Trailer snow tires

[gbaglo]

I'm due to replace the tires on my 2008 17B next summer. It will have been six years, although the tires look like they could last several more years.
Which raises a couple questions. Is it less likely that tires need to be replaced as often in the Pacific Most Wet vs. the sunny south?

And, given that there is plenty of tread left, and, given that winter tires wear out more quickly than harder summer rubber, would it not make sense to put winter tires on and run them year round? They aren't likely to run out of tread before they need to be replaced for age.

baglo

[float5]

I understand that tread wear is not a consideration for replacing trailer tires. They should be replaced according to years and miles regardless of the tread looking fine. That said, how often to replace them is up for debate but six years certainly seems long enough. Of course, there are those with the same tires for 20 years.

[amirie]

I thought that winter tires because of their "different type--being softer rubber" shouldn't be used in the summer?

We just got escape to put on new tires for us as ours were originals and the previous owners did go across Canada with them--Reace could see some spots where the tread was "lifting"..Better safe than sorry...

[Brian B-P]

Straight winters might wear too quickly in the summer, and the tread might be too "squirmy". I have considered the Nokian WR for trailer use: it is essentially a winter design made suitable for summer, rather than the typical "all-season" approach of making summers work a bit better in winter. They also come in the Extra Load (XL) load range, matching them better to trailer loading expectations.

I ran a set of WRs on my Focus down to the wear bars a couple of years ago - that winter-ready rubber has great summer traction and they handled really well with the extra tread depth gone. I have a set of WRs in a larger size suitable for a 3500 pound axle capacity - and not completely worn out - that I am still considering for trailer use.

[escape artist]

Hi: gbaglo...Can you even get ST winter tires? I think aggressive tread patterns tend to wiggle to much and you'd only find out after they're on the trailer, and you're on the highway... Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[cpaharley2008]

Not to mention that snow tires will impact your MPG numbers. I remember as a young'uns we used to have snow tires mounted on rims and carried them around in the trunk. Good for a spare and in the event of nasty weather. Jack up the car and put them on, reverse the same in the spring.
Radials were not around then…whitewalls were white rubber rings mounted when you mounted the tire, cleaned with steel wool..

[Jim Bennett]

There is really no need for the winter tire tread. Trailer tires are designed for being pulled straight, whereas vehicle tires are designed for traction. I have not heard of winter trailer tires before, is there such a beast?

[daveandsandyclink]

Do people normally camp in BC during the winter? I always assumed that the campgrounds were closed and most folks put away their RV's due to freezing, wet weather unless they travel south or just love survival.

[Burloak]

Originally Posted by daveandsandyclink

Do people normally camp in BC during the winter? I always assumed that the campgrounds were closed and most folks put away their RV's due to freezing, wet weather unless they travel south or just love survival.

Depends where in BC you are. The province is bigger then Texas and has regions with warmer winter months then the colder sections of Texas. Lots of all season camping on the coast and in southern sections of interior valleys at lower elevations. I'm starting the 2014 season in Golden BC beginning March 5 for a month.

[gbaglo]

My recollection is that some states require winter tires on the trailer when needed.
The situation I'm thinking of is dragging Toad down to southern California in February. There are a couple of passes that can get heavy snowfall and may require them.

[thoer]

Does anyone make a winter ST tire? I was just looking after reading this thread and don't see any.

[Sally P]

If there is really heavy snow the Siskyous and the Grapevine will be closed without chains so don't worry. 4WD can be OK but there is no allowance for snow tires. It would be extremely rare for either to be closed for more than a day so I just wouldn't stress about it.

Says I who am stressing about the possibility of snow on my way up and back to Chilliwack next week. But I do know some good camping spots on both sides of the mountains so oh, well.

[daveandsandyclink]

Thanks Robert,
Excuse my lack of knowledge about BC weather and year round RV opportunities. We only get the bad weather news about the northwest and what is heading our way.

[Brian B-P]

There are no winter-specific Special Trailer (ST) tires to my knowledge; however, there are many other tires suitable for trailer service, and many of them are winter tires.

Forum caution: the use of non-ST tires on trailers has proven to be highly controversial in other forums, and perhaps should be avoided in this thread, focusing instead on the winter tire idea.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

Trailer tires are designed for being pulled straight, whereas vehicle tires are designed for traction.

Jim, my trailer takes the same corners and brakes at the same rate as the tow vehicle that's pulling it... doesn't yours? True, the trailer doesn't need drive traction, but neither does one end of my tug. I assume that Jim meant "motor vehicle"... trailers are vehicles too.

Trailers with brakes need the same cornering and braking traction as the rear of a front-wheel-drive car or van. When passing through winter conditions, the trailer is affected the same way by the same road conditions. I haven't used snow tires on only the front of a car since my first winter of driving my first front-drive car, and I would not consider doing it again. I wouldn't take a trailer into real winter conditions without tires that would be at least adequate for the tug in the same conditions.

[float5]

When you drive your vehicle without the trailer, you do not drive it the same as you would when towing. That is my guess as to when the difference in tires really kicks in. Trailer tires are not subjected to the typical driving of a TV's tires when not towing.

[thoer]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

There are no winter-specific Special Trailer (ST) tires to my knowledge; however, there are many other tires suitable for trailer service, and many of them are winter tires.

Forum caution: the use of non-ST tires on trailers has proven to be highly controversial in other forums, and perhaps should be avoided in this thread, focusing instead on the winter tire idea.

Brian I'm confused by this - if there are no ST winter tires and the use of non-ST tires is controversial (and I just searched and it sure is!! LOL) then if we are focusing on winter tires on a trailer - would they not then have to BE non-ST? I feel like I've trapped myself in circular logic...

[Catchlight]

On a tangent here, but Buroloak pointed out that BC has a land area bigger than Texas, but I didn't realize that it's one-third larger -- 944,735 km squared to 696, 241 km squared. Even folks who live in BC don't realize that the northern-seeming city of Prince George is actually in the southern half of BC geographically.

Regarding snow tires on trailers, wouldn't the most desirable quality in a trailer tire be that it tracks straight, even on ice or snow, and especially when braking?

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by thoer

... if there are no ST winter tires and the use of non-ST tires is controversial (and I just searched and it sure is!! LOL) then if we are focusing on winter tires on a trailer - would they not then have to BE non-ST?

Yes, a winter tire would not be ST. I'm suggesting that we keep this discussion to the use of winter tires on a trailer, knowing that they would not be ST but not getting into that part now.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Catchlight

Regarding snow tires on trailers, wouldn't the most desirable quality in a trailer tire be that it tracks straight, even on ice or snow, and especially when braking?

I agree... and that makes the best choice for icy and snowy roads a winter tire.

Modern winter tires can work very well on dry pavement (if care is taken with the tread pattern, and the high wear rate is acceptable as originally suggested), so one could work year-round. Many people who get to spring with winter tires that don't have enough tread left for another winter, continue to run them through the spring and summer to use them up. They work fine; that's what I did with the WRs on my Focus.