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I bought a 2011 Bullet from a coworker. The trailer itself was in unbelievably perfect condition. The tires had no wear that I could determine and looked great too (Armor all can mask things). On our first trip, I blew the first tire about 25 minutes away from home. Replaced with the spare. The second tire on the same side blew an hour later, forcing me to unhook and drive 30 minutes to get a replacement. When I got to the campground, the next day, I replaced the 2 on the other side just to be safe. The tires that shredded were Goodyear Marathons, load rating "C."
I did some research and saw that Bullet put Load rated "D" tires on similarly sized new trailers. Hmmmmm I said to myself, and replaced all 5 tires with Load Rated "D" Goodyear Endurance.
Here's what I have learned:
- If I ever buy another used trailer, I will replace the tires ASAP--no question.
- Unlike the previous owner, the tires are on PT wood, not the ground.
- Unlike the previous owner, All 5 tires are covered, not exposed to the sun & elements.
- The 2 ton jack provided was insufficient. The 3 ton I replaced it with works fine.
- Repair of the underside and the shroud cost almost as much as 5 new tires. I'm fortunate that I could do all repairs myself, except for painting of the shroud ($312)
- I will treat the tires as the most important part of the trailer, along with the bearings, brakes and hitch.
- I will investigate and install a TPMS (Assuming I can afford it.)
Recommendations on the TPMS are welcome. And.....I don't blame my co-worker a bit.
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