Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 

Go Back   Keystone RV Forums > Keystone Tech Forums > Tires, Tires, Tires!
Click Here to Login

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 07-19-2017, 02:57 PM   #1
sourdough
Site Team
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: W. Texas
Posts: 17,598
Look at those tires on a used trailer!!

Got a phone call from an old friend I haven't seen in 40 years Saturday. He was stuck in my town due to a blown trailer tire. He got in touch with my friend that owns a tire shop and got it taken care of and went on his way saying he would stop by on the way back; he did today.

My friend bought a used 2013 (maybe 14?) bumper pull toyhauler. Said the tires "looked" like new and the guy almost never used it, so, he took off from S TX headed up to the cool pines of NM with his bikes in the back. He said at 100 miles he lost the first tire and bought 1 (ONE) new tire to replace it. Then, outside of our town, about 7 hours from where he had the first blowout he lost another tire at closing time for tire stores. He got that fixed. This was his first trip in the "new to him" trailer.

I asked if he had inspected the tires and he said they "looked like new".....and were almost never used. I asked if he had REALLY inspected the other 2 and he said they "looked OK" and he was going to see if he couldn't make it the 9 hours or so back. He's been gone about 4 hours and I hope I don't hear bad news back while he's traveling.

Just wanted to share that since we have some new folks buying "new to them" trailers. It underlines the importance of KNOWING what is on the ground and keeping fresh tires on the RV and keeping them properly maintained. Oh, he said when he pulled the spare off the back to put it on the ground with the first failure.....it wouldn't even fit; it was a 5 hole wheel and his wheels are 6!! You can't be too careful! Check and double check.
sourdough is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-19-2017, 03:07 PM   #2
Cheryl
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Calgary
Posts: 102
Quote:
Originally Posted by sourdough View Post
Got a phone call from an old friend I haven't seen in 40 years Saturday. He was stuck in my town due to a blown trailer tire. He got in touch with my friend that owns a tire shop and got it taken care of and went on his way saying he would stop by on the way back; he did today.

My friend bought a used 2013 (maybe 14?) bumper pull toyhauler. Said the tires "looked" like new and the guy almost never used it, so, he took off from S TX headed up to the cool pines of NM with his bikes in the back. He said at 100 miles he lost the first tire and bought 1 (ONE) new tire to replace it. Then, outside of our town, about 7 hours from where he had the first blowout he lost another tire at closing time for tire stores. He got that fixed. This was his first trip in the "new to him" trailer.

I asked if he had inspected the tires and he said they "looked like new".....and were almost never used. I asked if he had REALLY inspected the other 2 and he said they "looked OK" and he was going to see if he couldn't make it the 9 hours or so back. He's been gone about 4 hours and I hope I don't hear bad news back while he's traveling.

Just wanted to share that since we have some new folks buying "new to them" trailers. It underlines the importance of KNOWING what is on the ground and keeping fresh tires on the RV and keeping them properly maintained. Oh, he said when he pulled the spare off the back to put it on the ground with the first failure.....it wouldn't even fit; it was a 5 hole wheel and his wheels are 6!! You can't be too careful! Check and double check.
We have a new trailer. How long should we expect the tires to last? I don't go over 100 km and keep between 90 to 100 km. Will use it for some weekends and 1-2 week trips about 3 to 4 months of the year. Should you track the kms?

Sent from my SM-N920W8 using Tapatalk
Cheryl is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-19-2017, 03:33 PM   #3
hornet28
Senior Member
 
hornet28's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Muskegon
Posts: 356
We bought our used Hornet on a Sat morning and the next Fri had the new tires put on. The only way I'd run the tires that came on a used trailer was if they showed me a receipt showing the tires were just recently purchased. The hassle of a blowout with possible damage to the trailer makes new tires worth it
hornet28 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-19-2017, 03:47 PM   #4
CWtheMan
Senior Member
 
CWtheMan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Taylors, SC
Posts: 3,031
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cheryl View Post
We have a new trailer. How long should we expect the tires to last? I don't go over 100 km and keep between 90 to 100 km. Will use it for some weekends and 1-2 week trips about 3 to 4 months of the year. Should you track the kms?

Sent from my SM-N920W8 using Tapatalk
Mileage is not a factor when used as sparingly as your trailer is.

Idle time, in your case, is probably the most dangerous factor to the tires expected life cycle (3-5 years from day of first use. That use started when it left the factory.).

Chapter #4 in the following reference will provide you with loads of information about tire maintenance and proper storage for your trailer.

http://www.mcgeecompany.com/wp-conte...ete-manual.pdf
CWtheMan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-19-2017, 04:16 PM   #5
Johnny's Journey
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Downey, Ca.
Posts: 344
Five year rule of thumb. Good tire shop's here in California will look at the date code and if the tires are older than 5 years by law are not allowed to repair or even mount NOS or used loose tires. Your friend was just outside that window of 5 years based on year of trailer and how long the tires were made just prior. Even though they looked new the environment still took it's tole on them. Google class action cases in regards to this topic.
Johnny's Journey is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-19-2017, 04:33 PM   #6
sourdough
Site Team
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: W. Texas
Posts: 17,598
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cheryl View Post
We have a new trailer. How long should we expect the tires to last? I don't go over 100 km and keep between 90 to 100 km. Will use it for some weekends and 1-2 week trips about 3 to 4 months of the year. Should you track the kms?

Sent from my SM-N920W8 using Tapatalk

As CW has pointed out mileage will not be your issue. Deterioration of the tire will be the culprit. There are varying opinions on how long to keep the tires but in our case we will keep them 3 years. I thought differently when I bought this trailer in 2014 buy my first blowout came in 2016. I always keep my tires inflated and under loaded. I've gone up a load range so that helps as well. You need to make sure you have a reputable brand as well. If you have the OEM tires they would be suspect at best to me. If it's a heavy trailer, 10k up, I would contemplate replacing them sooner rather than later since RV manufacturers are known to put questionable tires on trailers that are maxed out to start with.
sourdough is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-19-2017, 04:39 PM   #7
busterbrown
Senior Member
 
busterbrown's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: SE Michigan
Posts: 1,659
Too many publicly traded stories of severe structural damage due to a tire blow out. Degradation of a tire happens even when tires are stationary (probably more so as rubber compounds do not get dispersed properly).

Simply put, investing a couple hundred dollars each year on quality tires (changed out every 3 years) is a no brainer for me. With my reputable tires and active TPMS system in place, I worry alot less. YMMV.
__________________
2017 Keystone Bullet 308BHS in Saddle.
2017 RAM 2500 Laramie Mega Cab 4x4 Hemi 6.4L
2008 GMC Yukon XL Denali (SOLD)
Hensley SwiftArrow Control Hitch with 1000 lb Spring Bars
Me, DW, (3) little DS's, and 1 rambunctious Boston Terrier

busterbrown is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-19-2017, 04:46 PM   #8
Johnny's Journey
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Downey, Ca.
Posts: 344
Okay, I spoke of 5 year rule because I'm a car person first and very new to travel trailers. What happen's to tires after time no matter the use is the same. So back to trailers. 3 years is the rule then. And as said just a moment ago sitting is more the issue. Thanks for that bit of info.
Johnny's Journey is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-19-2017, 05:50 PM   #9
Cheryl
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Calgary
Posts: 102
Thanks for the info. I never would have guessed they had such a short life span.

Sent from my SM-N920W8 using Tapatalk
Cheryl is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-19-2017, 07:25 PM   #10
B-O-B'03
Senior Member
 
B-O-B'03's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Texas
Posts: 1,085
I bought our trailer new in February of 2015, it was a holdover 2014 model.

The date codes on the tires were from 2013 and this season, the start of our third, I replaced the OEM tires, even though they still looked brand new (We had put just over 5K miles on them so far).

It was not worth my time or the hassle of potential damage to the trailer to keep them.

It was under $500 to replace them with 5 new Carlisle HD, mounted and balance, that I will feel comfortable keeping for 4 + seasons.

-Brian
__________________
2014 Bullet Premier 22RBPR - let the camping commence!
2013 F150 Platinum - 5.0 - 3.55 ELD + towing package
B-O-B'03 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-19-2017, 08:14 PM   #11
Ken / Claudia
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Fruitland
Posts: 3,357
A few years ago a young co worker was proud to tell me about his first rv a 10 year old TT. It sounded great. I told him check the tire dates, if older than 5 years get new ones even a new spare. Well, you guess it, he did not check the tires because they looked good. 1st trip he went hunting and got nearly 200 miles and blew the first tire. Made it the next 20 miles and got 5 new tires. Lost a day of vacation. Sometimes the old guys do know what they are talking about.
__________________
2013 24RKSWE (27ft TT) Cougar 1/2 ton series SOLD 10-2021
2013 Ford F350 4x4 CC 6.7 engine, 8 ft bed, 3.55 rear end, lariat package
Retired from Oregon State Police in 2011 than worked another 9.5 years as a small town traffic cop:
As of 05-2020, I am all done with 39 years total police work. No more uniforms for me.
Ken / Claudia is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-20-2017, 07:42 AM   #12
Cheryl
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Calgary
Posts: 102
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken / Claudia View Post
A few years ago a young co worker was proud to tell me about his first rv a 10 year old TT. It sounded great. I told him check the tire dates, if older than 5 years get new ones even a new spare. Well, you guess it, he did not check the tires because they looked good. 1st trip he went hunting and got nearly 200 miles and blew the first tire. Made it the next 20 miles and got 5 new tires. Lost a day of vacation. Sometimes the old guys do know what they are talking about.
Lol! Grateful for the advice from "seasoned" RVers.

Sent from my SM-N920W8 using Tapatalk
Cheryl is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-20-2017, 08:24 AM   #13
Desert185
Senior Member
 
Desert185's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Nevada
Posts: 2,695
Sourdough makes a good point.

Until I joined this forum I was admittedly ignorant of trailer tire requirements. At the time of joining, all I had was an older, used, enclosed, 7,000# GW, utility trailer with original to me P tires at least a decade old. I was lucky. As increased awareness caused me to pay more attention to replacement I noticed signs of impending failure. DT to the rescue with Carlisle's upgraded from LRC to LRD.
__________________
Desert185 🇺🇸 (Retired Chemtrail vendor)
-Ram 2500 QC, LB, 4x4, Cummins HO/exhaust brake, 6-speed stick.
-Andersen Ultimate 24K 5er Hitch.
-2014 Cougar 326SRX, Maxxis tires w/TPMS, wet bolts, two 6v batts.
-Four Wheel 8' Popup Camper.
Desert185 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-20-2017, 11:57 AM   #14
mfifield01
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 834
I learned the hard way about trailer tires on my previous boat trailer. I blew one on a single axle trailer. Luckily, nothing really got damaged. I checked the age on the tires and they were 7 years old. I did some research and came to realization that 4-5 years is the max on trailer tires.

Ironically, I was telling my DW that I should look at new tires for the trailer about 2 miles before it blew.
__________________
(SOLD) 2015 Keystone Passport 2810BH
2013 Ram 1500 Hemi 8-speed 3.92 Air Suspension
mfifield01 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
tires

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Keystone RV Company or any of its affiliates in any way. Keystone RV® is a registered trademark of the Keystone RV Company.


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 05:47 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.