Am I trading one China bomb for another?

[Codagnone]

I noticed that I had cracks in my 4-year-old Castle Rock tires on my Rockwood 2612 WS. To be safe I figured I should replace them. I replaced them with trailer king tires. I read a lot of good things about them they have a higher load rating and a higher speed rating. Just don't know if I am trading one China bomb for another. When I first looked up trailer king tires they said they were made in the US. But on the tire it says made in China. I am not sure why my tires cracked so easily and so soon since I cover them all the time.

Any thoughts, has anyone else used trailer king tires?

[1100mike]

What's the date code on them? They could have been a couple years old when installed ..

[kenandterry]

Yup. Some tires are advertised as new, but if you know how to read the date code on a tire, you may find the date manufactured is months if not years ago.

It’s dirty pool. New to some retailers means they’ve never seen the road. Doesn’t mean they haven’t been stored out…..wherever…..for how long?

New huh? Check the date code and decide how “new” or “ fresh” you’re willing to accept.

[Codagnone]

Originally Posted by 1100mike

What's the date code on them? They could have been a couple years old when installed ..

the code is 11 18. Seems like they were produced 1 year before I bought the camper

[Bob K4TAX]

I just put 4 new Michelin tires on my truck this month. Today, while looking at the tires and checking air pressure, I noted the date code 0823 on 3 of them and 0723 on the fourth one. HUH? This is May or 0523 if you wish.

Nice to know I own and am driving on new tires which have not yet been made. Oh, perhaps they were projecting the tires would be in storage for 2 to 3 months and therefore would be "fresh" regarding the date code.

Que sera sera for date codes.

Bob

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by Bob K4TAX

I just put 4 new Michelin tires on my truck this month. Today, while looking at the tires and checking air pressure, I noted the date code 0823 on 3 of them and 0723 on the fourth one. HUH? This is May or 0523 if you wish.

Nice to know I own and am driving on new tires which have not yet been made. Oh, perhaps they were projecting the tires would be in storage for 2 to 3 months and therefore would be "fresh" regarding the date code.

Que sera sera for date codes.

Bob

The first two digits are the week produced, not the month. The first two digits can be anything from 01-52 (since there are 52 weeks in a year)


08 (eighth week) of 2023...or late part of February.


The last two digits are the last two digits in the year. 23 =2023.


https://www.goodyear.com/en_US/learn...date-code.html

The easy way to do fast math in figuring weeks is knowing there are 13 weeks per quarter.



13th week is last week in March
26th week is last week in June
39th week is last week in September
52nd week is last week in December

[Bob K4TAX]

Dang! Even an old fart like me can learn something.

Thanks. Makes me feel better about my tire purchase. Seventh and eighth week of 2023. :-)

Bob

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by Bob K4TAX

Dang! Even an old fart like me can learn something.

Thanks. Makes me feel better about my tire purchase. Seventh and eighth week of 2023. :-)

Bob

You are welcome. Yep, all your tires were made in February. Pretty fresh tires.


https://calendar.online/calendar-weeks/2023

[tomkatb]

Keep a good eye on them.

We had a blow out with our tires. Westlake. Not quite three years old.

Damage was minimal. $1500 or so. Just 15’ of sheet metal, two supports and the fender skirt. It can be worse. Easily.

[Larry-NC]

Bob, you should have recognized that scheme. It's the same scheme EIA uses on electronic date codes. Be wary of stale electrolytic capacitors.

[Chewman]

There seem to be mixed messages. Your tires were produced the week of March 18, 2018, they are old. You might check your state laws since some states prohibit the sale of new tires that are manufactured before a certain date. The date code on your tires says they are over 5 years old. I could be wrong but that is what I am reading.
Good luck!

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by Codagnone

I noticed that I had cracks in my 4-year-old Castle Rock tires on my Rockwood 2612 WS. To be safe I figured I should replace them. I replaced them with trailer king tires.

Originally Posted by Codagnone

the code is 11 18. Seems like they were produced 1 year before I bought the camper

Originally Posted by Chewman

There seem to be mixed messages. Your tires were produced the week of March 18, 2018, they are old. You might check your state laws since some states prohibit the sale of new tires that are manufactured before a certain date. The date code on your tires says they are over 5 years old. I could be wrong but that is what I am reading.
Good luck!

Chewman, I'm not following what you are attempting to say here. The OP is replacing his original tires that came on his 2019 2612WSD trailer. These original equipment tires were manufactured in 2018 and put on a 2019 RV, which also could have been manufactured in the year 2018. The OP states the tires were a year old when he BOUGHT the RV.


He is not buying tires currently that were produced in the year 2018, but replacing these tires.

[Chewman]

My apologies! I thought he had replaced the tires with 2018 date coded tires. I'll read more carefully next time!! Thanks for letting me know!

[redvalk]

as far as the cracking/weathering goes.....now that we know the tires were made in 2018....and thus were about 5 years old when you replaced them.....that's not THAT out of line. I have lots of trailers here on the Ranch (two horse trailers, travel trailer, 24 foot trailer (for hauling bull dozers, JD tractors and the like), 12 foot HD utility trailer, and two utility trailers that haul behind the JD tractors. Typically, I get about 5-7 years here in the Alabama heat and bright sun.....before they start showing cracking/weathering. I've pushed trailer tires on my utility trailers beyond 7 years.....once to almost 10 years....but it is risky. And I've "rewarded" with a few blowouts doing that.....even with GOOD quality tires.

I won't be pushing it with the travel trailer. I already replaced the West Lakes it came with....with Goodyear Endurance tires....even though the West Lakes had only been on it about 9 months! I'm hoping for 4-6 years out of the Endurance tires...but won't be surprised if I don't get 6.

Yours did seem a bit more cracked that I'd normally see at 5 years....but it likely depends on a lot of factors....like amount of sun they see.....

[juice5]

Originally Posted by Codagnone

I noticed that I had cracks in my 4-year-old Castle Rock tires on my Rockwood 2612 WS. To be safe I figured I should replace them. I replaced them with trailer king tires. I read a lot of good things about them they have a higher load rating and a higher speed rating. Just don't know if I am trading one China bomb for another. When I first looked up trailer king tires they said they were made in the US. But on the tire it says made in China. I am not sure why my tires cracked so easily and so soon since I cover them all the time.

Any thoughts, has anyone else used trailer king tires?Attachment 287335Attachment 287336

Get outa those Castle Rocks while you can still walk and get Goodyears or better...my castlerocks cost me a rollover n 6 week
s in Reno Hospital

[Wes12345]

The Tailer King tires on my 2020 28RL didn’t even last 1000 miles until one blew. Replaced all including the spare with Goodyear Endurance.

[jlynn721]

Originally Posted by Codagnone

I noticed that I had cracks in my 4-year-old Castle Rock tires on my Rockwood 2612 WS. To be safe I figured I should replace them. I replaced them with trailer king tires. I read a lot of good things about them they have a higher load rating and a higher speed rating. Just don't know if I am trading one China bomb for another. When I first looked up trailer king tires they said they were made in the US. But on the tire it says made in China. I am not sure why my tires cracked so easily and so soon since I cover them all the time.

Any thoughts, has anyone else used trailer king tires?Attachment 287335Attachment 287336

If you can afford different tires, do it. Goodyear, Maxxis, Hercules are good tires.

[garywilson]

Originally Posted by Codagnone

I noticed that I had cracks in my 4-year-old Castle Rock tires on my Rockwood 2612 WS. To be safe I figured I should replace them. I replaced them with trailer king tires. I read a lot of good things about them they have a higher load rating and a higher speed rating. Just don't know if I am trading one China bomb for another. When I first looked up trailer king tires they said they were made in the US. But on the tire it says made in China. I am not sure why my tires cracked so easily and so soon since I cover them all the time.

Any thoughts, has anyone else used trailer king tires?Attachment 287335Attachment 287336

Looks like you changed out your tires at just the right time. The only trailer tires I've blown were both just over five years old (one RV, one boat).

Trailer King has been around a long time. I just bought Goodyear Endurance last year. Discount Tire doesn't carry Trailer King, so I didn't consider them. Had GY not been available I'd probably have gotten Carlisle.

For a fair review comparing Goodyear Endurance and Trailer King, see:
https://tirefever.com/goodyear-endur...-trailer-king/

A review by RV Guide:
https://www.rvguide.com/news/rv-tire-buyers-guide/

[jadatis]

Because not all of sidewall is cracked, mayby some chemical cource of cracking.
Or scraping pavement.

But if they are from overheating, by to low pressure for the loads and speed, you have to review the used tirepressure.
I can help you with that.

That tires are made in China, does not automatically mean they are bad.
Mayby we must use C-bomb instead of China bomb, the N word is also not allowed to use, only by N people.

Michelin writes that if profesionally stored, tires can be sold as new, 2 years after DOT -date.
And you took care of them by covering them,
Did you by any chanche store the TT in a space with electrical instruments working, that produce as by-product some Ozon?

[Semperfi24]

Originally Posted by Chewman

My apologies! I thought he had replaced the tires with 2018 date coded tires. I'll read more carefully next time!! Thanks for letting me know!

I also read it and thought the tires pictured (and the date code discussed) was the new tires... I can now see the other perspective after reading it again.