Wheel bearings

Water-Bug wrote:

skipnchar wrote:
I have packed my brains twice since the trailer was New in 2006.

I've racked my brains over a lot of things but never tried packing them. Come to think about it, I've pickled them a time or two also.

I'm afraid if I packed them away someplace I'd forget where I put them.

I changed out my Chinese bearings and seals for Timkens and CR's after four years and am using a quality anti-corrosion Hi-temp lube. Living in PA, I'm stuck with the state law which dictates an "inspection" every year. They're required to pull two wheels to check brakes and magnets, etc. The two that they pull ( I go to the same shop and have them alternate yearly), I always re-do just for peace of mind. Last time, they loaded up the bearing with some other grease which I have no clue what it was. The end result for me is I get to do two axles every year and the bearings never go more than two years between checking and re-lubing. I feel this is more than adequate and keeps me from become an obsessive RV owner. I didn't buy a trailer to work on it, I bought it to go camping. Go with whatever your peace of mind will allow.

skipnchar wrote:
I have packed my brains twice since the trailer was New in 2006.

I've racked my brains over a lot of things but never tried packing them. Come to think about it, I've pickled them a time or two also.

Never packed bearing on any rv I have had. Like someone else said, the RV manufacturer is CYA.

I have packed my brains twice since the trailer was New in 2006. This represents over 80,000 towing miles. I watch for signs of leaking Grease on tires or breaks and would service them if I found anything but so far I have not.

One it’s the RV industry, that buys everything at the lowest possible price… the auto industry specifies a level of quality at the lowest price…

The bearing industry is large, lucrative and now ripe with imported counterfeits in this country and I assume around the world… counterfeits that are so good these days the big bearing companies have a hard time telling the apart… one of the benefits they get by moving production to a country like China…

The bearings in the RV are placed under high stress especially with the trailer industry undersizeing running gear to improve profit… they can’t place safety over profit, they have a reputation to uphold…

Also bearings and their lubricant that are put through high stress and then left to sit for long periods of time have a tendency to fail sooner… and thats the good bearings!!! During the long storage period the oils also have a tendency to separate from their carrier causing poor lubrication when it’s needed most…

Good bearings properly sized and used on a regular basis in automotive use could easily last from showroom to the scrapyard without ever being serviced… that’s not to say that is a good idea or the best approach, just one that happens very often…

If you are parked for several months there is a chance for that spot where the roller contacts the bearing raceway to begin corrosion. The storage environment dictates. Changes in temperatures may introduce moisture which leads to surface rust which leads to wear problems later. Proper lubrication is key, but if you store for several months at a time, an annual check is wise. An alternative is to store on frame blocks and spin wheels by hand a few times during storage. This keeps the bearing surfaces well coated and the load off the bearing rollers.

The first repack is important to verify the factory build.
Once you know they are assembled correctly you can extend the service IMO.

Some RV's bearings need more attention because they sit a lot. I don't service mine every 2 years, in fact I serviced after 10 because one wheel was getting hot.

They don't.
The manufacturers make the statement to cover their arses. I wen't 9 years without servicing mine. Just checked for looseness and adjusted the brakes. After that nine years (and about 45K miles) I serviced them and you know what?
They didn't need it.

As long as they are lubed and set up correctly in the first place they don't need re-lubing any more often than you do on a car - when you replace the brakes.