I'm planning a trip from PA to Montana and I'll be hauling two motorcycles on my Aluma motorcycle trailer. I bought the trailer used in 2020 and the previous owner purchased the trailer new in 2018 so the trailer is about seven years old. My question is should I consider mounting new tires on the trailer since they're at least seven years old and have been on the trailer since it was purchased. There's no visible sign of dry rot on the sidewalls and the tread is pretty deep but I don't want to be stuck on the side of the road in the middle of no where so new tires would relieve me of any anxiety or am I just being paranoid?

I would normally say let them be, especially with no sign of dry rot. But, for a trip that long I would get new ones

For a trip that long on many miles of 80mph Interstate, I would absolutely replace them.

If you have the space and the extra money buy new wheels too. You'll have multiple spares for the long trip. (make sure you have a four way and a jack that will work on the trailer)

Replace the tires. I would think they are relatively 'cheap' compared to the value of the 2 motorcycles on the trailer. Motorcycle trailer tires are smaller in diameter, width and circumference than car/truck tires, so they work more over the distance of the trip. More revolutions per mile than the car/truck tires.

This is a good suggestion. Another thing to consider is the size of the tire of the trailer. I was towing a car dolly from Vegas to Ohio years ago when the dolly had a tire blowout. Fairly new tire with lot of thread. The belt snapped/broke and punctured the sidewall of the tire. I had difficulty finding another tire since the SIZE of the tire is an "odd" size. Took us several phone calls to fins a local tire place that have the size I need.

Having 2 sets of complete wheel and tire is a great idea. Do not throw away the old tires. Use them as Emergency or last resort spare. Replace BOTH tires now and save the old ones.

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Originally posted by Krazeehorse:
If you have the space and the extra money buy new wheels too. You'll have multiple spares for the long trip. (make sure you have a four way and a jack that will work on the trailer)

Even if you don't buy the extra wheels, take a tire with you so you have the right size for someone to mount in the middle of nowhere.

A quick look makes me think these are probably 13" wheels, so maybe not as cheap to just buy new wheel/tire. However you may be able to find a reasonably priced delivered option, save the cost of mounting/balancing two new tires, and have a spare to boot if you don't already.

That is exactly what I did with my trailer smoker.

eta - a second look makes me think that if you are ok with slightly less spiffy wheels, you can get wheel/tire combo for not much more than just the tire. Places like eTrailer, etc.

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Originally posted by Georgeair:
Even if you don't buy the extra wheels, take a tire with you so you have the right size for someone to mount in the middle of nowhere.

A quick look makes me think these are probably 13" wheels, so maybe not as cheap to just buy new wheel/tire. However you may be able to find a reasonably priced delivered option, save the cost of mounting/balancing two new tires, and have a spare to boot if you don't already.

That is exactly what I did with my trailer smoker.

eta - a second look makes me think that if you are ok with slightly less spiffy wheels, you can get wheel/tire combo for not much more than just the tire. Places like eTrailer, etc.

The trailer came with 14" aluminum rims so I prefer to keep them instead of going with a cheaper steel rim. I'll have a spare tire but maybe taking one of the old tires just in case might not be a bad idea.

Out of curiosity, what size, brand, load range, and speed rating are the old tires? All that information will be on the sidewall.

I’d replace them with Goodyear Endurance. My second choice would be Carlisle if Goodyear doesn’t make that size. I have Carlisle on both our tandem PWC trailers and had no issues towing them to Michigan and back 3,000 miles round trip each year for the last 4 years, although the goofy short wide ones on the one trailer are worn out.

Yes, not all trailer tires are equal. You could put new ones on, worse than the current ones.

I wouldn’t have a problem taking supplies with you to easily change a tire, then maybe 2 tires.

I think it’s the ‘ST’ type that are better, but depends on the size.

I would put new tires on and I would require Good Year Endurance. That is what I replaced all the tires on our travel trailer with. Seen lots of stuff on Rv forums about China bombs blowing apart in the first few days of use.

This is a good place to source trailer tires and wheels.


https://www.etrailer.com/dept-...ires_And_Wheels.aspx

You might (I'm not going to say for sure) be able to skate on the tires. Seven years isn't that old. However, you should have at least one spare. Trailer tires, because they "off-track" (i.e., take a different path through a turn than those of the tow vehicle), tend to get dragged through debris, run over pavement seams, etc., are subject to damage. More important than either is servicing the wheel bearings. Trust me, you don't want this to happen.



Some spindles are welded onto the trailer frame.

At least check them before taking off.

Replace them. The age is the problem and the damage you can't see. Very few people replace them due to wear as they don't get much.
Also, if these are OE tires, they're probably from a third world country and the cheapest that meets the spec.
Even if they were to make the trip, you'll be replacing them soon anyway due to age.
Also run them at the high end of the tire pressure recommendation as they'll run cooler that way (less flex).
And as shown above, be sure to check or repack the wheel bearings that have been sitting still for extended times. That's a real show stopper.

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I think it’s the ‘ST’ type that are better, but depends on the size.

An ST tire is specifically a trailer only tire. The testing for ST tires is not nearly as stringent as the testing for LT tires and passenger car tires. Last I read, an ST tire had to go 30 minutes at its load rating and speed rating without failure to pass. Passenger car and light truck (LT) tires needed to do the same for 2 1/2 hours plus pass other tests as well.

If you can get an LT tire in your size, that’d be a better option than an ST tire. In fact Goodyear’s best trailer tire, the G614RST, is rated an LT tire. I have them on my 5th wheel. The were $350 each and weighed 25lbs each more than the same size ST China bombs the replaced. Unlike normal tires that have polyester chords for the carcass and nylon and steel belts, the G614RSTs are all steel.

As others have said, at a minimum, have a spare and before you depart, check and service the bearings (if needed).

Another vote for replacing them. I had the pleasure of helping a friend replace two of his outdated tires on the same day on the roadside.
Second one was at dusk on I90/94 on the South side of Chicago across from the projects. Fun times.
I dubbed his car the "Road Kill" Honda that day.
Both tires had failed due to dry rot.

Can't emphasize enough about servicing the bearings. Bad bearings can wreak havoc on new tires. Agree with others on getting LT rated tires.

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More important than either is servicing the wheel bearings. Trust me, you don't want this to happen.

Thanks I get the bearings serviced annually or after I take a long trip, I had the bearings serviced/repacked back in November when I was planning a trip to AZ but had to cancel when I got sick.

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Originally posted by BOATTRASH1:
I would put new tires on and I would require Good Year Endurance. That is what I replaced all the tires on our travel trailer with. Seen lots of stuff on Rv forums about China bombs blowing apart in the first few days of use.

I hadn't thought about what brand tire to buy but I definitely don't want some cheap tire from China on my trailer so I will look into the Goodyear Endurance tires. Great suggestion....thanks