Wheel Bearings

[gbaglo]

Supposed to get the wheel bearings re-packed once a year, I understand. So, I got a quote from the local RV service and it came to $150 for bearings and brake adjustment. Stopped by my mechanic and asked him. Got a quote of $80 to $90. He asked how many miles I had on the unit, and I could only guess ( 7,000 kilometers? ) and the unit is about 15 months old. He said they'd open them up and see if it needed to be done at all.
I'll see what happens next week when I bring it in to him and I'll keep you posted.

baglo

[escape artist]

Hi: baglo...YIKES!!! I got mine done including installing a new hotwater heater element... inc. tx's $75.
Elgin RV... good guy to know!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[majaross]

It's so easy to lose track of distance where there's not an odometer -- so we've started keeping a journey log book, just as if the trailer was an aircraft. We note each journey: date, starting point, stopping point, and distance. And, if we forget to read the car's odometer to get the distance at the time (very easy to do) we just get the distance from Google Maps after we're back to computer access. It's not accurate to the n'th part of a kilometer, but it's better than no record.

Setting off again on Sept. 30 towards the Okanagan from the Lower Mainland -- looking forward to parks that aren't crowded, but it's our first voyage into the mountains, so we're a tad tense about how we'll manage the downgrades, which we realize shouldn't be a problem because people tow up and down the mountains highways every day, but the first time feels a little like the first time jumping into the deep end during swimming lessons!

Cheers, everyone!

[Paul S.]

$150 might be a little high but the mechanic has to:

- jack up the trailer
- remove the wheels and drums
- clean out the old grease and repack with new
- clean the brake shoes
- clean and lube any pivot points in the brake assembly
- put it all back together and then adjust the brake shoes
- install the wheel and tire

This would more than likely be done one side at a time.
I've repacked ours twice (20 000km) even though there was lots of clean grease in the hubs. I have adjusted the brakes probably 4 or 5 times though. It is an easy thing to do without having to remove the wheels just lift them off the ground.
It's peace of mind knowing someone has looked before you leave on an epic voyage!!!

Cheers

[thoer]

So, the wheel bearing on the Escape must be repacked "manually" with disassembly? The Scamp we have has as a Zerk (grease) fitting on the end of the axle and new grease can be pumped in with a grease gun. Old grease exits via a channel also ending on the end of the axle. So far this is the only thing I have read about the Escape that I like better about the Scamp. Everything else seems to be clearly in Escape's favor!

Eric

[gbaglo]

You can buy Bearing Buddies at your auto parts or marine outlet. I had them on my boat trailer and on my tent trailer. They just replace the bearing cap. Attach grease gun and pump until grease comes out the holes. I found them rather messy, but it's tempting. Doesn't mean you don't have to repack the wheel bearings at reasonable intervals though. My mechanic advised me to jack up the trailer over winter to take weight off the wheels and prevent flat spots on the bearings.

baglo