Wheel bearings
What is so different with RV wheel bearings that they have to be packed at least every year or two. My truck and car does not require this yearly maintenance, why does the RV axles??
Forum Discussion
JJBIRISH wrote:
westend
I assume you are referring to the permanently sealed bearings used in the automotive industry today… my own experience with them is they are slightly more problematic than when they used standard bearings in the front and oil bath in the rear and generally grossly more expensive… I use permanently sealed bearings for cross country racing but with them you just replaced them before they go bad because they go from bad to ruined so quickly…
One problem with a trailer is there can be a wheel vibration or noise at speed and you will never hear it… chances are you can’t save it nor is it worth trying at that point, but it normally makes it to the garage instead of failing along the highway in the auto…
Regularly scheduled maintenance is the key for trailer bearings… the scheduled timing could effectively be quite long, or relatively short, depending on use… one’s own comfort level may be just as important…
Yes, I was referencing a modern sealed automotive axle bearing, commonly called a "cartridge bearing".
FWIW, when these sealed bearings first started being used in automotive applications, there were many, myself included, that thought they were of less quality and a poor design for the application. I think mechanics, in general, have a distaste for new things, preferring to use older designs they have serviced. I've since, changed my opinion. With material science advancement and proven design, a cartridge bearing is as good or better than it's open counterpart. We don't get them in trailers because of hub design and cost, IMO.
Yes, scheduled maintenance derived from use and possible environmental issues is the key to longevity. Observation is the most important skill to have.
BTW, if you travel through Wendover, NV, there was a filling station out there in the flats. My '47 Dodge that had a failed front bearing (welded the race onto the spindle) used to be right out in front by the sign.
