Chassis and Running Gear
RV and Trailer Tire Mounting, Balancing and Replacement
Typical range
$250 to $1,500
Shop hours
1 to 6
Labor rate
$260/hr
The short answer
Tire service covers mounting, balancing, valve stem replacement, and load range specification for RV, trailer, and van applications. Work runs $250 to $1,500, or 1 to 6 hours at $260 per hour plus tires. Date code and age assessment included on every unit.
01
What this work actually involves
RV and trailer tires almost never wear out. They age out. The rubber degrades from ultraviolet exposure and ozone regardless of tread depth, and in Southern California that clock runs fast. A trailer stored uncovered in Palm Desert or Barstow can have sidewall crazing at four years with 80 percent of the tread remaining, and that tire is far more likely to fail at 70 miles per hour on the 10 in August than a worn tire with good rubber. The first thing we do on any tire job is read the DOT date code on every tire including the spare.
Load range is the other thing that gets specified wrong. Trailer tires carry a much higher percentage of their rated capacity than passenger tires do, and the margin is small by design. When an owner adds a generator, a water tank, or a steel deck, the original load range can go from adequate to marginal without anything obviously changing. We weigh the trailer as it is actually loaded and check that against the tire rating rather than assuming the factory specification still applies.
Balancing matters more than owners expect on a trailer. An out-of-balance trailer tire does not create a steering wheel vibration you would notice, so it goes unaddressed, but the vertical loading it puts into the axle, the bearing, and the leaf pack is continuous at highway speed. Combine that with the expansion joints on the 15 and the 91 and it accelerates every wear item under the trailer. We balance trailer tires as standard, and we replace the valve stems whenever a tire is mounted, since a five dollar rubber stem is the part that fails on a ten year old wheel.
Location: All work is performed at our Yorba Linda facility. We do not offer mobile, roadside, or fleet route service.
02
What the job includes
- DOT date code reading and age assessment on every tire including the spare
- Tire mounting and dismounting on steel and aluminum wheels
- Computer balancing on RV, trailer, and van assemblies
- Load range and capacity verification against actual loaded weight
- Valve stem replacement as standard with every mount
- TPMS sensor transfer, service kit replacement, and relearn where equipped
- Wheel inspection for cracks, corrosion, bead seat damage, and runout
- Torque to specification with a re-torque recommendation after settling
- Spare tire, carrier, and mounting hardware inspection
- Inflation set to the load, not to the sidewall maximum, with documentation
03
When you need this service
- Sidewall crazing, fine cracking, or weather checking on any tire
- A DOT date code showing the tire is more than five to seven years old
- Uneven wear across the tread that indicates an alignment or pressure issue
- A tire that consistently loses pressure between trips
- Bulging, blistering, or a visible flat spot on the tread face
- Corrosion or a visible crack at the wheel bead seat or around the bolt holes
- A trailer that has been sitting on the same tires for several seasons
04
How we do it, step by step
- 01
Date code and condition survey
Every tire and the spare read for DOT date code and inspected for crazing, then compared. Age, not tread depth, is the governing factor on most RV and trailer tires.
- 02
Weight and load range check
Loaded weight compared against tire rating so the replacement load range reflects what the vehicle actually carries now rather than what it left the factory carrying.
- 03
Wheel inspection
Wheels inspected off the vehicle for bead seat corrosion, cracks around bolt holes, and runout. A perfect tire on a corroded wheel still leaks.
- 04
Mount and valve stem replacement
Tires mounted with fresh valve stems every time, and TPMS service kits replaced where sensors are fitted rather than reusing aged seals.
- 05
Balance
Every assembly balanced, including trailer tires. Trailer imbalance is invisible to the driver and loads the bearing and suspension continuously at highway speed.
- 06
Inflation and torque
Inflation set for the actual axle load rather than defaulting to the sidewall maximum, and lug nuts torqued to specification in the correct pattern.
- 07
Documentation and re-torque advice
Pressures, torque values, and date codes documented for your records, with a re-torque interval given for the first miles after service.
05
Pricing and posted rates
| Item | Rate or range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Typical job range | $250 to $1,500 | Varies with extent of damage and parts availability |
| Shop hours | 1 to 6 | Quoted after teardown, not before |
| Mechanical and electrical labor | $260 per hour | 2026 posted rate |
| Parts | 100% markup under $100, 35% over | Special order parts require a non refundable deposit at order |
| Deposit | 50% at authorization over $2,000 | Additional 25% when parts arrive on jobs over $10,000 |
| Sales tax | 7.75% on parts and materials | Labor is not taxed |
Insurance billed jobs may be billed at carrier negotiated labor rates that differ from the posted retail rates above. See all posted rates.
07
Vehicles we do this work on
Vehicle
Travel Trailers
A travel trailer tows from a ball hitch behind the tow vehicle rear axle on an A-frame tongue, which makes it the most sway-prone
Vehicle
Standard Fifth Wheels
A fifth wheel couples to a hitch in the truck bed through a kingpin and pin box, with a raised forward bedroom over the truck. The
Vehicle
Toy Hauler Trailers
A bumper pull toy hauler carries cargo behind the axles on a ball hitch, which is the worst possible combination for tongue weight
Vehicle
Utility Trailers
A utility trailer is an open deck on a welded frame with fenders, a ramp gate, and lighting, and it fails through deck rot, frame
Vehicle
Class C Motorhomes
A Class C is a coach body built onto a cutaway van chassis with a sleeping or storage cabover extending above the factory cab. Tha
Vehicle
Cargo Vans
Cargo vans on Transit, ProMaster, Express, and Sprinter platforms carry trade tools, parts inventory, and route freight. Rear door
Vehicle
Box Trucks
Box trucks put a separately built cargo body on a cab chassis, and the joint between them is where most failures start. Rear frame
08
Questions about tire mount, balance and replacement
Frequently asked questions
How much does RV and trailer tire service cost?
Tire service runs $250 to $1,500, or 1 to 6 hours at $260 per hour plus the tires. Mounting and balancing a pair with new valve stems sits near the low end. Six tires on a tandem with TPMS sensor service, wheel inspection, and a full load range change sits at the high end. Tires are billed at parts markup, 35 percent over $100.
How old is too old for an RV tire?
Most manufacturers and most experienced technicians call five to seven years from the DOT date code, regardless of tread. In Southern California the low end of that range is the realistic one for uncovered storage, because ultraviolet exposure and ozone degrade the rubber far faster than mileage does. Crazing visible on the sidewall means the tire is done now.
Do trailer tires really need balancing?
Yes, even though you will never feel the imbalance from the tow vehicle. An unbalanced trailer tire delivers a continuous vertical load pulse into the bearing, the spindle, and the leaf pack at every mile of highway speed. On our freeway concrete that adds up. Balancing is inexpensive relative to what it protects.
What inflation pressure should I run?
The pressure that matches your actual axle load, taken from the tire manufacturer load and inflation table, not automatically the maximum on the sidewall. Running maximum pressure on a lightly loaded trailer gives you a harsh ride and center tread wear. We weigh the vehicle and document the correct pressure for how it is loaded.
Can you check my tires as part of a pre-trip visit?
Yes. Date codes, pressures, wear pattern, wheel condition, and spare condition are all part of our paid pre-trip body and structural inspection, and every tire finding is documented with photographs so you can decide what to act on. It is the right visit to book two to four weeks before a long summer run, since that leaves time to order tires without turning it into an emergency. All work is performed in shop at our Yorba Linda facility.
09
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More chassis and running gear work
Ready to move on tire mount, balance and replacement? Bring it to Yorba Linda.