how long should trailer tires last?

[brownhunter]

I have 5.30x12in tires. my boat is probably 1000#s or less its a 15ft alum with 25hp motor. are nylon tires bad? I going thru tires every 3 to 4 months. I fish a lot. typically 2 to 3 times a month, which is about 150 to 200 miles per trip and they are trips to mountains which are curvy drives.

 

[drrpm]

You are getting between 900 and 2,400 miles per set, which seems low. Most trailer tires succumb to dry rot rather than being worn away. I would suggest making sure the alignment is good and the tire pressure is correct. After that you could consider buying a higher grade tire if they are available.

 

[MH Hawker]

10,000 miles or 5 years.

 

[oldjeep]

I have 5.30x12in tires. my boat is probably 1000#s or less its a 15ft alum with 25hp motor. are nylon tires bad? I going thru tires every 3 to 4 months. I fish a lot. typically 2 to 3 times a month, which is about 150 to 200 miles per trip and they are trips to mountains which are curvy drives.

Fully inflated? When they wear out, what is happening? Tire completely shreds?

 

[jbetzelb]

My boat is stored inside and I take the weight off them in the off season. I trailer about 2000 miles a year. I change them every 5 years. Normally they still look perfectly good when I change them but I don't want to chance it. I have never had a trailer tire fail.

 

[brownhunter]

These are harbor freight tires. fully inflated. they are wearing on the center and insides. im pretty sure the trailer is if fine, it tows pretty straight! thinking I need to buy brand name tires. ya they aint getting nowhere near 10k miles!! about 2000 to 3000. I run them for a while even when bald until they don't look like they can take it much more! haha

 

[NYBo]

they are wearing on the center and insides.

You have an axle problem.

 

[rvaughn704]

You have an axle problem.

I agree.
Just because it seems to pull straight doesn't mean the axle is not bent or out of line.

 

[mla2ofus]

Your axle is probably tweaked. I put the same tires and wheels on my little boat trailer. In 2500mi they were worn down to the cord. With some careful measuring I found both sides were toed in about 1/4". The tlr tracked straight. The old axle was a little cheap C-channel and some one probably backed it hard over a curb or some other tall obstruction. A new axle cured the problem.
Mike

 

[smokeonthewater]

you ALSO may be overloaded...weigh the boat and trailer full of fuel, gear coolers etc as if you were headed to the lake and report back

 

[dingbat]

This should help identify the problem. Center wear is over inflation

http://www.venturetrailers.com/pdfs/...ar%20Chart.pdf

 

[phillyg]

I experienced the same thing with 12" tires on my Coleman camper back in the day. You should be able to get about three years out of ST tires that are typically installed on boat trailers, even as small as 13". The only suggestion I can provide is to increase tire size if you can fit them on your trailer. Otherwise, and as others have suggested, you might have an axle alignment issue that can be repaired by a good spring/axle shop.

 

[NYBo]

This should help identify the problem. Center wear is over inflation http://www.venturetrailers.com/pdfs/Tire Wear Chart.pdf

But there is also wear on the inside, so this is most likely a problem of negative camber, probably caused by a bent axle.

 

[smokeonthewater]

It's not the tire size... I have some 12" tires that are over 15 yrs old.... cracked pretty bad but hardly worn at all after lots of miles.... Mine ARE name brand not china freight specials... that said tho, even the cheapest crappy tires should wear evenly unless there is another problem.... Toe or camber from a bent or overloaded axle is the likely culprit here.

 

[KD4UPL]

My last set of 13" tires lasted 10 years. I probably tow about 1,000 to 2,000 miles a year. I would say you have something serious out of alignment on your trailer.