Should I Replace Tires Before a Road Trip?

[dogbert]

2 most common causes of blowouts are dry rot tires and under-inflation. Like Chpthrill says, check the date code on the tire to see how old they really are, I bet they were 1-2 years old when they were put on the trailer.

Also check the load rating on the tire, I went with a load rating with a comfortable buffer between the weight of my boat and trailer and the tires. My original tires were just barely at the limit.

I just replaced all 5 tires (including the spare) and replaced one of the hubs (because I couldn't get the wheel off). I spent a lot of quality time with the folks at Magnum trailer in the process (mainly because they were 2-3 weeks out and I didn't have that kind of time due to an upcoming Wake the World event). Here's what I learned:

1. Tire pressure matters, Magnum recommended running tires at their maximum pressure. Chpthrill is spot on.
2. Load range is rated at maximum tire pressure and also matters. I went with load range D (which is probably overkill, but my boat weights 3.8K lbs dry + trailer, so probably 5K-6K lbs) which give me a comfortable margin (2K per tire). Check the specific load range chart for the tire you are considering. i went with Carlisle Radial Trail HDs, load range D. Ewok is spot on.
3. Age matters. Here in Texas any tire more than 5 years old is suspect. Where you store your boat matters too, if it's inside, there's less damage from the sun.
4. Check the speed rating on your tires, excessive speed can wear tires prematurely. The Goodyears I replaced had a speed rating of 65 MPH, the new Carlisles are rated at 80MPH+. The longer your trip, the more this becomes a factor.
5. Check your hubs. When in doubt, get the repacked with grease. Hubs/axles can last a long time (mine are 20 years old) if you do the regular maintenance (I repack them once a year and keep my bearing buddies topped off).
6. Check for even tire wear. Uneven wear can be an indication of bigger problems

Blowouts can cause damage, but generally won't ruin your trip. Having an axle seize up definitely can.

[BCRider]

ummmmmmm Carlisle's are the last thing I would put on my worst enemies trailer let alone mine. They are known throughout the boating and RV Trailer industry as "China Bombs".

When I had a blow out a few years back even the local tire shop said Carlisle's are the worst trailer tire out there. Maybe they aren't so bad anymore and hopefully they work out for you.

[dogbert]

ummmmmmm Carlisle's are the last thing I would put on my worst enemies trailer let alone mine. They are known throughout the boating and RV Trailer industry as "China Bombs".

When I had a blow out a few years back even the local tire shop said Carlisle's are the worst trailer tire out there. Maybe they aren't so bad anymore and hopefully they work out for you.

We'll see. It took a while for me to come around to this decision and Magnum normally doesn't carry tires that have issues, but there weren't a lot of options. Thanks for the feedback.