Wheel Bearing Repacking question

[bravelion]

After how many miles should wheel bearings be repacked? What does that actually entail?

I am renting a trailer from a private owner who is in the business of renting various trailers he owns. I want to test how well my Jeep Grand Cherokee tows a crtain size/weight trailer (well below my max GVWR) before I buy a trailer. I will take it 2,200 miles round trip over 11 days.

This is my first time renting and dealing with private owners, and they all seem to have varying degrees of fear, rules, and requirements.

This owner says "I am ok with it going on that long of a haul, but we do charge for a wheel bearing re-packing for any trip over 500 miles, which is $55".

A couple of other trailers I am considering made no mention at all of this, knowing the same distance.

I'm NOT against paying the extra $55 fee, and just want to know if it's a BS fee or legit. This helps me form an opinion of who I'm doing business with as there are a lot of other strict rules.

When I buy a trailer and hit the road for months on end, will I need to repack the bearings every 500 miles?

[dougrainer]

MFL wrote:

fj12ryder wrote:
"The MAX speed rating for all Trailer tires is 65 MPH."

You sure about that?

No...he can't be sure, since he is just plain wrong! He can be helpful in many cases, with RV repairs, but obviously tires is not his expertise.

Jerry

LOOK IT UP!!!! You are correct. I am not a Tire expert. BUT, I CAN READ and I get this info from the various Trailer Tire makers info. I advise my customers this fact all the time. I have yet to have a customer come back and tell me I am wrong. I believe there may be a tire rated at 70 mph, but it was VERY expensive. Here is another Tidbit. The Tires on a 2018/19 Tiffin 45 foot Allegro Bus are rated(Michelins) at only 75 mph. Hence Tiffin governs the Drivetrain at about 77 mph max. Doug

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Any time my brake drums were removed it was for a meticulous examination of the brakes, not wheel bearings. The first exam determined if a good brand of bearings are used. Timken, SKF, etc. if not new bearings and races were installed. is CHICAGO RAWHIDE still around? They used to make excellent seals.

10 miles, 100, 1,000, 10,000 or 100,000 miles because of the lube I used and seals, I have never repacked a bearing. If it looks like the grease was just installed and the seal was dry then it was a waste of time and money. Of course, the lube was not ordinary snot.

But I did have lots of issues with electric brakes. Uneven wear, uneven pull, due to vulnerable design (read redneck technology).

[MFL]

fj12ryder wrote:
"The MAX speed rating for all Trailer tires is 65 MPH."

You sure about that?

No...he can't be sure, since he is just plain wrong! He can be helpful in many cases, with RV repairs, but obviously tires is not his expertise.

Jerry

[fj12ryder]

"The MAX speed rating for all Trailer tires is 65 MPH."

You sure about that?

[dougrainer]

bravelion wrote:

dougrainer wrote:
I would post his business and address and phone number to let Trailer owners know where they can get a Wheel bearing pack for $55. Wheel bearing packs are done once a year or every 5000 miles. You pull them once a year to check the bearing and races, not just to pack the bearings. Also to make sure you do not have a seal leak. Pack Fee and PREP fee? BOTH are a cost of doing business. To list them is just gouging. He should include them in his weekly/daily rate. I assume he is checking your mileage at rental/ How else would he know how many miles you put on the trailer. besides, YOUR mileage will not be towing the trailer as you will unhook and then use the truck for various excursions and trips. SO, HOW will he verify how many miles are on the Trailer? Doug

One of the many rules was "The speed limit while trailering is 65mph and is enforced via GPS reporting.", so I guess there is some sort of GPS tracker on the rig?

There was also a bunch of harsh penalties including deposit forfeiture for any of a number of listed infractions, such as taking it on a beach or to "Burning Man", whatever that is.

Frankly I would have bypassed based on red flag radar and how paranoid the owner seemed with all the rules (as compared to what other private RV owners renting their rigs poast as their rules), but I was really interested in that particular trailer as it is a model I would consider buying if we liked traveling in it and we decide to keep the Jeep as the TV.

I don't think there is any chance we'd want to buy the model I ended up renting, but it will serve us well nevertheless because a lot of the trip is just about being on the road, practicing arrival and departure from RV campgrounds, seeing how the Jeep GC does as a TV, etc.

There is no GPS installed in any trailer. Just BS on his part.
FYI, There is "SOME" TRAILER that can safely be towed faster than 65 mph. The limitation is based on Trailer Tires. The MAX speed rating for MOST Trailer tires is 65 MPH. I Know, you and others see Boats and Trailers and such going 75 or 80. But, those type people you sometimes see beside the road with a flat TIRE or worse. But, by telling customers the rules/facts, he will blame tire failures on you and state you went faster than 65 mph. Doug

PS, my co worker just came back from Corpus Christy a few weeks ago. A large Asian family drove their rented C body onto the beach next to him and as they slowed down, it sunk in the sand. Took 2 wreckers to get them out. They had no idea that driving on the sand was a bad idea.

[bravelion]

dougrainer wrote:
I would post his business and address and phone number to let Trailer owners know where they can get a Wheel bearing pack for $55. Wheel bearing packs are done once a year or every 5000 miles. You pull them once a year to check the bearing and races, not just to pack the bearings. Also to make sure you do not have a seal leak. Pack Fee and PREP fee? BOTH are a cost of doing business. To list them is just gouging. He should include them in his weekly/daily rate. I assume he is checking your mileage at rental/ How else would he know how many miles you put on the trailer. besides, YOUR mileage will not be towing the trailer as you will unhook and then use the truck for various excursions and trips. SO, HOW will he verify how many miles are on the Trailer? Doug

One of the many rules was "The speed limit while trailering is 65mph and is enforced via GPS reporting.", so I guess there is some sort of GPS tracker on the rig?

There was also a bunch of harsh penalties including deposit forfeiture for any of a number of listed infractions, such as taking it on a beach or to "Burning Man", whatever that is.

Frankly I would have bypassed based on red flag radar and how paranoid the owner seemed with all the rules (as compared to what other private RV owners renting their rigs poast as their rules), but I was really interested in that particular trailer as it is a model I would consider buying if we liked traveling in it and we decide to keep the Jeep as the TV.

I don't think there is any chance we'd want to buy the model I ended up renting, but it will serve us well nevertheless because a lot of the trip is just about being on the road, practicing arrival and departure from RV campgrounds, seeing how the Jeep GC does as a TV, etc.

[dougrainer]

I would post his business and address and phone number to let Trailer owners know where they can get a Wheel bearing pack for $55. Wheel bearing packs are done once a year or every 5000 miles. You pull them once a year to check the bearing and races, not just to pack the bearings. Also to make sure you do not have a seal leak. Pack Fee and PREP fee? BOTH are a cost of doing business. To list them is just gouging. He should include them in his weekly/daily rate. I assume he is checking your mileage at rental/ How else would he know how many miles you put on the trailer. besides, YOUR mileage will not be towing the trailer as you will unhook and then use the truck for various excursions and trips. SO, HOW will he verify how many miles are on the Trailer? Doug

[bravelion]

Final Conclusion - I appreciate all the feedback.

I ditched the trailer "dating" app, dealing with all sorts of individual people, and just went back to American Dream Vacations in Austin. I rented a trailer from them in 2015.

I got this one to pull behind my Grand Cherokee.
https://www.gulfstreamcoach.com/products/light-weight/innsbruck-lite/model/199ddhttps://www.gulfstreamcoach.com/products/light-weight/innsbruck-lite/model/199dd

Not fancy, but it's brand new on their lot, and WAY below the GVWR for the jeep, and will do the job so we can see how we like pulling a trailer and staying in 4 or 5 places in 11 days. We'll be 5 nights in Ouray CO, the rest mostly overnights while traveling to and from.

[bravelion]

time2roll wrote:
Your first post did not say he repacks the bearings every 500 miles. I am certain he does not.

You did post he charges $55 for long trips. This compensates for the miles you put on the trailer vs someone that goes 100 miles and relaxes for a week or two before returning. I call legit.

You are correct, a bit of a difference in semantics.

I did post exactly what he said:
"I am ok with it going on that long of a haul, but we do charge for a wheel bearing re-packing for any trip over 500 miles, which is $55".

A bit different than "every 500 miles". But still, based on responses, seems like a bogus "title" for the charge, and many here doubt that it's actually done for every 500+ mile trip.
Like I said, maybe I'm too picky, and there was another fee called the "prep fee"for $89 that I didn't even get into.

[time2roll]

Your first post did not say he repacks the bearings every 500 miles. I am certain he does not.

You did post he charges $55 for long trips. This compensates for the miles you put on the trailer vs someone that goes 100 miles and relaxes for a week or two before returning. I call legit.

[azrving]

You are very wise in your test approach.

[bravelion]

Yeah, maybe I'm too picky, and I'm generally a trusting person, but when my BS radar goes off and I dig deeper like this, it makes me not want to do business with the person trying to BS me.

If is was called a "BS Fee" and I was told "it's really just a junk fee to help defray misc costs not factored into the rent" then I can respect that and say "no problem, I get it".

But to say the bearings are repacked every 500 miles .. uh, based on what I'm reading here, that's rubbish. Why not just tell the truth or call the fee a "general maintenance fee" or something else?

Anyway, glad I have this resource to ask questions to. Thanks again.We're looking forward to our test trip. Just have to find a trailer to tow!

[azrving]

BB_TX wrote:
He may take your money, but I doubt he repacks that often. Probably after several thousand miles.

I agree with this. He's probably getting $55 over and over again and no one knows if or when he really services the bearings. That's his issue as long as $55 covers your tail all is good.

I pull about 7k a year and service the bearings yearly. The fridge can quit or the toilet can plug up and it's easy to carry on but the wheel bearings put you on the side of the road. Wheel bearings are the single most important thing on a towable. You can blow tires and find replacements all over. Not so easy when the axle shaft is smoked and the drum and tire are passing you.

[BB_TX]

He may take your money, but I doubt he repacks that often. Probably after several thousand miles.

[time2roll]

On a 2200 mile trip I would not baulk at the $55 as long as in exchange he would pay for emergency repairs while on the road.

2200 miles is a bit short for repacking bearings and at the same time $55 is probably short on paying for the service. The replacement seals alone can cost $55. You are just paying a mileage fee for a long trip. The fee contributes to the additional maintenance. Similar to renting many other vehicles.

Truth is anything can happen on the road. The bearings could easily go 10+ years and 50,000+ miles or you could have an issue during the first day of travel.