Thread: What would cause a trailer tire wear like this??

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This tire is on the rear axle on my GF’s 32ft camper. It’s one of two that has worn oddly on the same axle. The other not as bad. What’s your opinion why this has happened?? This is one of the two tires and the pictures are from opposite sides of the tire. The other tires on the front axle look fine and have no odd wear at all. Thankfully we’re only 5 hours from my house, but the trailer needs to make it to Idaho Falls and we sure don’t want to keep buying tires. They have around 9000 miles on them….thanks joe

I'd say your axle has slipped out of alignment, or maybe the U-bolts holding the axle to the spring are loose on one side.

Originally Posted by rspears

I'd say your axle has slipped out of alignment, or maybe the U-bolts holding the axle to the spring are loose on one side.

I took a tape measure to it measuring from the u bolt to the spring mounting at the rear and everything seems to be within an 1/8” of everything being the same

This link has some ideas. You may be ahead of them in knowledge - https://thecampingnerd.com/can-trave...eck-alignment/

Mileage is part of the issues, but the age (IE: date on the tire) of the tires is the other. In addition, trailer tires are not as UV tolerant as a car/truck tire. I'll be curious to know the date on the tires.


Bill S.

check bearings. just a little toe out will do this. if not bearings i would guess bent spindel or axle. if axle slips it will change alignment.

Originally Posted by mrmustang

Mileage is part of the issues, but the age (IE: date on the tire) of the tires is the other. In addition, trailer tires are not as UV tolerant as a car/truck tire. I'll be curious to know the date on the tires.


Bill S.

The trailer is about 4yrs old but I haven’t checked the date code. Actually I had forgotten about that and will check it out. We’re 5hrs from my house near St. Louis and it’s take about 3500 miles for this to show up. We do have good tires on the back at the moment and I’ll check them every time we stop, which is about once every hour or so.
Renee’s son did raise the adjustable receiver up a couple of inches because the truck itself was loaded and I was told that may have been part of the problem. So I lowered it back down. And I also did notice this morning that it looks like the bushing in the spreader/pivot between the springs looked like the might be smashed out. So I have some work to do when we get back to my house.
Thanks for the info…joe

Originally Posted by shine

check bearings. just a little toe out will do this. if not bearings i would guess bent spindel or axle. if axle slips it will change alignment.

I’ll check all of that when we get to my house. I don’t have the tools or anything else to do that kind of work where we’re at. Told Renee we need to get a better tool kit then what is in her trailer and truck…thanks for the info and help..joe

Thanks everyone for the advice. I haven’t worked on trailers much other than greasing the bearings and swapping tires. Figured it has to be either something simple or a bad factory part unless it’s been curbed badly.. thanks again.joe

Originally Posted by TooMany2count

Renee’s son did raise the adjustable receiver up a couple of inches because the truck itself was loaded and I was told that may have been part of the problem. So I lowered it back down.
Thanks for the info…joe

I was going to say to check that the trailer is sitting level (or pretty near it) it may be the suspensions may not be loaded equally. Also, the tires set to the same psi??

Bent axle, overloading can do that on a axle that is not rated for it. Is it a Dexter torq flex or leaf spring? The Dexters seem to bend if overloaded. I would change that as soon as possible, blow outs do major damage to RV's.

Originally Posted by v8nutz

Bent axle, overloading can do that on an axle that is not rated for it. Is it a Dexter torq flex or leaf spring? The Dexters seem to bend if overloaded. I would change that as soon as possible, blow outs do major damage to RV's.

It’s leaf springs, going to climb under it with a tape measure and see what happens….joe