Spare Tire Lifespan

[Rosey Jet]

Anybody have an idea how long the spare tire under an Airstream will be viable without any use?

[PaulBristol]

In general tires are good for 5 years. After that reliability decreases with each passing year. By 10 years they are ready to fail at any moment.


Tires that do not roll on the ground may deteriorate faster. Rotating tires provides several benefits. It evens wear. It keeps the chemistry in the rubber working. It gets more miles out of a 5 tire set.


That said, if you only use the spare to get off the Interstate, it is probably low risk. If you intend to drive a 10 year old spare for 1000 miles, risk is high.

[sfranklin]

Originally Posted by Rosey Jet

Anybody have an idea how long the spare tire under an Airstream will be viable without any use?

I get new tires around year 4, and rotate one of those to the spare location. Typically around 8 years is how long I keep a spare...about 4 for it's primary life and then rotate it out in roughly 4 more years from the spare location.

[Doc Foster]

My trailer is a 2015, I replaced my spare about year 5 when I was replacing the other 4. I will replace it the next time I get new tires, probably next year.

[Andy543]

Also, when you're buying a new tire, check the DOT number on the sidewall for the manufacturing date to make sure you are not buying a several year-old tire.

[ROBERT CROSS]

When I replace tires, I save one to use as a spare.

I've had one failure on the road and that spare lasted until we got to the tire store.

Disclaimer...we do have two axles and could have made it on three wheels at 20mph.


Bob
🇺🇸

[overlander64]

I am certain that the spare tire for my 1978 Argosy Minuet 6.0 Metre has far outlived its useful life. It is the original Good Year Bias Ply Marathon that the first owner ordered with the trailer, and passed on to me when I purchased it in 2002. It has always been carried in the trunk of the tow car (he always towed with a sedan as have I most of the time), and during the off season it has been stored in the garage. I figure that I will need to purchase three tires the next time that I purchase tires which will be next season.

Kevin

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, at 20 years old, I have only replaced my spare tire twice. I have only used my spare once. I used it to get from Bend, Oregon to Salem, Oregon.

[richard5933]

Originally Posted by sfranklin

I get new tires around year 4, and rotate one of those to the spare location. Typically around 8 years is how long I keep a spare...about 4 for it's primary life and then rotate it out in roughly 4 more years from the spare location.

This is what my father used to do and what I've been doing since my first car - the best tire on the car gets moved to the spare position when new tires are put on. Same for the trailer - best of the four becomes the new spare.

This keeps the spare serviceable.

[Andy543]

Rubber oxidizes and becomes hard and weak with time, so even if your spare has never been used you should replace it with a new one after 5-6 years or so.

I just had two flat tires on my FC 28 on the same day recently. Fortunately, the second flat occurred within 40 miles of my destination and I was able to make it home at 40 mph by riding on three tires instead of 4. The experience made me decide to change out all 5 tires, including the spare.

[CapriRacer]

Originally Posted by Rosey Jet

Anybody have an idea how long the spare tire under an Airstream will be viable without any use?

Tire engineer here. I wish I has actual test data on this issue, but I don't. So here's my best guess.

Steel belted radial tires usually fail due to a belt separation that results in a tread/belt detachment, that can be quite dangerous. The separation is caused by rubber oxidation, and that is highly dependent on heat. Tires in service experience more heat than spares. I've estimated the difference at 4 times.

That should mean that if you are supposed to replace trailer tires every 5 years, that the spare would last 20 years. I am VERY uncomfortable recommending anything longer than 10 years.

Modern steel belted radial tires generally have cap plies which not only extends the time before the separation occurs, but also extends the time between when the separation takes place and the time the tread detaches, making it more likely to be detected.

Nevertheless, I recommend you replace all tires at the same time, just for peace of mind.

Bias ply tires? They fail differently - with the tread coming off in chunks - not nearly as dangerous.

I also recommend that trailer tires ought to be inspected BEFORE every tow, by rubbing a GLOVED hand over the entire tread surface. You are looking for a bulge. If you find one, replace the tire immediately.

[Andy543]

Originally Posted by CapriRacer

Tire engineer here. I wish I has actual test data on this issue, but I don't. So here's my best guess.

Steel belted radial tires usually fail due to a belt separation that results in a tread/belt detachment, that can be quite dangerous. The separation is caused by rubber oxidation, and that is highly dependent on heat. Tires in service experience more heat than spares. I've estimated the difference at 4 times.

That should mean that if you are supposed to replace trailer tires every 5 years, that the spare would last 20 years. I am VERY uncomfortable recommending anything longer than 10 years.

Modern steel belted radial tires generally have cap plies which not only extends the time before the separation occurs, but also extends the time between when the separation takes place and the time the tread detaches, making it more likely to be detected.

Nevertheless, I recommend you replace all tires at the same time, just for peace of mind.

Bias ply tires? They fail differently - with the tread coming off in chunks - not nearly as dangerous.

I also recommend that trailer tires ought to be inspected BEFORE every tow, by rubbing a GLOVED hand over the entire tread surface. You are looking for a bulge. If you find one, replace the tire immediately.

Dear CapriRacer and most esteemed tire engineer,

When I buy a new tire, how old should I expect it to be when the shop sells it to me? I once bought a set of new tires and found one of them to be 1 1/2 years old, going by the manufacturing date. Should I have complained and demanded a new one? I think it's an applicable question for RV owners who changes their tires based on time rather than wear.

[CapriRacer]

Originally Posted by Andy543

Dear CapriRacer and most esteemed tire engineer,

When I buy a new tire, how old should I expect it to be when the shop sells it to me? I once bought a set of new tires and found one of them to be 1 1/2 years old, going by the manufacturing date. Should I have complained and demanded a new one? I think it's an applicable question for RV owners who changes their tires based on time rather than wear.

New tires age very slowly in storage - for 2 reasons:

1) Rubber degradation is highly temperature dependent. Tires in service are not only subjected to the heating effects of the sun, but also elevated operating temperatures - tires heat up when in use.

2) Rubber is formulated with waxes and anti-oxidants that migrate to the surface to protect the tire before it is used. These flake off after the tire is put into service.

As a result, it is considered OK with the tire industry to sell tires as new for as long as 6 years after production.

The company I worked for tested 3 year old tires against freshly made and couldn't find any difference.

So I accept any tire within 3 years, and expect the price to include a discount (maybe not explicitly stated) for anything older than that - up to 6 years.

BTW, tire warranties start when the tire is applied, not the date of production. However, most people don't keep their receipts, so lacking that date, it is common to use the production date. I keep a personal schedule that includes not only when warranties expire, but also when batteries need to be replaced for such things as smoke alarms and other routine maintenance items.

And may I offer that if you have any limitations for dates of production, it would be best to express those early in the process of the purchase.
Certainly, bringing it up after the tires have been mounted would be very bad form.

[Andy543]

Originally Posted by CapriRacer

New tires age very slowly in storage - for 2 reasons:

1) Rubber degradation is highly temperature dependent. Tires in service are not only subjected to the heating effects of the sun, but also elevated operating temperatures - tires heat up when in use.

2) Rubber is formulated with waxes and anti-oxidants that migrate to the surface to protect the tire before it is used. These flake off after the tire is put into service.

As a result, it is considered OK with the tire industry to sell tires as new for as long as 6 years after production.

The company I worked for tested 3 year old tires against freshly made and couldn't find any difference.

So I accept any tire within 3 years, and expect the price to include a discount (maybe not explicitly stated) for anything older than that - up to 6 years.

BTW, tire warranties start when the tire is applied, not the date of production. However, most people don't keep their receipts, so lacking that date, it is common to use the production date. I keep a personal schedule that includes not only when warranties expire, but also when batteries need to be replaced for such things as smoke alarms and other routine maintenance items.

And may I offer that if you have any limitations for dates of production, it would be best to express those early in the process of the purchase.
Certainly, bringing it up after the tires have been mounted would be very bad form.

Good information. Thanks.

[SSquared]

My brother bought a used VW convertible in 1985. It had bias ply tires of unknown age with plenty of tread left. He drove the car only for short jaunts and special occasions. He decided to replace the tires due to age in 2022, in spite of having usable tread left. I'll have to ask him about the spare.

[richard5933]

Originally Posted by SSquared

My brother bought a used VW convertible in 1985. It had bias ply tires of unknown age with plenty of tread left. He drove the car only for short jaunts and special occasions. He decided to replace the tires due to age in 2022, in spite of having usable tread left. I'll have to ask him about the spare.

There are always going to be stories about exceptional tire life by people using their vehicles in ideal conditions (inside storage, out of the high-heat areas, etc). The exception never should define the rule.

When I had my vintage bus motorhome I talked to guys who bragged about driving their buses on tires more than 10 years old with no problems. All good until there is a problem, and then they'll be one of those people talking about rolling a bus in a ditch.

Best I was able to learn in all my research about when to replace tires is this...They should be inspected professionally every year after 6 years and replaced no later than 10 years. The inspection should include dismounting them from what I was told.

Me, I'll keep replacing mine on a schedule of about 4-5 years depending on how they look to my visual inspection and tread wear, and the best gets to serve another few years as the spare.

[WestieHouse]

Originally Posted by richard5933

There are always going to be stories about exceptional tire life by people using their vehicles in ideal conditions (inside storage, out of the high-heat areas, etc). The exception never should define the rule.

When I had my vintage bus motorhome I talked to guys who bragged about driving their buses on tires more than 10 years old with no problems. All good until there is a problem, and then they'll be one of those people talking about rolling a bus in a ditch.

Best I was able to learn in all my research about when to replace tires is this...They should be inspected professionally every year after 6 years and replaced no later than 10 years. The inspection should include dismounting them from what I was told.

Me, I'll keep replacing mine on a schedule of about 4-5 years depending on how they look to my visual inspection and tread wear, and the best gets to serve another few years as the spare.

Yeah- there is a 132 year-old incandescent light bulb still working, too. Exceptions happen but statistics are used to estimate probabilities (risk of failure). We are all entitled to set our own risk tolerance for ourselves. The responsible person considers risks his/her decision poses to others (passengers, pedestrians, oncoming vehicles, etc.).

https://www.google.com/search?q=100+year+old+incandescent+light+bulb&ie=U TF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari

[superChop]

OP - please don't ask folks if anyone has an idea on what it takes to tow an Airstream! JOKE: Super Duty dually is the only safe way! This thread has covered all possible "ideas" and provided some great advice on when to replace spare tires on AS's! Seems like the advice also works great for TV's??

Possibly a rabbit trail? Another question is: "which tire brand is most reliable"? I asked Discount Tire tech if as a "Michelin Man" if I should expect problems with these GYE, on our upcoming drive from GA to the Last Frontier and back. His comment was: "I have never seen one fail, and we sell alot of them"! NOTE: I did not have the bucks to replace the 15" wheels last year when we transitioned to the 2018, 30' International. With our lifted AS, we will transition on the next purchase of replacement tires. We are hoping to continue our odyssey of never using the spare on either the TV or AS over the past 8 years and thousands of miles across this great country!

Some responders have suggested using the manufacturers date to limit "older" new tires from being installed on your AS, including spares, and on your TV.

My favorite story about the age of trailer tires came from the former Dometic authorized repair dealer in Macon, GA. They knew how I like to confirm the manufacturers date on tires. So, they showed me a new SOB trailer that was recently sold with 7+ year old rubber on the ride wheels!

I always ask Discount Tire to sell me 6 months or newer tires for the AS and TV. They have had to delay scheduling installation at least once since they had some tires older than 6 months.

The damage a failed tire can inflict on our AS's, it seems very prudent, wise and timely to develop a pattern for replacing tires on AS's and TV's!