Blown trailer tire

[todda]

So, on our way home (LUCKILY!) from our vacation with our 99 SNOB, we blew a tire on our single axel DHM trailer. Just FYI to anyone...like myself...who had never had this experience...I found out that a vertical piston jack that my Dodge truck comes factory equipped, doesn't fit under the axel when you are sitting on the rim. I will now throw a scissor jack in the truck when I tow, to avoid having to call a tow truck to use their floor jack. Avoid sitting on the side of the road for 2 hrs with a 4 yr old and 2 yr old in the back-seat of the truck asking every 30 seconds "why aren't we home yet?!?"

Question...I have heard some replace their trailer tires every 7 yrs even if you don't have many miles on them....anyone on here subscribe to that one? I probably only had 2000 miles on these tires so I was suprised to see it go.

Todd

[bubba]

I do not put 100 miles on my tires a year, but if I was going on a trip any tire over eight years old I would replace. Two road trips that I can recall taking in my younger years resulted in old tires with very few miles on them failing. Better safe than sorry.

[east tx skier]

I start keeping a close eye on them after 3 full seasons.

Been there with the axle so low you couldn't get a jack under it. Had a floor jack and the expedition jack. I think I lifted up the hub with one jack, rested the axle on the spare, got the floor jack under the axle, and finally got it up. All this with big rigs and everyone else tearing by me and the boat I was transporting for sale on the side of I-30.

It's not the mileage. Its age and, often, heat. My tires were in their fourth season when this happened. Tread separated on one and the other wasn't far from it. Replaced them both when I stopped at the tire shop 20 miles later.

[gride300]

tread has virtually nothing to do with trailer tire life. it's age. 5 years is the max life. i recently discovered this fact and am very glad i now know and also know to check the date on my tire before i buy.