Do I need new tires??

[punjab66]

We recently purchased a new/used 2008 Hitch Hiker II 32.5 UKTG. It does not appear to have many miles on it and the tires appear to be in excellent condition. However, we are planning a summer trip to Alaska and we are getting mixed opinions on the need to replace the tires. The guy at the dealership says it's not necessary. Any thoughts on this from someone who has done the Alcan Hwy??

[Me_Again]

I will stick with my three recommendations. Trailer is not going to claw it's way out of a mud hole in Alaska! HHII are very heavy for their size and sometimes not balanced left to right that well. Thus one of the over constructed steel ply carcass tires are the smart choice for replacement. I did include the Duravis M895 A&S in my recommendation if OP thinks he needs a bit more aggressive thread. No need for a M&S tire on a trailer in summer time use, or any other time for that matter.
Michelin XPS RIB
Bridgestone Duravis R250
Bridgestone Duravis M895

Chris

[FastEagle]

Archived specs for your trailer show it being equipped with LT235/85R16E tires. If you have the original tires you should seriously consider new tires for such an arduous trip up into the north country.


FastEagle

[midnightsadie]

the very first rule you need to learn! never ever trust what a sales person tells you. now for the tires the very most important thing on your rv. yes they need changed and with a good brand. and a spare.

[Me_Again]

Tell us about the tires. Make, model, size and date code.
http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/infoSidewall.do
It may have had Uniroyal Laredo HD/H OEM LT235/85R16E tires.

If so and they are original installed tires it is time for new tires before that trip.

There are only three tires I would consider if it has 6K axles.
Michelin XPS RIB
Bridgestone Duravis R250
Bridgestone Duravis M895

Now if it has Goodyear G614's, again it is tire for a new set.

If for some reason it has Special Trailer tires it is a few years past time for new tires.

I found this:
http://www.nuwa.com/cgi-bin/dbsql-2.1.0/db.cgi?db=tbl_2007_coach&do=search_results&series_id=4&coach... So it appears the first part of my answer is what you want. New RIBs, R250s or M895s. I would not install poly carcass LT's on this rig. The three I listed are steel ply carcass tires.

Chris

[wski]

You can not judge a book by it's cover, just like you can not judge a tire by the same. Look at the DOT code stamped on the sidewall to determine the age of the tire. Replace them if they are 5 years old or older. If you are going to stay with an ST, I would recommend the Maxxis brand. They are a little more expensive, but worth it...

[Oaklevel]

Personally since you are travelling a good distance I would change them out with a name brand quality tire ........... 6 + year old tires are pushing your luck to travel any distance ......... May be ok but may be just as likely or more so to blow out.....

[crickeydog]

punjab66 wrote:
Any thoughts on this from someone who has done the Alcan Hwy??

If it were me, I'd install a new set of Michelin Rib or BF Goodrich Commercial T/A tires on your camper before I pulled it around the block...much less to Alaska and back.

Happy camping!!! See y'all down the road!!!:)

[stripit]

Depending on the date code molded into the tire showing when the tire was manufactured, those tires are at least 6 years old. If your a gambling person, you get to decide if you think a 6 year old tire that has not been used and those tires have been just sitting are worth the gamble. When a tire fails, the damage a tire can cause could cost many times more than the cost of the tire.I would buy new, list the used ones on some site for sale and recoup some of the cost for the new tires and go travel with one less worry about if your tires will make the trip.

[BB_TX]

If they are Chinese made ST tires I would replace them with good quality LT tires.