The Ultimate Checklist For A Problem-Free Caravan Holiday

The dark days of winter are finally behind us as we move into spring. The days are getting longer, the sun is making an appearance, and those of us with caravans are dusting of the cobwebs and starting to plan our first ventures of the year!

We spend so long planning out our trips, from booking the perfect campsite, to making sure we’ve packed for every possible scenario, and from planning out places to visit, to researching the optimum caravan-friendly route: Everything is planned out to perfection.

What we don’t plan for is a breakdown. Pulled over in the hard shoulder of the motorway, lorries whizzing past in close proximity at 70mph. The kids in the back of the car, complaining that they’re hungry. The dog whining because you’ve stopped the car but haven’t opened the door to let him run free. And worst of all: your partner saying “I told you so”!

Our bearing and maintenance product expert, Clive Simkins, has put together a checklist so that you can make sure your holiday runs as smoothly as possible!

Bearing Condition

Bearings allow your caravan’s wheels to turn freely, reducing friction between the wheel and the spindle that it sits on. Carrying out a health check on your caravan wheel bearings is extremely important, and it isn’t as complicated as it sounds! First of all, listen for any noise coming from the bearing. Any rumbling or whistling is a good sign that the bearing is failing, and will need replacing. Check that the wheel is rotating freely, and that it isn’t rocking from side to side. Excessive play may indicate that the bearing is worn and needs replacing.

We stock a huge range of both metric and imperial taper roller bearings, from world-class manufacturers such as TIMKEN, SKF, NKE and UBC, all available for same day collection or despatch.

Lubrication

The most important question to ask yourself when it comes to lubrication is “when was it last greased?” Regular lubrication can help to extend the service life of a bearing, so it’s important to ensure that a regular maintenance schedule is in place for relubrication with a high quality grease.

In general, SKF's high load extreme pressure grease - LGWA2, is the lubrication of choice for bearings in caravans, due to its high load capacity, extreme pressure capability and wide temperature range.

Seals

You can buy the highest quality bearing, with the perfect lubrication, but if you don’t have the right seal to protect the bearing, or if the seal isn’t fitted correctly, the bearing is likely to fail prematurely. Inspect the seal to ensure that it is effectively sealing the bearing. If you can see any grease leakage, this means that the seal is not working effectively, and the grease is contaminated. This will dramatically reduce the service life of the bearing.

ACORN can supply a range of sealing solutions to suit any caravan bearing arrangement, helping you to keep the contaminants out and the grease in!

Whatever your caravan bearing needs, ACORN has the solution. Our experts will work with you to find the right bearing arrangement for your caravan, helping to make sure that you have a stress free holiday! 

Click here for a list of common caravan and trailer bearings