In November 2008 I bought a new 2007 2H BP Titan trailer. I drove it a couple hundred miles home, and around the block a few times since. I will be taking my first long horse trip in April, and I want to make sure it's safe and ready to go. 

The manual says to repack the bearings every 12 months or 12000 miles. I haven't driven it many miles, and I've only had it 3 months, but should I do it anyway? My concern is that esp. since it was a 2007, I don't know how long it was sitting around at the trailer dealer--I'm sure quite a few months. Also, the manual says to adjust the brakes after the first 200 miles. There are instructions, and I'm usually fairly handy, but I'm not sure I'm confident enough to try it myself. I've done brakes on cars before, though not for a while, but I wouldn't hesitate to do it myself on a car--but not the horse trailer! 

So if I take it to the local dealer, should I just have them adjust the brakes? Repack bearings? Other stuff? Most of the other stuff on the maintenance list seems to be inspections of various things. It does say to check the lugnuts for correct torque every trip--I haven't done it. Do I need to buy a torque wrench, or can I get by without doing this? Are there other maintenance items that should be checked/serviced if it did sit around at the dealer for a year before I got it?

Thanks! Jennifer

I would have the bearings initially checked. We bought a new trailer and found all the lubrication on one side missing. It's cheap insurance. If you don't have annual inspections, they will then last at least 20K between lubrications. The new brakes shoes will wear into the drums a bit when new, and may need to be adjusted after a few months. The adjustment is simple, especially with your directions. Don't be afraid of it. However, if the drums are pulled to check the bearings, the brakes will have to be readjusted afterward, so don't waste your time in the beginning.

The wheels have to be pulled to check the brakes. When the wheels are reinstalled, have the lug nuts wet torqued with a calibrated wrench. Check them again after a few trips. On a steel rim, if there is no change, check them again during your annual inspection.

Make sure your lights and brakes work before you leave home. Keep your tires inflated to their max inflation rating stamped on the sidewalls, including the spare. Some dielectric grease added to your electrical plug pins will make it easier to install, prevents wear and corrosion and ensures longevity.

Check your hitch, safety cables and break away brake system. Once a year check/add the grease in the top of your jack head (s). Clean the flooring under the mats on the butt side, making sure things are dry before the mats are replaced. Once every few months, oil all your hinges and latches, and squirt some WD 40 into your locks. Enjoy your new purchase.

Gard

Thanks for the good info! After hearing of the new trailers with no grease, I am definitely getting the bearings repacked. So I'll let the trailer dealer adjust the brakes at the same time. I already did the dielectric grease, thanks to a suggestion on this forum (I think from you gard and others), which solved my problem with my right trailer lights. 

How do I check the breakaway emergency system? Also, my owner's manual says to recharge the breakaway battery periodically--where would I get that done?  

Hook to the trailer, leave the electrical cord UNPLUGGED, pull the breakaway plunger.  Now attempt to pull forward, the trailer brakes should be locked.  Make sure to UNPLUG the electrical cord so as not to fry your brake controller when you pull the break away plunger.

When you take the trailer to be serviced, have them check and see if the breakaway battery is set up to charge off the truck battery.  If it is, then the battery will charge when hooked to the truck so as long as you pull the trailer "periodically" youll be fine.  If it is not, you will need a battery charger and have to charge the battery "periodically".

Is repacking bearings and using a grease gun on the fitting under the little black rubber cap on the wheel hub under the wheel cover the same thing?

I never pulled my wheels on my Super Chief BP I just pumped a few squirts of greese spring and fall.

Am I way off here? Does the Titan come with that style hub?

Well this topic will probably spark a debate, but Im going to go with no.  Pumping some new grease into the EZ lube style axle is not exactly the same as packing the bearings.

There are many of us who have had problems with the EZ lube style of greasing bearings, it is not uncommon to end up greasing the brakes.  Hosspuller will chime in soon with his experience,  there is also a trailer dealer here on the fourms who IS a fan.......they keep business coming in, with greased brakes.  I am not a fan of them either. 

I used them the first year on my new trailer, the first trailer Ive owned that had them.  I pulled the hubs the next year to find the seal had been compromised and if I had used the EZ lube again that year I would have greased my brakes.

I will stick with the old school, pulling the hub every year or two and taking a look at the brakes and bearings.

I see your point better safe than sorry we had the trailer from factory till we sold it and never had an issue.

When I researched the hubs on our Sooner the internet stated they are sealed in the factory and according to my research have no access to being greased.

Sorry, I don't understand about the need to cover the tires...does the sun fry them or something? All kinds of cars and trucks sit in the sun all day...am I missing something here? Also on the tires, I'm assuming it's not good for them to sit in the same position for months...am I right? I won't be hauling that often, but I had planned to drive the trailer at least around the block every month, to make sure everything is working and so the tires will get repositioned.

Thanks for the description of how to check the breakaway brake. I couldn't figure out how a loose trailer scenario could possibly be simulated for system-checking purposes.

How would I know if my trailer had the EZ Lube system? Just curious--whether or not I have that, I plan to take it to the dealer to do them. It sounds like something I could do myself, but I just don't want to mess with it, and I don't want to take any chances with the horse trailer. With my own car, I'm at least in it to hear funny noises, plus if I break down by the side of the road in my car, it's just not nearly the problem it would be with a horse.

Thanks everyone!! Jennifer 

Walmart tire covers have been on all my trailers.  They keep steel rims from rusting and keep the nasty UV rays from the sun from destroying the tires.

Worth every cent.

Pull the hub cover if there is a round rubber plug type seal in the middle of the wheel hub under it should be a grease fitting.

Why not get the book by Neva & Tom Scheve "Guide to Buying, Maintaining, and Servicing your Horse Trailer"... it shows how to do most, or all, of the regular maintenance on different styles of horse trailers - wheels, axles, bearings, brakes.

I think the Titan has Dexter Axles but I do NOT think they are the EZlube.  I don't have my book handy.  There is an RV place near me that works on horse trailers. I let them do that and adjust the brakes. They also lube the jack and other "stuff"...  I have been overcharged at some RV places, but this one knows horse trailers and is closer than my dealer.

EZ lube dust cap,

http://www.southwestwheel.com/store/p-3133-frfs622p-12.aspx

Standard dust cap,

http://www.southwestwheel.com/store/p-3130-oehl154a-12.aspx

The Titan website indicates they are currently using EZ lube axles, I would expect you have the EZ lube axles.

There is another grease fitting that can be installed on the hubs of NON "Easy Lube" axles. Since it is not usually installed by horse trailer manufacturers, it is an uncommon occurrence in this environment.

In the marine field, constant immersion in water is problematic for wheel bearings. Over the years, there have been many incidences of burnt bearings and spindles, caused by washed out grease, sand contamination, and failed grease seals. This has been all but eliminated by the usage of "Bearing Buddies" and synthetic grease.

A "Bearing Buddy" replaces the dust cap. If it is installed and maintained after a bearing repack, you will not have any further reason to disassemble your bearings, unless you need brake maintenance. The insert has an indicator that allows proper servicing, a bane for those who do not know how to properly service an "Easy Lube" axle. It also consists of a grease reservoir, that maintains a positive pressure on the inside of the hub. This prevent bearing contamination by dirt and water, and any chance of lubrication starvation.

These units are currently installed on hundreds of thousands of trailers, including all of mine. They are available for most sized axles, (NOT Easy Lube type) are simple to install and maintain, and are much less expensive to use than routine bearing repacks. With their usage, I and countless others have no maintenance issues, under some extreme conditions.

Here's some info:

http://www.bearingbuddy.com/faqs.htm

Gard

Thanks everyone! I have no problem paying the trailer dealer to do the bearings once a year, whether or not I have the EZ Lubes. I'd sure rather do that than take the chance of having a mechanical problem while I'm taking my horse somewhere. Thanks for the suggestion on the wheel covers. And I do have the Scheves' horse trailer book--I read it carefully before I started searching for horse trailers, and it was a big help. I'd forgotten it had some good info about maintenance as well. I will reread those chapters.

Thanks a bunch!

If you don't have annual brake inspections, there is no need to repack your bearings every year. Unless you pull your trailer an unusual amount, the bearings will easily last 20 K, more if you use synthetic lubricants. For the average person, that may be several years of usage. The manuf of the Bearing Buddies recommend five years regardless of mileage. An annual repack may be an unnecessary expense for you.

Gard

 Funny, that is exactly what Dexter, Al-Ko, and Freedom Axle recommend TO do.  Seems a bit odd   to suggest not following the axle manufacturers guidelines?

Thanks for this suggestion-- I just found this on Amazon for $6.99.  We have a new to us LQ trailer too