Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 10-09-2012, 10:07 AM   #1
Junior Member
 
BigDaddySC1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: SC
Posts: 17
Newbie Confused

Okay guys I've read through the threads and cannot seem to find an answer and I'm still waiting on my owner's manual to come in from Forest River. I read through Herk7769's "Ultra-Lube axles and bearing procedures" and I'm still confused. How often should I have the axle hubs packed, on a non boat trailer I only have them done once every two years but I'm not sure with a TT. Our Sandpiper is a 301 BHD and has the easy lube axles but I'm not sure this really covers packing the hubs or if this is just designed to be hit with 2-3 shots of grease before each trip? I'm defiantly a newbie to all of this, so please help. Thanks.
BigDaddySC1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-09-2012, 11:16 AM   #2
Anacortesians
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Anacortes, WA
Posts: 1,166
Good luck with the Owner's Manual. If the TT ones are as vague as the MH version, all they're good for is lighting fires. The MH "Owner's Manual" I have covers ALL FR's motorised RV's in less than 60 pages, so it isn't specific on any of them. The first 10 pages are full of the lawyer-speak on things you mustn't do.
__________________
Frank and Eileen
No longer RVers or FR owners
F and E Damp is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-09-2012, 11:18 AM   #3
Phat Phrog Stunt Team
 
TURBS's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Iowa
Posts: 34,507
Quote:
Originally Posted by F and E Damp
Good luck with the Owner's Manual. If the TT ones are as vague as the MH version, all they're good for is lighting fires. The MH "Owner's Manual" I have covers ALL FR's motorised RV's in less than 60 pages, so it isn't specific on any of them. The first 10 pages are full of the lawyer-speak on things you mustn't do.
Very similar !
Lots of words very little info.
Lots of warnings.
TURBS is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-09-2012, 12:17 PM   #4
Senior Member
 
Fire Instructor's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Upstate (Albany Area) NY
Posts: 832
The FR manuals are useless, but the big envelope of individual manuals from each of the component manufacturers is invaluable. There should be an axle manual in that package. Mine had tremendous detail.
__________________
Fire Instructor

2022 Coachmen Leprechaun 319MB
2022 Ford Ranger toad
Fire Instructor is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-09-2012, 12:48 PM   #5
Junior Member
 
BigDaddySC1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: SC
Posts: 17
I didn't get any manuals, so I guess I'll have to contact ever manufacture separately.
BigDaddySC1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-09-2012, 12:50 PM   #6
Phat Phrog Stunt Team
 
TURBS's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Iowa
Posts: 34,507
Quote:
Originally Posted by BigDaddySC1
I didn't get any manuals, so I guess I'll have to contact ever manufacture separately.
Every Vendor is online or in the files section of this forum.
TURBS is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-09-2012, 12:51 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
Fire Instructor's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Upstate (Albany Area) NY
Posts: 832
The manuals that weren't in my envelope, I've accumulated by downloading them from teh mfgr's websites. Also, "Herk", our super-moderator, has a fairly extensive library of them in the Herklopedia.
__________________
Fire Instructor

2022 Coachmen Leprechaun 319MB
2022 Ford Ranger toad
Fire Instructor is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-09-2012, 06:26 PM   #8
H2oski
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Hartford, AL
Posts: 639
Check out this link to the files section and the axle manufacture manuals are there.

Forest River Forums - Downloads - Running Gear - Axles, Tires and Brakes
__________________
Wife
2007 Chevy 2500 HD 6.6
2012 Sabre 31RETS
(LA) Lower Alabama
h20ski is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-09-2012, 09:13 PM   #9
Oklahoma Proud
 
MillerTime's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: central OK
Posts: 2,784
Our Palomino owners manual states that wheel bearings are to be repacked yearly and and as required and to check brakes every six months or as required.

I like changing bearings frequently as the cost is not that much and you have to change seals when repacking any way. Its Cheap insurance and having an automotive and trucking back ground REGULAR preventive maintainance is key- plus it cost out the wazu to have emergency service.
- sorry a little off topic but the top part should help.
MillerTime is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-09-2012, 10:28 PM   #10
Site Team - Lou
 
Herk7769's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: South Eastern PA
Posts: 23,268
To answer your original question, the Al-Ko manual states to inspect and repack every year. The Ultra-lube axle is marketed such that they say out of the other side of their mouth that if you push out the bad grease often, you will eliminate the annual repacking BUT the annual inspection is still required.

This is lawyer-speak and that is why you are confused. In order to inspect the bearings they need to be cleaned and then repacked and installed if good.

So, "In My Opinion" as long as you have clean Zerks that push the grease through the hub and no grease on the brakes during inspection, a repack every couple of seasons is probably OK. Your experience may dictate otherwise.
__________________
Lou & Freya the wonder dog
2008 GMC Sierra 3000HD Allison Duramax
2019 Flagstaff 8529FL
Herk7769 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-10-2012, 10:40 AM   #11
Senior Member
 
Nigels's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: BC Canada
Posts: 643
All this begs the question:

Why can car bearings last +200000 miles without any attention whatsoever yet trailer bearings need to babied every season or they will explode?

__________________
Nigel & Bev
Brit Driver & Canadian Naviguesser
We summer in Cowichan Valley BC Canada & winter in Monchique Portugal great camping in both!

2011 Rockwood Signature Ultra Lite 8280ws 2011 Dodge Ram 3500 4x4 Diesel 2000 Honda S2000
Nigels is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-10-2012, 12:44 PM   #12
Oklahoma Proud
 
MillerTime's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: central OK
Posts: 2,784
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nigels
All this begs the question:

Why can car bearings last +200000 miles without any attention whatsoever yet trailer bearings need to babied every season or they will explode?

The quality is the main difference. And 200k is pretty rare anymore, we see more problems on newer vehicles then ones manuf. before 08 at the dealership I work at( chevy, buick, gmc, toyota, scion). Everybody is pinching that penny and quality is suffering. It also doesn't help that everything has been recycled so many times that the molecular structure has changed to were metal is not the same.

That is my experiance and opinion for what its worth!
MillerTime is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-10-2012, 01:44 PM   #13
Site Team
 
wmtire's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Northeast Louisiana
Posts: 33,739
The generic Forest River owners manual can be downloaded from their website:

Forest River RV Customer Service

It won't encompass a whole lot, and is not brand/model specific. You can find much more useful links in these forums.
__________________
2011 Flagstaff 831 RLBSS

A 72 hour hold in a psych unit is beginning to intrigue me as a potential vacation opportunity.
wmtire is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-12-2012, 11:08 AM   #14
Junior Member
 
BigDaddySC1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: SC
Posts: 17
I must agree, I received my owners manual and it is very generic. The best thing they included was an additional step by step procedure to winter it.
BigDaddySC1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-13-2012, 04:58 PM   #15
Ret E-9 Anchor-clanker
 
donanddona's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Genoa, ILL
Posts: 1,476
Agree with herf7769, I greese my axels every 6 months now. The cost is a greese gun (20.00) and one tube of greese for every wheel you have. Access the zert behind the dust cover, push the greese gun onto the zert, pump the greese gun untill all the black greese is out (stopping to wipe the area) and the new greese is consistantly a good color. This will greese the hubs and the bearings. Depending on how much you RV should dictate the need fo inspections. I'm a full timer and inspect every two years. I even hand pack bearings (easy to learn). Although I don't have an arbor press to remove and install the new bearing races if required. It's a no brainer and easy to do.. Have fun.
donanddona is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Forest River, Inc. or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:23 AM.