Check your hitch rail bolts

[DHenry]

I was removing my hitch rails and was surprised to find that the bolts loosened very easily. I would have thought they should have been torqued down pretty tight. I never thought to check them while I had the 5th wheel. Just another thing to add to the check list.

[HamRad]

Doug,
Good reminder. I usually put the wrench on mine about every other trip. Sometimes find them a bit loose. So far only about a quarter turn.... but certainly something we should always check.

Thanks for the heads up.

Dennis

[BB_TX]

Good reminder. I checked mine for the first time a year after the hitch was installed. One nut had backed off where it was no longer touching metal and probably would have soon fallen off. Two others were loose.
And check your pin box bolts also. Also found a couple of them were not good and tight. Re-torqued them all

[boylanag]

Thanks, Doug. Never have checked mine. Will do it tomorrow. We are leaving for a 3500 mile trip Wednesday and appreciate the heads up.

[Fire5er]

Mine are under the bed type and hard to get to so never checked them, but sound like something I need to look at this week. Thanks for the info.

[HughM]

Doug, Thanks. We leave on a 3000 mile trip in 3 weeks and I'm sure I'll check those bolts now.

[PSFORD99]

Correct me if I am wrong I believe the torque on the reese setup is 72 lbs. thats what I torque to. I check about every 2-3 thousand miles. I am going to double check the 72 lbs. its been awhile.

[TLightning]

The owner's information sheet that came with my RBW (made by Husky) lists annual maintenance...the torque is 65 ft/lbs.

[MacDR50]

The Reese Signature Series under bed mount require the rail bolts to be torqued to 170 ft#'s and the "Puck" cap screws to 100 ft#'s. Have to borrow a big torque wrench and do some contortions to check them :-(.

[alandaudrey]

Thanks for the heads up. That is a task that is easy to forget. I went out and checked mine and found that 3 of the 8 rail bolts were loose and one of the head screws.

I will put that job on the "once a month" list.

[msieger]

I replaced the factory nuts with aircraft quality nylon lock nuts. Torqued them to 100 ft/lbs. That was two years ago. Just checked them last weekend. Still good and tight. Gonna do the same to the pin box. However I might wait till I get the 5th airborne set-up.

Mike

[harleyrider]

When I read DHenery`s post on the hitch bolts.I said to myself OMG I never have checked them,never crossed my mind.So I went out and put a wrench on them and NONE of them budged a bit.I guess the installar did a good job.Or maybe its all of these smooth roads in Pennsylvania(grins)

[sreigle]

Good advice, Doug. I don't check mine as often as I should but when I have they've been ok. However, we got a new hitch a year ago so I best check them soon.