September 22, 2026 · 3 min read
Why bearings and brakes matter more after an Alberta winter
Most towable RVs in Alberta sit from October to April. Grease settles, moisture works in around the seals, drums pick up light rust, and a small seal weep becomes a real leak once things warm up and start spinning again. Nothing about sitting still fixes a bearing.
Then the season starts with long pulls. A run from Calgary to the Rockies, out to Drumheller, or down to the border means hours at highway speed, often in summer heat, with the trailer loaded near its rating. Bearings run hotter under those conditions, and brakes get worked hard on the descents.
A bearing that fails on the road often takes the spindle and hub with it, and sometimes the axle. A seized wheel at speed is a safety problem for everyone around you. The cost of a pre-season check is small next to that.
What a proper bearing and brake service involves
Wheel bearings on most trailer axles are packed with grease and need to be cleaned, inspected, and repacked on a schedule. Your axle manufacturer's manual gives the interval. For a trailer that lives outside through an Alberta winter, checking once a season before the first long trip is a sensible habit.
The service means pulling the hubs, cleaning the old grease off the bearings and races, looking for pitting, scoring, heat discolouration, or roughness, fitting new grease seals, repacking with the correct grease, and setting the bearing preload properly. Preload is where do-it-yourself jobs most often go wrong. Too tight and the bearing overheats. Too loose and it hammers itself apart.
With the hub off, the brakes are right there. On most towable RVs these are electric drum brakes. The technician checks shoe thickness, drum condition, the magnet that actuates the brake, the springs and adjusters, and the wiring back to the trailer plug. Worn magnets and corroded connectors are common reasons a trailer barely slows down.
Warning signs you can check yourself
After a drive, carefully feel each hub with the back of your hand. Warm is normal. One hub noticeably hotter than the others points to a bearing or a dragging brake on that side. Take care, because a failing hub can be hot enough to burn you.
Look at the inside of each wheel and the back of the hub for grease streaks or splatter. That is a failed seal, and grease that reaches the brake shoes will ruin them. Listen at low speed for humming, rumbling, or grinding, and notice any wobble or vibration that changes with speed.
Test the brakes in a safe spot before your first trip. Use the manual override on the brake controller at low speed. You should feel the trailer pull back on the truck. Also check the breakaway switch cable and confirm the breakaway battery is charged, since that system only works if the battery does.
When to bring it to Horton in Calgary
If you see grease on a wheel, feel a hot hub, hear noise from the axle, or the trailer brakes feel weak or grabby, book it before the trip, not after. The same goes if you bought the trailer used and do not know when the bearings were last serviced. Treat the history as unknown and start fresh.
Horton RV Services in Calgary can pull the hubs, inspect and repack the bearings, replace seals, service or replace brake components, and check the brake wiring and breakaway system so the whole chain works together. If you are planning a full pre-season check, it makes sense to have the running gear looked at during the same visit as a general inspection.
Book early. Spring in Calgary is busy for every RV shop, and the running gear is not something you want rushed the week before you leave.
Common questions
How often should RV trailer wheel bearings be repacked?
Follow the interval in your axle manufacturer's manual. For a trailer that sits through an Alberta winter and then does long summer trips, having the bearings inspected and repacked before the season is a common, sensible practice. Heavy loads, long hauls, and any sign of heat or grease leaks mean sooner.
Can I repack the bearings myself?
Yes, if you have the tools, a torque wrench, and know how to set bearing preload. Preload is the step most people get wrong, and an incorrectly set bearing can fail within a single trip. If you are unsure, have a shop do it and ask them to show you how they set it.
My trailer brakes feel weak. Is it the controller or the brakes?
It can be either. Start with the gain setting on the brake controller and the condition of the plug connection. If the gain is turned up and the trailer still barely slows, worn shoes, weak magnets, brakes out of adjustment, or grease-contaminated shoes are likely. A shop can measure the current draw at each wheel to find which side is not working.