When to replace trailer tires?

[M&T_campers]

Hi All,
New member, first post. I'm having a hard time figuring out when to replace the original OEM tires on my 20ft North Trail TT. Everything I've read assumes the trailer is stored outdoors, but ours has always been stored indoors, so the only time the tires are exposed to sunlight is when we take it on a camping trip. Since the summer of 2016 when we bought it new, it's been on 27 trips totaling about 8400 mi. Some folks say replace tires every 3 yrs, others say 5 yrs. My tires (ST205/75R14) still look almost new, so it's hard to believe I need to replace them. Any thoughts for my unique situation? Also any recommendations for new tires (brand/type)? Thanks everyone!
Mike

 

[TrailCreek]

I had a similar problem and found out the hard way. The tire dealer manager said they couldn't resell tires that were 5 years old by law. Two of mine (original tires, 5.5 years old) separated tread and blew out the same day, hours apart, causing thousands in damage to my 5th wheel. My rule is now 4.5 years max, including spare. They said a spare is as important as any tire as it will likely be used and carrying the same load. Cheap insurance.

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[Bogie]

IMHO once your tires reach 5 years you are flirting with tire failure regardless of how they look. So it just comes down to how much of a gambler you want to be. For me, the cost of tires outweighs the cost of repairing the trailer after a blowout.

I changed mine out last year. Including the spare that had never been on the ground.

 

[RoadJunkie]

Be sure you read and go by the date code on the tires; They may be older than you think?

 

[david-steph2018]

Changed out our tires this morning. The old tires had a date code of 2417 with almost 25,000 miles since we bought the Road Warrior new in October 2017.

 

[M&T_campers]

Thanks everyone for your insight & perspective. How do you read the date code and where is it on the tires? For example, what does a date code of 2417 mean? Is that 2/4/2017?

 

[danemayer]

Thanks everyone for your insight & perspective. How do you read the date code and where is it on the tires? For example, what does a date code of 2417 mean? Is that 2/4/2017?

I believe it's the 24th week of 2017. So that would be mid-June and they're coming up on the 5 year anniversary.

 

[cookie]

Is your date code (2417)?
If it is I'm confused.
I don't know how those could be on a trailer purchased in 2016.

Peace
Dave

 

[danemayer]

I was planning on replacing our 4 year old Goodyear G614 tires but one lost its tread 300 miles before getting to the location where the tires would be replaced. I replaced them with higher capacity Goodyear G114 tires on 17.5" wheels. When the tread came off, it caused about $2,500 in body damage. Goodyear had a tire failure damage policy for those tires and covered the cost of roadside replacement and reimbursed the body shop work. I replaced the G114 tires after 5 years, even though they looked great. Tire failures are a big deal. The latest 4 replacement tires cost about $1,300. So over 5 years, that would be $260/year. Would I want to save $200-300 by going an extra year, and take the risk of severe damage to the trailer? Not me.

 

[danemayer]

Is your date code (2417)?
If it is I'm confused.
I don't know how those could be on a trailer purchased in 2016.

Peace
Dave

Dave, the 2417 code is not from the OP. He used that as an example picking it up from another post.

 

[sengli]

I kinda follow the 6 year rule on replacements, just due to age. But we never usually towed our rig in the summer heat (80-90 degrees) due to the fact we only camped in the early spring or late fall. Plus we didnt put a lot of miles on our rig either, as we just camped locally for the most part.

 

[TrailCreek]

Our problem happened last summer. We pulled in 109 degrees or 40mph crosswinds. I think our 5 year old tires with 7,500 miles on them couldn't handle it. We monitored temps and pressure, stopping when necessary. Still, August 13th was a fun day. Back to back blowouts, about $6,500 in damage.

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[suntanman1951]

Thanks everyone for your insight & perspective. How do you read the date code and where is it on the tires? For example, what does a date code of 2417 mean? Is that 2/4/2017?

2417 stands for the 24th week of 2017. The first number is weeks of the year.

 

[M&T_campers]

Thanks all for explaining the date code! Anyone have recommendations on good brands for replacement tires??? My trailer came with Westlake "Super ST" tires.

 

[suntanman1951]

Thanks all for explaining the date code! Anyone have recommendations on good brands for replacement tires??? My trailer came with Westlake "Super ST" tires.

I like Carlisle trail HD. Have used on my last two TT.

 

[Ducky]

I put Goodyear Endurance tires on my 5th Wheel within 3 months of original purchase (May 2017). No issues with the tires until May 2021 when one of the tires blew out. Luckily no damage. Went on another outing and had just left Cortez CO when another tire blew. This time it caused damage to the metal and wheel wells. By the time we got to Durango another tire had a slit in it, so ended up purchasing 3 new tires while on the road. My new rule of thumb will be replacing every 3 years. If you are in Durango and need a good tire shop, look up Four States Tire and Service. They had a mobile service technician come directly to our campsite and change all the tires on the spot. Very reasonable cost as well. Safe travels

 

[RoadJunkie]

I am currently in the process of updating my original Saliun, G-Rated, tires with exact replacements. By some alignment of the stars coincidence, my original tires dated (3816) and my new tires are dated (3821).

 

[M&T_campers]

Thanks again everybody for your input! I have 5 new Carlisle Trail HD tires on order.

 

[TrailCreek]

Make sure you check the date code on your spare.

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[M&T_campers]

Will do, TrailCreek. Thanks for that reminder.