Here is what I know about the bearings/axles on the Suites back then--
The axles should be Dexter, altho somewhere along the line, Lippert bought part of Dexter and I don't recall what that involved and when it happened. There WILL be a tag on the axles, but by now it may be lost or just unreadable. If you call Dexter and give them your VIN, they MAY have a record of it.
The Nev-R-Lube bearings were a sure winner until some people began to have failures without warning--several reports on this forum in past posts/threads. It can be quite disastrous when it happens. The biggest problem is knowing ahead of time when the bearing is going out--and your note of 'play' leads me to think it is time to worry about that one and the others also. The only way to check them is the vertical movement--'play'--that you have noted.
The bearings come in 2 sizes and you would want the 50mm larger one for a replacement. Problem in this is the bearings are pressed into the brake hub and basically needs an arbor press to remove/install them properly. I would take this off-season time to research and locate a competent spring/axle shop that knows these bearings and can do the work. You may find the replacement bearings from several sources, not just the 2 I mentioned. Might try to make sure they are US-made, and not the Chinese ones.
I had the NRLs on my '05 and did not have any trouble, altho I replaced them because I had bent one of the axles.
If you are anywhere near LaGrange, IN, I highly recommend Paul Cross for this type of work--he was originally with Doubletree and went out on his own. CrossRV.com
If you want complete peace of mind---contact MorRyde.com to get a quote on getting the Morryde Independent Suspension installed--this is now standard equipment on new DRV trailers.
If I can help any other way, contact me at
joedobry@gmail.com
Joe