Spare tire bolts

[JD9]

We have a 2017 19’ that one of it’s bolts that mounts the spare tire sheared off recently. Luckily we had a bike carrier that helped hold on the spare, as it could have killed someone. I don’t see that by one else has experienced this, so I just wanted to share. We replaced both bolts with stainless steel. I have no idea what could have caused this. We don’t use our trailer a ton, but were on 1 of 2 long distance trips as my husband is required to move frequently for his job. Not complaining, purely sharing for information.

[Ron in BC]

Thanks for posting this. It's not been a common problem, I can't remember anything similar being posted before, not to say that it hasn't happened.

It's not an ideal situation, it's not a large base plate given the weight on it and the fact that on rough roads the vertical support is working back and forth etc.

Actually though, s/s bolts are nice and they are corrosion resistant but they're only as strong as a grade 5 bolt. A stronger solution would be to use a grade 8 bolt.

Ron

[Hawkeye Ed]

Perhaps this is a also a good time to remind ourselves that bolts, particularly lug nut bolts, can also break if not properly tightened with a torque wrench to factory specifications. I know from personal experience that you can break a lug bolt by over-tightening, even using a hand tire wrench.

The online Escape manual instructs how to maintain proper lug nut torque and suggests you torque the lug nuts in three stages with a torque wrench:

1st Stage: 20-25 fl-lb
2nd State: 50-60 ft-lb
3rd stage: 95-115 ft-lb

The manual also suggests you re-torque the nuts on a new trailer after 100, 200, and 300 kilometers.

The online Escape manual is located at

https://escapetrailer.com/wp-content...ersManual1.pdf

[Doug2000]

Well mine broke off on the Interstate, tire and frame gone. I hope no one got hurt. Mine broke at the plate that mounts to the bumper. The weld failed, technical term, lack of fusion on the base. Not a big deal, I had enough material in the garage to make another one.


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Common Stainless Steel hardware like nuts and bolts are Grade 2 IIRC. They are very soft. I have twisted my share off as they tend to gaul up (seize) and won’t turn. You can get structural Stainless Steel hardware but it is very expensive.

Before your next trip replace them with grade 5 bolts available at Lowe’s or HD. Confirm their grade by the markings on the head. A quick Google search will give you a chart.

Just to be clear, which bolt sheared? The 2 bolts holding the stand, or was it one of the 3 bolts holding the tire itself.

[JD9]

Thanks all, will have to replace again!

[JD9]

Originally Posted by Doug2000

Well mine broke off on the Interstate, tire and frame gone. I hope no one got hurt. Mine broke at the plate that mounts to the bumper. The weld failed, technical term, lack of fusion on the base. Not a big deal, I had enough material in the garage to make another one.


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Common Stainless Steel hardware like nuts and bolts are Grade 2 IIRC. They are very soft. I have twisted my share off as they tend to gaul up (seize) and won’t turn. You can get structural Stainless Steel hardware but it is very expensive.

Before your next trip replace them with grade 5 bolts available at Lowe’s or HD. Confirm their grade by the markings on the head. A quick Google search will give you a chart.

Just to be clear, which bolt sheared? The 2 bolts holding the stand, or was it one of the 3 bolts holding the tire itself.

It was one of the two bolts holding the stand. I think the spare would have gone without being held up by the bike rack.

[cpaharley2008]

This is a new one to me, good to know to check them yearly. Was the bike rack touching the spare and could it have cause additional stress?

[Doug2000]

Originally Posted by JD9

It was one of the two bolts holding the stand. I think the spare would have gone without being held up by the bike rack.

I can't find the exact chart but likely your bolt was a 3/8" Grade 5 bolt. It would of had a shear strength around 8000 lbs. If 8000 lbs was applied to your structure, there would have been major damage.

Your bolt came loose and fell out. This is likely with all the bouncing on the Interstate.

[cpaharley2008]

Maybe some thread lock as a preventative?

[JD9]

Originally Posted by Doug2000

I can't find the exact chart but likely your bolt was a 3/8" Grade 5 bolt. It would of had a shear strength around 8000 lbs. If 8000 lbs was applied to your structure, there would have been major damage.

Your bolt came loose and fell out. This is likely with all the bouncing on the Interstate.

Nope, I have the sheared bolt. The bike carrier was not touching it.

[cpaharley2008]

Well that answers that, back to square one....BTW JD9, your avatar does not reflect what model Escape you own. Can you please update that so that other with your model can check their spares.

[Greg A]

I’m getting ready to change tires so I’ll certainly inspect these bolts on the spare. Thanks JD, for bringing this to our attention.

[JD9]

I’ve been trying to edit my profile, but somehow just added a pic, which I wasn’t trying to do! Every time I put in my info and press save, it reverts back. Anyway, we have a 2017 19’.

[cpaharley2008]

Go to user cp at top of page and click edit your details and input the info for RV year and model and then save

[Iowa Dave]

Several times I’ve posted my habit of laying under our trailer on a hot
Summer day while it’s parked in our building. The concrete is cool, clean and very flat. It lends itself to comfort and I’ve been known to take a short nap. However, usually I am just looking at the bottom of the trailer and looking for loose nuts, cracks, rust, broken zip tie, loose screws, hiding from more work, etc. Once in awhile I find something that needs attention and I get the necessary tool or replacement hardware and fix it. When I put the spare on the three studs, I do not torque to 95 lbs but rather to about 75 ft lbs so it’s a little easier to take off the next time. I like to use Stainless bolts where corrosion is a problem but strength is not especially needed. Thread locker or silicone or whatever in the threads of a SS bolt are a death sentence on that bolt and nut. Regular inspection on any equipment is never a bad idea. Good welding is more than technique and equipment. It’s a thorough understanding of the metal , thicknesses and type, proper preparatory cleaning, grinding angles and numerous other factors. I do not weld but having been around a lot of equipment for many years, I know what I’m looking at and when I need something welded, I hire a welder or have my brother weld it. In his career he was certified on cranes and track type dozers. In my previous life I hired certified welders for work on public facilities, it is a litigious society.
Iowa Dave

[Eggscape]

Or you can remove it completely and mount it up front under the trailer tongue to help offset the weight of the bikes on the rear. You might even be able to get the bikes closer to the trailer so they are not dangling out the back.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by Doug2000

I can't find the exact chart but likely your bolt was a 3/8" Grade 5 bolt. It would of had a shear strength around 8000 lbs..

The bolts are 5/16" which aren't nearly as strong as 3/8" bolts. If it wasn't cold and snowy outside I'd pop in a couple of 3/8" bolts so that next time when I'm on a rock n roll road I wouldn't worry about it happening to me.

It's a large mass up in the air on a post and the use of two bolts only does permit side-to-side movement that could result in metal fatigue. A base plate with 3 holes in a triangle would have been better but given the mounting area available probably not feasible.

Ron

[Tonny LR]

Ron,
What length of Bolts would you use? thanks.

Toony LR

[Ron in BC]

Without kneeling in the snow my measurements might be off by a 1/16". It appears that the base plate is 1/4" and the wall thickness of the rectangular tube used to make the bracket is 3/16". I'd use 1 1/2" bolts to make sure the bolt protruded past the nyloc nuts or nut and lock washer.

I might also be tempted just to put a flat washer under the bolt head maybe to add a slight amount of stiffness to the top of the bracket.

Ron

[Tonny LR]

Ron,
Thanks for the expert advice.

Tonny LR