WARNING: Check Your Axle U-Bolts!

[Diving Duck]

For some reason Trailex is shipping their trailers with ordinary nuts for the u-bolts–no washers; no lock washers.  I looked at my PocketShip trailer and it has locknuts.  Luckily I was driving slowly on a deserted road in a state park when I hit a bump and the axle slid forward on one side.  Who knows  how long I was driving around with a missing u-bolt!  Trailex sent me two new u-bolts, with ordinary hex  nuts.  Please check your u-bolts.  If you can’t find fine-thread lock nuts, install jam nuts, install safety wire system, or drill holes in the bolts and install castellated nuts and cotter pins.  Whatever it takes to secure those nuts.  For now I have jam nuts on them, but I plan to check from time to time to be sure they are holding.  If they start to loosen I’ll buy locknuts, which Trailex should have supplied in the first place.

Addendum:  I just went out to install the new u-bolt and I noticed Trailex sent me two  u-bolts and eight nuts.  Did they mean for us to install jam nuts all along and I missed it?  If so, my apologies to Trailex.

[Boardwalk]

What size are the nuts?  I may want some on hand before I go to the class in June.

[Diving Duck]

As I recall they are 3/8″, fine thread.  You should probably check first though.  The u-bolts are very easy to get at without even having to slide under the trailer.  Sorry I took so long to respond.  I always check the “Notify me” box, but it doesn’t seem to work.

[Bob D.]

I checked three different Harbor Freight trailer manuals and they all use nylon lock nuts (nylocks) on the axle U bolts.  My Trailex came with regular nuts, and only two per U bolt.  Nothing to lock them or prevent them from backing out.  No split washers.  Thank you for posting bout this.  I think it’s a major safety issue that they should probably address.

[Diving Duck]

I certainly agree and I repeat, my Trailex trailer for the Pocketship did come with nylocks for the axle u-bolts.  I find it difficult to understand why the Trailex trailers for the camper would come with nothing but nuts for the u-bolts–and not even lock washers!  Their trailers are expensive enough that they can surely afford to include 8 lock nuts–they could even raise the price a bit to include them and it would hardly be noticed.

I just hope everybody reads these posts before they learn the hard way like I did.  For the life of me I don’t know why I didn’t question it at the time.

[catcamper]

Thank you for this heads up, we got our Trailex trailer today and sure enough, ordinary nuts. Trip to the store and $10 later, we installed nylocks. I think this is serious enough that I’m going to write trailex an email, what about the people that don’t read this post???

[Diving Duck]

Thanks for doing that.  I contacted them also.  They need to hear from enough people that they correct this.  I have a Trailex trailer for my boat, and it came with locknuts for the u-bolts.

[catcamper]

I got an email back, saying they should be shipping with lock nuts instead of just regular nuts and ours must just be one without them. Considering this is like a $10 fix, I’m not sure why all kits didn’t include extras, would have made me a repeat customer.

[clcboats]

Hi all,

If your Trailex flatbed trailer came with ordinary nuts instead of nylocks for the U-bolts, please contact Ken Montgomery at Trailex — kmontgomery@trailex.com — they’ll get them right out to you.

The trailers are again shipping with the nylocks.  Thanks!

– CLC

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