Caravan Wheel Bearing

Submitted: Thursday, Sep 09, 2004 at 11:34

ThreadID: 16156 Views:13103 Replies:7 FollowUps:6

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sang

How often should one repack the wheel bearing of a caravan ?
Sanga

Reply By: Member - Captain (WA) - Thursday, Sep 09, 2004 at 12:02

Thursday, Sep 09, 2004 at 12:02

Hi Sanga,

It all depends on how much the van is used and where you go. If going offroad and doing creek crossings, then you should check every trip. However, if only using on bitumen, then a regular check should be fine (~5,000kms).

The way to do a quick check is simply remove the dust caps on the bearings and look at the condition of the grease. If contaminated, repack asap. But if clean, simply check bearing tightness (raise wheel off ground and make sure there is no freeplay and wheel turns easily and smoothly) and be happy in the knowledge your bearings are OK.

I repack my van bearings annually, but could probably get away with every few years. I just do it as a maintenance thing and have never had a problem. Much easier to get my hands dirty at home once a year than break down on the side of the road with a broken stub axle.

Cheers

Captain

AnswerID: 75780

Follow Up By: Kiwi Ray - Thursday, Sep 09, 2004 at 13:08

Thursday, Sep 09, 2004 at 13:08

Well said

FollowupID: 335615

Reply By: Member - Jeffrey - Thursday, Sep 09, 2004 at 13:45

Thursday, Sep 09, 2004 at 13:45

Hi Sanga,
I use bearing buddies which keeps grease into the bearings,..I found out about these little beuties thru my fishing,I used to get 6 weeks out of a set after they have been in the salt!!! here I am 2 years later same bearings,and yes I have pulled them out ,,out of curiosity and minimal wear.I would recomend them to anyone. Hope this helps,....almost forgot buddies keep the bearing packed for you.
All The Best In Health And Wealth
Jeffrey (AKA JD)

AnswerID: 75818

Follow Up By: sang - Friday, Sep 10, 2004 at 09:27

Friday, Sep 10, 2004 at 09:27

Hi Jeffrey,
Are there different type of bearing buddies as they seem to range in price from $20 - $40 a pair ?
Sang

FollowupID: 335742

Follow Up By: Member - Jeffrey - Friday, Sep 10, 2004 at 10:24

Friday, Sep 10, 2004 at 10:24

Hi Sanga,
Types I dont know,I have used both heavy and light...thick and thin walled they seem to perform the same,having said that the more you pay,the better the quality,one hopes?? as mentioned by the other member s/s sounds like the go more resiliant in harsh conditions...usually somewhere in between cheapest to dearest value for monie paid can be found.
Hope this helps.
All The Best In Health And Wealth
Jeffrey (AKA JD)

FollowupID: 335757

Follow Up By: Member - Jeffrey - Friday, Sep 10, 2004 at 11:36

Friday, Sep 10, 2004 at 11:36

Hi Sanga,and fellow forumites,
I can only comment on my experiences,the suggestion put forward boby, that the oil bath system is just as good..so I thought to but after going to the expences of buying new hubs to seal the oil in and installing them as per specs only to have them fail made me return to grease filled buddies, why take a backward step you might ask,..well if oil is lubricating the bearing and for some unforseen reason a leak develops out near the black stump..what do you do drag the trailer until it spits the the wheel??so I decided on grease filled buddies and yes I have lost one down the HWY and you can nether find them,but the grease remianed on the bearingand I reached home approx 70 miles away this is why I recomend them. but havent said that I do respect the freedom of choice,but choose wisely its no fun leaving depending on what you are towing lets say from 1000.....10.000 dollars sitting on the side of the road. Hope this helps, and as I said I have lived this experience.
Respectfully to all who read this.
Jeffrey (AKA JD)

FollowupID: 335773

Reply By: pmacks - Thursday, Sep 09, 2004 at 15:05

Thursday, Sep 09, 2004 at 15:05

Hi sang,
i replace the bearings on my off road camper twice per year, at the start of summer and the start of winter, i do them the same time that i do the boat trailers.
I am yet to ever have any problems with either and i run the stainless steel bearing budies on both. I know that this is a tad excessive but for $50.00 each trailer it is cheap peace of mind and i can do both trailers in about 3 hrs. My feeling with the camper is that i could do the bearing changes every 12 months with out problems but in my case it makes sense to do both together.
pmacks

AnswerID: 75833

Follow Up By: Truckster (Vic) - Thursday, Sep 09, 2004 at 16:27

Thursday, Sep 09, 2004 at 16:27

If I was doing stocky cheap bearings, I would do 1ce a yr, but good ones?

Your mates always line up to have your old bearings? LOL ;)

FollowupID: 335658

Reply By: pmacks - Thursday, Sep 09, 2004 at 16:52

Thursday, Sep 09, 2004 at 16:52

hey truckster,
yep i only use standard bearings my reason for changing so often is it started with the boat, we have a ski boat that we have to sink the trailer to get it on and off and when we bought the camper i have just kept to the same routine and you are right about my old bearings i throw out perfectly good ones twice a year but then again i have never had to leave the wife and kids looking after the trailer while i run around like a madman trying to buy bits because one of the trailer wheels has let go at 6.30pm on a sunday night on the way home. ( they never let go at 9.am out the front of the trailer repair shop )
I know this may be a dumb question but is there better than standard bearings?
pmacks

AnswerID: 75848

Reply By: sang - Friday, Sep 10, 2004 at 04:41

Friday, Sep 10, 2004 at 04:41

Thank you all for your advices.
Are there different type of bearing buddies as they seem to range in price from $20 - $40 a pair ?
Sang

AnswerID: 75897

Reply By: pmacks - Friday, Sep 10, 2004 at 09:44

Friday, Sep 10, 2004 at 09:44

Hi Sang,
yep there are two types of bearing buddies Plastic ones and stainless ones, my preference is to use the stainless ones the ones i have on the boat trailer have been there for about 6 years with no problems.
Hope this helps
Pmacks

AnswerID: 75918

Reply By: Bob Y. - Qld - Friday, Sep 10, 2004 at 10:55

Friday, Sep 10, 2004 at 10:55

Sanga,

Another option, along lines of bearing buddies, is Titan Hub Oiler. Same principle as B/B's but use gear oil as lubricant. Lot easier to "do" bearings, and probably better in long term.

And for anyone with negative ideas on this theme, there are a lot of road trains running around with a similar system on axles of their trailers.

www.titan.com.au

Hooroo...