BigGuy82
Well-known member
I've owned a TT, a Class A and now a fiver. This was news to me.
In the October 2017 Iissue of Trailer Life (p61), a reader asks a question about information provided by his dealer. He was told by the service manager that trailer tires are NOT balanced. The answer from Trailer Life staff was interesting - here it is:
"When your local service manager said, "RV trailer tires are not balanced," he was right for the most part. RV manufacturers generally do not balance the tires on new trailers that roll from their factories, most likely because it would add to the cost and hasn't been done traditionally. However, the fact that this is what most RV manufacturers do certainly doesn't make it right.
RV trailer tires should be balanced for the same reasons that the tires on your tow vehicle are balanced. The long-term benefits of running balanced tires far outweigh the minor added up-front cost. Balanced tires produce less vibration-induced damage to the RV, and although there are no occupants in the trailer to feel the shaking, it's still happening. Balanced tires run smoother and last longer with less er*ratic tread wear, and that makes them more reliable.
Given the current problems with cheap imported tires on many trailers and fifth-wheels, balancing the tires is the simplest way to start improving your trailer's rolling reliability."
I never noticed because I use Centramatics (all balancing issues solved) that I had the dealer install during a routine warranty visit. However, it would be interesting to know if Heartland does or does not balance their wheels. I figured that this info would also be interesting for those of you who assume that your wheels are balanced. If they are not, I'd recommend having them done or installing Centramatics. This may have helped some of the folks here who had Blowmax issues.
Just an FYI.
In the October 2017 Iissue of Trailer Life (p61), a reader asks a question about information provided by his dealer. He was told by the service manager that trailer tires are NOT balanced. The answer from Trailer Life staff was interesting - here it is:
"When your local service manager said, "RV trailer tires are not balanced," he was right for the most part. RV manufacturers generally do not balance the tires on new trailers that roll from their factories, most likely because it would add to the cost and hasn't been done traditionally. However, the fact that this is what most RV manufacturers do certainly doesn't make it right.
RV trailer tires should be balanced for the same reasons that the tires on your tow vehicle are balanced. The long-term benefits of running balanced tires far outweigh the minor added up-front cost. Balanced tires produce less vibration-induced damage to the RV, and although there are no occupants in the trailer to feel the shaking, it's still happening. Balanced tires run smoother and last longer with less er*ratic tread wear, and that makes them more reliable.
Given the current problems with cheap imported tires on many trailers and fifth-wheels, balancing the tires is the simplest way to start improving your trailer's rolling reliability."
I never noticed because I use Centramatics (all balancing issues solved) that I had the dealer install during a routine warranty visit. However, it would be interesting to know if Heartland does or does not balance their wheels. I figured that this info would also be interesting for those of you who assume that your wheels are balanced. If they are not, I'd recommend having them done or installing Centramatics. This may have helped some of the folks here who had Blowmax issues.
Just an FYI.
