Check Those Tires and Check Again

[PenJoe]

Before we adventure very far, we make it a priority to check tires, brakes, running gear, lights, cameras very thoroughly-or so we thought. This was my task this past week. Our next trip is 1,700 miles to Wisconsin.

Because we have had tire problems with TV and trailer tires, we carry a full size spare plus the smaller diameter spare. We also carry two trailer tire spares. Why, because we had less than 400 miles on a new TV and ruined a tire on road debris. It was Saturday evening and we had to hold over until Monday to replace the full size tire with exact brand and size.

While rolling one of the spare trailer tires out of the shed, I noticed that the tire had a high spot on the tread. Goodyear tire and plenty of tread. Closer inspection indicated a tread separation. We took the trailer in today and had the brakes adjusted and bought a new tire. The shop owner stated that it was good that we caught it, because it would have failed in the next 5 miles and took the fender with it.

The moral of the story here, is that I quasi took for granted that the spare was good and was a spare. But the reason you carry a spare is to keep going, not have another serious problem in a few miles. Take heed people and check every and all tires very carefully.

The first picture shows what appears to be a normal tread. Picture two shows a noticeable crown on the right half of the tread. The third picture shows a fairly normal side wall (on both sides).

[bitNine]

First thing I noticed was all the cracks on the right side. That's a tire I'd replace immediately. Didn't notice the crown until I read your whole post. Excellent info all around.

[dustman_stx]

Was that spare stored on the back of the camper for a while? I use a BAL hide-a-spare to keep my spare under the trailer. My theory is that the spare should be good for a longer period than it would if exposed to the sun. Of course, I keep my trailer under a shed, so it gets much less sun than many peoples rigs to begin with.