My plan for my first extended trip has now left the “cabin-fever dream stage” and has entered the realm of “reality prep”. Not first on the list, but very high up was to do something about my TM tires, which I now have completed and checked off the list. Here are some tips and comments that only reflect my experience and thinking – yours might easily be different.
Tip - It helps a LOT to read prior comments that have been previously posted here at TM Owner’s Pages.
Comment - Most comments in the archives are for single axle TM models. My TM 3326 has tandem (2 tires per side). This is an important difference because owners with tandems can divide the gross trailer weight (GVW) per tire by 4 instead of by 2 to determine what “load range” tire is needed. Significance of this is that with tandem wheels a load range of “C” on a tire has a higher margin of safety when used in tandem than for a single axle.
Comment - I have read (logical, but without confirmation) that tires which are constructed to handle a higher load ranges and/or which have more plies will run hotter than tires of lesser construction. Rural roads through mountains and forests probably have cool driving conditions, but I live in South Florida and drive a lot of interstates where Summer time super-heat conditions on tires leaves a LOT of RV’s along the side of the road. Maybe the safety of heavier construction is offset by the risk of heat buildup?
Comment - Goodyear Marathon tires have received many pro/con comments here, but most such comments are relatively old in the archives and were made at about the same time as a large recall of Chinese made tire valve stems that were causing blowouts. Are Marathon’s a good bet? I don’t know, but when I called the local Goodyear franchise dealer, the price quoted per tire was about $130 per tire – about twice the price of a Tow Master tire, for example. I need 5 tires counting the spare, hmmm.
Tip - Trailer tires, unlike car tires, rarely are driven until the tread is gone. The average life generally is quoted to be from 3 – 5 years because the tires will generally die first from:
1. Under inflation of tires by neglect or bad valves.
2. Diving faster than the max speed rating for trailer tires, usually about 65 mph.
3. Sun’s UV rays on the sidewalls while the trailer sits in storage.
4. Potholes.
5. Heat buildup in the tire from excessive speed, excessive load, and/or super heated road surface conditions.
Comment- Maybe it is better to just plan to buy a “sufficiently good” cheap tire every 3 years than to spend twice the price on a heavier constructed expensive tire on the hope that the tires will last longer (but probably won’t). Just my thinking and not advice.
Tip – After making all the decisions, call the chosen dealer to make sure that they will work on your trailer. Take the time to visit the dealer’s store and plan where to park and how to exit. Arrive at opening time (I had to get up before 5am and hitch in the dark!) so the designated parking site hopefully will be available. Go ahead and pull the spare out ahead of arrival – saves time.
Tip – Take your own tool for removing that TM cover over the tire well. It takes what is sometimes called a “square head driver” for the screws. The dealer’s (not always language adept) mechanic might not have seen such a screw before. This tool is essential anyway for fixing an emergency flat on the road – a previous poster said that he didn’t have the requisite driver and wound up using shears to make a tire shaped cut-out in the cover!
Tip – I bought a set of two “square head drivers” (small and smaller) cheap at the local Harbor Freight store but I think that Home Depot also carries at least one size. On my set, the larger of the two drivers was the one that worked for me.
Comment- The dealer probably won’t know where to put the jack. The TM manual has a section on changing flat tires that is good to read which calls for putting the jack on the FRAME not the axle.
Comment - I had an excellent mechanic who first used his air powered lug wrench to slightly under-torque the lugs then he went back to each lug and did the final tightening with a hand operated torque wrench to obtain what my TM manual calls for (90 – 95 foot pounds).
Tip – Expect an audience and whistles of amazement when you fold your trailer back down! Wait. You weren’t thinking that you could have the tires changed without completely opening the TM up, were you?
