Are Your Nuts Tight? U-Bolts

[MacDR50]

Just when I thought I had everything checked on my 38' 5ver I read in another forum that many people have found their u-bolts nuts have loosened. One reported one that came off resulting in a slipped axle and damage to the springs. He was lucky a trucker waved him down before he had a highway experience we all would like to avoid.

In years of being around trucks and commercial trailers I have never seen this problem. How can any manufacturer get away with such shoddy design/workmanship is beyond me. We like to dump on foreign products but the trailers in question are made right in the good old USA.

Anyways, out comes the old trusty torque wrench, set it to 60 FPS and yet another trip on my back to check on what should not even be a concern.

[a5150nut]

You woldn't be talking about the one that ran into the guard rail would ya? Maybe some nylocks or lock tight on your trip down under.. . .;)

[Mark Rinker]

The hardware used on 'civilian grade' trailers of all kinds today isn't really up to the pounding it takes. Over time, U-bolts, shackles, walking beams, etc, will eventually fatigue and fail. I too am amazed at the lightweight materials and cheap fasteners used to support 7K# axles on brand name trailers...

Getting underneath with a flashlight from time to time is a good idea! In your driveway (with time to plan and fix) is much better than on the side of the interstate!

:D

[moondoggie]

Good Day!

I used to put grease on the threads of everything I reassembled until I discovered Anti-Seize (decades ago), then started using that. I'm hearing more of this kind of problem. I'm beginning to think that maybe Locktite would be a better idea. The reason I lubed the threads was because I knew who was likely gonna be the next guy to take it apart (me), but maybe it's time for a change...

Blessings!

[DickWells]

In 07 we had a guy with a brand new 5th wheel get loose U bolts, and his left front spring pack turned sidways and came within a 1/4 inch of gouging the tire wall! The next to top leaf did break. The wagon master (Caravan to AK) had spare springs of both lengths. The owner got pretty paranoid after that, and was under his rig every night, thereafter. I was afraid he was going to strip his threads, or break a U bolt. To top it off, he didn't know how to use his break-away torque wrench. When it would click, he'd keep right on twisting for another 1/8 turn, or so.
My 11.3K trailer has 5500# axles (2). The original tires were LR D! Almost every trailer I've seen in our 7 years of fulltiming should have had the wheels alligned before entering service. Both of my trailers had bad allignment, right from the factory. Pretty oak cabinets and flashy hardware get a lot of sales, but the folks just getting into the RV game don't know to get down and check how these things are put together.
Does Dexter weld those spring blocks onto their axles before they're shipped to the mfg? If so, they sure don't get very precise with the tilt in the pre-bend. My trailer had 5/8" tow-out on the left front and nearly as much on the right. To me, it seems the bow was tilted to the front, way past the top. Am I right?
Dick Wells:)