Wheel bearings

[Glenn Baglo]

I used to have the wheel bearings on my '77 tent trailer repacked every couple years.

How often is this necessary on newer eggs?

baglo

[Alf S.]

Hi: Glenn... Escape Trailer Owners Manual "12 months/ 12000 Mi. inspect for corrosion clean & re pack"!!!
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[Dan Meyer]

I've only cleaned and re-packed my wheel bearings twice since I bought my trailer new in 2000...

... I've been quite lucky. Don't follow my example. The Scamp owners manual states wheel bearings are to be checked every 5000 miles or every year, whichever comes first.

-- Dan Meyer

[Domenica and Sheila]

When we picked up our 2005 casita trailer in Texas, I asked our technician what was the most important maintenance item and he said -- re-pack your wheel bearings each year. So that is what we do each fall.

I'll look forward to reading other thoughts.

[Glenn Baglo]

When we picked up our 2005 casita trailer in Texas, I asked our technician what was the most important maintenance item and he said -- re-pack your wheel bearings each year. So that is what we do each fall.

I'll look forward to reading other thoughts.

When I had the tent-trailer, my mechanic recommended jacking it up and supporting it with jack-stands over winter to keep the weight off the wheels and prevent flat spots in the bearings. If Canadian Tire puts them on sale, I might make the effort. I repacked the wheel bearings myself a couple times, but that was two times too many. Mechanic can do it.

All in all, I feel a lot better driving past an abandoned RV than having others drive by me.

baglo

[Pete Dumbleton]

The thing to remember is that NOTHING has really changed in small trailer wheel bearings since the '70s except the introduction of a better seal (has two lips and a spring retainer instead of one lip and no retainer).

Recently the axle manfs have come out with systems where one can slowly handpump fresh grease through both bearings, pushing the old grease out ahead of it (not perfect, some folks have had the seal blow and pumped grease into the brakes...; and not to be confused with Bearing Buddies, which are a different story as search of group should reveal).

HOWEVER, the manfs still recommend disassembly, clean, inspect and repack annually.

Some folks have gone much longer than that and some found out the hard way that they went too long (Voice of Experience here -- That "I don't even know it's back there" trailer kept on being pulled until the bearings on one side welded themselves to the spindle, ruining the shoulder where the seal rides and requiring complete axle replacement -- Immediate inspection of other side revealed the grease was water-contaminated).

Things have changed in larger wheels (six lug, 16") with oil-filled cartridge bearings -- If they start to get warm, replace them. Maybe someday they'll bring that technology to the small lane.