9 replies to this topic

[Mr. Dave]

I've heard that your trailer wheel bearings need to be repacked. However, I've never heard how often. I've got a car tow dolly that had the bearings repacked 2 years ago with apprx. 9,000 mi. use since. They seem OK with no extra free play or anything. Should I have them repacked again? One shop told me every 10,000 mi. and another every 30,000 mi. What do you think? Please advise as to what you do with your trailers. Thank you.

[richfaa]

Have over 40K miles on the 5th wheel. Had the wheel bearings repacked today for the 3rd time. They are the original bearings and they were in perfect condition.

[nana25k]

Ron does ours on the 5th wheel every summer. Doesn't take very long andit also give him a chance to get a good look see at lother wheel related stuff.

[Charlie P]

We have a 96 HR 5th wheel. They say to repack at 10,000 miles, so that is what we do.

There is nothing worse than having a frozen up and burnt up wheel bearing, and being stuck on the side of the road!

[Stanley P. Miller]

We did it every winter, it doesn't take long and gives you a chance to check and adjust the brakes at the same time.

[LindaH]

Every fifth wheel we've had recommended repacking the bearings every year or 12,000 miles, whichever came first.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I would think time interval would be as critical as number of miles rolled since moisture could get in and cause corrosion problems and heat could dry out the grease. When I get my TT, I seriously doubt I will tow it more than 300-400 miles a year. If I waited 'til, say. 12,000 miles, it would be over 30 years before I packed the little buggers! No lube, even a synthetic, is going to last that long (heck, I probably won't). Stanley has the right idea about doing it yearly. If I didn't plan on jacking up the axles so the wheels could be spun every so often while the TT sets for 4-8 months at a time, I would be tempted to do them just prior to each move.

[RV Tamer]

I've heard that your trailer wheel bearings need to be repacked. However, I've never heard how often. I've got a car tow dolly that had the bearings repacked 2 years ago with apprx. 9,000 mi. use since. They seem OK with no extra free play or anything. Should I have them repacked again? One shop told me every 10,000 mi. and another every 30,000 mi. What do you think? Please advise as to what you do with your trailers. Thank you.

Kathydavidb,

We usually advised customers to have their trailer wheel bearings repacked every 12,000 miles or yearly.
Not only were the bearings and races checked, but all of the brakes componets. Even the wheels and tires were inspected due to possible alignment issues . More than what you would think, we would find brakes shoes that had been glazed over due to excessive heat. Also on occasion, we would find brake shoes that were cracked, and on other occasions, some of the brake parts had come loose and were spinning in the drum area causing additional damage.
If the rv had been not used in quite some time, or it's parked for some time near the ocean , we would find corrosion build up, even though the customer might have only had maybe only a thousand miles on the rv since the last time the hubs and brakes were serviced.
I guess what I 'm trying to tell you that it's not just a mileage or time thing, it's also a safety check .
I hope this helps................................tim

[Stanley P. Miller]

Annual repacking is also a good time to check for broken or worn suspension parts, much cheaper to find and fix before they break.

[RayIN]

Every fifth wheel we've had recommended repacking the bearings every year or 12,000 miles, whichever came first.

That is exactly what the Dexter service manual states for standard bearings. Even with EZ-Lube axles, which I do not use, the hubs must be removed to inspect the brakes on the same schedule.