Tire Age; Just how crazy am I??

[johnandcaren]

Just bought a used 36 ft 5er, 2006 era. When looking, I couldn't fine the tire age stamp but they were Goodyear, the right size, right load rating and at 77 to 79 psi in all 4 looked very good. I've seen bad tires. These looked OK.

Now, we plan our first trip next week, only 4 hours drive away. There and back is 8 hours.

Today I crawled under it with a flashlight and found the stamp which alarmed me. It was 0105. So they look great, no cracks, lots of tread, holding air and _ WOW they are 9 years old.

So, in your all humble opinions (is that IYHO ?) Can I squeak by in my 4 hours trip staying at 60 mph, good roads, watching temp with one of those infrared thermometers??

Just how dangerous is this?
I plan to have new tires on ASAP after that trip, and before out next 2 week Texas trip coming up.

Also, looking the cheapest I can find is $171, and most at $200. They are LT235/85R/16 load range G. Any ideas on better cost deals? Are ST tires really better and do they cost more? Seem to be harder to find.

For what its worth, loaded weight is about 14k with pin weight about 2800, so about 2800 lbs each tire.

Thanks all,

[Bigd9]

As far as age goes, I plan to drive mine for 10 years before I seriously consider replacing them. Goodyear doesn't have a age requirement but does post the following:

Goodyear does not state a specific replacement age for RV tires because there are many conditions that dictate a tire's life span. Some factors that influence how long a tire will last are:
Usage per year - more frequent usage will result in longer life
Vehicle storage practices (6 months loaded with little or no rotation is not good!)
Usage in warmer climates can also impact a tire's overall life due to greater extreme ozone exposure

Tire manufacturers such as Continental and Michelin say a tire can last up to 10 years, provided you get annual tire inspections after the fifth year.

[CampDaven]

They are old enough. Can you afford a blowout, with all the damage and insurance delays?
Let's just say you can change them NOW, or wonder how good your luck might be. You do like sleeping well, dont you?
Dont need to be crazy, but caution at 9+ years is a good thing!
Just sayin.....

[Fred1609]

There is a lot written on past threads about tires and when to replace them. The problem with tires that we have on our rigs is that they age out and rarely wear out. I'm replacing mine with maxxis tires next year.....you can have a plan to replace the tires after 15 years if you choose.....doesn't mean your tires will last that long....Its all about risk...read the previous threads about tires and then make an informed decision.

[gruelens]

Today I crawled under it with a flashlight and found the stamp which alarmed me. It was 0105. So they look great, no cracks, lots of tread, holding air and _ WOW they are 9 years old.

So, in your all humble opinions (is that IYHO ?) Can I squeak by in my 4 hours trip staying at 60 mph, good roads, watching temp with one of those infrared thermometers??

All due respect to the OP ......... are you asking a forum member to say it is OK to run almost 10 year old trailer tires that someone else owned and that alarmed you? Run over weight, under inflated, curbed, potholes, frequent tight turns and uv exposure are all unknown history of the tires in question.

[Skip426]

Summer of 2010, 2005 5er, Goodyear tires 60% tread, 05 dated, serviced wheel brgs. and brakes for a cross country trip, checked every inch of the tires, and re-balanced them. 2 weeks and 4,000 miles into trip, sitting having afternoon beverage, noticed a bulge in the tread, of one rear tire, the size of my hand, several phone calls later , located 4 new tires, dismounting showed separation in a second tire.
Probably cost $150 more than they would have if I'd shopped at home; and a day of travel waiting to get the new tires installed.
JMHO. Aged out is aged out , no matter how good they look.

[Franka548]

johnandcaren,
I had 6 year old Goodyear LRG tires on my 5er and one blew unexpectedly, tire temps were at 140* checked about 10 miles before it blew, 90* ambient temperature. I went with 17.5" wheels and Roadmaster tires. You couldn't give me another set of Goodyears. Previous trailer, lost 2 Marathons that were less than a year old.
To answer your question, there is no way of knowing if your tires will be ok or not, you are playing Russian roulette with them.
Frank

[SmokeyWren]

Originally Posted by johnandcaren;2267100/quote

Also, looking the cheapest I can find is $171, and most at $200. They are LT235/85R/16 load range G. Any ideas on better cost deals?

For me, cost is not a consideration. I want the trailer tire that is least likely to blow out when properly inflated on long high-speed trips. That usually means they cost more.

Are ST tires really better and do they cost more?

They are better than any tire not rated for trailer service. Cost depends on quality. China bombs are cheap but not worth what they cost. Generally, ST tires in the same size and load range will cost more than ordinary LT tires.

Seem to be harder to find....For what its worth, loaded weight is about 14k with pin weight about 2800, so about 2800 lbs each tire.

With a max load of 2800 pounds per tire, then you don't need load range G tires. Load range E is plenty.

My second choice would be Maxxis ST235/80R16E = 3,420 pounds weight capacity @ 80 PSI.
Trailer Tire Load/Inflation Chart | Maxxis USA
$245.10 MSRP.
Maxxis M8008 Radial Tire *

Maxxis trailer tires are not hard to find. If Discount Tire serves your area, you can buy them at any Discount Tire store. However, your local Maxxis dealer may not have them in stock, so you have to plan ahead. If not, you can order them from:
235/80-16 Maxxis Tires

My first choice is Michelin XPS LT235/85R16E. 3042 weight capacity is about 8.6% more weight capacity than you need. It's a commercial LT truck tire rated for all-position service, which includes trailer service. (Most LT tires are NOT rated for all-position service. DO NOT mount any other Michelin LT tire on your trailer. Goodyear makes only one 16" LT tire that is rated for trailer service, so don't mount any LT tire that is not on the manufacturer's big-truck-tires website and rated for all-position or trailer service.)
Tire and Retread Selector | Michelin Truck
Note that is the Michelin truck website, not the cars /pickups website. If you go to MichelinMan website, they have the XPS there too, but no indication that it is an all-position commercial truck tire that makes it cost so much more than ordinary Michelin LT tires, such as the LTX on my pickup.

The XPS is widely available, but you may have to order to get your size locally. Here they are on the TireRack website:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....omCompare1=yes
Yep , not cheap. But in my experience, well worth it.

[Nighthawk 96]

There is a lot of debate about whether to mount LT tires on trailers. I would go with the Maxxis ST tire.

Most of what I have read about tire replacement age indicates 6 years tire life is about the max.

[pitcrew18]

I agree with Nighthawk 96 the Maxxis is the same tire I went with after 4 years with my previous fiver no issues it is a great tire.

[Mr_D]

Originally Posted by Nighthawk 96

Most of what I have read about tire replacement age indicates 6 years tire life is about the max.

Or not, Michelin says 10 years in their brochures. We went 8+ on ours.

[spsm]

Good inspections by myself before each trip and proper inflation kept my tires rolling over 100,000 miles and over 10 years. 03 Mtn. Aire (295x80x22.5) Never had a crack outside, inside or in between the threads. It's your call and Good Luck.

[JIMNLIN]

You can't tell the condition of a tire by simply looking at it.

The tire will have to be removed from the wheel and a trained professional can tell you if its a dry rot carcass/small inside heat cracks/etc which is typical of any type of tire that sits for months at a time with close to a max load..

Having made a living on the road pulling trailers I would never run a LT tire past seven years on a truck or trailer.
I don't use ST tires but most recommend replacing every 3-5 years and necessary after 5 years..... such as Carlisle.

You didn't say what size and load range your trailer requires but going with a 3750 lb rated G tire IMO is a poor choice for a trailer with OEM 5.2k-6k axles.
Now if your trailers OEM axles are 6.7k-7k then the G makes sense.

Many folks are using the XPS Ribs or Bridgestone R250 in a LT235/85-16 E @ 3042 lbs capacity. Both are a commercial grade all steel ply carcass. Both have been recommended for using on a trailer. In fact Goodyear recommends the XPS for commercial trailer service.

The Goodyear G614 RST LT235/85-16 G at 3750 lbs is recommended for "regional service trailer" and work great on trailers of all types.

The Sailun S637 LT235/85-16 G is another commercial grade all steel ply carcass tire thats is used in all positions. This tire are fast becoming the most popular for a G tire on trailers.
Sailun S637 Applications:
•Pickup & Delivery Trucks
•Intrastate & Interstate Buses
•Regional Trucks
•Long Distance Trucks
•Tractor Trailers
•Low Platform Trailers

[Bigg-limo]

I run Goodyear G947s on my Fuzion. Had bought them about 3 or 4 months for my Rampage before I traded it in. I had them swap the tires with ones on my Fuzion. The 947s have that unisteel carcus and sidewall. The rubber compound is pretty tough. They have done well for me. I'm gonna upgrade to higher rated tire on my next set, because my wheels and axles allow for it.

But yeah, I agree with the others, how much peace of mind do you want. You wanna enjoy your time on the road,...not on the side of it.