What's the fascination with trailer bearings?

[Turtle_n_Peeps]

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 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. :h

I'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. 🙂

[myredracer]

At the end of the 1st season on our new KZ TT, when it was just 7 months old, I took it to our dealer for some warranty work. Asked them to inspect the brakes and bearings and repack while there. Turns out all 4 brakes were contaminated with grease and had to be rebuilt. Did not realize this as I hadn't done any hard braking, are way under GCWR and no signs of grease on wheels. Sure glad I found out as it could have been a disaster down the road and could have been a big expense to us.

Pretty sure the dealer pumped more grease into the axles during the PDI but have no way of proving it. Dealer wanted to charge us at first but after I contacted Alko, it was covered. Makes me wonder how many others are running around with grease in their brakes and don't know it and have an unsafe condition.

I wouldn't trust anyone to have greased the axles properly on a new unit. Have heard of some cases of far too little grease too.

[Huntindog]

Actually. you asked me. See my response on the last page for your reply.

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...

[Passin_Thru]

Funny! Looking at my Arctic Fox 31 W. It has a 3 in dia bearing inside and outside of ea axle, holding around 4 K on ea axle or 2000 lb/ side or 1000/ bearing sitting still. Figure in side loads, the pressure of a 2000 lb loading meeting asphalt (Well, with a small seperation) and the added temperature of a 120 degree day in the Mojave, and the coefficient of being 138 miles from the nearest shop when the bearing goes.! I am not! Don't worry about them, Drive it like you own it! If you wan to run sand in your bearings, do it.

[cmcdar]

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...

[Turtle_n_Peeps]

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?

[Trackrig]

I have an IR gun, but I must say I don't trust it except for very basic information. I bought a name brand gun for about $100 several years ago when installing under the floor radiant heating and a new furnace. The radiant tubing was installed during a house remodel by removing the basement ceiling to get to the floor of the main level. 1" tubing was installed / attached to the bottom of the main flooring. It was a lot easier to aim the IR gun at the tubing to see what the water temps were doing than move a step ladder all over the basement to feel how the tubing heat was doing.

On the energy efficient furnace, there's an awful lot of piping. Again, a lot easier to aim an IR gun at things rather than reach to feel them and getting almost burned sometimes.

What I began to notice is that I had to aim at exactly the same points to get the same readings. Let's say that on the same run of copper pipe, after the hot water had been circulating for several minutes, if you aimed the gun at the tubing you got one reading, if you aimed it 2" away at a copper coupling you got another reading, if you aimed it a couple feet away at a copper ell you got a third reading.

This made things very confusing. After a while I only really used the gun to see when things were getting hotter or colder only and aiming at the same places each time. I now carry it in the MH. About the only thing I use it for is the inside dual so I don't have to get down on the ground to feel how warm it is. Otherwise, when I can reach things, I prefer to feel it with my hand which has a lot more experience than the IR gun............

Bill

[Huntindog]

cmcdar wrote:

Huntindog wrote:

itguy08 wrote:

Turtle n Peeps wrote:

Specifically for those of you that pack your bearings every year, why don't you pack your bearings on your TV every year? (For those that don't have cartridge type bearings)

Take a look at the links I posted. Both Dexter Axle and Lippert (probably account for 90%+ of RV axles) have a service schedule of 12mo/12k for the wheel bearings.

I don't know of any automaker that has any bearing interval in their service manual. Most have went to sealed bearings anyway and you replace that whole assembly when it starts howling.

I have read both manuals extensively... They giv a "blanket" recommendation. Many of their axles end up in other than RVs. Agricultural trailers, boat trailers etc. But the recommendation is the same for all of them. Surely you would agree that a boat trailer that is submerged in fresh and or salt weather needs more frequent service than an RV??
It is apparent that they set the service interval low, so that all users will service the bearings frequently... If they had different recommendations for different types of service, then there would be confusion on the part of the user.
It really makes no sense that a TT bearing needs service much more often than an identical car bearing....
As for thae grease going bad from sitting.... What about the grease in the can in the garage? Or do you buy brand new grease for each repacking?

Years ago, grease wasn't nearly as good as it is today, so it could deteriorate over time... Not so much today.

OK, So the manufacturer is wrong.... how often do YOU recommend?

That is a tough call. I will say that everyone should learn how to do this themselves. I think more failures are caused by repackings done incorrectly than from lack of maintainence. (and that includes a lot of shops) If done right, there is no reason that they cannot last as long as on a car. But.... Everyones usage is different. Some are just harder on things than others. Personally, I do mine at 2-4 years give or take.

[itguy08]

I can't say what a proper interval would be. The manufacturer of our unit, Open Range, refers you back to Lippert. Seems sensible to check on things every year to at least every 12k. It's simple enough to do that it could be part of the pre 1st trip maintenance.

[joshuajim]

...but ya gotta wonder. Was that 12 month 12K miles recommendation written by an Engineer or a lawyer. My money is on the lawyer.

[chracatoa]

I have two stories regarding trailer bearings.

The first time I re-packed mine was just after a year because it was a requirement for the warranty. When I was getting the trailer back I noticed I had no brakes. I returned the trailer and they said there was a very bad brake install and it took them a week to fix it, under warranty. But it was working when I dropped the trailer. I caught it in my pre-flight check. They asked me to drive around the dealership since the brakes would take some time to be adjusted. No avail.

The other story regards my friend. He had a travel trailer for 7 years and he would go camping a couple of times a year. On the 7th year when he got home he realized his wheel was tilted. He could actually remove the wheel with his bare hands! It turned out that he should have packed the wheel bearings but he never did. It lasted 7 years though.

[cmcdar]

Huntindog wrote:

itguy08 wrote:

Turtle n Peeps wrote:

Specifically for those of you that pack your bearings every year, why don't you pack your bearings on your TV every year? (For those that don't have cartridge type bearings)

Take a look at the links I posted. Both Dexter Axle and Lippert (probably account for 90%+ of RV axles) have a service schedule of 12mo/12k for the wheel bearings.

I don't know of any automaker that has any bearing interval in their service manual. Most have went to sealed bearings anyway and you replace that whole assembly when it starts howling.

I have read both manuals extensively... They giv a "blanket" recommendation. Many of their axles end up in other than RVs. Agricultural trailers, boat trailers etc. But the recommendation is the same for all of them. Surely you would agree that a boat trailer that is submerged in fresh and or salt weather needs more frequent service than an RV??
It is apparent that they set the service interval low, so that all users will service the bearings frequently... If they had different recommendations for different types of service, then there would be confusion on the part of the user.
It really makes no sense that a TT bearing needs service much more often than an identical car bearing....
As for thae grease going bad from sitting.... What about the grease in the can in the garage? Or do you buy brand new grease for each repacking?

Years ago, grease wasn't nearly as good as it is today, so it could deteriorate over time... Not so much today.

OK, So the manufacturer is wrong.... how often do YOU recommend?

[Huntindog]

itguy08 wrote:

Turtle n Peeps wrote:

Specifically for those of you that pack your bearings every year, why don't you pack your bearings on your TV every year? (For those that don't have cartridge type bearings)

Take a look at the links I posted. Both Dexter Axle and Lippert (probably account for 90%+ of RV axles) have a service schedule of 12mo/12k for the wheel bearings.

I don't know of any automaker that has any bearing interval in their service manual. Most have went to sealed bearings anyway and you replace that whole assembly when it starts howling.

I have read both manuals extensively... They giv a "blanket" recommendation. Many of their axles end up in other than RVs. Agricultural trailers, boat trailers etc. But the recommendation is the same for all of them. Surely you would agree that a boat trailer that is submerged in fresh and or salt weather needs more frequent service than an RV??
It is apparent that they set the service interval low, so that all users will service the bearings frequently... If they had different recommendations for different types of service, then there would be confusion on the part of the user.
It really makes no sense that a TT bearing needs service much more often than an identical car bearing....
As for thae grease going bad from sitting.... What about the grease in the can in the garage? Or do you buy brand new grease for each repacking?

Years ago, grease wasn't nearly as good as it is today, so it could deteriorate over time... Not so much today.

[Old-Biscuit]

What's the fascination with trailer bearings?


Too many years in power plant where I was required to take readings on equipment........Temps/pressures/flow rates etc.

And I have this nifty IR Gun that makes it look like I really know what I am doing when I walk around rig at rest stops taking readings.
I shoot tires between the threads/sidewalls, hubs/drums and rotors on truck.

By the time I have made my rounds GF has walked the dog, dog has pee'd/pooped as needed and can get back in truck while we go pee/poop as needed.

WHY?
Because I can and now my hand doesn't get dirty

[jfkmk]

itguy08 wrote:

Turtle n Peeps wrote:

Specifically for those of you that pack your bearings every year, why don't you pack your bearings on your TV every year? (For those that don't have cartridge type bearings)

Take a look at the links I posted. Both Dexter Axle and Lippert (probably account for 90%+ of RV axles) have a service schedule of 12mo/12k for the wheel bearings.

I don't know of any automaker that has any bearing interval in their service manual. Most have went to sealed bearings anyway and you replace that whole assembly when it starts howling.

Besides pm being better than emergency repairs, my annual repacking includes cleaning, inspecting and adjusting my manually adjusted drum brakes.

[cmcdar]

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?