wade thiel
RV Wheel Bearings Are Extremely Important To Everyone's Healthmobile homesytravel trailer🇧🇷 You won't get very far without them, but wheel bearings are often overlooked.regular mobile home maintenance.
Forgetting them is an equally big mistake; almost as dangerous as notTire maintenance for recreational vehicles🇧🇷 Remember to regularly check your trailer's wheel bearings to ensure you can travel safely this camping season.
What you need to know about wheel bearings:
What are RV Wheel Bearings?
The wheel bearings are located in the center of your trailer's wheels. They actually turn the wheels and also support the weight of your motorhome. Therefore, one way to protect wheel bearings isUnderstand your trailer's weight specsand never exceed.
Some vehicles have so-called sealed bearings. This construction prevents dirt from entering the bearings and also traps the bearing grease inside. Sealed bearings do not require periodic cleaning and repacking like non-sealed bearings.
Unfortunately, you will find unsealed bearings in all but the highest quality RVs and RVs. Therefore, for the purposes of this tutorial, we will be referring to unsealed wheel bearings.
In addition, the wheel bearings are packaged with aspecial greasewhich prevents friction and allows the wheels to turn freely. While wheel bearings are theoretically designed to last the life of your RV, unsealed wheel bearings will need to be cleaned periodically and refilled with new grease.
Why Lubricate RV Wheel Bearings?
Over time, the grease that builds up in the wheel bearings breaks down and also starts to collect dirt that gets into the unsealed bearings. If this grease is not removed and your RV's bearings are not regularly replenished with new grease, the worst case scenario is that the entire wheel will lock up while you are driving your RV.
If a wheel locks up while driving at high speed, you and other road users around you are in danger. Even if a wheel locks up at low speed, you'll be lookingroadside assistanceand burdened by the cost of expensive RV repairs.
How often should you lubricate RV wheel bearings?
Start by looking at your RV manufacturer's specifications for wheel bearing maintenance.
For starters, all RVs come with multiple manuals for all of their components. If you cannot find the manual for your axle, contact the axle manufacturer.used mobile homeoused trailer, or contact your local contactworld camping service centerAs soon as possible to receive a physical or digital copy for reference.
Throughout this manual, you should find service tables that provide the recommended mileage for service and maintenance on your vehicle. By following this chart closely, you can keep your RV in tip-top shape as it ages.
RV wheel bearings should be lubricated once a year or every 10,000 to 12,000 miles, whichever comes first.
If you travel frequently, this is a useful metric, even if it means repacking your trailer's wheel bearings a few times a year.
If you only take a few short trips each year, some specs recommend repacking your bearings once a year or every 2000 miles, whichever comes first. during useTrailer tire coversIt reduces the amount of dirt that gets into the bearings when your RV is idling, this grease can still break down and needs to be replaced regularly.
Note for new campervan owners:If you've recently purchased a new or used motorhome, have a service technician check the wheel bearings before you leave. Unless you know exactly when your wheel bearings were last serviced, it's best to take care of this important RV maintenance check before you embark on your next adventure.
reduction, negotiating and buying an RV is also an ideal time for a technician to inspect, clean and, if necessary, adjust the brakes. Any adjustments should always be made according to the manufacturer's specifications.
This will let you know when the wheel bearings need to be repacked.
Meeting the wheel bearing maintenance intervals recommended by your RV's manufacturer should keep you on the safe side. But you still need to be aware of the main signs that your wheel bearings may be worn out.
a visual cue
If grease or an oily film is visibly coming off the hub or around the wheel, this could indicate that the grease is running low and the bearings need to be repacked.
a beep
If you hear a screeching or screeching sound from inside your tires while your RV is in motion, your bearings may need service.
a physical test
If you can lift your RV to take the weight off the tires, place your hands on the top and bottom of one tire. Push first with the top hand and then with the bottom to see how much the bow moves. Repeat this test with opposite hands on the sides of the hoop.
The tire should barely move on the axle, and if you can move it enough to hear an audible click, it's a sure sign that the wheel bearings need service.
However, lifting a heavy trailer or trailer requires a heavy floor jack; therefore, only attempt this test if you have experience doing it safely and know how it feels to play camp.
a sense of direction
A more practical test for RVs is how your RV handles on the road. If it keeps sliding to the side of the road, or if you notice more play in the steering wheel than usual, it could be a sign that a bearing service is in order.
Remember that shaft and hub problems can be complex. If you suspect that there are problems with your motorhome's wheel bearings or other components, it's best to take your coach to them.nearest campingService center for further inspection.
How to lubricate caravan wheel bearings
Clean and repack RV wheel bearingsessomething you can do at home. However, it requires a sturdy jack, a jack under the trailer axles and/or tongue, and the proper power tools to get the job done.
If you don't know how to jack up a trailer, disconnect the electric brakes, remove the wheel, disassemble the hub, clean and repack the bearings, replace the wheel bearing seal, and put everything back together exactly as it came apart, we recommend that you or face This RV service item is for professionals.
It also requires a willingness to get dirty. Few, if any, trailer mechanics have cleaned and repacked bearings without ending up with a ton of grease on their hands. So if you want to save time, energy and thorough cleaning, have your motorhome wheel bearings inspected and serviced by a trained professional at the regular intervals recommended in your motorhome owner's manual.
Schedule a service appointment today to check your RV's wheel bearings.
Best grease for RV wheel bearings
RV bearing grease is something most RV mechanics stock in bulk. However, it is available in smaller quantities if needed. If you're cleaning and repacking RV wheel bearings yourself, try thisHigh temperature wheel bearing grease for disc brakesby MAG1.
RV wheel bearings are just one crucial piece of the RV maintenance puzzle, but all of these pieces are essential to ensuring your safety on all of your RV trips. Entrust this maintenance task to a trained professional as part of your RV's annual checkup to keep your tires running smoothly.
When was the last time you checked your trailer's wheel bearings? Leave a comment below.
If you're still learning the ins and outs of RV maintenance, check out ours.Downloadable RV Ownership and Maintenance Brochure!
How often do you lubricate your caravan's wheel bearings? Leave a comment below.
- Information about the author
wade thiel
Wade divides his time between a variety of outdoor activities in urban and rural settings. Adventurous by nature, he's always up for a challenging hike, a fun hunt or a day on the water with friends and family. When not out and about, he writes, reads or plays with motorcycles and cars.
FAQs
How often should I grease my travel trailer wheel bearings? ›
RV wheel bearings should be repacked with grease once a year or every 10,000 to 12,000 miles, whichever comes first. If you travel frequently, this is a useful metric to go by, even if it means having your RV wheel bearings repacked a couple of times each year.
How often do you need to lube trailer bearings? ›Proper lubrication helps maintain functionality and reliability of your trailer's axle(s). Bearings should be lubricated approximately every 12 months or 12,000 miles unless otherwise specified by the axle manufacturer.
How do I know if my trailer bearings need grease? ›Place your hand on each of the wheel hubs of the trailer. If it is too warm to hold your hand in place, you may have a bad bearing. The wheel bearing may; require lubrication, be bad or not have enough play.
How often should I Lube bearings? ›Some equipment needs all the bearings re-greased every day, some once a week, some every two weeks, and some once a month. In applications such as this, it is often beneficial to completely wash out the bearings once a year, re-pack with new grease, and continue on with the established re-greasing program.
Can you put too much grease in a trailer bearing? ›Too much grease causes churning and higher temperatures. Semi-fluid grease must be used with a vented hub cap. It cannot be packed around the bearing as it will slump.
How do you know when a bearing has enough grease? ›You can manually check the Bearing Buddy to be sure it has enough grease. All you need to do is press the edge of the piston. If you can move or rock the piston it has enough grease.
Can a bearing have too much grease? ›Overgreasing by applying too much grease to a bearing at one time can result in a seal failure and generate heat in the bearing housing. When too much grease is pumped into a bearing cavity, it eventually will become full. If there is no relief port on the housing, the grease will blow through the seals.