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Tire brands and life expectancy for 5,000 pound TT?

RTFMOK
Explorer
Explorer
Yesterday, I saw the date codes on my lady's TT tires. 8 years old...

Does the normal 5 year recommendation for car tires also apply to trailer tires?

And if so, what are the good and bad brands of tires?
=============================================
Was (update coming soon):
TV: '01 Yukon XL 3/4 Ton 4WD 8.1L 3.73 prodigy
TT: Still renting
Last Rental: Thor 27' Front Kitchen w/Super Slide
28 REPLIES 28

Grit_dog
Navigator
Navigator
Yes a 30% cushion for load rating is fine, but like other things, depending on type of use, having more factor of safety is not a bad thing.
Itโ€™s risk vs reward. And for trailer tires that are unusually prone to higher than normal failure rates than car tires, another $10 a tire for an overkill load rating is not a bad thing.
Iโ€™m looking at my, now going on 10 year old boat trailer tires that havenโ€™t had more than local trips on them for the last 7 years now, garaged all year, look like new and struggling a bit with replacing them for longer trips planned this summer. But theyโ€™re getting replaced. Have too many past blow outs and busted up fenders to not drop the $400 on new tires.
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5โ€ turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold

RTFMOK
Explorer
Explorer
Thanks for the feedback. Also requests for more info from me.

I do see some minimal sidewall cracking, no cracks between the treads. The tires were supposedly new when installed in 2014 by the dealer my lady bought the TT from, but the date codes show 2010. The 4 road tires all evenly lost about 5 pounds sitting since last summer when last aired up. Spare was down 15 pounds, never been checked, at least in the last two years.

The current tires are Tow Masters, load range C, size ST205/75R14. Rated 1,760 pounds each X 4 is 7,040 pounds. That is a cushion of about 30% over the TT max weight.

I have not found the actual axle ratings yet, but the TT is a 2-axle rated for 5,000 pounds max weight.

Does replacement with same load range sound reasonable? I'm still hunting down the trailer specification to see if it calls out different size or load range.
=============================================
Was (update coming soon):
TV: '01 Yukon XL 3/4 Ton 4WD 8.1L 3.73 prodigy
TT: Still renting
Last Rental: Thor 27' Front Kitchen w/Super Slide

dodge_guy
Explorer II
Explorer II
5 years is the average. I just ordered my 3rd set of Carlisle tires. The first 2 were Carlisle RH. This set is the HD`s. I haven`t had 1 failure. Each set had approx. 8k miles and were 5 years old. towed in extreme conditions, 90+ degrees, 70-75 mph. The first set I found a shifted belt. So I guess there was a failure, but it didn't affect me. the current set I don't see anything.
Wife Kim
Son Brandon 17yrs
Daughter Marissa 16yrs
Dog Bailey

12 Forest River Georgetown 350TS Hellwig sway bars, BlueOx TrueCenter stabilizer

13 Ford Explorer Roadmaster Stowmaster 5000, VIP Tow>
A bad day camping is
better than a good day at work!

valhalla360
Nomad III
Nomad III
8yrs is pushing it.

5-7 yrs is the commonly accepted lifespan.
Tammy & Mike
Ford F250 V10
2021 Gray Wolf
Gemini Catamaran 34'
Full Time spliting time between boat and RV

time2roll
Nomad
Nomad
I only recommend 80+ mph speed rated ST tires including Goodyear Endurance and Carlisle Radial Trail HD. Currently I run Goodyear Endurance. MAXXIS was coming apart just shy of four years.

67HotRod
Explorer
Explorer
Maxxis, and I change tires at the 5 year mark. I travel allot of back roads that usually don't have a friendly place to stop.

ScottG
Nomad
Nomad
The only tires I would put on a TT are Maxxis or Goodyear Endurance.

BarneyS
Explorer III
Explorer III
I would be looking for new tires.
Barney
2004 Sunnybrook Titan 30FKS TT
Hensley "Arrow" 1400# hitch (Sold)
Not towing now.
Former tow vehicles were 2016 Ram 2500 CTD, 2002 Ford F250, 7.3 PSD, 1997 Ram 2500 5.9 gas engine

2oldman
Explorer II
Explorer II
Tires in TT
"If I'm wearing long pants, I'm too far north" - 2oldman

Terryallan
Explorer II
Explorer II
Fact is. Tires rot when they sit. It don't matter what brand. They rot from lack of lubrication. Rolling lubes them. Me I have learned my lesson. After having 3 tires blow out at 3 1/2 years. Mine come off now at the end of their third season. Extream you say. see what you do after changing 3 TT tires on the side of the road. It ain't fun
Terry & Shay
Coachman Apex 288BH.
2013 F150 XLT Off Road
5.0, 3.73
Lazy Campers

naturist
Nomad
Nomad
Nearly all RV tires get replaced because of age, rather than wearing out. The simple truth is that all rubber tires, belts, and hoses get hard and crack with age. So the short answer to your question is, yes, the 8 year old tires on your RV should be replaced, and no, there are no longer-lived options available. Failing to replace them risks -- and ultimately guarantees -- that they will fail in service with a blow-out (or if you are really lucky, they'll turn up flat one morning).

DutchmenSport
Explorer
Explorer
Tires vary, and I don't think there is any real world logic. My last trailer had factory China Bombs for 6 years when I noticed dry rot and decided to change them. We had the camper 2 more years and those Carliles still looked very good.

Our current trailer had factory installed tires and in the 2nd year, one tire showed signs of uneven tread wear and the other 3 were just fine. I swapped all 4 out again for Carliles and it's now been about 3 more years and the tires still look good.

I think the longevity of the tire depends upon a lot of factors.

First, dry rot. If the trailer sits, especially exposed tires to the sun, they run the risk of dry rot. But I've had car tires dry rot sitting in a garage too. If your camper sits in the sun, keep wheel covers over them. This helps against damaging UV rays.

Second, sideways skids. Unless your trailer is a single axle, your tires are going to experience sideway skid every time you make a turn. The primary pivot point may be the front tire, or the back tire and it could be opposite on the other side of the trailer. The sharper the turn (the sharper the back-up turn into a campsite, driveway, or storage) the greater sideways stress there is on the tires. It just happens. Depending on how often, and how sharp your turns will also assist in tire breakdown. Of course, more and sharper turns, the faster the breakdown. But, combined with dry rot by sitting, which is more damaging to a tire?

Third, over-under inflation. Nothing will destroy tire tread and side wall strength than over or under inflated tires. Actually, under inflation is very damaging to the structure of the tire and can also cause excessive uneven tire tread wear. Over inflation can cause uneven tread wear, but also a higher risk of blow out due to excessive heat build up. It's a fine balance to keep the tire pressure in range of the manufacturers recommendations.

Fourth, assuming 1-3 (above) are all well, then you simply have the normal wear and tear on the tread. How long will a tire roll if not under any stress? Well, a long, long time? But now, add brakes to the tire and you've got the possibility of one break being more aggressive and grabbing than the other 3. This could cause one tire to show signs of wear much faster than the other 3.

Fifth? Where do you travel with your camper? If you drive paved roads exclusively, the chances of your tires holding up for longevity are going to be much better than if you drive course gravel roads, or roads with horrible pot-holes, or off-road.

Basically, there really is no way to predict how well a tire is going to hold up. There's just too many factors. I do think some tires are a better build than others, but that does not mean the better build will last longer than the inferior China Bomb if any of the above factors grossly affect, even a very high quality tire. One nail in a tire, high end or low end tire, and the tire's life is pretty much over anyway.

So, the best you can do is simply keep atune to your tires. Never neglect them. Actually, take photos of your tires over time so you can see the progression of wear and tear, and dry rot, and tread wear. If you begin to see cracks on the side walls of the tires, then change them.

Actually, dry rot will happen be the reason for new tires far more than wear and tear on the tire. And dry rot is a hard thing to prevent. A tire sitting long term is probably more damaging than driving that same tire over a gravel road.

Keep on eye on them, and be prepared financially at any time, to replace them on a moment's notice. That's your best prevention.

midnightsadie
Explorer II
Explorer II
x2 things you need to know, and when I buy tires I get a load range one size better. I like maxxis tires and michelin.

JIMNLIN
Explorer
Explorer
P and LT can go up to 8-10 years per individual mfg.
ST tires can go from 3-5 years per individual mfg.

Good and bad brands depends on the tires size and load range. Generally the best brand is what a owner is using and the worst is the brand he had issues with.

Tires on trailers range form 13" at 1500 lbs capacity on up to 17.5" tires at 6000 lbs capacity.

So what size and load range are your OEM tires ??
And what is your trailers axle ratings ??
"good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment" ............ Will Rogers

'03 2500 QC Dodge/Cummins HO 3.73 6 speed manual Jacobs Westach
'97 Park Avanue 28' 5er 11200 two slides