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. :EMy question is why? I have never seen posts where they talk about checking their TV wheel hubs at every stop even though "most" use the exact same bearing type. (packable bearing) It's always the trailer for some reason. I've never seen anybody check their hubs on their trucks after driving around for a few hours. :hI've owned over a dozen trailers in my life and have never had bearing problems. Ever. I check my bearings about every 7 to 10 years and have never found anything wrong with them. (Brakes are a different story and that is why I even check them that often) I get checking often with boat trailer bearings. Especially boat trailers that go in salt water. Makes total sense that they can get contaminated with water and salt and they need to be checked often. But TT bearings? It's a sealed system that see's no contamination. At least under normal conditions. Unless a seal is damaged the grease stays in there and works just fine year after year after year.I guess it IR gun makers in business and that's a good thing in this economy I guess. :)

I felt the same as you, but I thought I better check them periodically anyway. One day at a rest stop I noticed one hub was warmer, not by a lot, just warmer than the other 3. Over the next week or so it started getting noticeably warmer. I had a mobile RV repair service check it out. Sure enough, that bearing was getting ready to fail and showed signs of burn marks. Yes, the man showed me what was wrong. You don't have to buy a temp gun, but I think it's folly to not check them. I don't know what kind of rig you're talking about, but mine is a heavy fiver with 4 wheels. And I dry camp a lot, often in strong winds, so it's not out of the realm of possibility that dust gets in there. It gets in everywhere else.Trailer axles carry a lot more weight than a car or truck. A simple check and prevention can save you a lot of roadside grief. I think automatic replacement every year is a bit much, mine lasted about 5 years.

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 stopBefore reading RV Net: Many miles on a 1995 TT and never checked them.Never thought about water leaksST tiresRoads are to steepSomebody stealing stuff at campsiteETC...

Probably at some point, because they never used to check them, they had a trailer bearing finally go bad on them. In Alaska, you usually see several open trailers sitting along the road from Anch to Fbks without a wheel hub when hunting season rolls around. These are trailers used once a year (maybe even not for many years), they overload them with four wheelers, hunting gear, and then head off down the highway at 70+ mph. Then the same thing when the first good snowfall hits and people get out the snowmachine trailers for the first time in a long time.What I find interesting is tires. Some talk about checking their air pressure every day. That's not a bad thing to do at all - a blow out on a MH or TT can be expensive, but when you ask them if they check the air every day on the car or truck they drive every day when home, you never hear back from them.Or, when they ask what to do with the tires when the RV is in storage such as should they raise the tires off of the ground, should the tires touch the grass, should the tires be stored on wood or concrete vs gravel or pavement. If you ask them how they stored the car or truck they left at home for six months while traveling, they don't answer.Why are only RV tires important?I do check mine when I stop, but it's more a part of getting out of the MH and limbering up. After whopping the same tires with the same hammer for a long time, I don't need an air gauge to know if the pressure has changed a couple of pounds or one tire is much different than another. A quick touch of my hand to a wheel hub is enough to know if I have a heat problem.Bill

When I brought my TT home I checked the bearings, found 2 overstuffed and the other 2 were ok. Fixed the problem now no more worries. Tires on the other hand get a the guage before I leave and an eyeball during the trip. Common sense goes a long ways to saving time for other stuff like poking the campfire.

Turtle n Peeps, if you ever have a wheel bearing go bad on you, then you'll answer your own question. Getting stuck in the middle of nowhere is no fun, and repairs can be quite expensive.

What's the fascination with trailer bearings? | Good Sam Community

Turtle_n_Peeps
Explorer
Jul 30, 2015
cmcdar wrote:
Turtle n Peeps wrote:
cmcdar wrote:
Turtle n Peeps wrote:
cmcdar wrote:
It's funny that it seems irritating to some that several folks are fastidious about maintenance and safety.

Why should this bother anyone? It should bother people that there are many out there that are willfully ignorant of even the most basic safety recommendations and regulations.

In other words, if I repack my bearings every year - why should this matter to you?

LOL, if you talking to me I'm not irritated at all. I really don't care if you pack your bearings every night at the campground. I just find it fascinating that when I ask people if they do the same with their TV I get a blank gaze with an open mouth.

The question for you is: You say you pack your trailer bearings every year because it has to do with "fastidious maintenance and safety". Do you repack your TV bearings every year too?

I have asked you, if you do not agree with manufacturer's recommendations, how often do YOU think it should be done? Ever? Never?

...waiting for reply...

Actually you didn't. You're confused. It was Dog you asked, and he answered you.

But since you seem to want to know from me, I will tell you.
As several posters have already said, axel makers have no idea what their axles are going to be put on. Couple that with the fact that you can be sued for making a hair dryer and not having a label on it that states: "DO NOT USE THIS PRODUCT IN THE SHOWER."

I do all my own work. I check my trailer bearings and brakes about every 7 to 10 years. When I say check, I mean just that, check, not pack. I put about 4 to 5K on my trailer/ year.

It goes something like this: It's been 7 years since I have checked my bearings, time to check them. I pop a hub cap off and take the nut off and pull the drum. I look over the brakes and also the bearings. In 28 years I have owned the same trailer I have NEVER seen anything wrong with the bearings. They have OEM bearings in it. In fact, they pretty much look the same as when I packed them. No rust, grease where is should be, the proper amount of grease, seals look good..........good to go.

The brakes on the other hand have wear on them. Not so much the shoes, but the other hardware. Especially the magnets. They are the biggest wear item by far. This is the main reason I pull the drums that often. Because of the wear on the brake hardware.

As far as when should "you" look at your bearings? I have no idea? I don't know how you use your trailer? I suggest if you used your trailer like these guys do, you check them every trip; and ALSO your TV bearings! You should know what your bearing look like if you check them every year. What do they look like when you check them? Or do you do your own work?

Like I said, it's a sealed system. If the seals are in good shape it won't allow contamination in and grease out so the bearings remain in good shape.

Oh, and to people that say they are not the same bearings, load, bla, bla bla. Not true. TV's can have cartridge bearings or packable bearings in them. Trailers can have packable bearings or cartridge bearings in them. (right Dog :B )They are both designed for weight and load for what they are used for. If anybody thinks that a trailer sees more side load think about this: A truck going into a turn at 40 or 50 MPH. Think of the side load at that speed. It's enormous!!! Like I said, it's a red herring anyway. I have yet to see a bearing fail do to side loading and I have seen a bunch. Besides, the fact that they both are designed for load and stress they are put through.

As far as the Lippert schedule: Is this the same company that built these great frames? :B I think I will stay away from this companies recommendation as far as I can! A few people on this forum have junk trailers because of this companies gross incompetence.

cmcdar I now have answered your question but you didn't answer mine: Do you pack or check you wheel bearings on your TV every year? Also, do you do your own work or do you rely on others for that?

I have posted here several times and even posted pictures of the 'dry' bearings/hubs I found. YES I have checked, repacked my own bearings.
I have previously explained that I have seasonally camped for 17 years However, towing a camper to different locations and maintaining a roadworthy travel trailer is new to me.

I have checked and repacked camper bearings just once since I have only owned my camper since March. I plan to check it at least yearly to begin with.

Now, you certainly are impressive with all of your experience and 'knowledge'. It baffles me, however, that you seem to not be able to comprehend that the general public lacks the very basic level of mechanical inclination to be able to understand what you are even talking about. If you are able to intuitively determine that every seven years is right for you, well wonderful.

If I had not checked the bearings on my 'new to me' camper, I would likely have been in trouble my first time out as there was barely any grease and what was there was all broken down. I am not someone who is neurotic about most maintenance but I sure as hell do not want to be irresponsible either.

New People to camping may have never towed a vehicle. They have no idea that the 'new' tires they bought 5 years ago and only have 100 miles on them, need to be replaced because they have dry rot.

Many people out there on the road towing campers can barely change a lightbulb. Maintenance schedules are guidelines to follow. They are very important to the general public. Without recommendations, most people would NEVER even change their oil (still, many don't).

You have sufficiently dazzled us with your abilities. Please leave some dignity for us regular folks who feel more comfortable going through life with some safety nets.

I might remind you that you are the one that found "dry bearings" not me. I was just suggesting why you found such dry bearings. I have never found "dry bearings" with my maintenance schedule. Don't like it? Move on. You are free to follow any maintenance schedule you deem necessary.

I find it amusing that you never did answer the question I have asked you twice now.
itguy08
Explorer
Jul 30, 2015
Huntindog wrote:

Now I am really going to stir things up:
Since TTs do not have odometers on them, and the only way to determine actual mileage would be to log it off of the TV..... I surmise that nobody really knows just how many miles they go on a bearing repack..... Oh there will be some that swear they know.... But in most cases it is only a rough guess... Some guesses will be a LOT rougher than others.... So now for those of you that want a firm milage number.... How will you deal with the fact that you really don't have one at all.

Since thare are some that swear that the 12K limit is the golden rule, and they really don't know when they are getting close to it.... Better repack early so you don't go over.

While I do not know the mileage from the factory to my dealer and whatever miles they put on the unit, I do know how many miles I've put on my trailer. Our TV, a 2011 F150 has a page when you hook the trailer up that you can name the trailer, set up the gain, and it keeps track of the mileage for you while it's hooked up. I know I've put 600 or so miles on it by the dash computer.
Huntindog
Explorer
Jul 30, 2015
rwbradley wrote:
Holy cow, went away camping and I missed all the fun. The interesting thing is that the fact in this 8 pages is 12k or 1 year is fact for 2 major manufacturers. The rest of this 8 pages is opinion. I think I will use the 12k or 1 year as a good reference point and then apply my personal experience and personal opinion to arrive at a repacking schedule that suits my personal RVing habits. But in reality it will likely be close to what the manufacturer recommends.
What would be really interesting is if we applied the same opinions in the thread to trailer towing weights (ya I am going there... sorry guys). Just opinion here, not fact but... I wonder if people who repack religiously every year and never miss even by a week are the ones who will never pull a trailer more than 40-50% (dry) of the tow capacity and people who repack every 7-8 years tow at 200-300% capacity??? Is it safe to assume that what I have learned from this thread is that the manufacturers have to put some number to towing weight but that number is not right for everyone, so GVWR and towing capacity of the TV are really rough numbers as the manufacturer really has no idea how you are going to tow and then lawyer fudge factor has to be added in too... will you have 6 kids, 2 dogs and 1000 pounds of luggage going across death valley in the summer or a couple of tiny grandparents with 2 changes of clothes, stopping for groceries every day and only driving 2 hours across the prairies when it is in the 60's??? But regardless for bearing repacking or towing weight or most anything to do with towing, for those who are not very experienced should stick close to the manufacturers numbers and those who are more experienced have some wiggle room because they understand the risks and the factors that make up the numbers?

Now I am really going to stir things up:
Since TTs do not have odometers on them, and the only way to determine actual mileage would be to log it off of the TV..... I surmise that nobody really knows just how many miles they go on a bearing repack..... Oh there will be some that swear they know.... But in most cases it is only a rough guess... Some guesses will be a LOT rougher than others.... So now for those of you that want a firm milage number.... How will you deal with the fact that you really don't have one at all.

Since thare are some that swear that the 12K limit is the golden rule, and they really don't know when they are getting close to it.... Better repack early so you don't go over.
rwbradley
Explorer
Jul 30, 2015
Holy cow, went away camping and I missed all the fun. The interesting thing is that the fact in this 8 pages is 12k or 1 year is fact for 2 major manufacturers. The rest of this 8 pages is opinion. I think I will use the 12k or 1 year as a good reference point and then apply my personal experience and personal opinion to arrive at a repacking schedule that suits my personal RVing habits. But in reality it will likely be close to what the manufacturer recommends.
What would be really interesting is if we applied the same opinions in the thread to trailer towing weights (ya I am going there... sorry guys). Just opinion here, not fact but... I wonder if people who repack religiously every year and never miss even by a week are the ones who will never pull a trailer more than 40-50% (dry) of the tow capacity and people who repack every 7-8 years tow at 200-300% capacity??? Is it safe to assume that what I have learned from this thread is that the manufacturers have to put some number to towing weight but that number is not right for everyone, so GVWR and towing capacity of the TV are really rough numbers as the manufacturer really has no idea how you are going to tow and then lawyer fudge factor has to be added in too... will you have 6 kids, 2 dogs and 1000 pounds of luggage going across death valley in the summer or a couple of tiny grandparents with 2 changes of clothes, stopping for groceries every day and only driving 2 hours across the prairies when it is in the 60's??? But regardless for bearing repacking or towing weight or most anything to do with towing, for those who are not very experienced should stick close to the manufacturers numbers and those who are more experienced have some wiggle room because they understand the risks and the factors that make up the numbers?
4X4Dodger
Explorer II
Jul 29, 2015
cmcdar wrote:
4X4Dodger wrote:
cmcdar wrote:
Dodger, I guess I am totally missing what you are trying to say.

Check bearings, don't check bearings - neither is the right thing to do?

What is the message you are imparting?

I think if you read my first post it might be clearer: but I will summarize; as I said previously, NO one has a definitive answer. The recommended service intervals are based on a worst case scenario of extreme duty because the Axle MFG does not know what the axles will be used for. And my conclusion from my first post: It's common sense to have a maint. schedule of some interval. But no one can give you the right or wrong answer about what that interval is.

THAT is NOT an answer.

There are millions of Americans out there on the road driving/towing/etc. that have no mechanical (common sense) at all.

To say something should be done but no one knows when is BS. If it SHOULD be done then some time frame should be suggested.

There are millions of 'new' camper/RV owners out there that are trying to be responsible. Who care about the safety of their families and others on the road. THEY need to have some guidelines of which to follow.

You take issue with the manufacturers recommendations YET will not suggest a 'more appropriate' time frame (your opinion).

Again, how often is often enough?

Just like the manufacturer I have no idea how the axle is being used on any ones trailer. Is it driven mostly on dirt roads? Does it log 100k miles per year? is it heavily loaded? or does it go 100 miles twice a year and then stored? Therefore any truly thinking person could not under any circumstances give any kind of MEANINGFUL answer to that question. This is precisely why the MFG uses a worst case scenario maint. schedule.

Also I take NO issue with the MFG recommendation, the company is doing what is in it's best interest. But I do understand how they arrive at it.

And unlike some on this forum I do not think it's my job to tell the RV owners of the world what they should or should not do with their bearings. I do however think it valuable to get a more balanced view and that is what I try to give.

I am sorry I am not living up to your expectations of being hard-line, dogmatic absolutist about this issue.

As for me and my bearings? When I bought my trailer I had the dealer pull all the wheels so I could inspect the bearings myself. They were all in great shape and fully and properly greased. I have not worried about them since and will probably not inspect them again for about 20k miles. So you see I do inspect mine, but I do it based on MY USAGE of the trailer and my life long experience with Vehicles.
tomman58
Explorer
Jul 29, 2015
Looks like a slow day on the farm. Not enough mountains I guess.
jfkmk
Explorer
Jul 29, 2015
Turtle n Peeps wrote:
cmcdar wrote:
Turtle n Peeps wrote:
cmcdar wrote:
It's funny that it seems irritating to some that several folks are fastidious about maintenance and safety.

Why should this bother anyone? It should bother people that there are many out there that are willfully ignorant of even the most basic safety recommendations and regulations.

In other words, if I repack my bearings every year - why should this matter to you?

LOL, if you talking to me I'm not irritated at all. I really don't care if you pack your bearings every night at the campground. I just find it fascinating that when I ask people if they do the same with their TV I get a blank gaze with an open mouth.

The question for you is: You say you pack your trailer bearings every year because it has to do with "fastidious maintenance and safety". Do you repack your TV bearings every year too?

I have asked you, if you do not agree with manufacturer's recommendations, how often do YOU think it should be done? Ever? Never?

...waiting for reply...

Actually you didn't. You're confused. It was Dog you asked, and he answered you.

But since you seem to want to know from me, I will tell you.
As several posters have already said, axel makers have no idea what their axles are going to be put on. Couple that with the fact that you can be sued for making a hair dryer and not having a label on it that states: "DO NOT USE THIS PRODUCT IN THE SHOWER."

I do all my own work. I check my trailer bearings and brakes about every 7 to 10 years. When I say check, I mean just that, check, not pack. I put about 4 to 5K on my trailer/ year.

It goes something like this: It's been 7 years since I have checked my bearings, time to check them. I pop a hub cap off and take the nut off and pull the drum. I look over the brakes and also the bearings. In 28 years I have owned the same trailer I have NEVER seen anything wrong with the bearings. They have OEM bearings in it. In fact, they pretty much look the same as when I packed them. No rust, grease where is should be, the proper amount of grease, seals look good..........good to go.

The brakes on the other hand have wear on them. Not so much the shoes, but the other hardware. Especially the magnets. They are the biggest wear item by far. This is the main reason I pull the drums that often. Because of the wear on the brake hardware.

As far as when should "you" look at your bearings? I have no idea? I don't know how you use your trailer? I suggest if you used your trailer like these guys do, you check them every trip; and ALSO your TV bearings! You should know what your bearing look like if you check them every year. What do they look like when you check them? Or do you do your own work?

Like I said, it's a sealed system. If the seals are in good shape it won't allow contamination in and grease out so the bearings remain in good shape.

Oh, and to people that say they are not the same bearings, load, bla, bla bla. Not true. TV's can have cartridge bearings or packable bearings in them. Trailers can have packable bearings or cartridge bearings in them. (right Dog :B )They are both designed for weight and load for what they are used for. If anybody thinks that a trailer sees more side load think about this: A truck going into a turn at 40 or 50 MPH. Think of the side load at that speed. It's enormous!!! Like I said, it's a red herring anyway. I have yet to see a bearing fail do to side loading and I have seen a bunch. Besides, the fact that they both are designed for load and stress they are put through.

As far as the Lippert schedule: Is this the same company that built these great frames? :B I think I will stay away from this companies recommendation as far as I can! A few people on this forum have junk trailers because of this companies gross incompetence.

cmcdar I now have answered your question but you didn't answer mine: Do you pack or check you wheel bearings on your TV every year? Also, do you do your own work or do you rely on others for that?

Man, when this thread started out, I felt it was borderline trolling, now I'm sure it's full blown trolling.

T&P, I'm really not sure why you're so concerned when people maintain their trailer bearings. If you feel they're wasting their time, what do you care? Does this create a disturbance in the force that somehow effects you?

But, to answer some of your questions from my perspective:

No, I don't pack the bearings in my tv. In fact, I've not had a vehicle with pack able bearings in any of my cars since the 70's. They've all been either FWD or 4WD. I believe most of the vehicles with packable bearings are RWD 2WD. I could be wrong, so don't slam me, just my observation based on the vehicles I've owned. Yes, I do pack the bearings on my trailer every year. I guess that disturbs you, but oh well. Maybe I'll bring my IR with me the next time I travel and really get your head spinning!

You're wrong regarding the lateral forces on bearings on a TANDEM trailer v a car or truck. If you've ever seen a trailer making a tight turn, one tire is scrubbing one way, the other is scrubbing the other way. This, by the way, is one argument for having ST tires on a trailer with tandem axles. The STs don't provide the same traction as a LT tire, allowing it to slide sideways better, putting less strain in the bearings, axles, etc.

Hate to break this to you, but what you're doing is not a proper bearing inspection. Do you even remove the inner bearing? How do you possible inspect the bearing without cleaning it off?

Your posts are inconsistent. In an earlier post you stated you've packed the bearings maybe three times on a 29 yo trailer. Then you say you don't pack them every 7-10 years, you just do is magical inspection. Which is it?

While I agree my annual cleaning, inspection and packing may be a little over the top, it hardly takes any time, is very inexpensive for me to do, and I'm practically guaranteed a trouble free camping season. I'm certainly not harming my trailer by performing this maintenance.

So my question to you is, why do you care how others maintain their campers? The only reason I'd care would be if I was buying a trailer used. All other things equal, I'd go with the one maintained every year over one that gets this magical inspection every 7-10.

Can we start a new thread entitled "why do people who ignore basic maintenance get upset when others don't?"
cmcdar
Explorer
Jul 29, 2015
It's common sense to have a maint. schedule of some interval. But no one can give you the right or wrong answer about what that interval is.

The above reply is just BS it is not a valid answer.

If he had just replied, 'I believe they do not need to be checked or repacked for at least 7 to 10 years'. THAT would have been a valid answer.

I guess from the replies it really boils down to us folks who do regular maintenance as being 'people who bought junk trailers'.

:S

Keep on slinging it until you all feel better... :R
Huntindog
Explorer
Jul 28, 2015
cmcdar wrote:
If you had read anything I wrote, in any of my threads, you would know that I just bought the camper in March. I just recently repacked the bearings.

You have no idea what grease I used yet you use a condescending tone suggesting I buy QUALITY grease...

The real point is that you have decided to come on this forum and deride folks here because they are diligent with maintaining their RVs. What they do has no effect on you, YET you start finding fault.

Perhaps it would be best to just live and let live here. We can all go back to our rvs...

nuf said
I would like to point out that your questions have been answered... You just didn't like the answers.:B
cmcdar
Explorer
Jul 28, 2015
If you had read anything I wrote, in any of my threads, you would know that I just bought the camper in March. I just recently repacked the bearings.

You have no idea what grease I used yet you use a condescending tone suggesting I buy QUALITY grease...

The real point is that you have decided to come on this forum and deride folks here because they are diligent with maintaining their RVs. What they do has no effect on you, YET you start finding fault.

Perhaps it would be best to just live and let live here. We can all go back to our rvs...

nuf said

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