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menpru1949

RVF Newbee
Joined
Apr 5, 2021
Messages
2
Hi there! I'm 72 years old and very new to solo Rv'ing and am looking forward to learning and sharing with all of you. My husband and I have done years of 5th wheel, pull trailer, and 37 foot motorhoming around the country. My husband passed away in early 2019. The motorhome was much more than I needed for rving and I definitely had never been comfortable driving it. I sold it a year ago. Now I've bought myself a new Chevy Silverado 1500 with the 5.3L EcoTec3 V8 engine with DFM, 8-speed automatic transmission, and has the Max Trailering Package. Next I found a 2012 Lance 1685 pull trailer in pristine condition. Apparently kept covered at all times when not in use. My son and family has taken it for a 5 day trial run and no problems discovered.
My first question is the 3 of the four tires are same with stamp date of 3/2015 the fourth tire is another brand with a 2016 stamp. Should I or do I need to replace these tires since there is no more than 7000 miles on them and they've been sheltered from the elements...but they're at least 5 years old?
 
I just replaced my tires on my cargo trailer. They too were made in 15, same year my cargo was made. The tires looked like new and a short trip to the tire dealer didn't produce any cracks.

Although the tires could likely go the 7 years the carcass should go, the cost to replace and rebuild a tire well made the 600 bucks look worth the while. I did keep the tires for a friends yard trailer and the spare. But that is as far as I would trust them.
 
Welcome from Georgia!

Looks like one tire has already blown out and has been replaced. The camper manufacturers are cheapening up everything they can to keep the prices as low as they can while still making a good profit. No where in that sentence did I mention the word quality. Unfortunately tires are one area where they have cut cost by buying the cheapest tires they can find. People with travel trailers affectionately refer to them as "China Bombs". If I were you, considering that you travel alone, I would change the tires to a quality brand and also get a very heavy ply rating for insurance. These should be good for 7 - 10 years as long as you don't get any sidewall cracking.
 
Welcome from Georgia!

Looks like one tire has already blown out and has been replaced. The camper manufacturers are cheapening up everything they can to keep the prices as low as they can while still making a good profit. No where in that sentence did I mention the word quality. Unfortunately tires are one area where they have cut cost by buying the cheapest tires they can find. People with travel trailers affectionately refer to them as "China Bombs". If I were you, considering that you travel alone, I would change the tires to a quality brand and also get a very heavy ply rating for insurance. These should be good for 7 - 10 years as long as you don't get any sidewall cracking.
thanks for this information. EZ, can you name a few quality trailer tire brands. TIA
 
thanks for this information. EZ, can you name a few quality trailer tire brands. TIA
By quality I mean name brands you've heard of before like Goodyear, Michelin, Bridgestone, Cooper, etc. I would also include Toyo as I have heard a LOT of good testimonies about them from RV owners. I'd go look at the tires on your camper and stay away from whatever brand they are if they are the tires that came on it. I bet you have a hard time pronouncing the brand name if they were the original tires. Unless you speak Chinese. lol.

Curious where your tires are made??? Where Are Tires Made? (28 Brands Explained!)
 
By quality I mean name brands you've heard of before like Goodyear, Michelin, Bridgestone, Cooper, etc. I would also include Toyo as I have heard a LOT of good testimonies about them from RV owners. I'd go look at the tires on your camper and stay away from whatever brand they are if they are the tires that came on it. I bet you have a hard time pronouncing the brand name if they were the original tires. Unless you speak Chinese. lol.

Curious where your tires are made??? Where Are Tires Made? (28 Brands Explained!)
Hey @"EZ" looked up the link! After considering what I read I have to tell you I think it is more about how and what materials are used than location of manufacturer. A few years back I looked at some of my major branded tires and found them made all over the place. Goodyear seems to have a good reputation in trailer tires. However I think many things come into play with this. I just looked at my tires and found one set that I didn't suspect were made in china, were. The brand is a good one so I will not run to the tire store about the fact. I have yanked around RV's(trailers) from early 70's for countless miles with only 4 blow outs, 2 under normal driving conditions. The drivers are mostly to blame for the bomb stories. Have you ever wondered why Uhaul has 45mph painted on their trailer fenders? Maybe why some states still have a max speed limit of 55mph for pulling trailers? Well the combination of improperly loaded, over weight, and high speeds. are the reason most tires blow on trailers. Most trailers even improperly loaded will not wag the dog at 45 mph to about 55 where it becomes more of a problem. People don't get it! They don't weigh, they don't check tong weight, They are lax on checking their tires pressure, temperature, and condition. Probably the biggest offence is the thought they can keep up with the cars not pulling trailers because the truckers do. Trailer just are not the family car.
 
Hey @"EZ" looked up the link! After considering what I read I have to tell you I think it is more about how and what materials are used than location of manufacturer. A few years back I looked at some of my major branded tires and found them made all over the place. Goodyear seems to have a good reputation in trailer tires. However I think many things come into play with this. I just looked at my tires and found one set that I didn't suspect were made in china, were. The brand is a good one so I will not run to the tire store about the fact. I have yanked around RV's(trailers) from early 70's for countless miles with only 4 blow outs, 2 under normal driving conditions. The drivers are mostly to blame for the bomb stories. Have you ever wondered why Uhaul has 45mph painted on their trailer fenders? Maybe why some states still have a max speed limit of 55mph for pulling trailers? Well the combination of improperly loaded, over weight, and high speeds. are the reason most tires blow on trailers. Most trailers even improperly loaded will not wag the dog at 45 mph to about 55 where it becomes more of a problem. People don't get it! They don't weigh, they don't check tong weight, They are lax on checking their tires pressure, temperature, and condition. Probably the biggest offence is the thought they can keep up with the cars not pulling trailers because the truckers do. Trailer just are not the family car.
You are absolutely correct on all accounts Kevin. But a single woman that doesn't know how or isn't able to change her own tires when they blow out needs to put a little something in her corner to help. This is why I suggested she stay away from the off-brand Chineese tires that apparently a lot of travel trailer OEM's are using nowadays to save money. Of course, perhaps even more important than quality heavy ply tires, would be checking the air pressure and general condition before every trip! Good advice for sure! ;)
 

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