It’s finally boating season and we’re sure you can’t wait to get back out on the water! But before you can make it to the water, you will have to consider the tires on your boat trailer. Do you have the right set of tires? Are your trailer tires too old? Is your trailer weighing down your vehicle?
We will answer these and any other questions you have about your boat trailer tires so that you can relax and enjoy the open waters ahead of you!
- Why Do I Need Trailer Tires? - What Is a “Load Range” on a Trailer Tire? - Is It Okay for the Rear of My Truck to Sag When It’s Hitched to My Trailer? - Is It Okay for My Trailer to Bounce When Underway? - What’s Causing Uneven Wear on My Trailer Tires? - How Do I Properly Use and Care For My Boat Trailer Tires? - Where Can I Get My Boat Trailer Serviced?
The average automobile tires are manufactured with features like flexible sidewalls and long-lasting tread because they have to work alongside the steering and braking systems on your car.
However, trailer tires aren’t used to steer your car. They are made with the ability to easily disperse heat because of the large weight they carry, which is often much more than your standard passenger tire.
We know it’s tempting to just put on any tire that fits your boat trailer, but using regular car tires can be dangerous! Because the tread on passenger tires is different from the tread designed for trailer tires, they would be susceptible to irregular wear and blowouts. It’s also important to note that load ratings are carefully chosen for car or truck tires and completely differ from trailer tires.
With that in mind, Special Trailer (ST) tires are the only type you should use on your boat trailer unless you’re willing to risk damage or an accident. Non-trailer tires are made to carry people while ST tires are designed for carrying heavy-duty loads.
ST tires are created with robust sidewalls and straight, solid ribs in order to handle larger amounts of weight. Their structure also helps you avoid tipping your boat onto the road while turning. ST tires have about 10 percent more load capacity than light truck (LT) tires of the same size and 40 percent more than an equivalent passenger tire.
As you look at the right ST tires for you, you will find both radial and bias-ply tires available. Radials work better for longer trips and bias-ply work better for short trips to your local waterways.
Trailer tires are an essential component of your boating setup, and it’s not worth the risk to gloss over that part of the venture.
The load range is the load capacity of the trailer tire. A tire’s load range is located on the sidewall of the tire. The load range is rated with a single letter, such as B, C, D, etc. These ratings go alphabetically—higher letters offer better load durability. For example, if you have two tires of the same size but different load ranges of B and D, the D range tire will have a higher weight capacity.
NOTE: Going to a higher-capacity tire does not increase the capacity of the trailer.
You definitely don’t want your tow vehicle to sag under the weight of your boat trailer. Sagging most likely means that there’s not enough weight distributed to the front wheels of your truck or SUV. And apart from affecting your handling of the vehicle, you’ll also create uneven wear on all your tires, meaning they won’t last as long as they should.
If your boat trailer’s tongue isn’t within an inch or two of being level with the ground, then you’ll need to make some adjustments.
There are many approaches to fixing an unlevel tow issue, depending on your rig:
- Adjust your trailer mount - Move it up or down to get the proper rise or drop. - Rearrange your load - You want about 10 to 15 percent of the fully loaded trailer’s weight placed on the trailer tongue. - Add airbags to the suspension of your tow vehicle - This lifts up the rear and puts more weight on the front, evening out the load. - Add helper springs to your tow vehicle - Helper springs are designed to assist your suspension springs, not replace them. - Use weight distribution hitches with spring bars - These help keep your trailer in line with the towing vehicle.-
It’s normal for a trailer hauled without its load to bounce. For example, boat trailers are made with stiff, solid axles with loose springs. This causes them to bounce a lot when they aren’t weighed down.
But if your trailer is still bouncing even while loaded, there could be other issues at hand:
- Your tires aren’t properly inflated. - Your tow vehicle’s shocks are worn or aren’t designed for the load. - You need to shift the weight inside the trailer. - The trailer is overloaded and the suspension might be damaged. - One of the trailer axles could be damaged. - Your trailer isn’t level while towing.
Unfortunately, trailer tires don’t usually wear evenly. For example, when a tandem axle trailer with four tires takes a tight turn, the inside tires will “slide” rather than roll because of the shorter distance they have to travel. This creates odd wear patterns over time.
However, rapid or significantly uneven trailer tire wear could be caused by:
- Riding with the wrong tire pressure. - Exceeding your tires’ load capacity. - Trailer misalignment or bent wheels (caused by hitting curbs, potholes, or debris). - Not towing level, which puts more weight and strain on one axle. - Uneven load management (instead of spreading weight evenly to all wheels/tires).
If you are finding wear on the inside shoulder of the tires, then your load may be too heavy. With too much weight, the axle bows downward in the middle, causing the tires to roll pigeon-toed. Because that’s not the normal contact patch for tires, you’ll see more pronounced wear there.
If only one tire is wearing faster on the inside, you might have a bent suspension part, like a spindle. This can cause one tire to skid instead of rolling smoothly down the road, wearing out the rubber.
If you see faster wear on the outer tread, this may be a case of an under-loaded trailer: The trailer weight is too light to straighten out the axle. Or, outer tread wear on just one side may be a symptom of a worn suspension component.
If you notice tire cupping — a bulge on one area of the tire — the belts or plies (the strong cords of steel and nylon that give the tire its strength) inside your tire are probably failing. It can be caused by improperly balanced tires, wheel bearing issues, poor alignment, or a worn out part in your suspension. It can also result from excessive heat caused by going over the speed rating of your tires.
Tires on a trailer parked for a long time can develop flattened spots in the area that contacts the ground. To prevent this, simply move your trailer regularly.
When it comes to your boat trailer tires, it's important to keep a few things in mind. Even though you may want to reach your destination as fast as you can, boat trailer tires are not made to exceed speeds of 65 mph. Going over this limit for long periods of time could eventually lead to tire failure.
And if you are going to be traveling on high-speed highways, you certainly don’t want to max out the weight. So, make sure you avoid loading up the boat with extra weight during transport. Moving any heavy cargo from the boat to the back of your vehicle instead can actually allow your trailer tires to withstand slightly higher speeds for longer periods of time.
It’s also important to take good care of your boat trailer tires during the winter and other periods of nonuse by protecting them from UV light. And while you can definitely use special wheel covers for protection, a standard tarp or coverage in the garage can be equally effective.
The last thing to keep in mind is that you should rotate and balance your boat trailer tires just as you do on your car or truck. Even just rotating your tires from side to side on a single-axle trailer will help slow irregular treadwear and extend the life of your tires. The standard X rotation is necessary for a double axle trailer from time to time, especially if you start noticing irregular wear patterns.
Maintain Correct Air Pressure
- Do frequent air pressure checks to make sure your trailer tires meet the recommended PSI range. - Double-check your air pressure when your trailer tires are cold or have not been driven on in a while.
Know Your Load-Carrying Capacity
- Check that all your trailer tires are the same size, brand, and model to ensure proper weight distribution. - If your trailer tires need to be replaced, you have to do so equally in order to maintain proper weight distribution (For example, if a tire fails on the left side, the right side must also be replaced because it was overloaded and had to carry the full weight of the trailer/load).
Service Life
- Consider replacing your trailer tires every 5-7 years regardless of their treadwear and appearance. - Inspect your tires prior to use and check for cuts, snags, punctures, and air pressure loss. - Cover your tires and keep them properly stored (in a cool and dry place) when not in use.
General Trailer Tire Safety
- Check on your spare tire’s condition (and its air pressure too!). - Avoid overloading your tires. You can find the maximum load capacity for your trailer tire on its sidewall. - Visually inspect your tires before and during any trip. It’s best to check when the tires are cooler.
Wonderland Tire has 12 locations across Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio to help with all of your boat trailer tire needs. And if you have any additional questions about your boat trailer tires, feel free to contact us! We’ll be sure to provide you with all of the answers you need.
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