We recently returned from a 10 day trip trip to northern New Mexico. We had stopped at the showers & I was just killing a little time, so since we would be leaving to return to Tucson the next morning, I decided to take a good look at the tires. I'm glad I did.
The driver's side tire looked ok from behind, but when I looked at it from the front, I saw a bit of bulging in the center of the tread section which I hadn't noticed when we left Tucson the week before. Basically, I put a straight edge across the center of the tread & eyeballed the amount of space at the edges. The space at the edges was much bigger at one point, but on the other side of the tire it looked fine & matched the opposite tire perfectly. Hmmm...
I was lucky enough to have stopped the trailer where the bulge was visible & it was obvious that there was a problem. These are 3 year old Goodyear Marathon 13" trailer tires (C rated only) and were supposed to be good ones when I bought them, but I've learned that they aren't as good as they should be. I store the trailer up on the jack stands, to take the load off the tires and keep them round if it sits for any amount of time. I always check tire pressure before towing, even on a short trip near town. They were balanced properly when mounted. I have covers to protect them from the sun here because it's so stinkin' hot in the summer. In short, I did as much to care for the tires as I could & to maintain them properly.
We finally got a chance to try the new brakes in a "panic stop" situation. As we crested a hill on I-25 in Albuquerque during rush hour, the semi tractor-trailer we were following slammed on its brakes, locked them up & came skidding to a stop. There were two highway vehicles doing some pick-up work in our lane & the lights didn't show up until the hill was crested & they were seen. Not sure what they were doing, but it was the first time I had to really stand on the brakes to stop quickly. I'm not sure I would have made it without the trailer brakes, or what would have happened if that tire was in place when I stomped on the brake pedal. I'm just glad everything worked as it did.
Here's what it looked like, not showing a problem.
Look closely at the left edge of the tread, it's showing a separation between the road contact areas & the lower rubber. The gap is bigger, but you might not see it until it's too late. It's ready to come apart at higher speeds in the heat!
Check those tires & don't just look at the air pressure. Take a bit of time & inspect them for wear, bulging & any bad signs!