Forum Discussion

JHblack's avatar
JHblack
Explorer
Aug 17, 2013

Wheel/axle grease

Have a new 28 foot W&P TH TT..

Took possession of this 2014 model two weeks before our trip to South Dakota from SC and had no time for a local run to work out any bugs etc.

This is my first camper.

No problems there or back, no tire issues no nothing..

Have been pleased as I had heard horror stories.

When I arrived I did a cursory inspection after set up and found black grease that appeared to have spun out onto wheel. I might add I never had problems with brakes..

All wheels torqued on return trip to South Carolina. When I arrived back to SC again did inspection and noticed grease on two more wheels. Not a huge amount on any of the three but enough to notice.

Is this normal on a new coach?

I have washed the unit and planning a local trip in 2-3 weeks approx 50 miles or so.

Should I get it checked out first or wait till my next trip which again is within local distance of my dealer that I purchased from?

Thanks in advance for senior experience and input.....
  • 69_Avion's avatar
    69_Avion
    Explorer
    Aug 18, 2013
    Heavy Duty axles actually have oil bearings instead of grease bearings. Those usually start around 8,000# axle rating so you won't see them on a regular RV trailer. I've never had an issue with an bearing setup being "full" of grease as long as the seal isn't leaking or grease isn't coming out of the front. Easy Lube spindles are designed to "fill" the cavity where the bearing are. If the seal does leak you are probably going to get grease on the brake shoes and you will be buying new shoes. To work properly, the cavity doesn't need to be full for grease bearings to work properly. I pull the hubs and check my bearings the same on my trailers as I did on my old cars that had front grease bearings.

    I would have the dealer check them since it is a new trailer, but some dealers don't have people who really know, or care about trailer bearings and brakes. If you are knowledgeable about the bearings and brakes, you may want to pull one yourself and check it out.
  • kknowlton's avatar
    kknowlton
    Explorer II
    Aug 17, 2013
    Not normal. Be sure that whoever works on your wheels doesn't overpack them with grease. We have ended up replacing a wheel hub & spindle, and an axle (at different times) in our TT's first 6 years of life, and the truck mechanic who replaced the axle last fall said the hubs had probably been overfilled. That raises the heat level and caused another wheel hub & spindle to fail. Not sure if he's right but it seems to make sense.
  • 6_7_tow_rig's avatar
    6_7_tow_rig
    Explorer
    Aug 17, 2013
    It could be as simple as the dust caps aren't seated all the way and they have allowed a tiny amount of grease to leak out when they got warm. I would take the wheel off and see look at them before messing with the dealer. That way you know whats going on and don't have to trust anyone else
  • JIMNLIN's avatar
    JIMNLIN
    Explorer III
    Aug 17, 2013
    Thats not normal so take it back to the dealer and get the problem fixed before it leads to serious issues.
  • mich800's avatar
    mich800
    Explorer
    Aug 17, 2013
    Do you have ez lube axles and is the grease on the outside/front of the wheel. If you do not have hub caps installed and the rubber cover is not on tight I have seen them sling grease out onto the wheels. If this is not the case I am not sure.

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