20 Comments
Barney Ward
8/30/2018 04:50:17 pm
Getting rid of those stupid covers is the best modification an owner can do.
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Tom
8/30/2018 04:58:20 pm
That is true, but I think the last thing on a person's mind when there buying a new trailer is checking the bearings. But pretty is somewhere near the top of the list.
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Ed
8/30/2018 06:41:28 pm
I always check too. Not just bearings but to ensure I'm not overheating the brakes, which, I hardly use with a jake brake.
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Tom
8/30/2018 07:53:13 pm
Well it's always good to hear from you Ed, and I hope you're doing well also.
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D
8/31/2018 06:21:19 am
Interesting, guess I should start doing this....my dealer said I didn’t need to repack my bearings (manual says to do it every 12k miles...) because Dexter had incorporated some special fitting for ease of greasing....well, I went with the manual and low and behold had a bearing that needed replacing and another wheel on the same side that had unusual changes to the grease, darkened and gelled (slide side of trailer).....lesson is go with the manual not the dealer.....do these covers serve any purpose other than esthetics?
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Tom
8/31/2018 08:57:12 am
The decorative covers are just for looks. Back in the day cars had hubcaps to cover up this area and trailers were normally left exposed, specially boat trailers because you had to grease the bearings so often.
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Barney Ward
8/31/2018 09:12:32 am
Since the EZ LUBE system deposits the old grease in that galvanized cup around the zerk fitting, it needs to be moderately cleaned out to prevent slinging it on the outside of the wheel. Bearing grease does not wear out. In old hubs it did get dirty and need to be changed. On my trailer I was careful to check for looseness of the bearings and temperatures when rolling. I got about 120,000 miles and 10 years on my first repack. Even then they were not showing any difficulty. When they were opened for a repack last year the grease looked like brand new. However the bearings were showing some wear. Not enough to cause trouble but since the units were open, new quality bearings were installed with new grease. This was at the big trailer place just outside Del Rio heading to San Pedro Campground. Now I will likely be dead before I need a new repack.
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Tom
8/31/2018 10:00:08 am
One of the best things about getting rid of that decorative axle Cover is the ease in which I can clean out the old grease from under the axle cap. With the decorative cover in place, which I couldn't remove without taking off the wheel, it was very difficult to remove the old grease that was coming out as I pumped in the new. But now it's a lot quicker and not nearly as messy to do the job. Which reminds me I need to do that before I hit the road.
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Barney Ward
8/31/2018 11:21:12 am
At this moment I plan to be in Dell Rio by January 1, 2019. It is really nice there in the winters I have been there.
D
9/12/2018 12:04:00 pm
So, I will be getting new tires for the trailer soon, and was thinking I would leave the hub covers off so I too can check temps...your comment reminded me that the dealer showed me how to add grease, and just removed the round flat end cover to expose the zerk thing, the donut part of the hub cover stayed on....so experts, can I just leave that round flat part of the hub cover off to facilitate temp checks?
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Tom
9/12/2018 01:49:28 pm
Technically yes but it's probably not your best option.
Tom
8/31/2018 12:07:40 pm
I don't know where I'll be in January at the moment since I haven't made up my mind what I'm going to do yet. But if I'm in Texas I'll be sure to drop by Del Rio.
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Kim
9/1/2018 04:12:46 pm
One important thing to remember about the EZ Lube axles is that you are supposed to jack the wheel(s) off the ground and spin it while pumping the grease, otherwise you could push the seals out.
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Tom
9/1/2018 05:31:23 pm
Thank you for that tip Kim, you've made a very good point, and raised an excellent question.
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Tim
9/5/2018 08:15:56 am
This is a great conversation on bearings and tires. I was puzzled on the way back on how to check the bearings with the decorative hub on. I have no problem having it removed, just don't know when I'll get to it. Also, a lot of RVer's seem to use a TPMS to monitor there tires, but I have mixed feelings. What are your thoughts and do you have a TPMS?
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Tom
9/5/2018 03:23:49 pm
That's a good sign, you're starting to realize that a job is not life, it's just a job. And a job's purpose is to pay you enough money to live a real life, and when you have enough money to live a real life you should go do it.
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Tim
9/7/2018 09:24:42 am
Thanks for your thoughts on TPMS, I'm definitely going to get a system for the truck and trailer. The parks around here are starting to close down for the year and I need to start on the solar project before it gets too cold, so I won't be moving the Arctic Fox for awhile. When I do move it again, I plan to have the TPMS system ready to go and will be getting the pass through type.
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Tom
9/7/2018 01:05:11 pm
I believe your truck already has a TPMS system.
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Tim
9/7/2018 02:14:54 pm
Luckily, the older I get, the lazier I get as well, so I'm definitely moving in the right direction. I think if I can make one big push here to get the solar installed, then I can kick back for a while. Unfortunately, because of travel and other commitments, it'll be a few weeks before I get started - I hope the warm weather hangs on for awhile.
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Tom
9/7/2018 03:28:56 pm
I've had similar problems dumping my water tank, it's not that the water will hurt anything, after all it's drinking water, but when it's coming out of an RV people might think it's something else. While boondocking its no problem, but in RV parks and state parks it can be. But I don't mind dumping my hot water tank because anyone can see what that is.
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