of stabilizing the rig. I can understand how some folks hate them, though.

[stahrmcgee]

Thanks to everyone for the replies. All 4 of the bolts were snug, but apparently loosened on the road. I will be working with a local RV dealer that I trust since CW will cover the repairs. We shall see.

On the positive side (always has to be one, right?), the camper is a great fit for the family. While on the trip we took the Rockwood Build tour in Indiana (Elkhart county) and it was well worth the hour off the path. Spectacular tour. Go see where your camper was born if you can, you will be amazed.

[CampingN_C_]

I can't understand how they get installed incorrectly, but it happens ALL the time, the dealer REALLY screwed mine up. The installation is MUCH easier than the set-up of it.
It can take a lot of trial and error to get dial in. Personally I've yet to get mine as good as it was with my old rig.
I would only bolt it through the frame if I had bushings inside the frame rail to keep structural integrity.

[dodge_guy]

Yes the DC needs a person that knows how to install a hitch. that is why dealers don`t stock them, they don`t want to spend the time to install it properly. putting a bolt through the frame will not work as it will weaken the other side of the frame and also crush the frame when tightening the bolt. some people have put bolts in from the front of the frame if it is open where the A-frame comes together. I have around 15k miles on my DC on 2 different trailers with no issues!
Good luck!

[mbopp]

I've had the Reese DC on 2 trailers now. The first dealer messed up the installation and I re-did it myself, learning a lot in the process. The hitch was transferred to the new TT by another dealer and has been perfect.

[myredracer]

Do NOT let just anybody work on it. There are some finicky things about the Reese dual cam WDHs that you need to know. There is a long thread here that is a very good read: Reese DC installation issues JBarca is the resident expert on Reese WDHs snd perhaps you might try sending him a message.

One thing to be aware of on the cam arm brackets is that the bracket that bolts to the frame has a radius that does not match the typical frame and to get it right, you need to space the bracket out from the frame. If you don't and are just using the Reese bolts, they can loosen up on you and cause problems. Through bolting is one method of attaching the bracket to the frame, but there are some other options.

I doubt welding would void the warranty as long as the dealer did it or had an outside shop do it for them. We just had some welding done on our new TT for some shock brackets without any problems, but the dealer sent it to a nearby frame shop. You might also try contacting the manufacturer for approval to weld.

If you happen to have high tongue weight, that can cause problems. If you are using 800 lb trunnion bars, they are shorter than the 1200 lb ones which can cause problems. Best to read the above thread for things to watch out for.

Posting a photo or two might help.

Once these are set up properly and dialed in, they are great.

[jerem0621]

Yea, I had issues with DC sway control. The forces this hitch generates is really incredible. I still have my DC sway control in a parts bin in my workshop. I'm not going to say I will never try it again, but in frustration over the set up I jerked it off the trailer and went back to dual friction sway bars and couldn't have been happier at the time.

Thanks,

Jeremiah