When Should You Replace Horse Trailer Tires?

The question above is one that you see frequently if you visit any forums that discuss horse trailers. For such an important piece of equipment, many people are not sure when they should replace the tires on their horse trailer.

Depending on how much you use your horse trailer, a rule of thumb for replacing tires is roughly every three to five years. But this number is just an approximation, because other factors may influence when you need to buy new ones.

One thing that determines when to replace tires is the appearance of dry rot. Dry rot, as the name implies, means the tire rubber dries out and begins to rot, which makes conditions favorable for the tire to blow out.

Dry rot occurs more frequently in tires that don’t see a lot of miles, for example, your horse trailer sits idle all winter long, and you use it sporadically for the rest of the year. Weather conditions also affect how quickly tires develop dry rot. For those who live in warmer climates with very hot summers you may find that tires dry out much faster than they might somewhere cooler. And dry rot occurs in all tires, including the spare.

How do you know if your tire has dry rot? If you see cracks or splits along the outer edges of the tire, you’re looking at dry rot.

Can you do anything to prevent dry rot? To some extent, yes.

Try not to park your horse trailer in an area where the sun beats down on it all day long.
Make sure your spare tire is always covered.
Visit your local auto parts store. Many sell spray on products designed to protect tires from sun and other environmental factors.
Use your horse trailer so it doesn’t sit for lengthy periods. The constant weight of the trailer on the tires contributes to the development of dry rot.
Make it a point to check your tires regularly, not only to inspect for dry rot but to check the tire pressure too.

You’ve got a lot riding on your tires, so be sure to take care of them.

Of course, rather than replacing your rotted horse trailer tires, why not consider a new horse trailer. Double D offers a wide range of models to suite your needs. Contact us at (800) 435-6274 or email us at sales@doubledtrailers.com.

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