Karavan trailer bearing grease procedure

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Tacky79
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Karavan trailer bearing grease procedure

Postby Tacky79 » Thu May 31, 2018 9:33 pm

I have a dual-axle Karavan trailer with the SureLube system. I have had the trailer for a year now, and have trailered my 190 Montauk about 2200 miles. This is my first maintenance.

I jacked up the trailer, removed the dust caps, and used a grease gun with Johnson/Evinrude grease (http://shop.evinrude.com/product/776567 ... _Cartridge)

I pumped in the grease until I saw the fresh red grease come out and kept removing the cloudy purple/pink grease from the Karavan factory. Two of the hubs pushed out about 1/2 teaspoon of water. The other two had no water pushed out. I used a whole tube of the grease for the 4 hubs, and probably could have used more to make sure I did a thorough job.

One wheel had a tiny bit of play, almost non-perceptible, and the rest had about zero play.

Any tips you all have are appreciated. I did not inspect the bearings, and figure they are good considering there's no play.
2017 Boston Whaler Montauk 190 w/ 150 Merc/Fish Pkg/Bowrail delete/aft seating
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jimh
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Re: Karavan trailer bearing grease procedure

Postby jimh » Thu May 31, 2018 11:00 pm

I have an infrared thermometer gun that has a digital read out. When towing, I check the bearing temperature at intervals.

I bought the IR thermometer c.2003. At that time a decent one cost about $50. Today I see them advertised for under $15. They are very handy to have when towing the trailer. You can monitor tire and bearing temperature, and you'll have some warning if a bearing is going bad.

Does you trailer have brakes?

Tacky79
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Re: Karavan trailer bearing grease procedure

Postby Tacky79 » Fri Jun 01, 2018 6:11 am

Yes - my trailer has 4 disc brakes.

I also use an IR thermometer during long trips for peace of mind.
2017 Boston Whaler Montauk 190 w/ 150 Merc/Fish Pkg/Bowrail delete/aft seating
1979 Boston Whaler Harpoon 5.2 sailboat with sails and a tiller :D

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Dutchman
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Re: Karavan trailer bearing grease procedure

Postby Dutchman » Fri Jun 01, 2018 8:09 am

I see the temperature gauge mentioned in many threads talking about bearings and tires, but what does the temperature tell you[?]

What is the good range of running temperature for bearings(grease) and the tires[?]

I always used my bare hands and if the hub or tire is too hot to touch (or burns me) I know I have a problem.
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ConB
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Re: Karavan trailer bearing grease procedure

Postby ConB » Fri Jun 01, 2018 9:13 am

Karavan has a good youtube video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GA_MPRqeJRY

I used to monitor the hub temperatures Dutchman's way. It works.

Recently bought a infrared thermometer on Amazon for $25. It seems to work well, also. While towing a Montauk 400 miles to Wisconsin it was reassuring to see the hubs running 10-degrees warmer than ambient temperatures. Sunny side maybe 15 degrees higher.

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dtmackey
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Re: Karavan trailer bearing grease procedure

Postby dtmackey » Fri Jun 01, 2018 11:35 am

If you don't feel like carrying a IR thermometer, there's a simple product that provides a quick visual of hub temps and if in the critical temp zone and it stays on the hub. It only tells you when temps go above the "safe" level. The IR thermometer allows for more accurate readings and also comparing among the hubs.

https://www.spectraproducts.ca/how-it-works/

Another nice tool for trailering is a wireless TPMS system.

https://9topbest.com/best-tire-pressure-monitoring-system/

D-

jimh
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Re: Karavan trailer bearing grease procedure

Postby jimh » Fri Jun 01, 2018 12:02 pm

Dutchman wrote:...what does the temperature [measured by an IR thermometer] tell you[?]


I measure the tire and bearing temperatures before the trip starts. I drive for about an hour, pull into a rest area, and measure again. I also check the truck tires. I look for temperature rise that is out of range compared to the rest.

I do notice that on a sunny day, the tires and bearings on the sunny side of the car and trailer will always be warmer than the ones on the shady side. As a reference, I used the temperature of the spare tire on the trailer. On a hot summer day with that side of the trailer in the sun, the spare might be 110-degree-F. If the trailer tires on the road are only 115-degree-F then I am confident they're running properly.

The bearing is usually always at least as warm as the tires, as the heat from the tires is going to soak into the wheel and to the bearing. There is usually a few degrees variation between bearing temperature from wheel to wheel. I have one wheel on which the bearing is always a bit warmer than the rest. It could be the brake friction on that wheel is a little higher, or maybe the bearing is just not as smooth as the rest.

Also quite unexpected, the front tires of the truck, which are lightly loaded but are recommended to be run at much lower inflation pressure than the rear tires, are always running warmer than the rear tires, which are at maximum inflation pressure and near-maximum rated load weight. Rear tires are about 48-PSI; front tires are recommended 32-PSI, but I usually have them a bit higher. The reason for less pressure on the front tires of the truck is probably to get more tread contact with the road under the usually lighter weight on that axle, so you always have good steering.

I also carry a tire pressure gauge and a portable 12-Volt tire inflator. I can plug the inflator into the boat 12-Volt system (using a cigar lighter jack at the helm) to inflate the trailer tires, if necessary.

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Dutchman
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Re: Karavan trailer bearing grease procedure

Postby Dutchman » Wed Jun 06, 2018 8:51 am

So Jim recapping; you're looking for temperatures that are within 5 to 10 deg.F of a black surface ambient (your spare), anything above that probably means trouble and requires investigation.
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jimh
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Re: Karavan trailer bearing grease procedure

Postby jimh » Wed Jun 06, 2018 12:52 pm

DUTCH--I look for an outlier reading. If all the tires and bearings are similar, I figure it is unlikely all four have suddenly developed a problem. One tire or bearing way out of line with the others, then probably something going on that needs attention.

Curiously, the only time I have ever had a bearing problem on the highway, it occurred about an hour after I had just checked all the temperatures. The bearing that failed was just a few degrees higher than the others at that stop. The real cause of the problem was not the bearing: the brake on that wheel stuck, probably when I had to apply brakes descending a grade, and the friction generated a lot of heat, melting the grease, which then got past the seals, leaving the bearing running with minimal lubrication and very high temperatures. There was no sign of a problem until I pulled off the road for a stop. The wind blast was keeping everything cool, but with no wind the temperatures got out of hand in a very short time. Once I stopped the truck, the bearing froze.

UPDATE: June 7, 2018: I just towed the boat trailer to my house from my storage location, a trip of about 12-miles and a mix of 45-MPH highway and 25-MPH residential streets. Before leaving the storage location, I measured the wheel hub temperatures. The boat had been sitting in the sun, facing west, so Port side was in the sun.

Port Front = 74
Port Rear = 74
Starboard Front = 73
Starboard Rear = 73

On the drive home, the trailer was towed North and East, so the Starboard side was in the sun and Port was in shade. I measured the hub temperatures as soon as I stopped:

Port Front = 91
Port Rear = 92
Starboard Front = 94
Starboard Rear = 94

I neglected to measure the tire temperatures. I will check their inflation and add air if necessary. Sitting for eight months they might have lost some pressure.

Tacky79
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Re: Karavan trailer bearing grease procedure

Postby Tacky79 » Mon Jul 16, 2018 2:24 pm

We are about to take our annual trip to Wisconsin from Colorado and I inspected the Karavan trailer bearings, and tightened one. Upon removal of the castle nut L-pin, I destroyed it. Nearest replacement comes from Karavan and they want $75 to get it to me this week.

Does anyone have experience with these L-pins and could I source something else? 5/32" pin, but it bends fairly easily to keep it from slipping out. 5/32" metal rod from Ace Hardware fits, but it's WAY too rigid to bend once cut to size.
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fno
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Re: Karavan trailer bearing grease procedure

Postby fno » Mon Jul 16, 2018 5:25 pm

Try a $0.25 cotter pin if that isn't already what you mashed up. They are available at most if not all auto parts stores.

Tacky79
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Re: Karavan trailer bearing grease procedure

Postby Tacky79 » Mon Jul 16, 2018 6:15 pm

Per Karavan, if you use a cotter pin, the grease may short circuit and not get pushed to the inner bearing. But, that only matters when pumping grease, so I guess I’ll pump grease with a 5/32 section of rod, then replace with a cotter pin when done.
2017 Boston Whaler Montauk 190 w/ 150 Merc/Fish Pkg/Bowrail delete/aft seating
1979 Boston Whaler Harpoon 5.2 sailboat with sails and a tiller :D

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Dutchman
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Re: Karavan trailer bearing grease procedure

Postby Dutchman » Tue Jul 17, 2018 8:22 am

Tacky79 wrote:We are about to take our annual trip to Wisconsin from Colorado and I inspected the Karavan trailer bearings, and tightened one. Upon removal of the castle nut L-pin, I destroyed it.
Does anyone have experience with these L-pins ? 5/32" pin, but it bends fairly easily to keep it from slipping out. 5/32" metal rod from Ace Hardware fits, but it's WAY too rigid to bend once cut to size.


Picture please, as I have no idea why a cotter pin wouldn't work or what is so special with the "L" rod/pin????
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Tacky79
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Re: Karavan trailer bearing grease procedure

Postby Tacky79 » Tue Jul 17, 2018 9:31 am

Dutchman - here's a pic and video. In the video, the guy shows removal of this L-pin and at 2:30 in the video, he explains why they don't use a cotter pin.

This drawing shows how the grease has to travel from the zerk to the inner bearing and back. The L-pin would be at the top of this picture holding the castle nut in place. If it were a cotter pin with a gap in the hole that the cotter pin sits in, the grease might short-circuit and not travel all the way to the inner bearing. At least, that's what Karavan says.

Image

https://youtu.be/8R-nxkp7LOU?t=164
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1979 Boston Whaler Harpoon 5.2 sailboat with sails and a tiller :D

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Dutchman
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Re: Karavan trailer bearing grease procedure

Postby Dutchman » Wed Jul 18, 2018 11:45 am

Tacky79
Thank you for the video link and I can see the explanation but I always use9d) a cotter pin that fits snug in the shaft hole, so I should be fine.
EJO
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Tacky79
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Re: Karavan trailer bearing grease procedure

Postby Tacky79 » Wed Jul 18, 2018 12:28 pm

I put a 5/32" cotter pin in last night and I'm sure it'll work just fine. Snug fit similar to how the pin fits. I think the danger would be if you were to use a smaller diameter cotter pin. I just want to make sure it's right so as to avoid losing a wheel along the highway in the middle of nowhere.
2017 Boston Whaler Montauk 190 w/ 150 Merc/Fish Pkg/Bowrail delete/aft seating
1979 Boston Whaler Harpoon 5.2 sailboat with sails and a tiller :D

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Dutchman
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Re: Karavan trailer bearing grease procedure

Postby Dutchman » Wed Jul 18, 2018 2:23 pm

Yea I use 4mm cotter pins on my Karavan. hard to get out but no bypass.
EJO
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