New 2019 Springdale blew 4x seals within 500mile

[mike95776]

In Dec 2019 we bought a new 2019 20ft Springdale TT. We took it on one trip and the brakes did not feel like they were fully engaging. I took it into the dealer (Camping World, Roseville CA)... They tore it apart and I was told that all four of the seals leaked and they contacted Keystone. Keystone authorized the replacement of backing plates, bearings, seals, magnets and brake pads.



How does a brand new trailer with 400miles on leak grease out all four seals.... I asked the tech and all they said is that "it happens sometimes..." Should I call the factory...did I get a batch of defective seals? I don't know what type of axle it has...


We have a trip to Yellowstone on the books for next month... should I be concerned about the seals going bad again?

[Logan X]

My guess is the seals blew because they used the auto lube or EZ lube hub feature instead of packing the bearings by hand. Do you know what method they used to grease the bearings when they recently did the job for you?

If the EZ lube method was used, you run the risk of the grease blowing out the back seal.

If the bearings were removed, packed with grease, and reinstalled, there is very little chance the seals were compromised.

[mike95776]

The seals leaked from the factory...

I will check to see if they packed the bearing by hand during the warranty work.
Thanks

[JRTJH]

Your first post posed the question, "How could the seals fail with only 400 miles on the trailer?"...

When you consider that it's about 800 miles from Pendleton, OR (where the trailer was built) to your location, the trailer already had at least that much "mileage" on it when you first looked at it. Then add your 400 additional miles and you're well over 1,000 miles when you had seal problems. The seals "should not have failed in 1,000 miles" but I wanted to point out that you're forgetting that "trip from the factory to the dealership"... That's a trip that has, for some owners, been a significant problem. From tires run with low air pressure to damage that wasn't seen on acceptance by the dealer (think towing on salt covered roads in January/February and the lack of cleaning the chassis upon arrival as one example)...

Granted, the seals should not have leaked. My guess is that someone at the dealership, during the PDI, did you a "favor" and used the EZ Lube feature to "give you something extra"... Seal failures are, at least in my experience, very rare on the "factory seals". Lippert doesn't "overlube" the bearings on assembly so there shouldn't be "too much grease in the hubs" and the chances of 4 seals on the same trailer being bad on the same trip are "calculatingly astronomical" so that leaves the "dealership as the most logical place".

It's good news that Keystone is agreeing to repair/replace the seals. At least you aren't faced with arguing about who's going to pay for it.... As for worry about your Yellowstone trip, seals are usually "extremely reliable" if not abused with the EZ Lube system. That said, anything mechanical is subject to failure, but all 4 seals at one time ??? There's a "common link to that kind of situation" and it's not the factory.

[chuckster57]

Grand design had a run of bad seals on LCI axles on the reflection line. 95% from the factory had failed, and Lippert paid to replace all the affected components. This went on for 2 years, I don’t know what axles are on your unit. It I wonder if it’s happening again.

[travelin texans]

If you haven't realized what most are saying here's a reminder,
DO NOT USE THE EZ LUBE TO GREASE BEARINGS!!