Where to get Replacement Wheel Bearings -Old Camper

[GaryS1953]

Hi All - I have a 1996 Coachmen Catalina small 5th wheel, 210RB. I'm not particularly mechanical, but for the last couple of years I've repacked my own wheel bearings. Today I had one seize up and come apart, so I need a replacement, and I thought I would replace them all. Trouble is, looking online, I can't figure out how to order them. The old one that I've gotten off is completely destroyed and without a part number. E-trailer only goes back to 2010. Anyone have any ideas who I could order them from that would know what I need?

[GaryS1953]

JRscooby wrote:

Matt_Colie wrote:
Gary,
I don't know where you are in Michigan, but we have bearing stores all over the place. What you do need to do is get all 5 numbers. I don't know about your unit, but it may well have different numbers for the inner and outer bear sets and each of those is two part numbers. The seal is a third.
I hope the spindle isn't damaged. That often happens when a bearing goes bad.
When you get all 5 numbers, use a marker to write them inside a cabinet door so you will have them next time.

Matt

I carry all bearings and a seal to do 1 wheel. Plus in the garage I have enough seals to do all my trailers, and shoes springs and magnet for 1 wheel per trailer. If I decide it is a nice day to service a trailer I don't want to hunt parts.

That is a great idea. I'll be going back to my dealer tomorrow and buying bearings for 1 or 2 wheels to have in the trailer at all times for just such a case. We were very lucky this time that we had just arrived home when we discovered the problem. Also, so lucky that we had a double axle trailer.

[GaryS1953]

larry cad wrote:
I predict we will not hear from the OP on this again.

Larry was wrong : )

So I ended up doing the obvious and taking off another wheel and retrieving a good inner and outer bearing, and took them, along with the hub, to my local RV dealer where I was able to get a new correct inner and outer bearing and races at a very reasonable price, along with plenty of good advice. Thank you all for your tips and special thanks to Chum Lee, who I believe was the first to point out the obvious solution, especially since it was really about time to repack all the wheels anyway, which I've now completed.

[JRscooby]

Matt_Colie wrote:
Gary,
I don't know where you are in Michigan, but we have bearing stores all over the place. What you do need to do is get all 5 numbers. I don't know about your unit, but it may well have different numbers for the inner and outer bear sets and each of those is two part numbers. The seal is a third.
I hope the spindle isn't damaged. That often happens when a bearing goes bad.
When you get all 5 numbers, use a marker to write them inside a cabinet door so you will have them next time.

Matt

I carry all bearings and a seal to do 1 wheel. Plus in the garage I have enough seals to do all my trailers, and shoes springs and magnet for 1 wheel per trailer. If I decide it is a nice day to service a trailer I don't want to hunt parts.

[Matt_Colie]

Gary,
I don't know where you are in Michigan, but we have bearing stores all over the place. What you do need to do is get all 5 numbers. I don't know about your unit, but it may well have different numbers for the inner and outer bear sets and each of those is two part numbers. The seal is a third.
I hope the spindle isn't damaged. That often happens when a bearing goes bad.
When you get all 5 numbers, use a marker to write them inside a cabinet door so you will have them next time.

Matt

[Bandaid]

I have had good luck with NAPA. If you remove your old bearings and seal, there are numbers stamped into them. Take a set with you and NAPA can cross reference them. They should not be hard to get.

Bandaid

[larry_cad]

I predict we will not hear from the OP on this again.

[Grit_dog]

If ya popped one wheel off that wasn’t destroyed, you could have had numbers for both bearings and seals and if ya don’t live in the boonies, Amazon would have had them on your doorstep a couple days ago.

[time2roll]

If the kid at the counter can't find it in his book.... wave the old man over and he will walk right back and grab a set including the seal.

[blofgren]

JRscooby wrote:
Look real close at edge of bearing. Most times there is a name and number. If can't find that, take the races to a trailer parts/repair shop. Note; if you don't tell the bearing it is going on a RV, it will never know. Much more likely to get what you need from a shop that does not fix toilets and stoves. You are looking for trailer parts, not RV parts.

This and I love the sense of humor! I am fortunate to have a trailer suspension/running gear shop about 10 minutes from my home and they are experts in identifying and providing the right parts.

[Lwiddis]

“Note; if you don't tell the bearing it is going on a RV, it will never know...”

But is that ethical to leave a bearing in the dark?

[Chum_lee]

Remove both an inner and outer bearing on one good wheel and clean them off. You don't state where you are currently located, but, find a professional industrial bearing supply company close to you. (Google is your friend) Take the old bearings there and tell them you want new bearings of equal or better quality than the ones you have . . . . . they can help you with getting the right stuff. They will explain your options. (manufacturer, country of origin, ABEC grade, etc.) You and your budget now determine the quality you get, not what happens to be on the shelf. IME, if you find a good vendor, generally, these guys aren't the minimum wage pimple faced millennials that you'll find at national chain auto parts stores. They KNOW bearings. It's what they do. IME, many times, its actually cheaper (and better quality) than going to national chain auto parts stores.

If you are stuck in the boonies, McMaster-Carr can help you by phone, online, and by mail order.

Most roller bearings are very common interchangeable parts, . . . if you know where to look and how to ask for help.

Chum lee

[wa8yxm]

Odds are you can get it at any of the following:
Most larger RV or Trailer stores
NAPA
Auto Zone
Discount Auto
O'Rilley's
And more

Though there may well be a hundred or more different makes of axles.. They tend to all use the same Bearings.

TAKE THE mortal remains (And or a good unit) with you to the store and chat with the parts guy.

[larry_cad]

JRscooby wrote:
Look real close at edge of bearing. Most times there is a name and number. If can't find that, take the races to a trailer parts/repair shop. Note; if you don't tell the bearing it is going on a RV, it will never know. Much more likely to get what you need from a shop that does not fix toilets and stoves. You are looking for trailer parts, not RV parts.

Good advice. I googled "wheel bearings", and it gave me Autozone, Advance Auto, NAPA, etc. Get the part number off of the side of the bearing, and take that to any of the above.

[agesilaus]

Napa Auto Parts, local, can often match parts like that and get them from another local Napa if they don't have them in stock. I find they will often carry stuff like this.