Tire Replacement

[Joe Yankee]

I know tires should be replaced based on age and exposure to the sun's UV rays, and not necessarily on mileage or thread wear but I was wondering what the expected wear would be on a new set of tires for a planned trip of 15,000 - 18,000 miles?

Should the tires on a 4-5 yr old late model 22T with very little use and stored mostly indoors be replaced before such a trip? These tires still have most of the rubber feelers showing; that's how little they have been used. For peace of mind I would have to say yes.

 

[Wrascal]

Just my cheapskate opinion, but for a trip like that I'd buy two new spares and then run the old ones till they blew.

 

[campthewestcoast]

If a tire blows, it will probably do significant damage to the lower interior cabinets of your Hi-Lo. The fender wells are made of light gauge sheet metal and they will come apart if you have a tire blow-out.

The kitchen cabinets and the dinette were built around those light weight sheet metal wheel wells. If the wheel wells fail, you will have pieces of rubber tire bouncing around inside your kitchen cabinets which could damage your plumbing and gas lines.

We have a friend who had this happen and ended up spending over $3,000 for the repairs.

So, I would replace the tires, repack the wheel bearings and do a complete brake inspection.

 

[Joe Yankee]

If a tire blows, it will probably do significant damage to the lower interior cabinets of your Hi-Lo. The fender wells are made of light gauge sheet metal and they will come apart if you have a tire blow-out.

The kitchen cabinets and the dinette were built around those light weight sheet metal wheel wells. If the wheel wells fail, you will have pieces of rubber tire bouncing around inside your kitchen cabinets which could damage your plumbing and gas lines.

We have a friend who had this happen and ended up spending over $3,000 for the repairs.

So, I would replace the tires, repack the wheel bearings and do a complete brake inspection.

I would agree. I just wouldn't feel comfortable knowing the tires were 4-5 yrs old and could blow out at any time on such a trip. Repacking bearings and inspecting brakes I would do myself and any cost would be minimal. The cost of tires would have to be factored into what I expected to spend in a short amount of time before setting off on such a trip late next Spring.

 

[jcurtis95]

I would agree. I just wouldn't feel comfortable knowing the tires were 4-5 yrs old and could blow out at any time on such a trip. Repacking bearings and inspecting brakes I would do myself and any cost would be minimal. The cost of tires would have to be factored into what I expected to spend in a short amount of time before setting off on such a trip late next Spring.

Joe,

Since you are taking a very long extended trip, I think aside from the tires being safe, your peace of mind and the care and concern for your family's well being, you re making wise decision by replacing the tires. We recently sold our HiLo and I had just put [4] brand new tires on it. The old tires looked good with lots of tread and I kept them inflated properly. One day a couple of summers ago, I walked outside and looked toward the trailer and one of the tires had a blowout in the driveway sitting still!! It was a 2006 Tow lite and subsequent investigation revealed the tires were actually older than the trailer.

The HiLo was almost totaled this past spring from the hail so I fixed it up and sold it. Due to my wife's health, we bought our first ever motor home, a 2005 Class C with only 32K miles on it. Before taking possession, I requested the dealer take it to a tire shop and replace the original tires. He called me and said the tire dealer had given them a clean bill of health with good tread, even wear, only 32K miles, etc. and should be good for another 20K miles. When we hit the road we drove 100 miles and I could tell by the response on the highway that I did not trust the tires nor would I have any peace of mind so we stopped at a Firestone dealer and I settle on 6 brand new tires. Here's the kicker; the dealer had evidently tried to get the tires off and could not. It took [2] and sometimes [3] young men working for three hours just to get the wheels off! I had never seen anything like it, the rims were actually rusted onto the axles. Anyway, I feel safe and secure now and will for several more years. had I been satisfied with the old tires and gotten caught out on the highway and had a flat or blowout, it would have cost a fortune to repair on the road.

Incidentally, I have a post back a couple years ago on the tires I put on our 2406Towlite and if you have not already selected your tires, I would highly recommend that you check into the Gremax TS [trailer safe] tires. They came highly recommended to me and I was very happy with them. I got 10-ply which was overkill but they were not as expensive as the big name brand tires.

Safe travels...

jcurtis95
Fredericksburg, TX

 

[Joe Yankee]

I used to have a tandem axle car trailer with 15" wheels & radial tires. Loaded, the trailer & cargo weighed 4500#. I pulled that thing everywhere, including in the desert and in the mountains. Other than proper inflation and watching thread life I never gave those tires a second thought. Never had a problem with a tire. I've also had a 20' bass boat on a single axle trailer when it probably should have been a tandem axle and towed it everywhere fishing bass tournaments. Except for having one flat tire caused by a nail, I never had a problem with it either. Never had a blowout; I wonder what has changed?

I want to thank everyone for their comments and input. My plans will probably have to change now due to budgetary reasons.

 

[sam-HILO]

Getting a HiLo

I hear you about budget concerns. DH went to the dentist today with a cracked tooth and now we need to come up with $800.00 for a crown. He already had another large dentist bill this year. Be patient and a HiLo in your price point will come along.

 

[RCREYES]

Tire replacement time

What is the best way to do a four tire replacement? Take one wheel in at a time or is there a way to jack it up and do all four at the same time?

 

[C317414]

What is the best way to do a four tire replacement? Take one wheel in at a time or is there a way to jack it up and do all four at the same time?

Ruben,

The last time I purchased tires, the shop jacked up the whole trailer. They used four jacks with wooden pads on the frame rails, as close to the wheels as possible. It was a slow day at the tire shop and they put 3 people on the job. I was in and out in a few minutes.

Don't forget to get the wheels/tires balanced. Many shops will tell you it is not necessary. My position is that vibration from unbalanced wheels will wear the suspension, bearings, etc. It may also loosen the structure, interior, etc.

 

[RCREYES]

Ruben,

The last time I purchased tires, the shop jacked up the whole trailer. They used four jacks with wooden pads on the frame rails, as close to the wheels as possible. It was a slow day at the tire shop and they put 3 people on the job. I was in and out in a few minutes.

Don't forget to get the wheels/tires balanced. Many shops will tell you it is not necessary. My position is that vibration from unbalanced wheels will wear the suspension, bearings, etc. It may also loosen the structure, interior, etc.

Thanks, Raul.

 

[Wrascal]

Quick FOUR tire change: Ferrari F1 Pit Stop Perfection

Note they enter the video at about 34 seconds, out by 37 seconds.