Routine Maintenance - hubs/brakes

[315RLS]

We've had our trailer for a little over three years now. We've made a few long trips (for us) 1,500 - 2,000 miles but for the most part have done mostly trips of 200-400 miles. In total we probably have about 10,000 miles on it. So we are planning a trip 1,200 mile trip up to Quebec from MA in the next couple weeks and I scheduled a maintenance for re-packing the wheel hubs and checking the brakes. I haven't lubed the ez-lube hubs yet nor ever done a brake adjustment but we haven't really used the trailer extensively either. I post this because I'm on the fence of canceling the appointment and just lubbing the hubs myself since I have no reason to expect there is any issue with the brakes or hubs for that matter and my experience has been to do the maintenance required and leave well enough alone. Has anyone had issues as a result of this type of maintenance? Campers Inn of Kingston NH is where I bought this and I haven't had to bring it in for any service or repair since purchase.

 

[drhowell]

It is cheap insurance to have them checked, especially after 3 years of service.

If you decide to lub them yourself be sure you don't over grease the hubs. One pump is usually all it takes. If you put in too much it will get on the brake shoes and cause some problems. You may want to go to the Al-ko site http://www.al-kousa.com/pdf/5200_6_7.pdf and download the owners manual.

 

[skypilot]

I would have them at least adjust the brakes. Have never seen 'self adjusters' on a 5er so I'd guess they need to be adjusted. This should improve braking as the shoes have less to travel, etc..... read somewhere about magnet and voltage, etc.... too technical for my ole brain but I know that the more worn they are, the more voltage needed to stop.

 

[Montana Sky]

I had the dealership lub my bearings this spring during the dewinterization. This is the first time I have had this done as I have less than 15,000 miles on this coach in the past 3 years. Shop said everything looked good, bearings took 1 pump of grease. I did not say anything to them about the brakes as I did not know they would need adjusting. Sounds like a call to the dealer is in order before the trip east.

 

[sreigle]

All I can tell you is the experience I've had with this.

First, if you lube it yourself, no more than two squirts per hub per year. Period. This is from my dealer. In our first year of fulltiming I thought since we put more miles on it I should put in two squirts TWICE per year. After a year I had the dealer repack the bearings and check the brakes. He replaced the brakes. He said the linings had heat stress cracks because I had the controller cranked down too tight. He also told me I put in too much grease and said two squirts once per year. Period.

It's been two years since that time. We've put about 35,000 miles on the rig in that time. In June we had him repack the bearings and check the brakes. I had done two squirts once per year. Also had backed down the controller just a tad. He told me the brakes looked great. Half the linings remain and they look good. He also said I was doing the right amount of greasing through those zerks. The bearings were in good shape. He just repacked them and put them back in. New seals, which should be done when the bearings are repacked.

Hope this helps give you a feel for what's needed.

 

[315RLS]

I did have this done this weekend and glad I did. We haven't used our trailer much this past year and there was a lot of water from condensation in the grease. The bearings were repacked, brakes checked and adjusted and the seals replaced.