Trailer tires need to be replaced after 3-5 years of use, even though they usually appear to have plenty of tread left. Unlike your car’s tires, it isn’t miles of driving but oxidation of the rubber that wears out the tire. Mostly, a trailer tire sits in one spot for days or weeks at a time, and may travel only 10,000 miles (or sometimes a lot less) per year. UV radiation from sunlight and ozone from exhaust cause exterior damage to the sidewalls, and oxygen from pressurized air creates unseen damage deep inside.
No matter how great my tires look, they get replaced at 5 years max. If your tires are replaced in 5 years that means they cost about $20 or $30 for a pair per year. That’s cheap compared to all the other costs of owning a boat. We are talking you and other people’s safty here. I once had a boat trailer tire blow at 65mph driving an F150 and towing about a 4000 lb boat. It threw my truck and boat into the lane to the left of me and the trailer started swaying violently. If there had been a vehicle next to me it likely would have been a serious or deadly accident. I was fortunate to get the truck and boat over to the side of the road and stopped without an accident.
It’s cheap insurance replacing them 5 years or less.
