By Cheri Sicard
In the video below, we join Jacob Rigor, a certified RV tech, from Rigor RV Repair for an important discussion of RV wheel bearings. This is important because some RVers don’t even know they have wheel bearings, let alone that they need regular maintenance.
This advice will only be applicable to those with towable RVs. It does not apply to motorhomes.
What are the consequences of neglecting your RV wheel bearings? It could cause your RV’s wheel to fall off and cause a lot of damage. In a worst-case scenario, if it happens while you are rolling down the highway, it could cause a serious and even fatal accident.
Jacob says that some RV manufacturers use wheel-bearing systems that encourage bad maintenance practices. That’s because many of them use EZ Lube axles.
Jacob demonstrates the differences in the video so that you can identify which type of system you have, and why many people are packing their EZ Lube wheel bearings the incorrect way.
Jacob stresses the importance of inspecting your RV wheel bearings annually, and this means the bearings need to come off in order to inspect them.
If you don’t like to do wheel bearing maintenance, an investment in Dexter’s Never Lube bearings might be the answer, according to Jacob. It’s warranted for 100,000 miles. Jacob demonstrates how they work in the video. However, they are not compatible with a standard axle or drum, and they are substantially more expensive.
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RVDT2767
Great video,
Not a DIY for me. I take my trailer into the shop for bearing inspection & repack – and they inspect the brakes at the same time. My chief concern with most shops are the mechanics who just don’t get it. They want to use a floor jack on the hollow tube axle cross member. And their insurance doesn’t allow customers into the shop. If that tube is deformed at all your trailer tires are no longer properly aligned. Think needless sway and tire wear. I’ve caught several mechanics doing this. Why? because you have to lift much higher to get the tire off the floor when you do it properly by lifting on the frame at the end of the spring. And I always get that ‘dirty look’ before they do it right.