Can Travel Trailer Tires be Aligned?

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Last Updated on August 22, 2024 by Paul Clayton

Can Travel Trailer Tires be Aligned?

Yes, Travel Trailer Tires can be aligned. Proper alignment is an essential maintenance task for all types of vehicles, including travel trailers.

Misaligned tires can cause numerous problems such as uneven tire wear, poor fuel economy, and compromised handling of the vehicle. For travel trailers, it is particularly crucial as it affects the balance and stability during transit.

Therefore, regular checks and adjustments should be made to ensure that the tires are properly aligned. This will not only enhance the performance and safety of your travel trailer but also extend the lifespan of the tires.

Out-of-alignment tires on RVs result in early tire purchases, uneven tire wear, strain on suspension components, and decreased vehicle fuel efficiency. Big deal if you have ever priced Class A tires.

Correct travel trailer wheel alignment is an essential part of RV maintenance as it will maximize the tire’s life and boost your trailer’s fuel economy.

So, can travel trailer tires be aligned? Yes, travel trailers can be aligned, and absolutely should be aligned every 2 – 4 years.  Expect to pay around $250+ for a professional to do the job, or you can do it yourself assuming you have the tools to do so.

What Causes Wheel Alignment Problems in Trailers?

These specific scenarios can lead to wheel alignment problems in your travel trailer:

• Worn-out or damaged leaf spring
• Bent or distorted wheel rim
• Or a low pressure in a tire

The other thing is, your camper’s front axle must be aligned in a static position. Moreover, the axle should be aligned perpendicularly to the trailer’s frame. 

Due to this, your camper’s wheel will be in an optimum position with the road’s surface. However, a minor deviation in the front axle can instantly notify you of the apparent effects when you will drive your trailer.   

In several cases, you only have to adjust or replace the defective part to fix your problem. 

How Will I Know That I Need Wheel Alignment?

The sign of wheel misalignment is when your trailer weaves, pulls or drifts to one side. Similarly, your steering wheel might become off-center while you are driving straight. 

Furthermore, your trailer’s tire alignment is vital to prevent trailer damage and for safe towing of cargo.

Can You Align Your Travel Trailer Tires?

If your trailer’s tires are not aligned, you can easily do it yourself or seek professional help. Follow these courses of action to align your camper’s wheels.

You will need the following items:

• Twine
• Fishing sinker
• Trailer’s manual
• Four axle extension tubes
• A tape measure

Assess Trailer’s Tires

• Step 1:

With your automobile’s hitch, join your trailer’s tongue. Make sure to park your camper on a leveled road or a surface. If necessary, you can lower your rig tongue jack stand to level your camper. 

• Step 2:

Now at the fishing line’s end, fix your fishing sinker (it will act as a plumb line). You will find threads at the bottom of your automobile’s hitch, tie your fishing line there. This will make your fishing sinker hang.

Ensure that your fishing sinker and line hang right below the middle point of a trailer tongue coupler. Hence, it will allow the plumb line to assess your tire alignment quickly.

• Step 3:

If necessary, you can remove the center or hub caps from your trailer’s wheels. Now on trailer tires, screw the axle extension tube to its center spindle. 

Spindles are the trailer axle and wheel assembly’s innermost part that provide a surface for wheel bearings and allow wheel caps to rotate – a little insight for the novice in screwing axle tubes. 

• Step 4:

With the help of an inch of tape, measure the distance of axle extension tube tips of the right and left wheel to the plumb line, and note it down. 

Compare these distances, and if the difference in the measurements exceeds ⅛-inch, it means that your trailer tires are misaligned. 

Moreover, measure the distance of the rear and anterior wheel, and note it down. Compare these distances, and if the difference in the measurements exceeds ⅛-inch, your rearmost axle is not aligned with your trailer’s front axle. 

It’s Time To Align The Tires

• Step 1:

Check the leaf springs as they are the suspension for vehicles that protect and suspend the axles. 

Furthermore, if you find cracks or loose retainer brackets or U-bolts (these are the parts that hold up the leaf spring to an axle), replace them. 

If rear and front shackle brackets are bent or cracked, replace them as well. It is necessary to change worn-out shackle brackets because they secure the ends of the leaf springs to an undercarriage. 

Moreover, if a leaf spring cracks, twist, or sag, upgrade or renew it. 

• Step 2:

If your trailer does not have any problems discussed in Step 1, you should examine your camper’s tire conditions. 

Check if the tire has a bent rim, worn treads, or low pressure because these problematic conditions will interfere while you drive your trailer.

A bent tire rim may need an expert’s attention, and it depends on the severity of the damage. Sometimes, it might need replacement. 

Should you balance travel trailer tires?

Balancing travel trailer tires is a significant aspect of routine maintenance that should not be overlooked. Irrespective of whether you’re planning a short weekend trip or a cross-country journey, the question, “Should you balance travel trailer tires?” is undeniably important.

Unbalanced tires can lead to several problems, such as uneven tire wear, poor fuel efficiency, and diminished driving performance.

Therefore, to ensure the safety, longevity of the tires, and optimal performance of the trailer, it is crucial to balance travel trailer tires regularly. This practice will ensure smooth travel and prevent potentially costly repairs in the future.

Are trailer tires supposed to wobble?

No, trailer tires are not supposed to wobble. A wobbling tire on a trailer is a clear indication of a potential issue that needs immediate attention.

Such an issue could range from a simple tire imbalance to more serious ones like damaged bearings or a bent axle. The bearings need to be serviced or changed if the wheels are loose or wobble. As you tow your trailer past at a speed of around 25 mph, have someone listen for sounds from both the driver’s side and the curbside.

Safety on the road is paramount; thus, any wobbling should be checked and rectified by a professional mechanic promptly to ensure the safety of the driver and other road users.

Should I Buy Special Trailer Wheels for My Camper?

You can experience some wear in a suspension component, and it can also be a symptom of axle misalignment. 

Sometimes tire wear usually happens when you overload your trailer; therefore, take a look to see if the axle has been flipped or not. 

When you carry heavy loads in a trailer, the bow supports a little bit of the weight, whereas, the axles will straighten out to let your tires run evenly. This causes the tires to wear out quickly. 

Therefore, you must opt for special trailer tires (ST). Non-trailer wheels are built for vehicles that carry passengers. In contrast, ST wheels are designed to carry heavy loads present in a travel trailer. 

If we talk about its structure, STs have solid and straight ribs – these are durable rubber circumferential bands parted by grooves. Therefore, this feature makes ST tires suitable to bear heavy loads. 

Moreover, ST has 10% more carrying capacity than the light truck (LT) wheels. The ST tires have stiff sidewalls for controlled swaying and better stability. 

Since carrying heavy loads generates substantial tire heat, the shallow groove design in special trailer wheels helps these tires remain cool and improves fuel economy.

Contrastingly non-trailer wheels have deeper grooves and ample voids. These tires often have jagged and non-continuous ribs.        

How Does Wheel Alignment Benefit You?

To obtain maximum benefit, always check your trailer’s four wheels for alignment. Several benefits of wheel alignment are as follows:

• It increases your trailer’s safety as you can drive straight on the road.
• It prevents tire wear.
• Reduced tire wear means it prolongs the tire’s life expectancy and lowers operating costs.
• It reduces fuel consumption due to lower rolling resistance. Also, it reduces the trailer’s drag and enhances fuel efficiency. 
• It reduces stress on your trailer’s suspension components; hence, it prevents costly repairs. 

Misaligned tires mean you have to struggle with your steering wheel while driving straight on the road. After aligning them, they significantly reduce the driver’s fatigue. 

A trailer’s fuel efficiency, performance, tire replacement cost, and trailer drags or bounces on the road are the paramount effects of misaligned tires that you should cater to immediately.

Wrapping Up

Yes, travel trailer tires can be aligned. But do you really care?

Travel trailer tires can indeed be aligned, and it’s an essential aspect of regular maintenance for any travel trailer owner to consider.

Proper alignment of travel trailer tires ensures the vehicle’s optimal performance, increases the lifespan of the tires, and enhances overall road safety. Misaligned tires can lead to uneven tire wear, poor handling, and decreased fuel efficiency.

Moreover, issues such as pulling to one side or steering wheel vibrations may also occur if the alignment is off, which can make driving more challenging and potentially unsafe.

To maintain proper alignment, it’s recommended that travel trailer owners have their vehicle’s tire alignment checked at least once a year or every 12,000 miles by a professional service. This is especially important after any incidents that could potentially disrupt alignment, such as hitting a pothole or curb.

Not only can Travel Trailer Tires be Aligned, but they should be regularly for optimal performance and safety.

Many RVers don’t pay attention to the trailer’s wheel and axle, their alignment, to be precise. And there’s no rocket science involved. 

All you need is to take a closer look at your trailer’s wheel. If you see plenty of wear outside the tread, this can become a problem worth addressing before you hit the road. 

You wouldn’t want to ruin your wonderful family RV trip and pay for something out of your pocket that wasn’t planned. 

So, make a habit of inspecting your travel trailer tires for alignment problems, and unusual wear, and check tire pressure. This would prevent many unanticipated obstacles during your road trip.

Be smart, be safe!

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