Many people complain that their trailer tires are vulnerable to wear and tear from the inside, which can affect normal driving conditions. You can see significant differences in the fuel economy of the towing vehicle because they put more effort into dragging the heavy-weight trailers. It also affects the stability of the steering wheel and efficient braking system because of insufficient traction on the road.
Trailer tires wearing on the inside can be due to low-quality wheels, poor driving habits, wheel alignment issues, bent rims, wrong tire pressure, bowed axles, unequal weight distribution, and overloaded trailers.
I always check the tires of my trailer before going on a long trip. Inspection of exterior components is also necessary to avoid unpleasant road situations.
A few years back, I faced an issue while driving on the highway because of the worn-out front tire of my trailer. I did not check my RV wheels before packing my bags. The inner tread surface of the front right wheel was worn out, which led to sudden pressure loss and puncture. I installed the spare wheel that was present in the storage compartment to continue my trip.
| Problems | Solutions |
| Low-quality tires | Keep spare tire in storage compartment |
| Poor driving habits | Avoid driving slowly in city areas |
| Wheel alignment issue | Adjust the camber and toe alignment |
| Bent rims | Maintain tire air pressure |
| Wrong tire pressure | Use an air pressure gauge |
| Bowed axle | Avoid storing your trailers unloaded for longer |
| Overloaded trailer | Check the weight-holding capacity of trailers |
Low-quality tires
Several types of trailer tires are available in the market with different qualities depending on their manufacturing brands. Some of these are made of high-quality rubber material, resistant to all weather conditions, and can last for more than 8 years.
However, their inner tread surface is more prone to wear and tear because of their quality. The issue comes when you install low-quality tires in your trailers as an aftermarket addition.
Many people want to save the cost and add cheaper things. Cheaper products are usually made of low-quality manufacturing materials to decrease their overall cost.
The rubber material of cheaper wheels does not last for years, and you can see signs of premature wear and tear. The load of the interior components stresses their sidewalls, which can break because of their low-quality rubber material.
In addition, low-quality rubber cannot withstand the heat that is generated from the wheels during summer and hot weather conditions.
It is necessary to check the quality and manufacturing brand of the tires while selecting the trailers. Moreover, you should also add wheels of a good manufacturing brand if you install these as an aftermarket addition. Keep the spare tire in the storage compartment to avoid challenging situations.
Poor driving habits
The longevity of the tires depends on the drivers’ driving habits. You can extend their life by carefully driving your vehicles.
The issue comes when you drive the towing vehicle aggressively on highways. Frequent stops and sudden braking increase the risk of wear and tear on the inner side of the tires.
The issue comes because of their increased friction on the road surface. Frequent increase and decrease in temperature cause the expansion and contraction of rubber molecules.
In addition, friction between the road and the wheel increases when you apply brakes frequently. Many drivers do not prefer to drive slowly in city areas because of crowded roads.
You have to apply brakes frequently when you drive fast on crowded roads. You can face problems when you move at the turning points at a fast speed.
Moving at turning points shifts the weight towards the sidewalls, and aggressive driving increases the risk of wear and tear. My friend also faced the same issue, and I advised him to decrease his speed while driving over sharp turning points.
I told him to drive slowly in city areas to avoid frequent braking and stops and decrease the friction.
Wheel alignment issue
You can adjust the wheel according to the suspension and steering angle to ensure smooth and straight driving on the roads without handling issues.
Trailer wheels are also vulnerable to poor alignment because of driving over potholes and hitting the curb area. You can see that they are pulling over one side because of the poor alignment.
It is difficult to maintain the stability of the steering of your towing vehicle because of poor wheel alignment. I also faced the same issue while moving over the snowy roads.
I thought my RV was pulling on one side because of losing traction. I checked the wheel, and all of these have proper contact with the road surface because I installed the winter tires.
I moved to the nearby dealership, and they checked the wheel alignment. The expert mechanic told me about the poor camber and toe angle. Both of these angles are adjustable, and he adjusted them.
I realized that uneven wear and tear on the inner side, pulling to the left and right, and poor steering wheel stability are symptoms of incorrect camber and toe wheel adjustment.
Bent rims
Rims are the part of the wheel assembly that holds the trailer tires. These are made of metal alloys, including aluminum, magnesium, and zinc, with Teflon coating.
Bent rims increase the wear and tear on the inner tread of tires. In addition, it does not allow them to maintain the proper traction on the road.
Bent rims also increase vibratory movement, which affects the inner walls. Rims can bend because of moving over potholes and curb surface area.
Moreover, the issue also comes because of frequent driving over speed bumps with high speed. Corroded rims are more vulnerable to failure because of road salts during winter.
You can reduce the risk of bending rims by maintaining the tire pressure in wheels. High tire pressure reduces the risk of direct impacts while moving over the potholes and speed bumps.
Wrong tire pressure
The trailer wheel’s inner tread can wear out because of poor maintenance and incorrect inflation. The issue comes because of under and over-inflated wheels. As a result, these tires get hot.
You have to maintain the air pressure in them to decrease the risk of wearing their tread surface from the inner and outer sides. Many people do not inflate the wheels before starting the trip.
However, tire pressure also decreases because of punctures, weather conditions, and small holes on the tread surface. Moreover, air pressure usually decreases during long trips because of continuous driving.
I always prefer to keep the air pressure gauge with me during long road trips to check the air pressure. Moreover, I also place the air pressure refilling kit in the storage compartment of my trailer.
Bowed axle
The axle is the main component of the trailers that is beneficial to support their weight. In addition, these also help in tires spinning by transferring the force generated from the engine to them.
Trailer axles have slightly different assemblies as compared to other vehicles. These have an upward curve from their middle side to reduce the impact on the inner tread surface of tires when RVs are fully loaded.
However, bowing the central curve of the axle causes the inside of the tires to wear. The issue comes when you park the unloaded trailers for a long time.
The axle does not straighten and causes the wheels to develop stress lines on their inner tread surface. You should avoid leaving your RV in one spot for longer.
Loading the trailers and straightening the axle is better to reduce their chances.
Overloaded trailer
People usually load their trailers and add accessories according to the weight their tires can bear. It is necessary for you to check their weight-holding capacity to decrease the chances of inner tread wear and tear.
The issue comes when you fully load the interior cabin with many accessories. In addition, many times, people do not set the amenities correctly, which can lead to unequal weight distribution on trailer tires.
I also faced the same issue because I placed the king-size bed with a mattress on the front side. The problem was the dinette area was also on the front side.
I came outside and saw the bowing of the trailer tongue. You should check the weight-carrying capacity of the tires before loading your RV fully.
It is also better to arrange the amenities correctly by considering the equal weight distribution on the front and rear sides.
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