2017 T@G XL Wheel Lube Plan

TypingInTheWoods

Hi, We bought a 2017 T@G XL Outback last year and drove it about 5k. The previous owner had it in a garage for about four years and never used it. He bought it from a dealer used. We have not lubed or repacked the wheel bearings and just realized we should do that prior to another cross country trip in a few weeks. No one seems to be available locally to do it in the time we have so my plan is to put new grease in (it has the EZ Lube system). Then I will buy the replacement seals and bearings and keep with me in case we have trouble. Maybe I will attempt the full repack when we get to our destination. Does that sound like a reasonable plan or am I tempting fate by not doing the full repack? 

Jms

Have you felt the hubs during your trips to see how hot they feel? Sitting four years without moving is a long time and hard on the bearings. And the grease is pretty old now too. Do the brakes still work? If you do re-grease and head out, I would stop often and check the temperature of the hubs (by thermometer if you have one but by feel if not). I would also be very concerned if the tires are original. Those tires would be about 10 years old now since date of manufacture - way past the recommended lifetime of a tire. And sitting for four years they may have developed flat spots. A blowout or bearing failure could be catastrophic on the highway (we've all seen photos), so I would replace the bearings, seals, and grease before you head out on this trip so as to not tempt fate. And the tires too if they haven't been replaced. And have the brakes checked. A few weeks before departure should give enough time to have this work done. I'd skip the RV shops and find a local reputable tire shop with a lot of trailer experience. We're lucky we have one nearby. We're having new tires put on ourselves in a couple of days. Good luck and happy camping!

TypingInTheWoods

Thanks for the advice. So far no tire shops willing to do the wheel bearings. I’ll have the tires looked at but they seem good. It’s an outback and the treads are pretty beefy.  I did check the hubs regularly by hand and they were fine. I did buy a thermometer tho.