Should I Replace Tires Before a Road Trip?

[SurfTN]

I have a tandem-axle for my 2015 R20. Three of the four tires are original on the trailer (also 2015) and I replaced one due to a flat in late 2015. I'm about to take her up north for the week … 1,500 miles round trip with kids. The trailer lives in a garage … it's only left outside when it's at the shop getting winterized, etc. Otherwise trailer is always in a barn and I don't see any sign of dry rot, etc, but I know most suggest 5-6 years on trailer tires. So …. is it prudent to replace all four tires before the family road trip since I'm probably due anyway in the next year or so ... or am I just tossing cash out the window?

I have a spare and a jack. Spare is also five years old and stored with the trailer.

[chpthril]

Find the date code on the tire and see how old they truly are.

[SurfTN]

Good advice. So how old is too old not to replace before the trip?

Love the 1,000 lbs sacks you hooked me up with a few years ago by the way. Those with a Mission Delta have been a fantastic upgrade!

[SurfTN]

** Correction … boat and trailer are 2014, not 2015 … might have just answered my own question!!

[BCRider]

If you at least have a spare you could possibly afford to wait. Check tire pressure and make sure the lugs are torqued down. After having a wheel shear off last year and losing a Vault center cap this year I now carry a spare wheel, spare rotor, and a spare vault cap. I always say it's a matter of when, not if. Also, make sure you have all the tools you would need with you. I carry my large half inch torque bar, my full socket set, and some other miscellaneous tools with me every time I tow on larger trips.

[GregVH]

I just returned from Lake Of the Ozarks this last friday back to Texas, 4 year old tires, two blow outs, Z3 and not extra weight in the boat. My simple reply would be HELL YES if you are going long distance, $300 is minor to 100 degrees on the side of the road and getting replacement tires. I had one spare, will travel long distance in future with two for sure.

[SurfTN]

I just returned from Lake Of the Ozarks this last friday back to Texas, 4 year old tires, two blow outs, Z3 and not extra weight in the boat. My simple reply would be HELL YES if you are going long distance, $300 is minor to 100 degrees on the side of the road and getting replacement tires. I had one spare, will travel long distance in future with two for sure.

What a nightmare … you're either a very good tires salesman or in need of a cold beer … appreciate the info very much!

[Bamer]

I just returned from Lake Of the Ozarks this last friday back to Texas, 4 year old tires, two blow outs, Z3 and not extra weight in the boat. My simple reply would be HELL YES if you are going long distance, $300 is minor to 100 degrees on the side of the road and getting replacement tires. I had one spare, will travel long distance in future with two for sure.

Were the 2 blow outs on the same side or same axial or....?


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[brentc]

I just returned from Lake Of the Ozarks this last friday back to Texas, 4 year old tires, two blow outs, Z3 and not extra weight in the boat. My simple reply would be HELL YES if you are going long distance, $300 is minor to 100 degrees on the side of the road and getting replacement tires. I had one spare, will travel long distance in future with two for sure.

I agree with GregVH -- replace them. I had a flat recently on what appeared to be solid 5.5 year old tires in the middle of no where -- could have probably replaced all 4 with what I had to pay for roadside assistance + the tire. Oh, and I went with a 6-ply replacement over the standard 4-ply.

[UNSTUCK]

Tires rot from the inside out. So it can be hard to tell how good they are. Go by the date code. At 5 years they should be replaced no matter how many miles on them. I also carry a second spare for the longer trips.

[GregVH]

Were the 2 blow outs on the same side or same axial or....?


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Same side, right front first, belts of the tire flew off, no damage to fender, and 200 miles later the right rear blew out and it damaged the fender. I visually inspected the tires before going, never have boat on trailer normally, since its on a lift at the lake house, when I leave the trailer in storage I lift the trailer up so the tires never have weight on them. So even going thru the extra steps that I do, didn't matter, they looked brand new but were four years old. No one's fault but mine, should have spend the 250$ +/- and been smart.

So guess what I have now........... New tires!!!!

[Ewok]

2 most common causes of blowouts are dry rot tires and under-inflation. Like Chpthrill says, check the date code on the tire to see how old they really are, I bet they were 1-2 years old when they were put on the trailer.

Also check the load rating on the tire, I went with a load rating with a comfortable buffer between the weight of my boat and trailer and the tires. My original tires were just barely at the limit.

[SurfTN]

Great advice all around … appreciate it very much. Just got a call from Good Year that my trailer (and spare) are all set with new tires. They're stamped the 23rd week of 2019, so early June. I think it helped that I told the guys at Good Year up front that I didn't want anything more than a few months old, and they made a point to tell me the date when they called just now. I went with an 8-ply tired with a D load range. Spent a few more bucks but I'm loaded for bear!

Went back and looked at the original tires. They were dated early 2013 on my 2014 trailer. I typically pull my boat less than 100 miles/year, but I'm still surprised I didn't have a problem before now. My boat sits on a lift all summer but on the trailer in storage for the remainder of the year.

[dogbert]

2 most common causes of blowouts are dry rot tires and under-inflation. Like Chpthrill says, check the date code on the tire to see how old they really are, I bet they were 1-2 years old when they were put on the trailer.

Also check the load rating on the tire, I went with a load rating with a comfortable buffer between the weight of my boat and trailer and the tires. My original tires were just barely at the limit.

I just replaced all 5 tires (including the spare) and replaced one of the hubs (because I couldn't get the wheel off). I spent a lot of quality time with the folks at Magnum trailer in the process (mainly because they were 2-3 weeks out and I didn't have that kind of time due to an upcoming Wake the World event). Here's what I learned:

1. Tire pressure matters, Magnum recommended running tires at their maximum pressure. Chpthrill is spot on.
2. Load range is rated at maximum tire pressure and also matters. I went with load range D (which is probably overkill, but my boat weights 3.8K lbs dry + trailer, so probably 5K-6K lbs) which give me a comfortable margin (2K per tire). Check the specific load range chart for the tire you are considering. i went with Carlisle Radial Trail HDs, load range D. Ewok is spot on.
3. Age matters. Here in Texas any tire more than 5 years old is suspect. Where you store your boat matters too, if it's inside, there's less damage from the sun.
4. Check the speed rating on your tires, excessive speed can wear tires prematurely. The Goodyears I replaced had a speed rating of 65 MPH, the new Carlisles are rated at 80MPH+. The longer your trip, the more this becomes a factor.
5. Check your hubs. When in doubt, get the repacked with grease. Hubs/axles can last a long time (mine are 20 years old) if you do the regular maintenance (I repack them once a year and keep my bearing buddies topped off).
6. Check for even tire wear. Uneven wear can be an indication of bigger problems

Blowouts can cause damage, but generally won't ruin your trip. Having an axle seize up definitely can.

[BCRider]

ummmmmmm Carlisle's are the last thing I would put on my worst enemies trailer let alone mine. They are known throughout the boating and RV Trailer industry as "China Bombs".

When I had a blow out a few years back even the local tire shop said Carlisle's are the worst trailer tire out there. Maybe they aren't so bad anymore and hopefully they work out for you.