Why more concern for RV tires/axels/bearings?

[eye95]

Based on posts here, it would seem that folks have more problems/failures with wheel-related items on their RV than they have with wheels or trucks/cars.

Are there actually more problems? Are folks just more in love with their RVs than with their trucks/cars? Are wheel-related problems more hazardous on trailers than on trucks/cars?

I am genuinely stumped.

[Jmkjr72]

I think some of the issues is that rv manufacturer seem to be putting the cheapest tire that barley meets the weight of the rv

On our vintage pop ups over the years on one I had issues with both tires on the trip. They didn't blow but they bulged but they were 15 year old 10 in tires and I got off work very late anti wash pushing 80 mph to get to the campground in time to be able to set uo

The other issue we had was on one we have for restoration. Last year when we moved to our new to us house when we dropped off the curb a tire blew yes it was dry rotted and againg very old at the top of the hill the valve stem broke off thankfully it was a short over an limped it 2 miles on the flat

But cheap under rated tire go both ways I had a front blow out on our suburban because they had cheap passanger car tires on it not rated for the weight of the suburban

[eye95]

That could definitely be one of the causes of so much consternation.

Any ideas on why folks check the bearings so often?

[Scrapper]

As for grease in the bearings it seems that sometimes the guy putting the bearings in doesn't get enough grease on them. Or they use the cheapest bearings or grease they can find. And consider that many travel long distances at highway speeds it usually doesn't take long for the grease to get slung to the walls of the hubs. Being that the wheels are 10+ feet behind on the TT you won't feel or hear anything going wrong until it's too late. I think it would be better to use the oil filled hubs like semi trailers do.

[18CrewDually]

In comparison you have to consider the size difference. The trailer outer bearing is tiny compared to a present vehicle's sealed hub bearings. The smaller the bearing the faster and more revolutions it has to make, in turn increasing it's frequency for servicing.

[2Evil4U]

For me on both topics it comes down to loading. OEM tires on campers are usually well into 80+% of their rated loading. You'll rarely or never find that type of loading on a passenger car or truck. Same goes for bearings. The bearings on my camper look to be around the same size as the ones on my burnout firebird. The car weighs 3000# total. My camper is putting 2250# on each bearing when towing.

That said, I grease them annually and keep a very close eye on their temps while under way.

[juice5]

.......quality of parts....mode of assembly..." Structured Qualified Factory Inspection " jut does not exist In this industry. After my new 27RR rolled over in Nevada last year....My new 25 Pack 12, went right to Kramer Services for Suspension, Wheel Bearings, n tires....and complete hitch check.

[llr]

Trailer axles & bearings are basically like a 70's or older car front end which needed to be re-packed on a regular basis and they would still fail fairly often. At least on a car, like mention above you generally felt it before the wheel and brake drum fell off.

I believe a few trailer axles now have sealed bearings, hopefully they are like modern cars and less issues. Of course if they just use a poor quality overloaded bearing it may be worse.

[PenJoe]

As other have said, the manufacturers are putting on the cheapest tires and bearings that will meet the minimum specs. Now, add in that coaches and TT are much taller and thus a greater shift in center of gravity. Say, for instance, a TT weighs 8,000 lbs and has 4 tires. When static, each tire should roughly be supporting 2,000 lbs. That is not taking into account what the hitch is supporting.

Now, let's say that the TT is being towed. Around a sharp turn, a significant amount of weight is being transferred to the outer tires. Those tires may be supporting significantly more weight each because the center of gravity has shifted more onto those tires. Now add to that, tandem axle tires and rims are torqued on a turn, so much so that you can hear them groan on a tight turn. That is tremendous stress.

It is amazing how small and efficient wheel bearings and races are. But they are also vulnerable to heat, dirt and water. Any rust or dirt particle that reaches a bearing or race can easily cause a bearing failure very quickly, as will inadequate lubrication. Years ago, I was told by a professional mechanic that only enough grease to completely encase the bearing and a coat on the race was adequate-and it could well be. I have always thought more was better. I make sure that there is sufficient grease to protect from water/dirt intrusion from reaching the inner/outer bearings. The hub nut must be adjusted so that it does not bind the bearing or too loose, causing the bearing to not seat properly on the races.

We have never had a bearing failure. But that is not so for tires. Bumping a curb can damage a sidewall, road debris will demolish a tire, as will heat and age. We have experienced bulges, tread separations, and blow outs, not all due to the elements. A lot has to do with construction and materials used in the manufacturing.

As for the TV, we have had one tire failure due to road debris. That tire had less than 350 miles on it. We have had one TV rear bearing failure due to a (professional) mechanics error. That's not bad over a 55 year period. For trailers, we are lucky to go 2-3 years without having to replace a tire and very rarely because of tread wear.

[CaptnJohn]

Manufacturers use the cheapest imported junk they can find for starters. They employ any warm body they can find cheap and put them on piecework. The only ones that give a poop are the buyers that end up with the partially finished product.

[Comanchecreek]

For the average trailer hauler those items are the most important, and often the most neglected. New trailers generally come with the cheapest tires, (Chinese made generally), and may not have been serviced correctly at manufacture. Builders generally buy components, and don't always look to see if those components have been serviced and assembled properly before delivery.
The comments on here usually fall into 2 categories. Those that have had problems, and those that dealt with the potential problems in advance and had a nice trip.
Have a nice trip!

[Semperfi24]

I don't disagree that there are issues with the manufacturers, and using cheap materials, and service centers/dealers doing poor quality repacking the bearings, etc. But I think people are using that as a way to absolve themselves of personal accountability. Last weekend we went down to Myrtle Beach and traded in our trailer for a new one. While heading down 95 at 65mph (speed limit was 70), we got passed by countless trailers going way too fast, all over 75 mph and many were going 80+. I mentioned to my wife that so many of the issues with blown tires were from driving like that. Half hour later we passed one of those speed demons on the side of the road with a blow out and, what appeared to be, substantial trailer damage from it. Would that tire have blown if they were driving slower? No way to know, but I'd bet it wouldn't have blown. Many of the "we got crap tires from the manufacturer" posts don't include that they were driving like a moron when it blew. I was surprised to notice when inspecting my new trailer tires, that the speed rating was 75 mph. I'm not going to drive 75, but it makes me feel a little bit better...

[Comanchecreek]

Originally Posted by Semperfi24

I don't disagree that there are issues with the manufacturers, and using cheap materials, and service centers/dealers doing poor quality repacking the bearings, etc. But I think people are using that as a way to absolve themselves of personal accountability. Last weekend we went down to Myrtle Beach and traded in our trailer for a new one. While heading down 95 at 65mph (speed limit was 70), we got passed by countless trailers going way too fast, all over 75 mph and many were going 80+. I mentioned to my wife that so many of the issues with blown tires were from driving like that. Half hour later we passed one of those speed demons on the side of the road with a blow out and, what appeared to be, substantial trailer damage from it. Would that tire have blown if they were driving slower? No way to know, but I'd bet it wouldn't have blown. Many of the "we got crap tires from the manufacturer" posts don't include that they were driving like a moron when it blew. I was surprised to notice when inspecting my new trailer tires, that the speed rating was 75 mph. I'm not going to drive 75, but it makes me feel a little bit better...

I agree with your contention that many people drive to fast. All of us have stories about RV "Crazy Drivers", but the China Bomb tire issue comes up way more than it should. Tires that increase in diameter due to tread separation, tires that loose the tread entirely, tires that split down the center, tires that blow chunks out of the sidewalls. Price them and you will see a huge difference in cost between the dealer cheapies, (78 buck Tow Maxxes on tire buyer) as opposed to 200 Goodyear, or Michelins. There is a reason for the cost difference. Yes you're right about driver abuse, but don't let that lull you into feeling safe with those China Bombs on your rig.

[CaptnJohn]

Originally Posted by Semperfi24

I don't disagree that there are issues with the manufacturers, and using cheap materials, and service centers/dealers doing poor quality repacking the bearings, etc. But I think people are using that as a way to absolve themselves of personal accountability. Last weekend we went down to Myrtle Beach and traded in our trailer for a new one. While heading down 95 at 65mph (speed limit was 70), we got passed by countless trailers going way too fast, all over 75 mph and many were going 80+. I mentioned to my wife that so many of the issues with blown tires were from driving like that. Half hour later we passed one of those speed demons on the side of the road with a blow out and, what appeared to be, substantial trailer damage from it. Would that tire have blown if they were driving slower? No way to know, but I'd bet it wouldn't have blown. Many of the "we got crap tires from the manufacturer" posts don't include that they were driving like a moron when it blew. I was surprised to notice when inspecting my new trailer tires, that the speed rating was 75 mph. I'm not going to drive 75, but it makes me feel a little bit better...

You are correct. Additionally, no one knows the speed and care taken by the delivery driver from the builder to the dealer. I have heard that they take good care and many stories of how fast they drive. Those mentioned above I'd bet are lax on checking air pressure as well.

[Airdale]

By design RV trailers are built to carry things other than passengers and their luggage. So, they often times end-up being hauled around over their intended maximum load capacity. Because of the way RV trailers can be loaded, a single tire can be unknowingly way over it’s individual load capacity. So can both tires on an axle. Add to that an owner that is a little lackadaisical about proper tire inflation and you have predictable tire problems. 1 PSI of lost tire inflation pressure below the vehicle manufacturers recommend cold inflation pressure is normally equal to a 1.7% loss of that tires load capacity.

It’s round, black and looks just like any other automotive tire. It’s a trailer tire, it’s different, it’s operating parameters are different. It’s not designed to do all the things automotive tires are required to do. The automotive tires are not specifically designed to do what the trailer tire does.

The RV trailer manufacturer has certified that your RV trailers meet all the government minimum safety standards. They are required to do nothing more. They have provided consumers with the vehicle’s maximum load capacity (GVWR) along with a vehicle cargo capacity label that must be correct at the time of first sale (since 2007). They, in accordance with mandatory regulations, have provided a vehicle owner’s manual with all the instructions needed to keep the vehicle within it’s designed operating parameters, including it’s safety equipment, wheels & tires and have set the appropriate recommended cold inflation pressures for those tires.

If an owner has unsatisfactory performance from their Original Equipment tires than keep the unsatisfactory tire and file a complaint with NHTSA. Documentation is the only way such unsatisfactory conditions can be corrected. Without a specific cause what is unsatisfactory?

[eye95]

Thanks to all who responded. I have a much better understanding of all the freakage.

So, would an automobile tire or a truck tire be better on a trailer, or is a trailer tire best?

Thanks again.

[Iwannacamp]

I agree with all?? the input I think.

This is what I think about the bearings. Ditto on some.

Cheap components(never used in older pass cars and light trucks). Assembled carelessly. Not enough lubricant and bare minimum quality. Near max load per wheel(not normal on cars).

I would think with better bearings, good grease, proper bearing set up and installation there wouldn't be any reason not to run at least 25000 miles.

[jeffnick]

Originally Posted by eye95

Thanks to all who responded. I have a much better understanding of all the freakage.

So, would an automobile tire or a truck tire be better on a trailer, or is a trailer tire best?

Thanks again.

Auto or truck or trailer tire? You'll get no consensus here...you'll have to decide for yourself - but I don't know anyone who ditched ST tires that went back to them.

Personally, out of desperation for something more reliable than ST tires, I put ($40) passenger radials on my boat trailer and went 13,000 miles to Alaska and back without a problem.


And since replacing the ST tires with LT on my latest trailer I have no reason to think about anything else.


And the first thing I did when I got my new TT home, was take off the ST tires and put on passenger radials.

[eye95]

That explains the ST/LT title on the thread I haven't been reading.

Headed over there now. Thanks.