I'm still relatively new to long-distance trailer towing. I have about 12K miles on my 2019 24' ATC trailer. A few weeks back, I pulled into a paddock parking slot at a Laguna Seca track day. As I exited my truck, my neighbor said Hello and then asked me if I have a spare.
"A spare what?", I asked.
"Tire. For your trailer." He pointed to my left side tires. I was a little shocked at what I saw.
I hadn't felt any problems with the trailer during the tow. I use a 2017 Ram 2500 diesel tow rig. I had obviously been cruising on this failure for quite a while. The flailing rubber slightly "reshaped" my aluminum fender giving it a small bulge. It also reduced my "between-the-tire step" into road debris somewhere enroute. At each stop during the trip, I do a walk-around to check the trailer and step inside to check the tie-downs. My last leg was about 150 miles and everything was copacetic at that penultimate stop.
Fortunately, I did have a spare tire. After the track day, the nice folks at America's Tire (aka, "Discount Tire") in Salinas CA edumacated me regarding trailer tire quality. As a start, I learned there is a considerable difference in quality among the "trailer tire" companies. I also learned that there is a tire lifetime to be considered, rather than just mileage and tread wear. Fortunately, my aluminum wheel was fine. I came out of there with a Goodyear Endurance trailer tire and the inclination to replace my 5-year-old tires all around. I also believe a trailer TPMS is in my future. The question is, which one.
There are a ton of TPMS options. I have pretty much eliminated the prolific budget Chinese offerings due to worries about reliability. That still leaves a lot of choices. I'd like to hear what systems others have used and how they have worked out. What do you like and dislike? I am leaning toward offerings from companies like TireMinder, Tuson and Tyredog in the $350 to $500 range. Assuming I get new tires, this would be a good time to get internal sensors if that is the way to go. Any problems with external sensors on metal valve stems? (Theft?). I am assuming I should get a signal booster for the trailer. I'm a bit skeptical of using my phone as a receiver vs a dash-top monitor as I might have my phone notifications inadvertently turned OFF at an inopportune time, or not hear/feel the warning going off in my pocket.
Regarding tires, the Goodyear Endurance (225/75R-15) seems to be well recommended. Any other good ones?
I'm open to advice on other relevant trailer tire topics for which I'm still too ignorant to form a decent question.
I owe a debt of gratitude to that remaining Westlake tire on the front left side of my trailer. It soldiered on carrying the load solo for who-knows-how long.
"A spare what?", I asked.
"Tire. For your trailer." He pointed to my left side tires. I was a little shocked at what I saw.
I hadn't felt any problems with the trailer during the tow. I use a 2017 Ram 2500 diesel tow rig. I had obviously been cruising on this failure for quite a while. The flailing rubber slightly "reshaped" my aluminum fender giving it a small bulge. It also reduced my "between-the-tire step" into road debris somewhere enroute. At each stop during the trip, I do a walk-around to check the trailer and step inside to check the tie-downs. My last leg was about 150 miles and everything was copacetic at that penultimate stop.
Fortunately, I did have a spare tire. After the track day, the nice folks at America's Tire (aka, "Discount Tire") in Salinas CA edumacated me regarding trailer tire quality. As a start, I learned there is a considerable difference in quality among the "trailer tire" companies. I also learned that there is a tire lifetime to be considered, rather than just mileage and tread wear. Fortunately, my aluminum wheel was fine. I came out of there with a Goodyear Endurance trailer tire and the inclination to replace my 5-year-old tires all around. I also believe a trailer TPMS is in my future. The question is, which one.
There are a ton of TPMS options. I have pretty much eliminated the prolific budget Chinese offerings due to worries about reliability. That still leaves a lot of choices. I'd like to hear what systems others have used and how they have worked out. What do you like and dislike? I am leaning toward offerings from companies like TireMinder, Tuson and Tyredog in the $350 to $500 range. Assuming I get new tires, this would be a good time to get internal sensors if that is the way to go. Any problems with external sensors on metal valve stems? (Theft?). I am assuming I should get a signal booster for the trailer. I'm a bit skeptical of using my phone as a receiver vs a dash-top monitor as I might have my phone notifications inadvertently turned OFF at an inopportune time, or not hear/feel the warning going off in my pocket.
Regarding tires, the Goodyear Endurance (225/75R-15) seems to be well recommended. Any other good ones?
I'm open to advice on other relevant trailer tire topics for which I'm still too ignorant to form a decent question.
I owe a debt of gratitude to that remaining Westlake tire on the front left side of my trailer. It soldiered on carrying the load solo for who-knows-how long.