How to Select a Trailer Hitch
Hitch class still matters before a first tow. Match the receiver to the door sticker, then make tire age part of the same walk-around.
Watch on YouTubeTrailer Tire Age and Sun Tips (Canada)
Trailer tires age even when the trailer barely moves. Canadian sun, winter storage, and long sits on soft sidewalls can crack a tire that still shows plenty of tread. This page is practical shop talk: how to read the date code, what sidewall cracks look like, honest sun and storage habits, and when to follow the tire maker instead of a blog cutoff. We do not invent legal replacement intervals here, and we do not stock a CURT trailer tire SKU on this store today.
Practical Canada trailer tire age and sun tips. Free shipping on CURT towing gear from Lots of Parts when the SKU is live on this store.
Related reading: trailer tire pressure for towing, first tow day checklist, and trailer sway first miles checklist.
Prefer the full index?
Open the towing guides hub.
Watch these CURT videos first
All four videos are from the official CURT YouTube channel (@curtmfg). Use them for class selection, install habits, wiring basics, and ball-mount height before you dig into the product cards below.
If an embed does not load, use the YouTube link under the card.
Trailer Hitch Installation Techniques
Install habits keep the hitch solid. Tire habits keep the trailer tracking. Recheck both after storage season.
Watch on YouTubeHow to Connect a Trailer Wiring Harness
Lights and tires both fail quietly after a long sit. Confirm wiring, then walk the sidewalls before you leave the yard.
Watch on YouTubeHow to Choose a Ball Mount and Trailer Ball
A level ball mount helps the trailer sit honest. Soft or cracked tires undo that work in the first miles.
Watch on YouTubeAge beats miles on many trailers
A boat trailer or utility trailer can sit all winter, then roll a few hundred kilometres in summer. Tread can look fine while the rubber has already hardened. Sun cooks the outer sidewall. Cold storage and under-inflation let the carcass sit in a flat spot. That is why low-mile trailer tires still fail.
Parts-counter advice stays simple: inspect often, read the date code, and follow the tire maker’s service guidance for your size and load range. We will not invent a hard Canadian legal cutoff or a fake “replace every X years” rule on this page.
How to read the date code without guessing
Step 1Find the DOT stamp
Look on the sidewall for the DOT marking. The date code is usually the last four digits of that stamp.
Step 2Read week and year
Four digits mean week of year, then year. Example talk at the counter uses week and year language, not a calendar slash.
Step 3Check both sides
Some trailers park with one sidewall facing south all summer. Inspect the sun side and the shaded side.
Step 4Follow the maker
If the tire maker publishes an age or inspection interval for that model, follow it. Ask a tire shop when the stamp is unclear.
Sidewall clues
Cracks, bulges, and dry weather checks
Hairline weather cracks near the rim or across the sidewall are a reason to pause. A bulge, cord show, or cut is a no-tow until a tire person signs off.
- Look while the tire is cold in the morning
- Spin the wheel and check the full circle
- Do not trust tread depth alone on a trailer tire
Sun and storage
Honest parking habits
South-facing storage cooks rubber. A cover helps. Moving the trailer a few feet once in a while reduces flat spots. Keep air in the tires during storage instead of parking them soft.
- Shade or a cover beats full summer sun
- Set pressure before storage, then recheck in spring
- See trailer tire pressure for towing
First miles
Walk-around before you tow
Age checks belong on the same clipboard as lights, coupler latch, and sway awareness. Soft trailer tires feed sway in the first kilometres.
- First tow day checklist
- Trailer sway first miles
- Stop early if the trailer feels nervous
What we will not pretend
| Topic | Honest answer |
|---|---|
| Legal cutoff | We do not invent a Canada-wide tire age law or a fake mandatory replacement year on this page. Follow the tire maker and inspect often. |
| CURT tire SKU | We do not stock a CURT trailer tire on this store today. This page stays useful with inspection and storage habits. |
| Pressure | Cold pressure still matters. Open trailer tire pressure for towing before you blame the hitch for sway. |
| Spare habits | A spare can be older than the road tires. Check the spare date code too. |
| Load range | Match load range and size to the trailer plate. A passenger car tire is not a trailer tire substitute. |
Shop links that help the same trip
Hitches, wiring, and covers still matter on tow day. Tire age is one more box on that list, not a reason to skip the rest.
CoverCURT 22272Two inch receiver cover for empty-tube days while the trailer sits.
PinCURT 21500Five-eighths hitch pin with clip for everyday two inch inserts.
Ball mountCURT 45036Two inch ball mount when your hitch tube is two inch. Confirm the live card.
Class 1 coverCURT 22271One and one quarter inch cover when your hitch uses the smaller tube.
Related guides worth opening next
Trailer tire pressureCold checks on trailer and tow vehicle.
First tow checklistLights, chains, coupler, and tire habits.
Sway first milesWhat to feel and when to stop early.
Do I need a sway barWhen sway control belongs on the list.
Parts-counter summary: trailer tires age with calendar time and sun, not only kilometres. Read the date code, inspect sidewalls often, store with honest pressure and shade when you can, and follow the tire maker instead of a made-up cutoff. Free shipping on live CURT towing gear from Lots of Parts across Canada when the SKU shows available on this store.
