Trailer tires worth it?

Just about to replace the old tires on a tandem axel trailer..are true "trailer tires needed?" I tow maybe 100 miles a year. Boat sits on trailer 1/8th mile from lake and is pulled to and from the lake,then to dealership 40 miles away to be winterized..then sit all winter..

Just get used tires of the right size. Total cost $80. Trailer tires last longer if they're sitting and better for the use but putting on used car tires is just fine for what you want.
The sidewalls will get old before the tread wears out.

what boat are the tires going under? Personally... after having blown out 1 and had another near blow out status because of the improper load rated trailer tire, I'd do nothing but the properly rated, brand new trailer tire... it cost me 200 something for a pair of class D tires for a single... mounted etc, your tires arent going to be that expensive since they are lesser load each... why risk it. plus if anything bad ever happened, wouldn't you rather not be negligent for running improper tires? How much did the boat cost? How much will new tires cost as a percent of all boating related costs?

Plus if they sit for a while, that seems to be one of the worst things for them... go trailer tire...

1/8th mile is about 200 yds. not a big deal, however you said the dealership is 40 mi. away. You could purchase auto tires and leave them on for the summer, remove and store for the winter. Or buy trailer tires and forget about it....

Well first off let me say. ALWAYS BUY GOOD TIRES! Why not? You could have a problem anywhere anytime and talk about realtively cheap insurance for such an expensive toy. I dont think you have to get actual "trailer" tires though. Good radial tires that match the load rating are the best.

Bill, I've beat the trailer tire issue to death trying to find the most for the money with best performance. The sad truth is that tires often fail from low pressure, rot out or you just drive too fast on them. Most mfg's state that a trailer should not be towed faster than like 55 mph- like anybody obeys that rule. I buy a radial at Costco for $69 that most tire shops sell for $90-110.

The best thing you can do is buy something with a high load rating, take the weight off them when you aren't using them with a jack stand if your boat sits for a long time without moving.

I didn't write it....but you get the point.

There are distinct differences in the way passenger tires and trailer tires are
designed, engineered, and constructed. There are also differences in the service
requirements between the tires on your car or truck and those on your trailer.

Traction, or grip, is a key element in the design of passenger tires. Traction
moves your car or truck down the road. Traction allows you to stop, turn and
swerve, and traction also gives you the ability to tow your trailer. Another
important consideration in passenger tire design is “ride”. Ride, traction, and
handling are all achieved in passenger tire designs by adding flex in the sidewall.
By making the sidewall more flexible, tire engineers maximize tread contact with
the road, thus increasing traction and allowing the driver to maintain better
control over the vehicle.

Traction is only a factor on trailers equipped with brakes, during braking
operations, because trailers are followers. In fact, sidewall flexing in a trailer
application is a negative. Sidewall flexing on trailers carrying heavy loads;
trailers with high vertical side loads (enclosed/travel trailers); or trailers with light
tongue weights, is a primary cause of trailer sway. Automotive radial tires with
their flexible sidewalls notably accentuate trailer sway problems. The stiffer
sidewalls and higher operating pressures common with Special Trailer (ST) tires
helps control and reduce the occurrence of trailer sway. Bottom line, trailers are
more stable and pull better on tires designed specifically for trailer use.

If you always only drove it the 1/8 mile trip, I'd say you could go for it.

However, since you do the 40 mile trip to the dealer, I recommend the trailer specific tire. Not only are you protecting against problems that you could have that would be an inconvenience, you are also protecting your liability if something should happen along the way that injures/kills another motorist.