Travel Trailer- Wheel Bearings, when to pack?

[Frizlefrak]

I detest repacking my bearings....the only thing I detest more is paying someone else to do it.  So typically I'll repack one side on a weekend...and then the other side a couple months down the road when the mood strikes.  I do mine every other year.  Zero failures so far.  Again, it's messy but isn't brain surgery.

 

[72cougarxr7]

I think there are a lot of variables.
The factory often puts a minimal amount of grease in the bearings. I am so leery of this, if I had a new trailer, I would repack them before I went on a long trip.

Also the quality of the bearings, seals and the grease the factory uses.
A lot of the axles come with Chinese "white box" bearings and buy grease from the lowest bidder.

I think with good quality bearings and a quality grease, most RVers could easily go 3 years between bearing repacks. That is exactly what I do. Timken bearings and Amsoil synthetic grease.

I know some may tow many miles and do cross country trips, to those folks, maybe once a year to err on the side of caution.

Honestly, for years, most rear wheel drive cars had tapered roller bearings just like our trailers, people didn't repack them annually, mostly just when doing a brake job at 35 or 40 thousand miles.

 

[jks]

I think there are a lot of variables.
The factory often puts a minimal amount of grease in the bearings. I am so leery of this, if I had a new trailer, I would repack them before I went on a long trip.

Also the quality of the bearings, seals and the grease the factory uses.
A lot of the axles come with Chinese "white box" bearings and buy grease from the lowest bidder.

X2
Couple of years ago, I had the bearing packed on a new unit with less than 7K miles, 3 of the 4 seals were failing. I would not wait too long on a new unit.

 

[tslarson]

There is another disadvantage to using the grease zerk and that is heat. Filling the cavity with grease makes the hub retain heat far longer and bearing temps are hotter on wheels with the hubs filled. The manufacturer never fills the hub. It is not needed and can cause problems from overheating.

Just need to say that this is a false statement. Temps are the same whether the hub is packed with grease or not, or within a few degrees. In fact some say the grease may actually dissipate the heat better than the air. Boat trailer manufactures have done it this way for years to aid in keeping water out of the hub.