Most people don’t normally associate the quality of their tires with the success of their boat. But keeping your boat trailer tires in good shape is essential if you want to have a quality boating experience every time. Here’s what you’ll need to know about these tires and how to take care of them.
How to Get a Sense of Your Tire’s Quality
It starts with knowing your tire. We recommend that you take a look at your tire and inspect it as closely as possible. Here’s what you can find out just by doing that:
- Examining the side, your tire will be marked with specific information down the sidewall. That includes different load ranges. For example, a load range of C means it can carry 1,820 pounds. With two such tires, you then have a loading capacity of 3,640 pounds. Don’t exceed the numbers here unless you’re clear that the tire(s) can handle it.
- Check your tire pressure. Just like the tires on your car, you need to be sure that the tires on your boat trailer are at optimum pressure to ensure proper performance. Make sure that you check your tires before you use them, which is known as checking the tire pressure “cold.” You’ll also find that boat trailer tires tend to go to a higher pressure than the tires on your vehicle—this is normal.
- Give a visual inspection. You’ll want to check a few elements here, including the tread of your tire (the penny tire tread test will still apply here) as well as the sidewall of the tire, examining it for any “spiderweb” style cracks that may have appeared.
- Check for wear and tear. You can get a clue on your tire’s general state of wear by inspecting it visually. If it’s worn in the center, the tire has generally been overinflated.
Taking Care of your Tires
People will generally treat boat trailer tires differently than they treat their car tires, even if it’s not a conscious decision. For example, you may leave your boat trailer out in the sun while you park your car inside a garage. Over time, this habit can lead to sun damage that dries out the tire and leaves it more susceptible to damage like cracking.
Similarly, you should avoid leaving your tires out on wet grass—or grass in general. The moisture from the grass can work its way into the tire, which will only decrease its lifespan.
The best course of action is to keep your boat on a level, dry surface—and out of the sun, when possible. You can cover the trailer, but keep in mind that if you leave an entire trailer out in the sun, you’ll also want to consider what else you’re leaving susceptible to UV damage.
Care For Your Boat!
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