I didn't think trailer tires wore down like truck tires did, so this kind of puzzles me.
My trailer tires are wearing down on the edges like a normal tire would with low pressure or overloaded.

Big Tex 40SP trailer (1400lbs)
load range B tires (1480lbs each)
Samurai buggy thing (guessing 3K lbs)
trailer tool box (~200 guessing)

so that's 4600lbs total for the trailer and rig
and the tires can handle about 5900lbs

so what might cause the tires to wear in that fashion? (tows fine, tracks fine, tire pressure kept near the max - 35psi.)

My trailer tires are wearing down on the edges like a normal tire would with low pressure or overloaded....so what might cause the tires to wear in that fashion?

On trailers with multiple axles the tires often "scrub" from being drug sideways through corners.

wouldn't that also wear down the center tread?

I had the same problem with cheap bias ply Carlise.....switched to radial goodyear trailer tires and problem went away....completely!!

wouldn't that also wear down the center tread?


no...if you watch in the mirror as you make a sharp turn, the front & rear tires will not be both vertical...one will lean, and this is when it is scrubbing the side of the tread.

You have load range "B" tires on a trailer? Pardon the expression, but WTF? Are they car tires or trailer tires? Car tires (especially "touring" radials) on a trailer is one of the biggest mistakes people make with trailers. I never would have believed it made such a difference until I bought a set of Marathons for my trailer. You can't possibly understand what a difference it makes unless you've lived through it! It's almost equal to building a rock crawler buggy and then using Michelin LTX tires on it. Sure it's a great tire and the buggy will roll, but it's just not the right tool for the job!

Is it wearing on the inside edge of the tire? outside edge? both?

Trailer axles really should be cambered IMO, but there are quite a few mfg. out there that make non-cambered axles. If the axles are non-cambered, they tend to bow into a negative camber when loaded. This will cause wear on the inside edge.

Loose wheel bearings can also cause edge wear.

they are load range B trailer tires (came on it when I bought it new)
axles are cambered
both inside and outside are wearing down. It's not the whole edge either, it's just one rib on the outside and one rib on the inside.

Then I'd say it's either excessive tire scrub, underinflation or overloading.... or a combination of those.

OK, a few things here:

Big Tex makes two different lengths of the 40SP model. The lightest of the two weighs in at 1310#'s. Also, the 40SP model is only a 4k gvwr trailer. So with a 3k rig, you are overloading the frame of the trailer. The tires on that trailer are load range B's because that trailer is built and sold as a light duty tandem utility trailer, for quads and landscaping use. Hence the reason it's only 77" wide and not a full 80+" wide. The full 7k car haulers that Big Tex builds come with load range C tires that would hold up much better than the B's. Yes, the axles are cambered and yes, they are 3.5k Dexter Axles. That's great, but the tires and frame are not intended for that type of use. Heck, the frame is only 2 x 3 x 3/16" angle iron with a 4" channel tongue, but it is NOT a wrap around tongue. You could beef up the tires, but you will also need to beef up the frame to do it right. I guess what I'm saying is that your trailer is just a little light weight for what you are doing with it. A little work and you can fix it, but it is NOT Big Tex's fault.

Also, I know someone will mention the tires and the fact that they are rated for over 5k. Well, let's put it this way. Yugo cars have four seats in them, but how many people do you really think you can fit in that car for a 20,000 mile trip. Oh, and yes, Carlisle tires scrub off on the outsides quicker than most other brands. And I agree that Goodyear's are some of the best bang for the buck tires on the market right now.