How Long Do Trailer Tires Last? Ways To Increase Their Lifetime
No matter what type of travel trailer you have, road safety is always the number one priority at all time. And one of the most influential factors when it comes to this subject is the status of your tires. A good set of tires will guarantee that your experiences with the trailer are safe and uneventful ones. However, after a period time in use, every tire will slowly degrade and you have to replace them with new ones. So how long do trailer tires last exactly? Is there any way you can lengthen its lifetime? You can find the answers to that right here.
There are a lot of elements that decide the lifetime of a tire, both directly and directly. Everything from the weather temperature, road friction to tire pressures and the usage frequency all affect the tire in one way or another. Eventually, you will need to think about ordering replacements instead of keeping the old tires. In order to determine when you have to this, there are sights and traits on the tires you can inspect. Couple with certain strategies and proper maintenances, you may even increase a tire effective lifetime too
What happens to a tire when it gets old?
Nothing last forever and the same can be said about the tire. Whether if you manage to buy the most expensive, top of the line products or not, time will take its toll on the tires. Cracks will start forming from the inside and the inside of tire which will steadily weaken its integrity. These cracks shall slowly spread all over the tire till one point they separate the tread steel belt from the rest of tire. Finally, if you keep using the tire after this, tire failures will occur and that is very dangerous. Â Traffic accident due to tire failures can lead to fatal results.
There are several manufacturers that utilize chemical agents and tread belt reinforcement methods on their tires. These will temporarily reduce the aging rate but will never be able to stop it completely. So it’s best that you take the matter into your own hand readily replace the tires when the need arises. Don’t try to save some bucks, get a new set of tires right away when your original one has clearly shown the effect of time. Purchasing and using used tires are also greatly discouraged for safety reason
How can you tell if the tire is new or not
You may already know that the numbers on the sidewall of a tire indicate its manufacturer specifications. Well, you can find the production date of a tire on there as well. Take a closer look and you will find a digit number called the DOT code. All tires that are produced after the year 2000 will have this code on them. The first two digits will tell you the week that the tire rolls out of the production line. Its year would be the second two. For example, a “3415” DOT code means the tire was manufactured in the 34th week of 2015.
That being said, do try to get tires with latest production date if possible. However, when you consider between unused tires on the shelf, you can choose anything you like if the production date gap is not too large. Â But if the gap is around 4 or 5 years, go with the newest ones available.
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How long do trailer tires last
Now you know what happens to aged tires and how to check their production dates, let move on to the crucial question. There are many opinions and debates about the expiration date of a tire. But it’s safe to say that the tire lifetime relies mostly on the manner that you use the tire. Heat, storage conditions and working environments are the leading factors in deciding the life of your tire. The characteristic of the tire rubber material is easily affected by them. So let break each of them down and see what they can do to your tires
Heat
Heat can come from a lot of sources such as the temperature, friction and even the regional climate. Peoples that frequently use the trailer in warm weathers and directly expose the tires to sunlight need to perform regular inspections. The degrading of rubber will be accelerated by these elements so keep an eye out.
Storage conditions
Even if you only use your trailer occasionally, the tires aging process still take place nonetheless. It will be slower compared to commonly used tires but maintenance is still needed. Don’t let them sink in dirt and debris, wash them over after use and keep the tires cleaned. Never let them flat out completely, make sure that the tire inflated pressure doesn’t fall too low.
Working environments
This is pretty much the way you use the trailer. Did you keep the tires pressure at the optimum level? Have your tires ever been punctured by anything? Tires of each trailer have a different aging pattern which depends on how often you use the trailer. Â Frequent maintenance also contributes its part here as well.
Can I increase the tires lifetime?
There are little things you can do except trying your best to reduce the aging rate. Tire cover is a wonderful way to shield the tire from heat and UV ray. While you can’t avoid the eventual replacement of the tire, the cover can more or less delay it. Keeping the pressure at a suitable level is also a great method. That will help even out the wearing rate and you can get the most out of it before buying a new one. Try not to use chemical cleaners on the tires since it may have a negative reaction on the rubber.
For the usage frequency, never let the trailer sit at one point for longer than six months. Perform regular check on the tire status and its pressure when it’s in storage
Conclusion
And that should cover most of the important parts, not too hard to take in, right? Taking care of your trailer tires is must if you want to use the trailer safely. How long do trailer tires last have a different answer depending on the user situations. But by making sure that the tires are well – maintenance, the tires can stick around you for years to come.
