If a tire blows.....

[drsolo]

I recently bought a used 1996 double axel 3500 lb TT that is fabulous except for the tires. It looks like they have cracks in the sidewalls. I will have them professionally inspected before I start on my one way trip taking the trailer from Wisconsin to my Florida campsite where it will stay for the next few years. It doesnt have a spare, but I will get one in case.

What I need to know is if the tires are "iffy" what happens if one of them blows while I am driving 60 mph? Would the trailer begin swinging wildly or what?

[2oldman]

2012Coleman wrote:
Why are you still on the fence about new tires?

The universal reason.

[Hannibal]

I replace tires on the truck or trailer at any sign of "iffy". Too much damage "when" they blow. LT tires cause even more damage when they come apart. Bias ply tires cause little to no damage when they blow.

[2012Coleman]

drsolo wrote:

sdianel wrote:
Find the date code on the tires and if they are over 6 years old, buy new tires.

Where do I find that? the number on the tire is
ST 205 75 R15
I dont know what any of this means.

In your case, the date code is irrelevant. You stated that they have cracks in the sidewalls - or dry rot. Why are you still on the fence about new tires? :h

And when you get into the Florida sun, make sure you cover them.

[Dave5143]

drsolo wrote:

sdianel wrote:
Find the date code on the tires and if they are over 6 years old, buy new tires.

Where do I find that? the number on the tire is
ST 205 75 R15
I dont know what any of this means.

Check this site for information concerning the date code.

[jerem0621]

drsolo wrote:

sdianel wrote:
Find the date code on the tires and if they are over 6 years old, buy new tires.

Where do I find that? the number on the tire is
ST 205 75 R15
I dont know what any of this means.

There is a code on your tires... it is 4 numbers. See if you can find it. It is not the tire size.

See if you can find it.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

[drsolo]

sdianel wrote:
Find the date code on the tires and if they are over 6 years old, buy new tires.

Where do I find that? the number on the tire is
ST 205 75 R15
I dont know what any of this means.

[jerem0621]

You can restore the old tires...by replacing them...

I am serious about this...

Dry rotted tires are dangerous on any vehicle...not just a TT...

You may make it on the old tires...but do you really want to take the chance?

JMHO based on experience.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

[westend]

I replaced the wheel well in my trailer since the previous owner didn't care about tires, he ran whatever was cheap and at hand. The spinning radial belts in a blown tire act like a hammer mill. As the belt spins, it chews through most anything in it's way until the steel belt breaks apart.

I believe the consensus from most tire mfgs is that a tire has a lifetime of five years. There is a date code on every tire.

[AlmostAnOldGuy]

My buddy lost a tire running at 65. $2500 damage to his trailer.

[mosseater]

Buy new tires. You don't have to like it, but you should do it. One of us might be out there near you when the balloon goes up. I hate to make it about me, but this is a solution in search of a problem.

[sdianel_-acct_c]

Find the date code on the tires and if they are over 6 years old, buy new tires.

[NanciL]

To answer your question:
Coming back from Florida last month, I had two blow outs within two weeks.
My trailer is 5000 pounds, and we had probably another thousand pounds in it.
I never felt either one of them.

The first one I was going sixty and the only way I knew it blew was seeing the black shreds flying up when I looked in the mirror.
I drove five miles on the single one on that same side before pulling into our overnight campground where I changed it.

The second one was on I-95 and I was going seventy and heard the pop, but never felt any sway. I stopped as soon as I could and changed it.

Those were the first blow outs I ever had in twenty years of pulling trailers

Jack L

[Stefonius]

According to Michelin, the correct action to take when a trailer tire fails suddenly is to accelerate hard in a straight line until the rig stabilizes. Once you're stable, allow the rig to slow down on its own until you can safely pull over and come to a stop.

A lot of people slam on the brakes as an initial reaction. Those are the folks who end up on the 6 o'clock news. Hitting the brakes or swerving can cause you to jackknife or flip over.

[Community Alumni]

I had four good tires on our race hauler years ago. Going to a track early one morning, temps were cool and pressures were good. The right front tire blew and it caused the right rear to shred. I was able to keep it on the blacktop but I it took both lanes on my side of the highway to get it under control and stopped. Not fun!! I was just lucky that I did not hit anything or roll the trailer, there was no skill involved at that point, just luck!

I would never venture anywhere at highway speeds on 'iffy' tires, it's just not worth it. As mentioned, check our sources for some good used tires if you don't want to go new.