So what do I do with my bearings/brakes etc?

[BritCanuck]

Owner for just over one full year so far of a '23 5.0. Just about to start de winterizing it, getting it ready for the season. Trailer has about 4000 miles on it so far.

Do I need to do anything to my wheel bearings/brakes? Just a visual check???

Thanks.

 

[Ron in BC]

Quick answer: no. That's not a lot of miles. I've gone a lot more than that, sometimes to the point where that little voice is saying, check the bearings and brakes.

Usually, or more always, there's no issue and I've never come close to finding brake linings worn out.

Different folks have different comfort levels. There are some who pack their bearings etc. far more frequently than I do.

Of course to help establish your comfort level you could always pull off one brake drum and see for yourself how little wear there probably is and then you'd know for sure that you can go a lot more miles in the future.

Ron

 

[HABBERDABBER]

Maybe a squirt or 2 of recommended grease into the bearings, but not too much, with the tires off the ground and rotating them during the grease squirt. If you're inclined, jack a side up and grab a tire at the 3 & 9 o clock positions to feel for bearing seating. Pull on a side. A lot of wobble would suggest adjustment of the king nut holding things together. A little bit of wobble is just right. It's hard to describe with a dimension or explanation of how much is too much. Spin a wheel and you most likely will hear & feel a little brake shoe noise scuffing and resistance to free spinning. That's OK.

I agree that the bearing fretting is overdone. Have you shown much concern with your tug or other vehicles bearings?

 

[CharlesinGA]

I agree that the bearing fretting is overdone. Have you shown much concern with your tug or other vehicles bearings?

You have to go back many years to get to greaseable bearings on vehicles. I own a 2003 RAM 2500, a 2004 Pontiac Vibe and a '91 Ranger. The Ranger is the only thing that has bearings you can grease (except the RAM's rear hub bearings can and should be greased any time they are accessed, I've done it once but its a PITA as the axle shaft has to be pulled and the brake caliper removed, and expensive as the seals should be replaced and they are rather expensive)

Charles

 

[John in Santa Cruz]

my mobile RV guy put new brakes and bearings on my E21 before our mexican trip, and when he inspected them upon our return, he discovered 2 of the bearings were trashed. So now I have all new Timkens on all 4. he admitted timkens were back ordered and he had tried an alternate brand his supplier swore were good. yeah, not doing that again.

4 each Timken Set4
4 each Timken Set17
4 each Timken 473336 (seals)

I got them from Summit Racing. When I ordered in November, the set4 were backordered and didn't show up til the end of January, so its probably a good idea to order these well in advance of needing them.

 

[GinoandLinda]

I'll be the dissenting voice, especially with a brand new trailer or used trailer you are unfamiliar with. Yes, 4000 miles isn't much, but the assumption is that brakes and bearings were properly adjusted to begin with by Dexter. When we had our axles replaced last year, the frame and axle shop included brake and bearing service in the price indicating that axle manufacturers are hit and miss on these adjustments. They are a reputable, long standing business in this area and I have no reason to doubt them. I'll service my brakes and bearings at about 10K-12K miles.

Just my humble opinion. Brakes and bearings are kind of important, so why take a chance.

 

[Iowa Dave]

I’ve posted numerous times on brakes and wheel bearing maintenance. There’s the mechanical aspect and the mental or peace of mind aspect.

I’d heartily agree that at this time probably nothing needs done. If you had unseated bearings you’d probably be seeing uneven or irregular tire wear by 4,000 miles. So as mentioned if you don’t want to
“tear em down” first check the tire pressure. Second get or use a tread depth gauge and see if there’s any uneven wear. Next,
As mentioned, jack the trailer up so the wheels will spin. Try to rock the tire and wheel assembly side to side as top to bottom. There should be no “play”. Finally in a quiet place, spin the tire and wheel with your hands. Listen for grinding or a rumbling noise. Shouldn’t hear anything. You might hear a light
“Ching, ching ching” sound as the wheel spins. This is an indication that your brake shoes are making a momentary contact with the brake drum which is often not perfectly round. It also indicates that without the brakes receiving the
Electric current to the magnet, the brakes are properly adjusted and needing minimal travel for the shoes to contact the drums. This is good.

After ascertaining all of the visual checks, audio checks and the “feel” you have done about all you can without putting a “wrench” on things.
During the pandemic we did not put many miles on our Escape
Many 3 to 4 thousand for the year. So no maintenance was pulled. However the previous two years we pulled 17,000 miles each year. Those years I checked the amount of lining left in the shoes and greased the bearings. Properly installed adjusted and having your controller set where the trailer handles its braking and the tow vehicle handles HERS, because she is a lady. You will not have excessive brake wear.

Brakes should go 50,000 miles or better. Both of our Escapes, bought used, did. I think the 21 had well in excess of 60K on the brakes when I changed them out a couple years ago. They still had some meat on them but for that old nagging “peace of mind”‘I changed them out.

I also run Timken bearings however I run Dexter seals and Dexter brakes. I buy from Midwest Wheel because they are in my home town and some
days there’s a free donut and the pop machine on free vend.
I’m a cheap date.

Hope this helps. And I hope you have a great camping experience every time out.
Iowa Dave

 

[dstreight]

Ditto John: I'm another stalwart believer in genuine Timken bearings all things on my Escape 15A; proven noticeable difference in longevity from my point of view & direct experience. And Summit Racing is where I get mine (seals too).

 

[Ron in BC]

Brakes should go 50,000 miles or better. Both of our Escapes, bought used, did. I think the 21 had well in excess of 60K on the brakes when I changed them out a couple years ago. They still had some meat on them but for that old nagging “peace of mind”‘I changed them out.

Great information Dave. I'm not sure that anyone has posted some factual info about actual brake wear after some serious miles.

Ron

 

[GinoandLinda]

I would agree with the ~50K mile life of brakes and venture to say significantly more on the tandem axle models which are still relatively lightweight and benefit from four braking wheels. The brakes on our Rpod were still good when we sold it at over 50K miles, most of which were the mountainous southwest.

 

[Iowa Dave]

When I changed out the brakes on the 21 in the spring of 2023, we had owned it since the summer of 2017.
My mentor, AZ Jack owned it before that and I know it was at Osoyoos up from Tucson several times and other trips Jack and Nancy took it on.

I had purchased the new brake sets, backing plate assy and all before I started on the brake job. Looking over the new brakes I could see a manufacturing date stamped on the actuator arm. It coincided with the date I bought the new sets. It showed them to be a couple months old. When I took the old brakes off, they were also stamped. The stamp was from mid 2013 and the 21s, of which ours is number 6 built, first delivered in about September of 2013. So those brakes were original and were about years old.

I had towed the 21 at least 50,000 miles by then and added to a mimimim of what Jack towed, they must have had at least 70,000 miles on them. I used the digital caliper to compare shoe”pad” wear at that time. There was about 40 percent of the original wearable pad left compare to the thickness on the new ones.

Much of my towing and Jacks towing was on wide open western roads where the brakes often go 80 or 100 miles without being actuated. That and downshifting the transmission when descending in mountainous country so she don’t get cannonballing down those hills, makes for conservative brake wear.
Listening to the old truck driving country song “Diesel smoke and dangerous curves is a pleasure not a threat.

Hope this puts a little more info out there and lets folks know these trailers are “meant to road” as my dad used to say lo those many years ago.
Iowa Dave

 

[John in Santa Cruz]

about half my towing is on west coast mountain roads where braking is pretty much a must. but this last brake job (after our 10000 mile Mexico trip), we discovered the wires to the brakes were torn/cut near the axle, so I'd HAD no brakes for quite awhile. Good thing my tow vehicle weighs nearly twice what the trailer weighs!

 

[Iowa Dave]

“I got myself into this fix because diesel smoke and dangerous curves don’t mix.”

Google Search

Iowa Dave

 

[John in Santa Cruz]

I dumped my diesel... the Expedition with its Ecoboost 3.5 gets better gas mileage both highway and towing than the F250 7.3 powerstroke diesel ever did. its also quieter and far more comfortable on the road.

 

[claude6543]

Like BritCanuck, my 5.0 is pretty new (picked up in Chilliwack last July). It has 5500 miles on it and I will likely add 3500 miles this summer.

My plan was to have the bearings repacked and greased at that time, at around 9000 miles. Does that sound ok? Or should I grease before my summer trip?

The manual says that wheel bearings should be repacked every 20,000 kilometers or every 12 months.

 

[GinoandLinda]

Like BritCanuck, my 5.0 is pretty new (picked up in Chilliwack last July). It has 5500 miles on it and I will likely add 3500 miles this summer.

My plan was to have the bearings repacked and greased at that time, at around 9000 miles. Does that sound ok? Or should I grease before my summer trip?

The manual says that wheel bearings should be repacked every 20,000 kilometers or every 12 months.

That sounds about right. 20,000 kilometers translates to about 12,000 miles and that's the rule I have always followed for mileage and having them repacked at the end of your summer travels is 12 months which is reasonable.

 

[HABBERDABBER]

If you do an internet search, "trailer bearing maintenance" there's tons of videos for your concern and how-to info. Here's one by the maker of the Escape axles and running gear.
Dexter has additional info and instructions in a pdf.

Home | Dexter Group

How to Manually Repack Bearings on a Trailer: Dexter Group

www.dextergroup.com

Roll on!

 

[Elvirae]

If your trailer uses grease-packed bearings, check that the grease is still in good condition. If it looks dark or gritty, it’s time to repack the bearings with fresh grease. If your trailer uses sealed bearings, they typically don’t require maintenance unless there are signs of failure, such as unusual noise or play.

 

[GinoandLinda]

If your trailer uses grease-packed bearings, check that the grease is still in good condition. If it looks dark or gritty, it’s time to repack the bearings with fresh grease. If your trailer uses sealed bearings, they typically don’t require maintenance unless there are signs of failure, such as unusual noise or play.

I don't think any Escapes come with sealed bearing. I believe you would have to either swap axles to Dexter Nev-R-Lube axles or, if compatible, press Nev-R-Lube bearings into the hubs. It would be around $1200 in parts plus labor.

 

[Iowa Dave]

I can buy a lot of grease and get my hands Go-Jo dirty a number of times for 1200
Dollars. Greasing, spot lubrication, tire rotation, tire inspection and numerous other maintenance functions are part of travel trailer ownership. If you have the time, inclination and ability you can do it yourself. If not I always advise dealing with a frame and axle business as opposed to a camper dealership. Multiple estimates from similar established businesses before the work is commissioned are part of due diligence on the part of the owner.

Adherence to specifications, record keeping on maintenance intervals and response to somewhat common anomalies such as immersion, long periods of storage, ownership changes etc come into play also.
In my opinion, YMMV.
Iowa Dave