Greasing bearings in fall

[Cathi]

Is there any disadvantage to greasing the bearings now and then having the trailer sit over winter?

[kb1flr]

Hi Cathy,

I cannot say yes from a mechanical perspective, but I have elected to do this. My reasoning is that if the grease is pretty much spent after a season of use, then the likelihood of them being damaged by sitting through a New England winter is greater than if they get some grease now. My feeling is that this will save me from a bigger expense/problem in the future.

Even if this reasoning is not sound, it could not hurt (I think )

[steve dunham]

I too have my bearings repacked in the fall, for two reasons 1) We take a trip South in the Winter (Scamp Camp) 2) Come Spring my mechanic is backed up a month out because everyone waits to the last minute to get there trailer ready for Summer.
The mechanic also suggested that since I raise my trailer up to take the weight off the axle I should rotate the wheels in the Winter to redistribute the grease ???

[carlkeigley]

I like to haul my zero turn machines to my repairman in the fall.
Like Steven says, mechanics get over run in the spring, but can
find themselves twiddling their thumbs on the off season. So I just
like to get my stuff serviced when I'm finished with it in the fall, and
also to put a little change in my mechanics pocket.

I think I'll be having my bearings done this fall also.

[cpaharley2008]

If you do it at home, at least drive the trailer around the block to disperse the fresh grease before storage. The drive home from the garage will have the same benefit.

[Bobbie Mayer]

I'm getting my bearings done- and new tires- but then I'll drive it to Fresno before storing. So not quite the same.

[Cathi]

Thank you, guys. Looks like no problem. We would have an RV shop do it and the grease would be plenty dispersed by the time we reached storage.

[FTTRV]

A suggestion when storing your trailer on dirt,gravel,pavement cut some plywood strips place under wheels and drive onto the wood. Wood does not transfer cold or heat as much as the ground. Your tires will last a little longer. I repack my trailer bearings during the fall/winter.
Chuck

[Glenn Baglo]

Heat moves to cold. ( I was watching TV the other night ). Cold does not move to heat.
But, in any event, if wood doesn't allow heat to move to the cold as quickly, surely, after two months of cold weather, the difference is negligible.
And, of course, homes are heated using thermal pumps where the heat from the earth is moved into the home. So, wouldn't the wood be preventing the tires from warming?

And, is that a good thing? Or a bad thing? I've been watching TV.

[Bob Miller]

Originally Posted by Bobbie Mayer

I'm getting my bearings done- and new tires- but then I'll drive it to Fresno before storing. So not quite the same.

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Unless they are needed for the trip, buying new tires now will only mean that the tires will be 4-6 months older before they get used and that much closer to needing replacement due to age. If practical, I'd wait until spring to buy new tires. It's hard enough to get fresh tires.

[RRJR]

I would be raising the trailer to take the weight off the axel & tires. Some tires will get a flat spot if parked for long periods with weight on them.

Ron

[Bobbie Mayer]

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

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Unless they are needed for the trip, buying new tires now will only mean that the tires will be 4-6 months older before they get used and that much closer to needing replacement due to age. If practical, I'd wait until spring to buy new tires. It's hard enough to get fresh tires.

They're old and should be replaced- wear isn't bad but age is. As far as 4-6 months, probably not, I'll likely use the trailer in February or March, so only a couple of months. And if I have a blowout I don't want to do it in the winter. But they are also cheap- 12 inch size- compared to the bigger trailers.

Heat transfer- the ground stays more constant temp than the air, so your tires are going to get more heat transfer to or from the air than the ground. But I agree, over time, they all reach about the same temperature, and I can't see how the plywood would help that way. It might help being a softer surface, though I'm not sure about that.

[Bob Miller]

Trails West had 12" Tires????

You might want to upgrade to 13" at the same time. You can buy 13" trailer tires on white spoke rims from Pep Boys and other local auto supply stores as well as on-line. 12" tires have a much lower load capacity that 13's.

BTW: Some 12" tires I have seen are stamped "Not for Highway Use"

[Bobbie Mayer]

I downgraded to 12 because when I bought the trailer I had two 12 inch wheels and two 13- the 13s were on but I had to buy a new wheel as well as three new tires. So, since I was worried about getting into the garage anyway, I went with the smaller size. They work great. They are high-speed trailer tires and are meant for highway use, and I barely get into the garage as it is.

Load rating- 478 kg per tire, which means twice the weight of the trailer. Stamped High Speed trailer tire.

If wearing the tread out was the issue with older tires, I could see the advantage of larger ones, but it isn't, and I really can't see what difference it makes.

[Cathi]

Originally Posted by RRJR

I would be raising the trailer to take the weight off the axel & tires. Some tires will get a flat spot if parked for long periods with weight on them.

Ron

We move the trailer at different times during winter after looking at exactly where the wheels are positioned so as to change that. That's the best we want to bother with.

I did read that when stored on the ground, it's a good idea to put tarps underneath to keep junk from getting on the bottom of the trailer in bad weather.