Swivel bunk bracket u-bolted to to c-channel; does it matter which side?

[ajgraz]

Swivel-style bunk brackets that U-bolt to the trailer crossmembers, like this one for example:

Does it matter which side of a c-channel crossmember you u-bolt it to?

Example 1: On the "open" side of the c-channel

Example 2: On the "closed" side of the c-channel

 

[Greg Mrozinski]

Re: Swivel bunk bracket u-bolted to to c-channel; does it matter which side?

You want the little nibbs facing/against the solid side trailer crossmember.

 

[ajgraz]

Re: Swivel bunk bracket u-bolted to to c-channel; does it matter which side?

You want the little nibbs facing/against the solid side trailer crossmember.

OK, so you are saying like Example 2 in the initial post?

Anyone else with an opinion (or link) on this?

 

[Greg Mrozinski]

Re: Swivel bunk bracket u-bolted to to c-channel; does it matter which side?

Yes. The nibs are used to help set/hold the height of the bracket and grip onto the frame when bolted.

Does your trailer have C channel as the main frames? Most use a box channel.

 

[jeeperman]

Re: Swivel bunk bracket u-bolted to to c-channel; does it matter which side?

You want web to web (back to back) or toes of both facing away from each other.

Neither one of your diagrams show it.

Like this: ][

 

[ajgraz]

Re: Swivel bunk bracket u-bolted to to c-channel; does it matter which side?

Yes, my trailer has c-channel for crossmembers.

You want web to web (back to back) or toes of both facing away from each other.

Neither one of your diagrams show it.

Like this: ][

Yeah, my diagrams don't really show which is the "open side" of the bracket; in example 1 the open side would be facing left, in example 2 facing right.

OK, so I think you are also saying to do like in example 2, that is with the "flat" of the bracket against the "flat" of the c-channel crossmember.

 

[jeeperman]

Re: Swivel bunk bracket u-bolted to to c-channel; does it matter which side?

Yes,
I was not reading your sketch correctly.

 

[ajgraz]

Re: Swivel bunk bracket u-bolted to to c-channel; does it matter which side?

After doing a bit more research, I found the instructions for C E Smith's "do-it-yourself small trailer kit":
http://www.cesmithco.com/store/instructions/48810-INST.pdf

On pg 26 they say to do it as in my example 1 above, with the nubs engaging the open side of the channel. Yet on pg 27-28 they show photos of various configurations of the trailer kit where they've done it both ways.

In my bunk set up, it turned out best for me to do some brackets one way and some the other. If any of those turn out to fail, I'll update.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Swivel bunk bracket u-bolted to to c-channel; does it matter which side?

Actually, better than U bolts is to drill the flat of the C and use two 1/2 inch bolts (grade 5 or better) and nuts with washers. To do this, it must be like your figure #2