Teardrop Campers • nucamprv.com
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nucamprv.com • Teardrop Campers
19
BASIC TIRE SAFETY
Everything in your trailer rides and weighs on the tires. This makes them
essential safety items to which you must pay close attention.
Common hazards and problems relating to tires are:
• Incorrect inflation
• Overloading
• Tire imbalance
• Low tread
• Axle misalignment
• Mismatched tires
• Improper sized tires to rim
• Road hazard
Before each trip determine:
• Do tires have correct inflation pressure? Check the tires with a high-
quality pressure gauge and correct pressure when tires are cold.
• Are there any cuts, cracks, bald spots, uneven tread wear or
exposed reinforcement cords in my tires? If there are, have a
professional tire dealer inspect your tires for diagnosis and repair.
• Is the trailer overloaded? The Gross Vehicle (Trailer) Weight Rating
(GVWR) must never be exceeded. See STEPS TO DETERMINE
CORRECT LOADS on page 24.
• Are there foreign objects lodged in the tires? Remove any stones,
debris or other foreign object from the tires.
• Do tire valves all have caps? Keep a few extra caps on hand in case
you lose one.
TIRE MAINTENANCE
The two most important things to remember about maintaining tires on a
trailer are pressure and tread wear.
Tire Pressure.
The proper tire pressure for your trailer is listed on the
Federal Certification/VIN label on the tongue of your trailer. An example
label can be seen on page 22. You can also find the proper tire pressure
on the tire itself. The tire pressure must be checked while the tire is “cold”
for accuracy.
1. If your tire pressure is higher than recommended, press the tire
valve stem inward for 5-10 second intervals until you have reached
the proper pressure.
2. If your tire pressure is low, add air pressure by inflating for 5-10
second intervals until you reach the recommended max air pressure.
3. If you have been driving and your tire pressure is low, even though
the tire is hot, fill it to the recommended cold tire pressure.
This is
a temporary fix only.
Recheck and correct pressure when you can
acquire a cold reading.
More Tire Pressure Information:
• Improper tire pressures can overload your tires, causing heat
buildup. Too much heat buildup in a tire can cause reduced trailer
stability, tire blowout, loss of control or worse. Always keep a tire
pressure gauge in your trailer and before each trip make a quick
check of all tire pressures. A tire left under-inflated for even a short
period of time can suffer interior damage.
• Tires may lose pressure over time due to air molecules that are
highly pressurized working their way through the rubber of the tire
to the outside. Over a month’s time, a tire may lose as much as 1-3
PSI. When storing your trailer, inflate tires to max capacity and top
off the pressure before towing again.
• You cannot determine proper tire pressure by visual inspection,
although extremely low tire pressures will be clearly visible. Only a
tire pressure gauge will accurately tell you what is going on.
• Tire pressures are recorded as PSI (pounds per square inch, in the
U.S.) and KPA (kilopascals, the metric, international measurement).
• Recommended tire pressures are normally recorded as “cold” tire
pressures. The cold inflation pressure is when the tire has not been
in use for more than one mile or subjected to heat from driving
within the last three hours. A “hot” tire’s pressure may be as much
as 6 PSI higher than a cold pressure reading.
• You can find air compressors at most major service stations
Alternatively, portable air compressors powered by 12V car charger
outlets or 110V electric are usually available from hardware,
automotive or building supply stores. The 12V portable air
compressors are generally not very high quality or very speedy but
may get the job done just fine.
• Keep a high-quality tire pressure gauge in your camper. Cheap
tire gauges are often more inaccurate. You can find good ones
at auto parts stores or at professional tire dealer facilities. Ask
for recommendations.
Tread Wear.
Good tire tread keeps your vehicle from slipping or sliding in
cold or rainy weather conditions when ice or hydroplaning hazards
are present.
• When tire tread is worn down to
1
/
16
" of tread, it is unsafe and
must be replaced. By most expert statistics, the average life of
a trailer tire under normal use and maintenance is five years
regardless of how minimum the use has been.
• Even at three years with adequate tread left, replacing your tires
should be considered.
• Tires may look like they have plenty of tread left even though they
may be worn out. Have a qualified service technician inspect your
tires frequently and evaluate the life of the tire.
• Tires are warranted by the tire supplier. Refer to the flyer enclosed
in your owner’s packet for Warranty Information or access the
Tredit website at
www.tredittire.com
.
Improper tire pressure can cause trailer
instability. Tire blowout, loss of control,
serious injury or death can ensue. Always
check and correct tire pressures before
towing your trailer on the road.
WARNING
Tire pressures are only accurate when
tires are cold.
CAUTION
Generally, tire imbalance and
misalignment are not issues on trailers
but in some cases can be. Unlike tow
vehicle tires, which require routine
balance, rotation and alignment, trailer
tires are not subject to driving torque
and friction from steering around turns.
The best thing to do if you have an
imbalance or axle misalignment issue
is consult your dealer. On tandem axle
trailers tire life may be improved by
routine rotation. To rotate your tires, use
the X pattern. If your trailer is equipped
with a full-size spare tire, rotate it in with
the rest of the tires to keep it from dry
rotting. Your dealer can provide you with
more information.
Trailer Tires
A tire with tread lower than
recommended will not have good
traction and is subject to tire blowout at
any time. Loss of control, serious injury
and death may result.
WARNING
