I cover my wheels up now but the side of the trailer that the sun beats down on has two tires that are dry-rotting. The tires on the other side are just fine. Why is that? It doesn't seem to happen on car tires....

 

Because they are cheaply made. The other fact is tires get rejuvenated during heat cycling. The heat cycling tends to bring the natural oils to the surface and helps with the protection.
I highly recommend using 303 Protectant on the tires if exposed to UV sunlight, or even sitting in a garage wheres there's high levels of ozone.

MikeyB

 

One of the reasons is there is a lubricant built into the rubber on tires. The tires must be rolling to release the lubricant. Trailers many times sit for long periods of time without rolling, so the rubber dries out.

 

This maybe helpful.

http://www.title-3.com/Tires.htm

 

Good info. Unfortunately my trailer sits on a bit of an incline in the yard so I can't pull the wheels off. I did put plywood under all the tires so they are not sitting directly in the dirt and I also put some black trashbags over the tires. That's probably not blocking any of the UV rays but it makes me feel better...

Thanks men. I've got two brand new spares and they will go on that side of the trailer before it hits the street again.......

 

I found that read very interesting.
I have a question about inflation pressures and ambient temperature.
We started our trip in Portland Oregon at around 50 degrees checked and adjusted tire pressure according to MFG specs. We then proceeded to tow into the mouintains and stopped for the night in freezing temps. Before starting out on day two my pressures were 10lbs lower than the day before but very equal. TV was reacting the same.
In this scenario should I inflate to compensate for the lower temps or continue on knowing that I will be back in higher ambient temps within hours?

I chose to inflate them 5 additional pounds and released the pressure on day three. Is this being overly cautious or........

 

That link was very informative.

 

TJAR66, don't forget that after a few miles they will heat a little and the pressure will increase. Since the air volume in the tire stayed the same I would think that the mountain air pressure would've increased. The higher altitude would mean thinner air. I am surprised you lost that much psi at elevation. I have never adjusted for elevation or temps. Just run what's recommended on the sidewall. Kurt

 

I say you can never be too cautious when towing. I was moving a girl's furniture once and was taking my time driving down the road. When we stopped for fuel she was making fun of me because she had to slow down so I could keep up. I didn't say anything because I knew I had plenty of power on tap and I knew I would get there without any problems. She was pretty hot so I just laughed instead of giving her a safety lecture...

 

I think it was because of the colder temps. 1st pressure check was set 80psi at 50 degrees second morning was at 72-75 at 35 degrees.

 

I treat our 5th wheel tires with 303 Protectant after each trip and have tire covers over them when not in use. After 3 1/2 years they look great. I do intend to replace them in the spring just because I don't want to take any chances. I do the same thing on my flatbed trailer.

 

never had that problem our trailers were allways gettin used, but now i have one that doesnt get used all that much. that was a good read and very informative. thanks