| Most RV tires do not fail due to excessive wear but | | | | barely five years old! And it was on the north side of |
| due to deterioration over a period of time. I had a | | | | the trailer, winter and summer. My personal feeling is |
| spare tire on my Hitchhiker II which had never been | | | | that a tire should last six, seven, or eight years. |
| used ---yet it disintegrated while mounted to the rear | | | | I'm hoping that this failure was a fluke. If another one |
| of the trailer and covered, so I know it can happen! | | | | fails this year, it's straight to the tire store for a new |
| Warren Hull's EzineArticles article titled "RV Tire | | | | set! |
| Protection" covers the situation rather well. That | | | | Tires have a date code molded into the sidewall, so it |
| article gives some tips on ways to retard the | | | | is easy to know the age of our tires. The code is |
| inevitable deterioration. | | | | four digits, with the first two being the week of the |
| The bottom line to protecting yourself from the | | | | year and the second two being the year the tire was |
| problems associated with a tire failure is simple: | | | | manufactured. Example: A tire with the date code |
| Replace the tire before it causes a problem! | | | | "0607" would have been made in February (sixth |
| The next question, "When do I do that?" is not as | | | | week of the year), 2007. |
| simple to answer. | | | | The four-digit code went into effect in July, 2000. |
| It has been said that RV tires should be replaced | | | | Prior to that, the date code was a three-digit code, |
| after about six years, regardless of the condition of | | | | with the year being represented by a single digit. |
| the tread. My experience with my previous trailer | | | | If your tires have a three-digit code, don't be |
| would indicate that number is about right. Had I done | | | | surprised if they fail! They're over seven years old |
| so, it would have saved me a lot of inconvenience | | | | and definitely will not last forever. |
| and some minor damage to the trailer. | | | | Copyright 2007 Keith A. |
| But last week, I had a failure of a tire which was | | | | |