BEST TRAILER TIRES????

[Dean_H. 2]

A couple years ago the commercial highway patrol was ticketing some of the farmers near me for overloading their trucks. They would check the tire weight rating and if you exceeded that weight you'd get a ticket. My trailer is rated for 25,600 lbs GVW, but the D rated tires restricted me and I was hauling heavy loads. So I called up a tire shop and had them ship me eight new E rated tires. I wanted radials, but the guy said he could only get bias ply E rated tires for the 16.5 size. After I mounted them on the trailer I noticed they ran a lot hotter than my truck tires. I also had to add air every couple months to keep them at the recommended 80lbs. Last summer I needed to pick up a tractor in Arizona. I knew my tires were weak so I drove in at night but the tractor had to be picked up in the day. My trailer was close to gross on weight, temp was about 115 degrees. The tires were so hot it felt like you could fry an egg on them. Only one tire lost some tread, I made it home OK.

The next day I checked around on the internet and found E rated 16.5 radials at thetirerackdotcom and had them ship out eight.

When I started removing the old tires, they appeared to have melted to the rim. I'm not sure if they were slipping when braking or if it was just the heat, but it was a lot of work to scrape the rubber off the rims. The new tires are great. Run cool and hold air forever.

[Trulyvintage 203]

<span style="color: #3333FF"><span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'"><span style="font-size: 20pt">SOLD</span></span></span>

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'"><span style="color: #990000">I am in the Houston, TX area

I am replacing my 15 inch trailer tires and rims

The tires have less than 20K miles on them

The rims are less than a year old and I am buying aluminum rims so I am selling the tire and rim mounted and balanced

These are 7.00 x 15 steel belted load range 'E' highway tread trailer tires that are mounted on 15 x 6 white spoke 'wagon wheel' rims in a 6 x 5.5 lug pattern

$60 each for all (10) or $75 each in pairs of (2)

Please call Jim at (937) 671-5537 </span></span>

[cabriolet 0]

Hello, I've read a lot of the replys here and here's some news I;ve discovered. I have a 1991 20' Wells Cargo that at the time of purschase, I requested Goodyear Marathons Radials as Bias ply were still being installed. That was 18 yrs ago. There are only 6000 mi. on them today! I've towed 70+ with them, but now get worried as they are old. I wouldn't do it with the new Goodyear Marathons from what I've read, as they are made in China, as are most! I'm putting new 6000lbs Torflex axles on it, along with American/Canadan Michelin tires LT225/75-16 and 8 lug wheels. These tires are the best if you read many blogs as I have; as this new axle/ tires/wheels will be a time comsuming job to the trailer. By the way, my old Marathons are USA MADE! If you want piece of mind, buy American tires, made by Michelin.

[resq302 0]

Great, we just replaced our original, US made Goodyear Marathon trailer tires yesterday with new China made ones (same Goodyear Marathons) due to the originals having dry rot cracking on the side walls and cracking in the bottom of the treads. Now that I have read this, I am nervous about our new tires. Granted, if we put 1000 miles on the trailer in a year its a lot, but I am still all too worried about that tire letting loose.

[charlier 213]

I just had my car trailer inspected the other day and thought of this thread.

The fella who did the inspection has been towing and inspecting trailers for a LONG time.

The following is HIS opinion on this subject:

Tire failures are FAR LESS LIKELY to be caused by tire quality, design or origin of manufacture than everyone on the Internet thinks.

Tires blow out due to the following (in no particular order):

- Improper inflation

- Dry Rot/Sun damage

- Using an improper tire (ie load rating or non-trailer tire)

- Continuing to tow the trailer after a tire blowout either due to not knowing about or caring that a tire blew.

- Tire puncture from nails, road debris etc.

Personally, I have to wonder if the experiences of some posters here are not due to the last two on the list above.

The inspection tech also had a question for people that tow expensive cars....

Why does he see some many car trailers that are POS, falling apart, accidents waiting to happen that haul very nice and expensive cars.

He cannot understand why that is. Are their owners stupid or just cheap? BTW, I am not saying anyone here is like that.

During our discussion he also mentioned that the local State Police barracks call their business all the time for weight spec information about travel trailers. When the state police investigate trailer accidents they ALWAYS CHECK THE TRAILER SPECS to verify that the tow vehicle & trailer were within spec when it comes to weight. He also said that the owner of his company has a standing policy that they will not sell a travel trailer to a customer until they know what the tow vehicle is and check it's towing weight specs. Seems they have turned down a number of sales over the years doing this.

Looks like those people that tow and follow towing weight recomendations for trailers and tow vehicles are not so nit-picky and dumb after all. At least when it comes to the Pennsylvania State Police's accident investigation policy.

[Mark66A 1]

I had an enclosed trailer built in 2002 with 15" rims and two 5500 lb axles. For the next 4 years I blew out a complete set every cross country trip I made. Had the builder replace the axles with 7200# capacity and bought the highest load rated radial tires I could buy. No problem since. I run it about 8000 miles per summer with about a total gross weight of 12,500#. My original axle and tire combo was just too light. I think you'll be surprised if you weight your rig loaded with vehicle and all the tools and parts you may carry.

[Marty Roth 1,266]

Charlier,

Your inspection technician isn't entirely wrong, but he did over-simplify in my opinion.

The fact is that, having done ALL the right things with regard to loading, pressure, maintenance, etc., my less-than-one-year-old trailer with 6000lb axles and new Load-Range E tires blew the inside sidewalls on three of the first five tires (I bought new Michelins before the other 2 had a chance to blow). This was on our first two trips, and I check air pressure at 80psi EVERY MORNING. One of them blew overnight, splitting a sidewall in the driveway; another Popped Very Loudly, also splitting the sidewall in 10mph traffic during a hurricane evacuation.

What these DEFECTIVE tires had in common was that they were ALL MADE IN CHINA -- IRONMAN brand, which I was told is a Carlisle sub-brand -- they are 235/85-R16 LR"E".

"Buy-American" isn't such bad advice -- it might even save your life as well as your job.

Edited July 26, 2017 by Marty Roth
typo (see edit history)

[Jeff203 0]

There is a lot of useful information here http://rainyadventures.com/best-trailer-tires/

Good luck!

[Yoda 1]

I change out the tires on any trailer I buy, especially an enclosed trailer, and run MAXXISS tires on them.  I haven't had any problems with them. A couple years ago I bought a 28 ft enclosed trailer and immediately bought a set of Maxxiss for it.  The tires on the new trailer were load range D, barely acceptable for a 10,000 lb rated trailer.  Load range E Maxxiss installed, better trailer manners, no blow outs, needless to say, I am happy.

[real61ss 81]

I have a 28' Haulmark tag trailer, changed from 15" wheels to 16" wheels with GoodYear G614 tires. Very expensive tires but they are made in America and I've been very happy with them.(knock on wood)

[Trulyvintage 203]

Good news for those looking for an American made trailer tire .... 

 

Starting earlier this year Goodyear introduced an American Made ST Trailer Tire.

@ https://corporate.goodyear.com/en-US/media/news/goodyear_launches_american_manufactured_trailer_tire.html 

I buy my at Discount Tire/America's Tire Store because they offer free replacement certificates that are not based on pro-rated tire tread

 

I have been running them all year long on my triple axle 34 foot enclosed car hauler trailer

Jim 
 

[edinmass 2,402]

The new tire from Goodyear looks very good. N speed rating is 87mph. I buy the BEST tire I can find, and will still run my Sailun’s, but I am quite sure the American made Goodyear is the best tire you can find made in the US, and would be a second choice for me. I am sure they are much easier to find than the Sailun’s. The difference between the two is significant, both in construction, speed rating, capacity, and weight carrying ability. Although almost nothing from China is worth buying, the Sailun’s is a ISO 9000 Company, and make great tires. 

[Roger Walling 365]

 Whatever brand you use, use TRAILER TIRES" not passenger. radials. The radials will make it sway.

[Grant66s 1]

On 3/7/2009 at 9:33 PM, Jay Wolf said:

I have had much better luck with Carlisles.

Had poor service from Carlisles, then bought set of Greenballs, they were worse, no mileage, went bald in 5000 miles. Have a set of Turnpike 10 plys now and am very satisified with them. Made by Contentinal in USA

[edinmass 2,402]

On 5/29/2018 at 2:58 PM, Roger Walling said:

 Whatever brand you use, use TRAILER TIRES" not passenger. radials. The radials will make it sway.

 

 

Trailer tires are made in both bias and radial. I agree its best to use tires made for trailers.

[woodanator 0]

Hi. Been hearing some horror stories about China made tires on everything from RV's to boat trailers. Anyone else have any issues with cheap tires and what brands would you chose or stay away from?

Edited March 4 by woodanator (see edit history)

[edinmass 2,402]

Avoid all tires made in China except the Sailun’s they are fantastic. 

[Trulyvintage 203]

There is nothing wrong with Chinese tires.

 

I have used them with success for many years.

 

During that time - interstate road maintenance has gone to hell in a handbag.

 

More road debris = more flat tires and blowouts.

 

Gladiator ST 225/90/R 16 G load range 14 ply are the current tires I use.

 

 

Jim

Edited February 21 by Trulyvintage (see edit history)

[Robert Street 85]

The Ocala Winter National trip was expensive as busted all four of the trailer's Goodyear Marathons(Chinese made) plus a "Loadstar" (Chinese).   Oh the Goodyears were 4 years old.  Friends towed same mileage on Goodyear Endurance (USA) no issues.  No issues observed by the TPMS screen.

Robert