Bearing Grease Intervals

[enahs]

On our 27-5L Fox fifth wheel, I do my own bearing packing. I use top quality synthetic grease and thoroughly clean and pack bearings every two years. That adds up to once every 6000 miles. Rig is stored under covert every winter. I am beginning to think that I am into overkill. Perhaps it's because I am getting older and wrestling the heavy tires and drums is tougher than it once was — or am I just getting wiser and less compulsive. Opinions and educated insights would be appreciated. BTW, everything I've done a repacking, grease and everything looks just fine. Wondering.

[Dave_H_M]

I am with RJ. The old addage of cheap insurance does not carry weight with me.

I got all nervous once after reading threads on this board, and pulled the bearings on my flat bed after around the 10 year mark. All was like new in there. The brakes were also fine.

So, IMHO, if you feel better by pulling wheels every year that is what you should do.

The wheel bearings will be the last thing I will be concerned with next winter when I hit the road again with the 2010 model.

[RJsfishin]

I have towed all kinds of trailers all my life, still do
Why would I do the bearings any oftener than the front wheels of my cars/trucks/suvs ?? Why would the brakes rust in place if they were properly assembled w/ a touch of brake lube or never seize on all contact points, ??

If you towed in a lot of rain and snow where there was salt on the roads ???
Even then, never had my brakes stop stopping ! 🙂

[badboy368]

very cheap insurance to just do it every year. its NOT overkill by having the safety and security of not being broke down on the side of the road. all it takes is once and you will wish you had taken the little bit of time to do it. JMHO :S

[BFL13]

IMO it has a lot to do with how often you tow the trailer. Sitting there the brakes can get rusted via the air cooling holes, which is why they say to check the brakes every year.

Meanwhile they say to do the bearings by hand every year or every 12K miles whichever comes first, and that requires the hubs to be off too. Which is when you can check the brakes too and meet that time table now the hubs are off anyway.

So what do you do if you only go 6K a year? You can get away with not removing the hubs and doing the bearings by hand till next year, but now you can't see the brakes. So that is where IMO how often you move it comes into play.

If you move it often then IMO you can get away without checking the brakes with the hubs off so often, since they won't have rusted in place.

So now how often do you have to take the hubs off and still get away with it? No idea. I go by how much money I have or don't, and then convince myself it is ok to skip this time around if I am short of money (I can't do it myself)

You will never know how long you can get away with it until it goes bad on you, then you know that was too long 🙂

I did find out that having the whole thing done by pros is good when they found the equalizer bolts had worn the holes bigger and were about to go through and it needed new equalizers and bolts etc. I didn't get the wet kit like I should have I suppose. So if you skip the bearings and the brakes, you might still have your equalizers fall off! RVing is out to get you 😞