Wheel Bearing
Maintenance
Originally Posted
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In preparation for our
next camping trip (leaving tomorrow) and just
out of plain curiosity, I had the wheel bearings pulled and repacked
by my local mechanic (only 1 mile away vs. my RV dealer who is 30
miles away).
I'm pleased to pass along that after 20 months (8 months on 13"
rims/tires, 12 months on 14" rims/tires) and 12,500 miles, the
bearings still look brand new. The grease was beginning to lean
toward the thin side, but still had plenty of miles left. The seals
had to be replaced as they couldn't be pulled without damaging them.
Total cost: $97.73, including spin balancing, which I'm also happy to
report that the 14" still spun true after being balanced a year ago.
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I’ve read the “Rule of Thumb” that states you should repack your wheel bearings every 3000 miles or every year, whichever comes first. In talking to my trusted local mechanic, this has come more for the benefit of boat trailers that are constantly submerged in water on a repeated basis and therefore need their wheel bearings maintained more frequently than typical travel trailers wheel bearings.