I have a 2001 4 Star gooseneck, two horse with wide side ramp. Trailer is in very good condition and I bought it new. I used to show extensively but now I rarely go more than two hours and most of my trips are an hour or less.
Question - I put four new tires on the trailer probably 8-9 years ago. Trailer lives outside but always sits on gravel driveway. Should I replace the tires? It will be expensive. I plan to keep this trailer forever. At what interval do you routinely replace trailer tires?
I would replace them (5 yrs is kind of the guideline I go by). Trailer tires typically need to be replaced not due to tire tread wearing down but from the elements (sun, wet ground, not moving, etc.). Parking on gravel helps but I would also cover them to protect them from the sun. And take it out for a drive every now and then to keep things moving (sounds like you already do this??). When you buy new ones make sure they are newly manufactured tires and not ones that have been sitting around in a warehouse (check the dates).
Most trailer tires need to be replaced due to age or dry rot, not necessarily from being worn out. And while it is not cheap to replace them, it is much better than having to deal with a blowout that could potentially damage a fender when it happens or worse. Better safe than sorry!
Buy yourself a new set of good quality trailer tires. Years ago, we waited longer than we should have to replace our trailer tires. We had just bought the trailer, used, and didn’t know the tire age. My then 16 year old daughter and her younger sister were driving the trailer home from pony club camp on a 100 degree day. One tire went flat. A nice couple helped them change the tire. Then, another tire went flat when they were almost home. It was not a pleasant experience
What ryansgirl said.
They say to replace every 8 years
Trailer is stored undercover and dry, tires appear to be in good shape, no cracks or checks in rubber. Would you still replace?
are they losing air? My mother has an '07 Pontiac that only has 17,000 miles on it. Last month, when visiting her, I noticed the two left tires were low. I added air and took it a tire place to see if they had nails in them.
They checked them over, noticed the date on them and said no nails, but they need to be changed due to age. Okay to drive locally, but not safe for distance driving.
Tires wear out even when just sitting due to age. Be safe and get new tires.
A good friend has a 4Star 2H GN LQ - while traveling on I75, she had a blowout (I was traveling behind her and saw smoke, and pieces of rubber came flying at me). I called her and told her to pull over. We changed the tire and went on our merry way. Ten minutes later, the other tire on that side blew… Her tires were not old. But 4Stars are very heavy trailers and that can make a difference.
We called US Rider and she had to buy 2 new tires.
When we hauled to shows all over the MidWest and East Coast, I replaced trailer tires every 3 years. Now I replace very 5 as I generally don’t go more than an hour or two from the farm.
Foxglove
[QUOTE=ryansgirl;8046812]
I would replace them (5 yrs is kind of the guideline I go by). Trailer tires typically need to be replaced not due to tire tread wearing down but from the elements (sun, wet ground, not moving, etc.). Parking on gravel helps but I would also cover them to protect them from the sun. And take it out for a drive every now and then to keep things moving (sounds like you already do this??). When you buy new ones make sure they are newly manufactured tires and not ones that have been sitting around in a warehouse (check the dates).[/QUOTE]
Second this. You may be able to save some money ordering them online. I have used DiscountTireDirect.com for trailer tires before. Just make sure to match up all the specs.
As other people have suggested, you may also want to spend $40 on those tire covers that will protect the rubber from UV rays.
merrygoround, depending on how old those tires are and if your trailer runs on four, no I wouldn’t replace them. If they are in the sun at all, replace after a few years.
We recently had a blow out on one of our trailer tires and never even knew it; we stopped to check the horse and the shredded remnants of the tire were sitting there smoking! :lol: Horse was fine.
Discount is a good place to order from; their prices are usually pretty decent.
We were recently back at our old tire shop trying to road hazard a tire that they sold us and they wouldn’t take it but said they would give us $100 off on a new one. I was like 
b/c I know the cost on the tire. I said so it will be $30? OH no, Ma’m it would still be $107! FU tire guy, I know how much that tire is really costing you and it’s not that much!
Sounds like I should replace them. They sit out in the blazing sun, there is no way around that. So new tires it is for the 2015 season. I will also look at buying them online. Thanks everyone!
Five years is also the guideline I was given by my trailer service people.
Yes…and when it sits just hitch n move occasionally, the tires shouldn’t t sit so long on one spot of tread. We Jack our boat up every season for that reason, an when my spouse deploys I move his stored car every few weeks up an down drive n back,to garage to move tires around.
Replace them. My tires were about 10 years old and still looked great, but I knew they needed replacing. My hour long trip to one trainer then the other to swap horses took all freaking day! New truck so no tools in it- had to unhook, wrangle the flat off, find an open tire shop in a rinky dink town on a Saturday AM, go to the only remaining non super Wal-mart in the country to buy a 4-way tire iron to make life easier putting tire back on, and then the SOB decided he wouldn’t load!
I’ve priced tires for various vehicles on-line. I don’t think it’s cheaper by the time you pay shipping and installation. I’ve had the best luck with smaller independent dealers, though you usually don’t find them by googling. One of my favorites is a Mennonite place (repairs, too- 2 CV axles and a ball joint on my car for under $300 total!); the other is a scary hole-in-the-wall off a random back road in the middle of nowhere where you’d think you’d be shot just pulling in the driveway- but I got all 6 E-rated dually tires for under $900.
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