Boatmate trailer caliper grease

[Dustin11]

I have a triple axle boatmate trailer for a 2021 G23. The other day I noticed grease around the inside of the rim. When I took the wheel off there was grease all over the brake caliper. The trailer has the vault wheel bearing grease system. I know I’ve seen a few posts of people showing the vault system failing. Just wondering if anyone has any idea what’s wrong. My assumption is a seal is bad but any advice would be awesome. Thanks

[Scooter G]

Ya, that doesn't look healthy. I do remember in my mind archives seeing something about a Vault rebuild kit.
Good find Dustin11, and that is your sign on a Vault system. I think you may have saved yourself a world of hurt here.
Others look ok?

[srock]

I felt so good about the Vault system, thinking I should have no worries for years. Now, after 40 years of trailer hauling, I caught my first bearing failure "in the driveway." I am now thinking that for any distance hauling, for my bolt-on style spindles, that it may be worth having a spare as cheap trip insurance.

My research noted that bearing buddies often fly away as a result of a wobble from a bearing failing. Noticing the missing buddy is how I caught it in the driveway.

[Scooter G]

We had a spare hub & tire mounted on the jet ski trailer. Welded an axle on the trailer, pretty slick set up, and came in handy in a time of need. Came to be after driving 2 hours to town one-way for blown bearings. I think if I were running standard bearings I would consider that again, just because...

[jhiestand]

Agreed that looks like a seal failure. I had a similar (but not as catastrophic) failure and given my hubs were well within their 10 year warranty I was sent a rebuild kit. It was a pretty easy fix and I've been trouble-free since.

[bturner]

The BIL told me my trailer leaked oil on the floor of his pole barn last year by the axle, I of course told him he was crazy as there was nothing there that would leak oil. Now I'm wondering if he may have been right. I checked my wheels and even flushed the brake lines last year and didn't see anything on the calipers and the front of my hubs are not leaking like the picture above. The spot on the floor looks like your typical oil leak from say the Skidoo that he stores in the same location all summer or what you would see from a car with an engine oil leak. I'm assuming that the grease from a rear seal leak would make a mess like the first pictures around the hub, inner wheel hoop and be very noticeable, right? Got me wondering now. I've put probably 500 miles on the trailer since last spring and have seen nothing but then again wasn't really looking that close at the rear seal. I check my hubs after every stop and haven't seen anything and they're staying cool. Will definitely be looking closer next spring.

[Scooter G]

There are some really good videos and instructionals for a Vault R&R. Looks pretty straight forward and fool proof, cheap fix.
I will also be looking closer, thanks for the heads up Dustin11.

[Lockem25]

I will say take some measurements when you tear into it if you do it yourself. I ordered seals and ended up being the wrong ones(I went to what I thought was the trailer build sheet, which was incorrect) Measure the spindle mainly as I think most of the hubs are the same size O.D.

[alex_cr]

I have the triple axle trailer as well. I didn't catch the fact that 4 of the six axles had leaked all of the grease out of the vault system in 5 years. I lost a hub but was luckily at the boat launch when it happened. I had zero help from my dealer, not response from boatmate, and nothing from vault. I ended up just putting bearing buddies on all axles and junked the vault system and grease.