What's the fascination with trailer bearings?
So I've seen many, many posts over the years about checking hubs with IR guns for excessive heat. I've even seen posts where people check their hubs every stop. :E My question is why? I have never ...
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I bought a used Hybrid TT from a local RV Dealer. I would NEVER bring anything back there for servicing EVER.
I thought that going through a dealer, they would at least make sure the camper was safe to drive.
They fixed nothing (correctly) that I asked to be fixed. Seal on rear bunk, missing keys, no big issues. They promised full propane tanks - mine were empty.
State inspection - I drove home in a heavy rain storm, only to find out several days later that I had no tail lights. One if I wiggled some would come on. The other was so rusted that it NEVER could have worked to pass inspection.
Plus the kid who installed my weight distribution hitch had it installed at the wrong height (nose of camper up in the air) that I fishtailed going driving home.
So, with all of the sleazy service, I did not trust that the inspected my bearings, so I just did it myself. Good thing I did! There was hardly any grease on them. What was there was all broken down (black and lacked viscosity).
I cleaned them all out and re-packed each bearing and replaced the seals. I'll certainly check them every year - just to see how the grease is holding up.
I do believe that campers/RVs have more of a chance of problems due to the fact of going over the road once or twice a year and then sitting for sometimes a year or more. Not many folks use them weekly.
I did buy an old Chevy truck (60's) many years ago and YES, I did have bearings seize up on it. It took hours and a sledge hammer to get that wheel hub off. Some of the bearings welded themselves together.
Check or don't check, it is up to you. I do hope that if you do have trouble, it does not involve others travelers as well.
Here is how dry my bearings were and I was about to cover about 1000 miles.
I thought that going through a dealer, they would at least make sure the camper was safe to drive.
They fixed nothing (correctly) that I asked to be fixed. Seal on rear bunk, missing keys, no big issues. They promised full propane tanks - mine were empty.
State inspection - I drove home in a heavy rain storm, only to find out several days later that I had no tail lights. One if I wiggled some would come on. The other was so rusted that it NEVER could have worked to pass inspection.
Plus the kid who installed my weight distribution hitch had it installed at the wrong height (nose of camper up in the air) that I fishtailed going driving home.
So, with all of the sleazy service, I did not trust that the inspected my bearings, so I just did it myself. Good thing I did! There was hardly any grease on them. What was there was all broken down (black and lacked viscosity).
I cleaned them all out and re-packed each bearing and replaced the seals. I'll certainly check them every year - just to see how the grease is holding up.
I do believe that campers/RVs have more of a chance of problems due to the fact of going over the road once or twice a year and then sitting for sometimes a year or more. Not many folks use them weekly.
I did buy an old Chevy truck (60's) many years ago and YES, I did have bearings seize up on it. It took hours and a sledge hammer to get that wheel hub off. Some of the bearings welded themselves together.
Check or don't check, it is up to you. I do hope that if you do have trouble, it does not involve others travelers as well.
Here is how dry my bearings were and I was about to cover about 1000 miles.
