Join Ashley in the RV shop as she highlights a critical yet often overlooked maintenance task: wheel bearing pack service. If you’re gearing up for your next adventure, don’t forget to ensure your travel trailer or 5th wheel is road-ready!
Why are wheel bearings important?
Wheel bearings are the unsung heroes of your RV, allowing your wheels to spin smoothly and safely as you travel. Over time, they endure wear and tear, which can lead to overheating, damage, or even a wheel failure if not properly maintained.
The importance of regular service
Regular wheel bearing pack service prevents unexpected breakdowns, ensures safe travels, and extends the life of your RV. Neglecting this vital service can lead to costly repairs and dangerous situations on the road.
How often should you service your wheel bearings?
It’s recommended to have your wheel bearings packed and inspected every 12,000 miles or 12 months—whichever comes first.
Staying on top of this schedule keeps your RV in peak condition and gives you peace of mind during your journeys.
Schedule today!
Don’t let neglected maintenance ruin your adventure. Keep your travels worry-free by scheduling your wheel bearing pack service today. Safe and smooth roads are just a step away!
More from Dustin
Make sure you check out our website, California RV Specialists, and our YouTube channel for more helpful information, and see our published articles on RVtravel.com and other social media pages.
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RVDT2643
Most rv trailers use the cone and cup bearing system. I clean and repack mine every third year. I check mine frequently with a temp gauge. IMHO every year is overkill.
Bingo
It’s just in case the seal fails, keep in mind that tires, wheels and brake fail all the time too.
We use our trailer 6-8 times a year and tow it around 2,000 miles each year. It is 4 years old and last winter I had the wheel bearings repacked. The service shop said there was too much grease used when originally packed, otherwise everything was fine at 9,000 miles. So, repacking every year is not necessary, grease doesn’t go bad in a year. Use mileage, not time.
It’s just in case the seal fails, keep in mind that tires, wheels and brake fail all the time too.
Thank you, Dustin, for the more general reminder to have components examined and serviced, or repaired, as needed or as the manufacturer’s service schedule requires. Have a great day and safe travels!
Contrary to popular belief…grease does dry out after a time as most is made from a soap product. Thus the reason to check and repack bearings on schedule.
Thank you for sharing. A few years back we started using a very expensive grease to protect the bearing. We even advise our customers that they can go longer, but then comes do to the seal fails, keep in mind that tires, wheels and brake fail all the time too.
I recently repacked the bearing on my heavy utility trailer I use to haul my tractor and heavy loads of soil, equipment, etc. The bearings looked fine and were functioning well. Last time they were repacked was about 20 years ago. Bearing seals today are much better. What is it about RV trailer bearings that require inspection and repacking on a yearly basis? Seems rather excessive.
All depend on what the MFG recommend, I do lawsuits on the side and if you happen to be that unlucky guy that got into an accident and they find out you have not been performing the recommended maintenance you will regret it for sure. FYI, better to be safe then sorry.
Not that a person should ignore wheel bearings but the recommended schedule?
You can drive a lifetime and never need bearing service.
My 2011 chev 2500 has close to 190k on the clock and wheel bearings have never been touched. Just saying.
Your 2011 2500 has sealed bearings You can’t repack them They generally last 150,000 to 200,000 miles
People will argue all day long and twice on Sunday how often to repack wheel bearings just the same as how often you should change the oil in an engine.
The cost to repack wheel bearings is minimal compared with the cost of a failure and axle replacement.
I agree with you. This is why I at least inspect bearings often, and repack if needed. A breakdown is inconvenient, expensive, and can be dangerous if near traffic or in a “bad” area. Nasty and time-consuming maintenance, but the potential problems from neglect are far worse. I work hard on doing all I can do to have smooth sailing. Then, if something does go wrong it couldn’t have been helped.
Thanks for sharing
Thanks for sharing and I do lawsuits on the side and if you happen to be that unlucky guy that got into an accident and they find out you have not been performing the recommended maintenance, you will regret it for sure. FYI, better to be safe than sorry.
Our dump trucks hauling 70,000# , steering axles and tag axles have wheel bearings packed over 100,000 miles ago ,probably 200,000 miles and never had a failure.
That’s different than cheap RV axles…
Good reminder on bearings but also check your brake pads and assemblies. When doing any of this work, cleanliness is key to doing a professional job insuring that you won’t have problems as the most inconvenient time. Any speck of dirt/grit will destroy a bearing/race combination over time. I started using Red”N”Tacky grease and have seen good results as it does not seem to separate like “soap” based grease. I’ve found that NAPA stores seem to have trailer brake parts, bearings, races, and seals, hairpins,drums, electric brakes, in stock along with any tools you might need to get you back on the road. Always a good time to check for uneven tire wear as a bent axle can be hard to see.