Tire replacement

[Land Yacht Deb]

Do you think it's important to replace trailer tires every 7 years even if they appear in good shape???There is no cracking little tread wear and only have about 25.000 miles. I purchased a vintage (1968) Airstream 8 years ago. At that time I did some major renovations and also bought new trailer tires load range C. The trailer is ligther in weight than the tires are rated for. Also the trailer is kept under cover so no direct sun shines on the tires. stored in oregon so it is not dried out.

[InsideOut]

I feel the $250 or so for new tires every 5 years is good, cheap insurance. Especially with single axle trailers...I've seen the damage a blow out can do!

Shari

[85MH325]

Take them to a local tire shop that you trust and get their opinion. If they have been stored properly they're probably OK, but it's better to have them looked over by someone who knows what they're looking for. Would you be comfortable with them on your car? If not, then you should probably replace them.

Roger

[overlander64]

I follow the five year rule with each of my vehicles whether it is one of the trailers or one of my cars. In preparing to depart for this year's International Rally with my '75 Cadillac towcar that had been in storage for more than three years, I took the car in for new tires despite the fact that the set on the car had only 3,000 miles (they were due for replacement when stored so they were now 8 years old) and had been stored indoors in an unheated garage with no windows and forced air summer ventilation. My tire dealer discovered that the tires had tread separation that wasn't visble from the outside - - the problem was visible once the tires were dismounted from the rims. The blowout that was avoided was certainly worth the cost - - especially since it would have also resulted in a bent wheel (the '68-'78 Eldorado wheels are notorious for being easily bent). All it took was one blowout on my former Nomad trailer to convince me that the insurance of replacing tires based on age is well worth the slight additional cost.

Kevin

[Silvertwinkie]

There are a bunch of variables when it comes to replacing tires. If you don't know what the variables are, I agree, take it to a pro. My only .02 is that you get specific trailer tires.

Eric

[inthwind]

I also agree it is risky business, taking to the road with tires on the Tow vechicle, or Trailer, that are not up to par..It just is not worth the grief of an accident, or damage to the trailer that faulty tires can cause.. I have found that if I hve to ask myself,"Do I need tire replacement?", I probably do need new tires..
I also beleive that trailer tires should be used on trailers..
There is a good site on the web for Titan Trailer Tires,( Key words Titan Tires..)This site has useful info on their tires and trailer tires in general.. I currently have their tires on my Argosy 26 TT.
The tires from Titan have some good features..They have a five belt Tread design which if the tires are under inflated will keep the tread flat to the road until they can be properly inflated..
As with all tires make sure they are properly balanced and rotated as needed...

Down the road and in the wind........

[Chuck]

There's supposed to be a number printed on the tire that indicates it's date of manufacture, right? I looked on mine, and I couldn't find anything. would it possibly be on the inside wall? all I could find was the no-name brand, the size, (7.0 x15LT), the rated load, and recommended pressure. The tires "look" great; PO told me that they were "a couple" of years old...who knows how old they really are...

[inthwind]

Hey Chuck,
You can find the date on your tires by looking at the D.O. T. numbers on your tires......The following is an example of how to read the numbers...
Typical number: DOT XB FU XJJX 472
DOT: meets or exceeds DOT safety standards
XB : Manufacturer and plant code #
FU : Tire size code #
XJJX: Manufacturer code #
472: Date of manufacturing....

eg.: Week 47 year 1992
Note: in The year 2000 a second # was added to the year so, the year 2001 would be 01, and the year 2002 would read 02 etc....
Using the above example for 2001 the new year would be.. 4701
All tires have DOT numbers, if they are not facing out you will have to get on the ground and ckeck the back of the tire most white walls and raised white letter tires have the DOT numbers on the back side...
A WORD OF CAUTION>>>Do not buy any tires with out DOT numbers.There is some Firestone Recall tires floating around out there that have had the DOT numbers removed by some unsavory charaters looking to make a quick buck..

I hope this helps..Always ck tire dates at purchase, you don't want to buy a tire that has been on the shelf for more than a year...
In the wind and down the road.....

[overlander63]

Deb, I am new to the world of Airstream-type trailers, but I have almost 30 years experience with automobiles and tires.
I haven't seen this on the list, so I'll post it:
1) replace your tires. You don't know what they look like on the inside, where deterioration could cause a tread separation issue.
25,000 miles on a trailer tire is a lot, no matter how good they look.
2) That said, when you replace your tires, replace them with a good, name-brand tire. That way, if you DO have a problem, you stand a better chance of getting a matching tire if you have a problem in South Nowheresville.
Also, don't forget your spare. It needs to be taken carre of, too. There is nothing quite like the feeling of having a flat tire, and finding out the spare is flat/dryrotted.
Good luck!
Terry
(in Florida)