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bmurphy45 · 02-20-2017, 03:36 PM

I have a 1978 Royals International Diplomat 31 travel trailer with tandem Kelsey Hayes 4000 lb axles and electric drum brakes.

I had the bearings repacked and brakes checked a year ago. Since then we have driven it less than 25 miles. We live in it full-time and are planning to pull it to Tampa on our spring break, a distance of about 250 miles one way. In preparation for the trip, we took it out for a road test today and I found that when checking hub temp with an Infrared thermometer, three of the hubs were about 95-99 degrees Fahrenheit while the fourth was 126 degrees.

I stopped at a Goodyear and the service manager crawled up under and after commenting that you just don't see this heavy duty running gear any more said it's probably a stuck brake and it will probably break loose and be fine. With a twinkle in his eye and a half smirk he told me to take care not to scare myself to death with my new thermometer!

Funny guy but he didn't charge me anything and he may have a point! An I being paranoid?

sparky3865 · 02-20-2017, 04:16 PM

Your temps are not something I would worry about. The one that is higher could indicate that bearing needs to be replaced. But still not to high in my opinion

MnTom · 02-20-2017, 06:52 PM

Personally, I would check the one hub running warmer than the others. A bearing slightly tight or loose could cause the warmer readings. Either way, you are shortening the life of the bearings.

Unplanned Tourist · 02-20-2017, 07:03 PM

Just to be on the safe side, I would recommend that you jack up the wheels one at a time and give them a little shake. There should be a very slight amount of play in each one. Also rotate the wheel and see if it's dragging (Brakes) they may need backing off on the hot one. I have seen many wheel bearings burn up and fail from being too tight, but never from being too loose. Good Luck and Happy Travels.

drdarrin · 02-20-2017, 07:25 PM

Lots of good advice here, beginning with "don't scare yourself". It is probably worth checking out but certainly not urgent, IMHO.

wingnut60 · 02-21-2017, 06:50 AM

Sorry, but I think a 25-30d difference in one hub is indicative of a coming problem. It does need to be checked for, as mentioned, dragging brake liners or bearing too tight.
Joe

schrederman · 02-21-2017, 03:11 PM

Wing Nut is correct. One of my projects when I was still working was to install a system that read bearing temperatures at several points along the route on rail cars. That much temperature difference would have that car set out on a siding and the bearings checked/replaced. I hate being on the side of the road with problems...

egwilly · 02-21-2017, 07:45 PM

I agree with Unplanned....you have one brake that is doing more work than the others. Do a brake adjustment on all 4 again, making sure they are backed off the same amount of clicks. That should do it.

dayle1 · 02-21-2017, 08:01 PM

I would be more concerned with the 3 lower temps than the one higher one. Depending on how hard you applied the brakes and how soon you took the readings, I would not consider 126 degrees to be a concern. I see temps that high all the time. In my experience, temps under 100 degrees suggests the brakes are ineffective. If the trailer has been sitting, then rust and dust build up can affect the brakes until they have been used some. If you only towed a short distance, then the temps measured may be more determined by the brakes rather than the wheel bearings. Just my opinion.

Unplanned Tourist · 02-21-2017, 08:12 PM

Have you done the "Tug Test"? That's hooking up and applying the brakes, and pulling ahead to see if the brakes are holding. Also lets you know that your hitch is locked and ready to go.

Sometimes you will see 1 wheel grabbing before the others, and that will indicate either a tight adjustment or the others need adjusting. Good Luck and have a fun Spring break!!

bmurphy45 · 02-25-2017, 10:43 AM

UPDATE: Largely because of some very valid questions you all have put forward, I have decided to take the rig in to have my local independent RV service center pull the hubs, repack and check and adjust the bearings and brakes.

I decided that if I ended up broke down on the roadside halfway to my destination the nice man at the Goodyear isn't going to be there to make fun of me and my infrared thermometer

. He really was very nice.

I haven't done a tug test but it's an idea I will file away for later.

I will post what they find later after they see me on March 7th

t55watson · 02-25-2017, 10:50 AM

You stated it was the hub temp you checked, not the brake drum. With that info I might suggest that that hub was packed with to much grease which can cause a higher temp. Or that hub was tightened tighter than the others.
I use a temp gun on my tires, hubs and drums/discs every stop and all of the wheels, right to left or front to rear, show different temps.