As a follow up to Poppy's 5th wheel post on greasing wheel bearings, my question is how often do you grease your wheel bearings.My Dexter book says 12 months or 12,000 miles. I think that is overkill. I pull my 5th wheel to Florida & back each year and maybe another 1,000 miles = 3,000 / 3,500 miles per year. I repack my bearings the old fashion way even though I have the bearing buddy's but not every year.If tractor trailer drivers greased their trailer bearings every 12,000 miles they would be doing it every month or 6 weeks and I don't think they do that. I know they are different axles, weight etc, but still trailer bearings...So should I change my thinking and follow Dexter or are they just CYA or CTA (C their A)

Do what you are comfortable with and accept the results. Some do a wheel bearing/brake repack/inspection at the beginning of each camping season.Some don't do anything until 'needed' as in bearing/hub hot or lack of brakingSome don't do anything until they have too as in too late.I prefer preventative maintenance vs break down maintenance....so much easier, less stressful and cheaper.

I pull the wheels, inspect the brakes, magnets, and repack the bearings every other year. 2013 is an odd year. "Right" is five letters, five is an odd number, so I pulled the right side and repacked the bearings.2014 is an even year, so I will pull the left side in 2014 and do the same.

Bull Rider wrote:I pull the wheels, inspect the brakes, magnets, and repack the bearings every other year. 2013 is an odd year. "Right" is five letters, five is an odd number, so I pulled the right side and repacked the bearings.2014 is an even year, so I will pull the left side in 2014 and do the same.I would do front rear not side to side!!Back in the day before front wheel drive and sealed rear bearings, I repacked the front wheel bearings on my cars as needed. Checked during tire rotations for play or bad noise.They had a service life of about 50,000 miles done correctly.

As a follow up to Poppy's 5th wheel post on greasing wheel bearings, my question is how often do you grease your wheel bearings. My Dexter book says 12 months or 12,000 miles. I think that is overkill. I pull my 5th wheel to Florida & back each year and maybe another 1,000 miles = 3,000 / 3,500 miles per year. I repack my bearings the old fashion way even though I have the bearing buddy's but not every year. If tractor trailer drivers greased their trailer bearings every 12,000 miles they would be doing it every month or 6 weeks and I don't think they do that. I know they are different axles, weight etc, but still trailer bearings... So should I change my thinking and follow Dexter or are they just CYA or CTA (C their A) I just did mine for the first time for this coach. Five years and they were in perfect condition. If you travel a lot of miles once a year is probably good preventative maintenance. If not, then maybe every two years. I plan to skip the EZ lube feature in the future as it puts a lot of grease in to clean up at bearing clean and repack time and probably is unnecessary for most RVers. Carry a spare bearing, race, seal, grease and the tools to fix it on the road if you have to.

We have 50K miles on our TT over the last 7 years and every other year works for us. Done properly they will last a couple of years before repacking is required. Last time I did them they really didn't need repacking, but I went ahead a did them since I had purchased the seals and grease already.

Wheel Bearing follow up | Good Sam Community

Sandia_Man
Explorer II
Dec 03, 2013
We have 50K miles on our TT over the last 7 years and every other year works for us. Done properly they will last a couple of years before repacking is required. Last time I did them they really didn't need repacking, but I went ahead a did them since I had purchased the seals and grease already.
jmtandem
Explorer II
Dec 03, 2013
As a follow up to Poppy's 5th wheel post on greasing wheel bearings, my question is how often do you grease your wheel bearings.
My Dexter book says 12 months or 12,000 miles.
I think that is overkill. I pull my 5th wheel to Florida & back each year and maybe another 1,000 miles = 3,000 / 3,500 miles per year. I repack my bearings the old fashion way even though I have the bearing buddy's but not every year.
If tractor trailer drivers greased their trailer bearings every 12,000 miles they would be doing it every month or 6 weeks and I don't think they do that. I know they are different axles, weight etc, but still trailer bearings...
So should I change my thinking and follow Dexter or are they just CYA or CTA (C their A)

I just did mine for the first time for this coach. Five years and they were in perfect condition. If you travel a lot of miles once a year is probably good preventative maintenance. If not, then maybe every two years. I plan to skip the EZ lube feature in the future as it puts a lot of grease in to clean up at bearing clean and repack time and probably is unnecessary for most RVers. Carry a spare bearing, race, seal, grease and the tools to fix it on the road if you have to.
rhagfo
Explorer III
Dec 03, 2013
Bull Rider wrote:
I pull the wheels, inspect the brakes, magnets, and repack the bearings every other year.

2013 is an odd year. "Right" is five letters, five is an odd number, so I pulled the right side and repacked the bearings.

2014 is an even year, so I will pull the left side in 2014 and do the same.

I would do front rear not side to side!!
Back in the day before front wheel drive and sealed rear bearings, I repacked the front wheel bearings on my cars as needed. Checked during tire rotations for play or bad noise.They had a service life of about 50,000 miles done correctly.
Bull_Rider
Explorer
Dec 03, 2013
I pull the wheels, inspect the brakes, magnets, and repack the bearings every other year.

2013 is an odd year. "Right" is five letters, five is an odd number, so I pulled the right side and repacked the bearings.

2014 is an even year, so I will pull the left side in 2014 and do the same.
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Dec 03, 2013
Do what you are comfortable with and accept the results.

Some do a wheel bearing/brake repack/inspection at the beginning of each camping season.

Some don't do anything until 'needed' as in bearing/hub hot or lack of braking

Some don't do anything until they have too as in too late.

I prefer preventative maintenance vs break down maintenance....so much easier, less stressful and cheaper.

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