Forum Discussion

zuterbru's avatar
zuterbru
Explorer
Jul 09, 2013

Inside Tire Wear on all 4 Tires

I have a 2003 Trail Lite Bantam B19 Hybrid Travel trailer.

I noticed the tires over the past few years are wearing bad on the inside of the tires.
I just put new tires on last fall, and it is getting worse...
The new tires are noticeably wearing more on the inside with about 500 miles on them.

Going around corners I can see the tires are sticking out on the bottom. Seems fine going straight.

I have the suspension that has rubber torsion arms on them.
Dexter Axle TorFlex axles, rated for 2.5K each.

Obviously something has worn out and needs to be replaced or repaired.

Any ideas on this?
  • beemerphile1's avatar
    beemerphile1
    Explorer
    Jul 11, 2013
    zuterbru wrote:
    ...Like I said, sitting straight the tires are fine, around a corner they flex and are noticably sticking out on the bottom....


    Obviously we can't see what you are seeing but it is somewhat normal with tandem axles. Think about it, if one pivots the other must slide when turning. More than likely they both slide to some extent. Typically though if you stop midpoint of a sharp turn you will find one wheel in and the other out.
  • Huntindog's avatar
    Huntindog
    Explorer
    Jul 10, 2013
    zuterbru wrote:
    Yep, brought this up to the Dealer years ago when I first noticed it, that is what they recommended.
    Weight is less than 4K with everything I bring with me.
    Like I said, sitting straight the tires are fine, around a corner they flex and are noticably sticking out on the bottom.
    Some part has worn out, not sure if they are even serviceable...
    Which tires stick out when cornering?
    On a standard axle, the fronts are the reverse of the rears, and it is the same on both sides. Naturally the inners are more than the outers but the direction is the same.

    What exactly do all your tires do in say a right hand turn?
  • zuterbru's avatar
    zuterbru
    Explorer
    Jul 10, 2013
    Bearings are just fine, lubed the bearings last weekend and they where still tight.
  • gon2dadawgs's avatar
    gon2dadawgs
    Explorer
    Jul 10, 2013
    Chuck&Gail wrote:
    Can we assume your wheel bearings are properly adjusted? If way loose might do that.


    BINGO! That would be my bet. Our first TT had torsion flex suspension....yes hopped some potholes and such....this design is NOT fragile.

    Michael
  • Chuck_Gail's avatar
    Chuck_Gail
    Explorer
    Jul 09, 2013
    Can we assume your wheel bearings are properly adjusted? If way loose might do that.
  • Luke_Porter's avatar
    Luke_Porter
    Explorer
    Jul 09, 2013
    Take it to a truck shop that does alignments. They can bend the axles to correct your alignment problem. It can be done to torsion axles. Just had mine done.
  • Francesca_Knowl's avatar
    Francesca_Knowl
    Explorer
    Jul 09, 2013
    zuterbru wrote:
    sitting straight the tires are fine, around a corner they flex and are noticably sticking out on the bottom.

    I'm puzzled by this description...are you describing major, visible flexing of the tire sidewall/shoulder? That can be seen with underinflated or wrong-spec tires. P-tires for example being more flexible than ST's will behave that way.

    Shoulder wear is also most often associated with underinflation.

    All four tires wearing in exactly the same area sure seems to point to a single cause. And it sounds like it's been going on for years, too. It's hard for me to believe that the torsion axles on such a small recreational unit would go "bad" so quickly. Some folks (including me) are still on original torsions that are more than thirty years old!

    As you suspect, your Dexter torsion axle has no serviceable parts, though if it's bolted on a shop may be able to do a little adjusting- but I don't see how that would alleviate the symptoms you describe.
  • zuterbru's avatar
    zuterbru
    Explorer
    Jul 09, 2013
    Yep, brought this up to the Dealer years ago when I first noticed it, that is what they recommended.
    Weight is less than 4K with everything I bring with me.
    Like I said, sitting straight the tires are fine, around a corner they flex and are noticably sticking out on the bottom.
    Some part has worn out, not sure if they are even serviceable...
  • ScottG's avatar
    ScottG
    Nomad
    Jul 09, 2013
    beemerphile1 wrote:
    Could be overloaded or could be bent axles. First step is to weigh the trailer fully loaded like you normally tow.


    He doesn't have axles.
    I would have the suspension inspected by a shop the specializes in torsion trailer axles. They may be able to align them or, it may be time to replace them.
  • beemerphile1's avatar
    beemerphile1
    Explorer
    Jul 09, 2013
    Could be overloaded or could be bent axles. First step is to weigh the trailer fully loaded like you normally tow.

About Technical Issues

Having RV issues? Connect with others who have been in your shoes.24,189 PostsLatest Activity: Jan 21, 2025