Getting ready for spring!

[More Power]

What sort of trailer service items should we be thinking about before spring and the upcoming trailering season arrives?

What sort of service intervals do the various systems and chassic require?

Thanks!

MP

[Spindrift]

I just finished brooming 14" of snow off the roof of mine. Then I went inside the trailer, sat down to rest and started daydreaming about our first trip out this Spring. :D

[tanker]

Well unless you have "Never-Lube" axles, I always pull the wheels check the brakes, put some white grease where the brake shoe contacts the backing plate, check the star adjusting wheel, check the magnets and repack the innner and outer wheel bearings, install new grease seals in the hubs, reinstall and adjust the brakes. Retorque the u-bolts, check the suspension for worn or loose parts etc. Check the condition of the tires for cracking and inflate to proper inflation. And don't forget the spare tire.
When it gets warm, or prior to that first trip, check or reinstall the battery, check the LP gas hoses (rodents will chew the hoses). Also look for spider nests, mud wasps in the gas tubes then do a leakage test at all connections both inside and outside with soapy water prior to igniting any appliances. Purge the antifreeze from all water lines. Sanitize the fresh water system, fill the hot water heater and open the safety valve to get all the air out. Lite the hotwater heater, refrigerator, stove, etc. and check to see if they perform as they should. Check the electrical system for proper operation. Check the slide operation if equipped. Wash the exterior, starting with the roof, sides, front and rear. Check for cracked cauking around vents, windows and doors.
Hitch up and try the lights, test the brake controller for proper stopping and adjust as required.
Do you know what the height of your trailer is? :rolleyes: Mark it down where you can see it. Take it out for a ride to make sure everything is ok before that trip you have been waiting for. Hope this helps. smile.gif

[Tough Guy]

Good Lord, McCauley!!!!

I never thought it was that much work! However I do commend you on the start-up list....The only thing you forgot was to check for current license and insurance certificate etc.. Well done.

Cheers

[rjschoolcraft]

We travel with ours off and on year round. Well, until I blew up my engine. :( Tanker gave a very exhaustive list!

[tanker]

Good Lord! Tough Guy! :D Well yeah its a lot of work, But :rolleyes: It keeps you rolling. When you only have "X" amount of days to be someplace and then back home, you don't need to be that guy sitting on the big road with a bearing melted (welded) to the spindle. I guess I'm an ole "worry wart", but prevention is always the best medicine. ;)
Registration? Good point. Yeah been there and done that too. went on vacation without a plate at all, passed by numerous law officers etc, and was never stopped. tongue.gif But had the plate been expired, then I'm sure they would have stopped me, but without they never gave it much thought. ;)

[arveetek]

I commend Tanker for his list and his diligence in his trailer service. I recommend everything he stated.

I also can't stress enough the importance of checking/packing your wheel bearings at least once a year. You'd be surprised how many wheels nearly fall off, how many bearings are ruined, and how many axles are damaged by lack of wheel bearing maintenance. I've had more than one customer call me up to help them on the side of the road for a seized bearing that I've had to chisel or torch off the spindle. And if you let a bearing fail for a long enough period of time, the spindle will be damaged to the point it will require replacement of the entire axle!

Two stories stick out in my mind: One, when I was still working for a local RV dealer, we had a couple pull over to the side of the interstate in front of the shop. They walked over and said one of their trailer wheels looked funny. I grabbed a jack, and headed to the trailer. Sure enough, one wheel was sitting at a severe angle. I jacked up the trailer, and the wheel fell off the axle! The drum was still attached to the wheel. The bearings seized, and finally ground down to the point it just slipped off the axle. We had to replace the entire axle.

The same thing nearly happened to my father on one of his trips. Fortunately, he heard a funny noise and pulled over. He noticed one wheel was loose, so he removed it and secured that axle and continued on to the nearest campground on 3 wheels. It took a lot of filing and sanding, but he managed to save the spindle, and had to install a new hub and bearings. Needless to say, he's very anal about packing the wheel bearings now.

Unlike cars and trucks, most trailers are riding around fully loaded at the weight the bearings are rated for, or slightly over. This puts a lot of stress on the bearings, causing a lot of heat, and breaking down the grease very quickly.

Sorry for the long rant, but you asked, so I told you what I think! :D

Happy trails!

Casey

[More Power]

What do you guys know about trailer axles with zerks on the grease caps? What's the procedure for greasing? Do these relieve the owner of repacking wheel bearings? :confused:

Our travel-trailer doesn't have them, but the 12KGVW car hauler I bought a year ago (used for the Pull-Off) does.

MP

[Tough Guy]

My 5er has those too. Be very careful to not over pump and push grease into the brakes... :eek:

Most tow-ers think that its a good idea to repack and not re-pump... I just pump a few squirts before a trip to ensure proper lubeage...I figure they wouldn't put'em there if we were not supposed to use them... :rolleyes:

Make sure you have the proper high temp grease too.


The "Boy" TG ;)

[arveetek]

Originally posted by More Power:
What do you guys know about trailer axles with zerks on the grease caps? What's the procedure for greasing? Do these relieve the owner of repacking wheel bearings? :confused:

Our travel-trailer doesn't have them, but the 12KGVW car hauler I bought a year ago (used for the Pull-Off) does.

MP As far as I am concerned, those grease zerks are worthless, because as Tough Guy mentioned, it's too easy to get grease all over the brake shoes.

I have had quite a few customers come into the shop complaining of poor trailer brake performance. If I see the grease fittings on the axles, 99% of the time, I have found the problem. I'll remove the wheels and drums, and I'll find grease all over the drums, shoes, magnets, and every other part. Fixing this problem usually requires replacing the shoes and turning the drums. Usually the magnets are okay after a complete cleaning.

What happens is this: the operator slaps a grease gun on the zerk, pumps the handle a few times, and unknowningly pumps the drum cavity so full of grease that it blows out past the grease seal. A lot of times the grease seal is actually pushed completely out of the back of the drum and is just sitting there on the spindle when I remove the drum.

There are two kinds of grease zerk fittings commony used on travel trailers: the so-called "buddy bearing" system that is simply a hollow spindle with a grease zerk on the end of the spindle, and the cheap aftermarket kind that replaces the stock dust cap that has a grease zerk built into it. I don't recommend either one. The grease capacity is not that large in these drums, and removing and repacking is the best way to go about checking your bearings.

Even if you are very careful and only put a small amount of grease in with your gun, if you do it several times in a row, you don't know how much grease you've got packed in the drum cavity. You're better off doing it the old fashioned way.

Casey

[cos]

I learned an expensive lesson this past season on my travel trailer.... KEEP THOSE BEARINGS PACKED GOOD AND TIGHT WITH GREASE!!! It was an expensive lesson I could have done without.....

The new axle works great though!!!!

[oyazi]

Originally posted by More Power:
What do you guys know about trailer axles with zerks on the grease caps? What's the procedure for greasing? Do these relieve the owner of repacking wheel bearings? :confused:

Our travel-trailer doesn't have them, but the 12KGVW car hauler I bought a year ago (used for the Pull-Off) does.

MP Typically, that is used for boat trailers that the axles are below water during the launch. Not to be considered a panecia and IMO shud be avoided except for boat trailers.