I'm getting lazy in my old age.  When trailering long distances, every time I stop at a rest area or gas station, etc., I get out and feel the hubs on the trailer's wheels.  

 

With that in mind I found that the temperature guns are quite cheap, from 13 to 16 dollars.  That would enable me to walk around the trailer, and "shoot" each hub.  Simple, clean and should detect slight temperature differences better than the hand thermometer.

 

On my first long tow, to Pickwick, in 2010, on one of my stops in VA, the left side wheels were significantly warmer than the rights.  They were not uncomfortable to the touch, but were distinctly warmer.  Hmmmm, I pondered this for a while then it hit me.  I was travelling south and the morning sun was hitting the left side trailer wheels while the rights were running in the shade of the hull.

 

My only familiarity with an infrared thermometer was when I was involved with a local race team.  We used one for taking tire temps.  It gave an instantaneous reading of temps across the surface of the tire.

 

Does anyone have one of these cheap versions?  And does it work well?  

Thank you.

Yep ? bought one from my local hardware shop for under $40 I believe. Shoot hub temps and tire temps while towing about every month to make sure nothing is starting to go bad. Basically just looking to see if both hubs and tires are running the same  temp or very close. Shouldn't be a big difference between the two. Just good piece of mind for me, and interesting to know actual specs on this kind of stuff - yes, I'm a nerd ? 

Glad you mentioned tires.  I hadn't thought of that. Low tire pressure will cause a tire to run warmer/hotter than one properly inflated.  Get one tire reading hot, and then use the pressure gauge.  

I have a Raytek I've been using for probably the last 10 years.  Mine was about $90 when I bought it but I think they are a little cheaper now.  Not too sure how much faith I would put in one of those super el chepo ones though.  I know most everything we get now days seems to come out of china but I find most of that super cheap junk to be just that, pure junk.

 

As for checking hub temps, I've always just felt of them from time to time when I stop for gas or rest.