Trailer Tires Split over winter????

[medler]

I went out to look at my holiday trailer today and to my surprise all 4 of the tires have little splits on the sidewalls.Is this a common problem ?or will the cracks mysteriously dissapear come summer?I think the name of the tires are called Duro? WHAT IS A GOOD TRAILER TIRE BRAND??????

 

[mudboy]

It would be because they were exposed to the sun. It is best to cover them up during storage periods. I once wrecked a set of truck tires because it sat in the sun all the time while I drove the company truck every where

 

[medler]

That is what i thought but i guess in the summer they are more flexible,so they wouldn't crack.I guess i will have to get some new ones.,who knows how safe they are now.

 

[rondun]

How old are the tires?? and what brand. I will check mine now just to see.

 

[medler]

How old are the tires?? and what brand. I will check mine now just to see.

they should be the originals 3yrs.I think they are called DURO??The trailer was a year and a half old when we bought it

 

[blastoff]

My opinion they are still good only cosmetic, no diff than a small barbed wire cut to the side wall, as long as a cut is not to the side wall tread its good.

 

[mudboy]

I do not agree with the above. I had cracks in the sidewalls of my truck tires, after aplying some soapy water they were bubbling. Which means they were leaking. There was no way I was going to load 2 quads on the sled deck and tow the trailer like that.

 

[joeboo73]

Any tire with side wall cracks are dangerous to you and other motorist. Take them to a tire shop and they will propably tell you the same

 

[shawnmcgr]

3 yrs! That bites! Mine are 6 yrs and still look good; I cover then with plywood when parked. I think goodyear makes a set of trailer tires called Marathon.

 

[sledderdoc]

Yup my Holiday trailer tires are Marathons, 6years old no problems but I keep them out of the sun during storage and in the summer they get sprayed with protectant (plus they look good!) Sun is murder on tires and will dry the rubber right out.
With those sidewalls I would replace them. They are dangerous to use at this point. I agree with the above posts. :d

 

[medler]

Ya it is not worth it . Tires are cheap compared to killing someone. Even if they are ok i am not taking that chance

 

[RMK Junky]

Rubber Cracking

Tires are subjected to one of the harshest environments experienced by any consumer product. In addition to being stretched millions of times as they roll through their life, tires are exposed to acid rain, brake dust, harsh chemicals and direct sunlight, as well as summer's heat and winter's cold. And while a tire's rubber compounds have anti-aging chemicals in their recipes, exposure to the elements will eventually cause rubber to lose some of its elasticity and allow surface cracks to appear.


The surface cracks that occasionally appear have been called many things; Weather Checking, Weather Cracking or Ozone Cracking. These small cracks typically develop in the sidewalls or at the base of the tread grooves. Depending on their severity, they may be cosmetic in nature if they don't extend past the rubber's outer surface, or may be a reason to replace the tire if they reach deep into the rubber.

Because all tires are made of rubber, all tires will eventually exhibit some type of cracking condition, usually late in their life. However, this cracking can be accelerated by too much exposure to heat, vehicle exhaust, ozone and sunlight, as well as electric generators and motors (that have armature brushes). For example, a vehicle parked outside instead of in a garage will constantly expose its tires to the rays of the sun, increasing the likelihood of cracking. Additionally, some sidewall cracking has been linked to abrasion from parking against a curb, or the excessive use of tire cleaners/dressings that inadvertently remove some of the tire's anti-oxidants and anti-ozone protection during every cleaning procedure. Interestingly enough, when sun exposure or excessive cleaning is the cause of the small cracks, the sidewall of the tire facing outward will show damage, while the sidewall facing inward is rarely affected.

The anti-aging chemicals used in the rubber compounds are more effective when the tire is "exercised" on a frequent basis. The repeated stretching of the rubber compound actually helps resist cracks forming. The tires used on vehicles that are driven infrequently, or accumulate low annual mileage are more likely to experience cracking because long periods of parking or storage interrupt "working" the rubber. In addition to being an annoyance to show car owners, this condition often frustrates motor home and recreational vehicle owners who only take occasional trips and cannot even park their vehicle in a garage or shaded area. Using tire covers at least minimizes direct exposure to sunlight.

Tire manufacturers' warranties typically cover cracking for a period of 4 years from the date the tire was purchased (receipt for the new tires or in-service date of the vehicle required) or four years from the date the tire was manufactured.

There are a few conditions that would possibly void the manufacture's coverage. The same types of cracks can also be caused by poor tire maintenance practices. Driving on a tire that was flat, or one that was underinflated or overloaded causes excessive stretching of the rubber compound, and may result in cracks that appear similar to the surface cracks mentioned above. The manufacturers' warranty might not apply if an interior inspection of the tire clearly indicates that the cracks were due to these conditions.

 

[medler]

ya that is what mine look like.Oh well I will cover them up good next year

 

[mudbitchguy]

Hi Guys,

Well since I have been in the tire industry for at least 10 years now, I can tell you that tires do deteriorate after time. A good general rule is after about 6-7 years old, they should be replaced, no matter how much tread they have left. I have thrown out almost full tread tires but they were 9 years old.

BTW to find out the manufacturing date of your tires, look at the sidewall, fine the DOT # and the last 4 digits will read some thing like this DOT XXX XXX XXX 2508. What this translates to is the 25th week of 2008, that is when that tire was produced. Tires are produced long before they get put into use, so you never know actually when that tire was mounted.

That's why, its always good practice to check your tires every month, air pressures and visual checks, especially when your RV has been sitting for the past 6 months in storage in the winter.

Hope this helps.

Rej

 

[Zar]

I bought a new trailer in january 2008. It was a new ( non current ) 2007 model and I parked the trailer under cover ( with no sunlight exposure to the driver side tires ). I traveled 350 Km ( to bring the trailer home). I looked at the tires at the beginning of May 2008 and I was amazed at all the cracks . It looked like 15 years old . Even the spare tire was the same condition ( under a tire cover) . The trailer manufacturer sent me to the tire distributor and they warrenty the tires and shipped 5 new tires with no problem or hassle . I am responsible for the installation and balancing . I think the rubber used in tires and valve stems is cheap crap . Please also check your valve stems at the begining of the season for cracks. They rot out very easy. Might have to zoom in to see the cracks on the attached pictures

 

[sledderdoc]

There are definitely some cheaper brands out there. One is Carlyle sold by several manufacturers and Can. Tire ... all I can say is CHEAP! I've seen alot of buddies tires blow up and they take the same precautions I do!

 

[medler]

Hi Guys,

Well since I have been in the tire industry for at least 10 years now, I can tell you that tires do deteriorate after time. A good general rule is after about 6-7 years old, they should be replaced, no matter how much tread they have left. I have thrown out almost full tread tires but they were 9 years old.

BTW to find out the manufacturing date of your tires, look at the sidewall, fine the DOT # and the last 4 digits will read some thing like this DOT XXX XXX XXX 2508. What this translates to is the 25th week of 2008, that is when that tire was produced. Tires are produced long before they get put into use, so you never know actually when that tire was mounted.

That's why, its always good practice to check your tires every month, air pressures and visual checks, especially when your RV has been sitting for the past 6 months in storage in the winter.

Hope this helps.

Rej

Awesome great info ..Thanks i will check them out .That is why this site is the best

 

[medler]

I bought a new trailer in january 2008. It was a new ( non current ) 2007 model and I parked the trailer under cover ( with no sunlight exposure to the driver side tires ). I traveled 350 Km ( to bring the trailer home). I looked at the tires at the beginning of May 2008 and I was amazed at all the cracks . It looked like 15 years old . Even the spare tire was the same condition ( under a tire cover) . The trailer manufacturer sent me to the tire distributor and they warrenty the tires and shipped 5 new tires with no problem or hassle . I am responsible for the installation and balancing . I think the rubber used in tires and valve stems is cheap crap . Please also check your valve stems at the begining of the season for cracks. They rot out very easy. Might have to zoom in to see the cracks on the attached pictures

think yours are worse than mine!! T*ts tires or tracks it will cost ya money

 

[RETODD]

Holy SH!T…just took a look at mine…all four are cracked, the ones that face the sun are real bad…they are NANCOs…looks like I’m in the market for new trailer tires!!!!