Some people look at a trailer, and that’s all they see.
But when I look at a trailer, I see a significant part of someone’s life.
Maybe it’s a horse trailer for traveling with your four-legged family. Maybe it’s a utility trailer that’s a crucial part of your business. Maybe it was an investment that took months of hard work and strategic saving.
So I understand why you’d want to do everything you can to protect your trailer, especially during dangerous winter road conditions.
As the snow begins to fall, you may be wondering: do I need trailer winter tires to haul safely this season?
Well, don’t reach for your wallet just yet.
With decades of winter hauling experience behind us, the team at Blue Ridge Trailers doesn’t see any reason to shell out for trailer winter tires.
It all has to do with the job your trailer tires are performing compared to your tow vehicle tires.
The “driving” tires are on your tow vehicle. They’re the ones steering your vehicle (and therefore, also your trailer). So the aggressive tread and flexibility of winter or snow tires absolutely makes sense for your truck.
By contrast, the trailer tires are just following behind. They don’t need a deeper tread to do their job.
When it comes to control, brakes are more important than winter or snow tires for your trailer. Having brakes on both the front and rear axles of your trailer will prevent it from fishtailing when stopping.
You can add brakes to the rear axle if they’re not already on your horse trailer, RV, utility trailer, or dump trailer. However, most likely your trailer came out of the factory like this. Particularly with horse trailers, I haven’t seen one without a built-in rear axle brake in the last two decades.
There are also several other tire safety tips that you can use to stay safe on the road this winter:
- First things first: don’t drive in snowy or icy conditions if it’s not an emergency. It may seem obvious, but an honest assessment of road conditions and your travel needs is one of the smartest safety steps you can take.
- Know how old your tires are. Trailer tires tend to last five years at maximum. Be sure to look at the tires’ date code if you don’t already know it, and follow this guide to know when it’s time to replace your tires.
- When parked, protect your tires by keeping them away from moisture as much as possible. That means parking on asphalt, concrete, or gravel. If you must park on grass, put a plywood plank down first.
- Does your trailer cover reach all the way down to your tires? This is another important way to prevent moisture damage (as well as heat damage during the summer). Here’s our guide to finding a trailer cover that fits correctly.
Got more questions about your trailer, your tires, or safe hauling in general? Call Blue Ridge Trailers at (434) 985-4151 or contact us online.