Wheel Bearings Packed? Yearly Maintenance
How often do you have the wheel bearings packed on your trailer? And do you take it in for a yearly maintenance inspection?
Forum Discussion
CKNSLS wrote:dodge guy wrote:
...better than standing on the side of a hwy in the middle of a trip staring at a smoking wheel bearing!
True....but there have been plenty of stories of bearing failure AFTER A SERVICE.
Spring Break, 2012...I had just had the dealer repack the bearings on our 2008 Rockwood 8272S a couple of weeks before our trip from San Antonio to Alamogordo NM. I was doing the "every other year" schedule as recommended by the dealer. Between Balmorhea and Van Horn on IH-10 (very close to the last place on earth), I noticed that something wasn't right, even though we were fighting heavy winds and going uphill. One of the bearings had burned out and the wheel froze, ripping the tire to shreds. We limped along slowly on the shoulder on three tires to Van Horn, where a truck and trailer shop replaced the assembly and had us on our way within a couple hours the next day.
I never went back to that dealer for maintenance again, but did find a great RV mechanic in San Antonio...Texas RV Supply. We now take our trailer to them once a year for bearings and other assorted mods and maintenance. Maybe it's overkill, but I'm willing to pay for a little peace of mind after that experience.
