Thanks Todd, We have the exact same unit minus the King Bed, and out of an abundance of caution I think we will have those brake wires checked before next season. Much appreciated.
Shocked a $80-90k Bigfoot doesn’t have EZ lube axles and self adjusting brakes. Even my Surveyor has them. Grease caps are cheap, I would pack both inner and outer bearings after all the trouble of pulling the drum off. Great job finding and fixing your problem.
Goood job Todd. Just a simple screw up with wire rubbing on inside hub from the factory. I have worked on a couple heavy trailers with disc brake axles. They use hydraulic surge setup on the front. Better system but would cost more to install.
I had the same problem many years ago with a short cargo trailer (10' long) and a short tow rig, a 2 door S-10 Blazer. The issue was very noticeable due to the very short tow rig.
Good job Todd! I had a brake problem on my car trailer after I first got it. Couldn't back up. The brake adjuster fell out. Took it apart, put it back in and haven't had any trouble since. Knock on wood, no brake trouble on the camper.
Yup, I had the same thing happen on the driver side front axle of my Grand Design 200MK. Just shoddy workmanship when the axle components are assembled.
Awesome video. Great step by step with visual. It goes to show how many things need to be checked and how to solve issues when you find them. Great 👍 job.
Well looks like a good job😂....I bought a 1 year old 2020 Keystone in fall of 2020 while in Arkansas notice my drivers side brakes was clicking. Sure enough either factory or previous owner shot to much grease using the quick lube and blew the rear seal. ....recent trip to Smoky's for a month and on the way back I noticed rear drivers tire had something going on. Turns out it's a bent 5,200 lb axle with these hwys we have to drive on I know RVers can relate. Could have had it straightened for $350. So, I decided to replace both axles beams with 7,000 lb axle with 6,000 lb hub kits and new back plates. Trailer is factory 9,200 lb gross. In the process noticed one front hanger was bent but wasn't, it was welded on crooked by Lippert about 15° inward. I managed to cut the weld towards inside and bend straight and reweld it. ...also added flat stock steel above each spring hanger to prevent frame flexing and V supports welded between each hanger for added strength and wet bolts. Looks like BigFoot did it WRONG by installing your wet BOLTS with NUTS on the inside. I've heard stories about the bolt working out into the tires causing flats. Also replaced original 3/16" thick shackles with 1/2" thick shackles ones. ... 😢 I might mention for a Trailer with only about 7,500 miles people might want to check their center regulator bearing bolt. Remember it's a single bolt supporting 2 ends of 2 axle springs....my Bronze bearing was worn out and replaced them on a trailer less than 8,000 miles. Hope this helps someone 🙏
Thanks for the comment. It sounds like you did a good job fixing your own camper. You did a lot of nice upgrades. Sometime as the saying goes "If you want it done right you have to do it yourself". Sure feels true sometimes. Thanks for watching!
I'll have to look the numbers up but they are Dexter 3500lb axles. I have thought about getting a spare hub and bearings just in case. Thanks for watching!
Dexter recommends 50 ft lbs to seat everything, then back it off and run up finger tight only. If the cotter key won't go, LOOSEN it to align key. They have ex cellent yt video on proceedure
You do need to learn how to adjust the wheel bearing there is one comment here that says you torque it up to 50 pounds and then back it off until snug which is completely wrong you never want preload on a bearing a wheel bearing the 50 pound torque is to squeeze out any grease and make sure the bearings are seated do that two or three times back it off completely just bring the nut up till it stops by hand And put the lock on that’s it main goal is you want .001 to .003 thousands end play in the bearing it will never burn up with proper end play Preload will burn up fast I am a retired professional mechanic and attended wheel end schooling for this you can take this to the bank information wise
I would definitely check the Driver's Side and then file a notice to the NationalHighway Traffic Safety Administration. I would also contact Dexter to let them know that their product could kill people. Unfortunately this is a pretty common problem. The RV industry has a pretty horrible reputation for very poor quality. Hopefully vidoes like this will force a change.Shame on Dexter!
Great info, thank you for sharing.
looking forward to some winter camping VODs. 🥃🥃
Thanks Todd, We have the exact same unit minus the King Bed, and out of an abundance of caution I think we will have those brake wires checked before next season. Much appreciated.
That's a good idea to check them out. Thanks for watching!
Good feeling to diagnose and able to fix. Nice job done .
Thank you for watching!
Thanks for your time; good job! Cheers!!! Illinois, USA
Shocked a $80-90k Bigfoot doesn’t have EZ lube axles and self adjusting brakes. Even my Surveyor has them. Grease caps are cheap, I would pack both inner and outer bearings after all the trouble of pulling the drum off. Great job finding and fixing your problem.
NEVER USE EZ LUBE.....I have seen many brakes soaked in grease after using EZ lube....don't be lazy do it correctly
Great job. Glad you took the time to share your experience.
Excellent video. Preload your bearings before final adjustment. Thank you.
Goood job Todd. Just a simple screw up with wire rubbing on inside hub from the factory. I have worked on a couple heavy trailers with disc brake axles. They use hydraulic surge setup on the front. Better system but would cost more to install.
EXCELLENT video, Todd 👌👍👍👍 You were wise to investigate by pulling ALL the drum covers off ..... AWESOME repair job, once you found the cause !!! 😎👍👍
I had the same problem many years ago with a short cargo trailer (10' long) and a short tow rig, a 2 door S-10 Blazer. The issue was very noticeable due to the very short tow rig.
Excellent video Todd, when we warm up a tad bit I will be checking mine. Stay warm over there, plenty of snow coming down here in northern Alabama.
Thanks for the nice comment. We have snow and ice coming down here north of Atlanta Georgia too. Looks really pretty. Thanks for watching!
Good job Todd! I had a brake problem on my car trailer after I first got it. Couldn't back up. The brake adjuster fell out. Took it apart, put it back in and haven't had any trouble since. Knock on wood, no brake trouble on the camper.
Thanks, and good job on fixing your brakes too! Fingers crossed everything will be good. Thanks for watching!
Yup, I had the same thing happen on the driver side front axle of my Grand Design 200MK. Just shoddy workmanship when the axle components are assembled.
Todd , Another great video thanks for sharing. Hope you have many camping trips this year without problems.
Thanks for your nice comment and thanks for watching!
Awesome video. Great step by step with visual. It goes to show how many things need to be checked and how to solve issues when you find them. Great 👍 job.
We appreciate you watching and thank you for the kind words.
Super helpful video! Thanks for pressing record and sharing with us. Your diy videos are excellent. Happy new year!
Thank you! Happy New Year!
Well looks like a good job😂....I bought a 1 year old 2020 Keystone in fall of 2020 while in Arkansas notice my drivers side brakes was clicking. Sure enough either factory or previous owner shot to much grease using the quick lube and blew the rear seal.
....recent trip to Smoky's for a month and on the way back I noticed rear drivers tire had something going on. Turns out it's a bent 5,200 lb axle with these hwys we have to drive on I know RVers can relate.
Could have had it straightened for $350. So, I decided to replace both axles beams with 7,000 lb axle with 6,000 lb hub kits and new back plates.
Trailer is factory 9,200 lb gross.
In the process noticed one front hanger was bent but wasn't, it was welded on crooked by Lippert about 15° inward. I managed to cut the weld towards inside and bend straight and reweld it.
...also added flat stock steel above each spring hanger to prevent frame flexing and V supports welded between each hanger for added strength and wet bolts. Looks like BigFoot did it WRONG by installing your wet BOLTS with NUTS on the inside. I've heard stories about the bolt working out into the tires causing flats. Also replaced original 3/16" thick shackles with 1/2" thick shackles ones.
... 😢 I might mention for a Trailer with only about 7,500 miles people might want to check their center regulator bearing bolt. Remember it's a single bolt supporting 2 ends of 2 axle springs....my Bronze bearing was worn out and replaced them on a trailer less than 8,000 miles.
Hope this helps someone 🙏
Thanks for the comment. It sounds like you did a good job fixing your own camper. You did a lot of nice upgrades. Sometime as the saying goes "If you want it done right you have to do it yourself". Sure feels true sometimes. Thanks for watching!
Awesome thanks! Could you tell us the model # of the axle systems so we know the part numbers? Always good to have bearing seals on hand.
I'll have to look the numbers up but they are Dexter 3500lb axles. I have thought about getting a spare hub and bearings just in case. Thanks for watching!
Mr. Todd, what grease do you recommend for that project?
I used Valvoline Automotive Multi-Vehicle High Temperature Red Grease. Thanks for watching!
You should always preload the bearing while turning the drum, then back the nut off to just snug. Dexter recommends 50Ft Lbs preload… FYI
Dexter recommends 50 ft lbs to seat everything, then back it off and run up finger tight only. If the cotter key won't go, LOOSEN it to align key. They have ex cellent yt video on proceedure
You do need to learn how to adjust the wheel bearing there is one comment here that says you torque it up to 50 pounds and then back it off until snug which is completely wrong you never want preload on a bearing a wheel bearing the 50 pound torque is to squeeze out any grease and make sure the bearings are seated do that two or three times back it off completely just bring the nut up till it stops by hand And put the lock on that’s it main goal is you want .001 to .003 thousands end play in the bearing it will never burn up with proper end play Preload will burn up fast I am a retired professional mechanic and attended wheel end schooling for this you can take this to the bank information wise
Agreed, the race was already seated, so all I had to do was grease the bearings and reinstall. Thanks for watching!
I would definitely check the Driver's Side and then file a notice to the NationalHighway Traffic Safety Administration. I would also contact Dexter to let them know that their product could kill people. Unfortunately this is a pretty common problem. The RV industry has a pretty horrible reputation for very poor quality. Hopefully vidoes like this will force a change.Shame on Dexter!
As seen in the video I did check the driver's side and they were good. Thanks for the comment and for watching!
The bearings should not be cleaned with degreaser, usually they use diesel!
Typical Dexter factory bearing pack job....hardly enough grease to do the job.
This antique technology shouldn’t be on any RV no matter the size or weight. Disc brakes should be standard now. Sue me.
Don’t buy use, buy new with warranty or service plan