What kind of tire life do you guys get out of your trailer tires?

It seems like I go through tires fairly quickly with my car trailer, maybe not. I've had my trailer going on 8 years. In those 8 years I replaced the original set that came new on the trailer. I have also replace one tire that wore down when the brake on one wheel locked up. I have also replaced 2 after one blew out on the interstate and sliced the one in front of it. Weekend before last another tire blew apart. I checked out the other 3 and 2 look pretty good but the 3rd looks a little thin. I am planning to replace all 4 as soon as I get the money.

I realize tires wear out but I don't put nearly the miles I do on my truck and it seems like the tires on the trailer wear out faster. One thing I think must affect them a lot is turning, with the tires being so close, front to back, there is a lot of "scrubbing" of the tires, this has to wear them down. Also overloading would wear them down but I don't overload the trailer although some people who use the trailer really don't care about my equipment when they use it and might overload it when they use it. When these people, family members, use anything I own it usually comes back with some kind of slight damage.

 

On my old trailer in the last 10years I probably put 12-16 tires on it, but then again my favorite brand has been "maypops" I was always putting the bald tires from my wifes mini van on it.

With DOT regulations I will no longer run any "used car" tires on the trailer. ONLY "ST" rated tires from now on

My new trailer now has 5,000 miles on it and they still look very good. I'm going to expect 20,000 miles from new rubber and they are ST trailer tires

 

I have put a lot of miles on my car trailer and have never worn one out for tread wear. They get dry rot cracks before the tread goes away, which is more dangerous. I had one that must of been dry rotted and the tread separated and folded up the fender like a piece of paper, so I keep an eye out for cracking between the treads or on the sidewall. I also use car tires, usually from the swap meets, havent run true trailer tires in many years.
Do all 4 tires wear the same? Wear evenly? Could have a bent axle.

 

I used to have a very small light travel trailer (1300 lbs with 14" wheels). The forum for these was full of people who had tires fail, sometimes with less than a thousand miles on them, despite each tire being rated for the full loaded weight of the trailer. These were "reasonably" brand name ST tires. I needed new tires and did a lot of research into ST tires. Seems like there are two problems, the primary one being Hecho en China on almost all of them, plus a few stinker designs from US brands (that were recalled). The other big problem (especially in the SW) was heat buildup, with tread separation.

What I found most interesting was the number of people who said they had the best luck with nearly used-up P-series (passenger) tires. Their theory was that ST tires with their many plies and bias construction were building up heat, while the P-series radials just didn't get hot. One guy I know used to live in NM and hauled his racecars on a trailer with tires he bought at the boneyard, and even in 100 deg weather and long highway trips never, ever had a blowout or failure. When he got older and had more money, he started buying new ST tires and had problems all the time, almost lost his trailer one time.

I sure can't recommend the practice of worn-out tires but I found a lot of people saying the same thing: the new ST tires are junk, and they run hot.

 

My dual axle 10k lb GVWR trailer is about 9 years old. I traded a guy for it while still under warranty, knowing the axles were bent. The trailer manufacturer replaced the axles under warranty but would do nothing about the tires that were showing wear. I have pulled the trailer probably 10K miles and the tires still have some tread. I keep it shedded and the tires show no signs of cracking. I did have to replace all the Chi-com valve stems. I will replace all tires, including the spare, prior to next long distance trip.

I see may people overloading the 3500 lb axles, not realizing it, thus leading to tire failure. Pretty easy to overload a 7K lb GVWR trailer.

 

I have only run trailer tires on this trailer. I've been told by guys who know more about tires than I do that running car tires on a trailer is a big NO-NO! Ross, you have some interesting information. My neighbor and a few other people I know run car tires all of the time and seem not to have any problems, at least from what I know. Before I bought my trailer I used a couple of these trailers and never had a pulling problem.

I'll have to check my axles, but from looking from behind I don't notice any inward pitch but I haven't check it in a while and like I said, others who don't care have used it for hauling scrap. BTW, this last spring I repaired the dents and scratches in the fenders and welded the fender mountings that were done by others. At that time I replaced all four brake assemblies. Brakes work great.

 

I'd like to hear what RHopper has to say about it, he's a tire distributor.

 

Ross, I PMed RHopper to ask him to drop in and give his opinion.

 

I have 14k miles on my 2005 Haulmark trailer with the original tires and they still look good. My 2010 Wildwood RV trailer has less miles so those tires look good also. Both trailers came with ST tires from China. I keep them aired to the max of 50 psi all the time. Both trailers are stored inside a pole barn, so no sun load and no sidewall cracking.

 

My trailer is stored outside, I try to find a shady place but on a farm it's always being moved around. I don't have much of a problem with cracking just tread wear.

 

As a trailer manufacturer myself, the quality of tires has decreased over the past few years. Less natural rubber and more "fillers" are being used, or so my tire people tell me. Many people claim that if you buy American tires versus Chinese made, you are better off. Sadly, MOST tires, even if they are "American" brands, are made off shore.

One of the biggest killers of trailer tires besides incorrect tire pressure (which causes heat buildup) is UV rays and sitting for long periods flattening out. By covering up the tires while the trailer sits for months, you can increase the lifespan by years. Also having the weight on the tires naturally creates flat areas within the tire. Letting a trailer sit for months without use hurts them. Try letting your truck sit out in the heat and sun and see what happens. Oh wait we already do that.

Not a week goes by that I, as the trailer manufacturer, don't gets blamed for some tire issues. I didn't build the tire, just like Ford didn't build the tire. I simply put on what I think is a good tire for the price. Consumers need to realize that tires are wear items. Sorry, it's true. I also see a lot guys that run under-inflated tires or overloaded tires and then blame the trailer or the tire. How many times has someone put 5000# on a 3500# and then complain when there is a failure? I live it all the time. Keep in mind when you buy a trailer, we are not putting the topdollar, high-end tires on. Tire prices on the wholesale side have increased a lot since 2007 and to stay competitive we can't include the most expensive tire. No one wants to pay the extra but they want the best included for the price. It's a balancing act.

Also if a trailer axle is out of true, it will wear a tire prematurely. Measure from the back and check if your axle is square to the frame. Even an 1/8" off will wear.

Lastly, I have a pet peeve I will air here. People that use passenger (P) tires on a trailer. Not saying all of you do that. Trailers should always use a trailer tire (ST), period. The sidewalls on a ST tire are meant to hold up better. Running passenger or truck tires (with a "P" rating) is asking for sidewall issues.

 

Are you saying they offer better protection from road hazards on the sidewall? or is sidewall stiffness some benefit?

What about LT tires?

Something else not mentioned is that ST tires seem to cost 2x what they should, especially considering their origins.

 

ST tires are essentially a tire that combines passenger car tire construction techniques, with heavy duty truck tire fabric and cord materials. This results in an ST tire having a higher LT type load rating with the lower air pressure requirements and softer, shock absorbing sidewalls of a passenger tire. There are also extra UV inhibitors and oils added to the rubber to help in storage.

Also, ST tires have strengthened sidewalls to prevent the tire from rolling under the rim in turns and when cornering. They should never be used on a live drive axle or steering axle.

LT can be used on trailers from what we have been told because the built-up sidewalls are strong enough for the sideways strain placed on the tires. HOWEVER, some state DOT's do not recognize LT tires are proper for trailer use. To keep in compliance with USDOT and trailer manufacturing association we only run ST tires. P tires do not have the material in them to withstand the side loads placed on the tire. Again it all comes down to tire pressure, UV exposure, cargo weight, road surface and fitness of axle and placement.


DISCLAIMER: I am speaking from personal opinions and knowledge. I don't represent any company views. If you take what I say as gospel, apply it to real life and then have problems, don't bother suing me, I am a Ford truck addict and therefore have no money. You have been warned.

 

Just a quickie on P rated tires on a trailer. My trailer wears ST 225 75 R15s with a sidewall rating of 2540 lbs. There is my 10K lb capacity. If I were to go with P 225 75 R15s, they have a sidewall load rating of 1874 lbs so I would be under rated on the trailer. IMO, it is all about load capacity.

 

I purchased my triple axle 3 years and 3 months ago. it had a mix n match p series and lt tires etc (plus all different sizes) so the first thing I did was buy 4 new ST trailer tires for it (goodyears) and two nearly new used ones. so far they have held up great with an estimate of at least 15k miles on the tires. maybe more? I think the biggest thing causing rapid tire wear is underinflation and unbalanced loads (or maybe overloaded) I have yet to have a blowout... Knock on wood...

I've hauled some big trucks in three years, and some smaller ones... just a sampling.