Does anyone make tires these days that don't dry rot and crack after a season or two?
I went out back and uncovered one of my boats today and found both tires flat with the bead unseated.
They were bought new last summer, I last used this thing in early November. When I parked it, I set the air pressure at 60psi, and put the tires up on blocks, well off the ground and covered the whole boat.
When I reseated and pumped up the tires, both have dry rot cracks all over, especially where they sat flat.
I bought them new, had to order them, back in July, two new tires with galvanized rims.
When I ordered them, I tried to find American made tires but all I could find it Kenda Loadstars.
At the same time I bought a set for my Starcraft, a set of 175/13ST radials, they too are badly dry rotted and those won't even hold air, all four sidewalls are leaking out the cracks. The date code on the 12' tires are 335, the date code on the 13" tires are 0311. Both pair were bought last July on new rims.
When I called the tire dealer I was told that its the UV light that cracks the tires. Well, the boat sits under a carport, with a cover that reaches the ground on all sides, the smaller boat is in a garage/lean too out back, short of removing the wheels after each use and wrapping them up in brown paper and storing them in the house, there's not much else I can do.
I called Goodyear, I was told they don't make small trailer tires, and local dealers have all dropped Carlisle for some reason, all carry only off brand tires.
I've got 20 year old tires that don't leak, they may not be pretty but they don't leak air just sitting.
I've got two Carlisle tires on a utility trailer, both tires were new in 1992, both look like new, no cracks, and that thing sits out in the yard year round, in the sun with no issues. I've towed old boats away that have sat for decades by just pumping up original tires and they almost always hold air just fine, yet newer tires don't seem to even hold air after a very short time. I've had brand new trailer tires, all import that showed cracks between the tread bars when fully inflated after only a few months.
When I bought the Kenda tires, I looked all over for Carlisle tires but they were either way too much money or too far away. Shipping two rims and tires from one source came close to what the trailer cost new wholesale.
Does anyone make a tire that'll last longer than a season or two?
I've had Loadstar, Hi Run, H188, and a few others and all dry rot beyond use in under two years. The new spare on my one trailer blew apart sitting in the shed, that trailer was new in 2011 and came with Loadstar tires.
For someone that doesn't trailer more than maybe 40 miles per year to the ramp total all I need is tires that will hold air, apparently they can't even make a tire to do that anymore. There's no reason for two new tires on new rims to lose all air and deflate just sitting after only a few months. I've got collector cars that sit for years and the tires don't go flat, what's up with trailer tires these days? If I have to buy new tires for every trailer I own every season, I'd go broke, I'd be spending a few grand in rubber every year. I'm to the point where I think I'm better off just going to passenger car tires and not having to replace them every year, if I can find American made tires in those sizes.
I went out back and uncovered one of my boats today and found both tires flat with the bead unseated.
They were bought new last summer, I last used this thing in early November. When I parked it, I set the air pressure at 60psi, and put the tires up on blocks, well off the ground and covered the whole boat.
When I reseated and pumped up the tires, both have dry rot cracks all over, especially where they sat flat.
I bought them new, had to order them, back in July, two new tires with galvanized rims.
When I ordered them, I tried to find American made tires but all I could find it Kenda Loadstars.
At the same time I bought a set for my Starcraft, a set of 175/13ST radials, they too are badly dry rotted and those won't even hold air, all four sidewalls are leaking out the cracks. The date code on the 12' tires are 335, the date code on the 13" tires are 0311. Both pair were bought last July on new rims.
When I called the tire dealer I was told that its the UV light that cracks the tires. Well, the boat sits under a carport, with a cover that reaches the ground on all sides, the smaller boat is in a garage/lean too out back, short of removing the wheels after each use and wrapping them up in brown paper and storing them in the house, there's not much else I can do.
I called Goodyear, I was told they don't make small trailer tires, and local dealers have all dropped Carlisle for some reason, all carry only off brand tires.
I've got 20 year old tires that don't leak, they may not be pretty but they don't leak air just sitting.
I've got two Carlisle tires on a utility trailer, both tires were new in 1992, both look like new, no cracks, and that thing sits out in the yard year round, in the sun with no issues. I've towed old boats away that have sat for decades by just pumping up original tires and they almost always hold air just fine, yet newer tires don't seem to even hold air after a very short time. I've had brand new trailer tires, all import that showed cracks between the tread bars when fully inflated after only a few months.
When I bought the Kenda tires, I looked all over for Carlisle tires but they were either way too much money or too far away. Shipping two rims and tires from one source came close to what the trailer cost new wholesale.
Does anyone make a tire that'll last longer than a season or two?
I've had Loadstar, Hi Run, H188, and a few others and all dry rot beyond use in under two years. The new spare on my one trailer blew apart sitting in the shed, that trailer was new in 2011 and came with Loadstar tires.
For someone that doesn't trailer more than maybe 40 miles per year to the ramp total all I need is tires that will hold air, apparently they can't even make a tire to do that anymore. There's no reason for two new tires on new rims to lose all air and deflate just sitting after only a few months. I've got collector cars that sit for years and the tires don't go flat, what's up with trailer tires these days? If I have to buy new tires for every trailer I own every season, I'd go broke, I'd be spending a few grand in rubber every year. I'm to the point where I think I'm better off just going to passenger car tires and not having to replace them every year, if I can find American made tires in those sizes.
