How to Tell When Your Towable Needs New Tires

A blowout while you’re towing a trailer is extremely dangerous and can cause thousands of dollars in damage—not just to your wheels, but also to the underside of your rig. And that’s not to mention what it will do to your big travel plans. Making sure your tires are road-worthy should be a top priority for every RV owner, and thankfully, it’s not too hard. Here’s what you should look for when inspecting your tires—which you should do before every trip—so you can feel confident rolling into your next adventure. 

Read More: Upgrades to Make to Your Rig This Spring

Track Your Mileage

The recommended mileage rating is different for every tire and varies based on the quality of the tire. Keeping track of this is important—but not as important as keeping track of the age of the tire. This is because most tires (for typical part-time use) will age out before they reach their recommended lifespan in mileage. A full-time RVer should keep closer tabs on this number and may need to swap out their tires more frequently.

Remember the Purchase Date

The vast majority of RV owners will replace their tires when they age out after five to six years. Thankfully, checking the age on your RV tires is easy to do. Look for the code on the tires, which will say DOT and be followed by a string of numbers. After that initial string of numbers, look for the last four digits, which will be separate from the initial number. These four digits will give the month and year the tires were made. For instance, if the last four digits read 1220 that means the tire was made in December of 2020.

Watch for Cracking, Uneven Wear & Bulging

Visually inspecting your tires for these three things only takes a few minutes and can keep you and your loved ones safe on the road. Cracking and uneven wear can both be caused by a variety of factors and should be taken seriously. Depending on the severity of the issues, you may need to replace your tires—or at the very least have them professionally inspected. Bulges can also be caused by a variety of factors and are a sign that your tires should be replaced immediately. 

Monitor the Tread

If you suspect that the tread is running low on your tires, it’s easy to check yourself if you have a tire tread depth gauge tool. My mechanic recommends using one with a manual measuring system for best accuracy. He says that the models with digital displays can give inaccurate readings. Measure the tread depth in several places by pressing the base down on the outer section of the tire and then pushing the rod down into the groove of the tire. Your tires should be replaced if they reach 2/32 of an inch.

Read More: Ready to hit the road? Head to one of these shoulder-season destinations.