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Trailer tires again. Sorry


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OK sorry to go back here again but I'm confused. My Forest River came with load range E, 16 inch rubber from the factory. I optioned 6000# axles. The tires the factory installed are Ironman LT's which we have determined are generic Carlisles. These don't have such a good rap on this forum. I destroyed two when I ran over a buried steel object in a grass field. In a pinch I grabbed two Uniroyal LT's from a local retailer. The Uniroyals by the way are USA made if you can believe the tire markings.

I have read all the prior trailer tire comments about buying ST tires only. What I don't understand is how would the manufacturer install LT's if they are just so wrong? Would they be willing to take that liability for installing ALL these incorrect tires?

I haul a 6000# fire engine in this trailer and do not want any roadside follies.

Recently I located Titan tires which are USA made. They are a commercial tire builder. Our tire rep is checking on pricing and I am considering a set of them.

I understand the difference in sidewall flex, etc. but I can't figure out why the trailer builder would install the LT's.

Something is fishy at the dock.

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Bottom line...COST!

So many people <span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="font-style: italic">price shop</span></span> trailers that dealers have to spec to sell!

I'd say the majority of car trailers hardly ever travel through 2-3 states on the way to meets, shows, and tours, so few have problems......until that magic 3rd year pops up.

The rest drive slower than normal, saving gas as well as tires, because high speeds generate lots of heat, a killer for tires. Ask me how I know! smile.gif

So, the bottom line is that the smart buyer specs what he wants, then he shops prices. I'm in the market now for an enclosed trailer. I, too, am looking at 16 inch wheel/tire combinations. I'll report my findings when I get into the project.......another project!! crazy.gif

So many projects! grin.gif

Wayne

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I agree with Wayne,

If you are going to buy a trailer, especially an enclosed one, make a spreadsheet with what you want and have the trailer dealers bid to the spec sheet so you are comparing apples to apples. It was a big eye opener when I moved from what the dealer had on the lot to asking the dealer to please price to what I want on the sheet. I am very happy that I created the sheet to do the comparisons. I feel that I got a good trailer at a fair price.

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Guys we got off the track a bit here.

The trailer was custom built to our request. It was not bought off the dealer's lot. Yes, most trailer dealers have a unit on the lot, cheap, and built that way to stay in the quick trailer buyers market.

That is not what we own.

A tire option was not something I saw on my special order list.

My question was how is it that the trailer builder would install a LT load range E tire as apposed to a ST E range tire that everyone seems to say is required?

The LT tires are rated at 3000# each which just barely matches the 12,000# rating of the two axles.

Is there that much of a difference between these LT and ST tires?

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Just back from my tire shop!

The tires quoted below are all 10 ply rating. ST denotes "Trailer Special". LT means "Light Truck".

<span style="font-weight: bold">ST</span>235/80RX16 load rating 3520lbs-<span style="font-weight: bold">$96.95</span>

Made by Towmaster (China)

<span style="font-weight: bold">LT</span>235/85RX16 load rating 3048lbs- <span style="font-weight: bold">$105.00</span>

Made in China (Didn't get brand name)

This tire is 1/2 inch taller than the ST's noted above.

The LT tire is also available from Firestone (Made in good 'Ol USA) at a cost of <span style="font-weight: bold">$120.00</span>. My dealer has a customer that has changed to the Firestone and has had no problems with them.

PM me if you need a phone number. wink.gif

Wayne

PS, update: the tires noted above can also be bought in sizes 245 and 255, so there is no problem getting a higher capacity tire. My dealer also just said that he can get American made ST tires too.

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Can't answer your question, but I can say that I've been running 16-inch Goodrich LT tires on my enclosed car carrier, transporting heavy cars on cross-country trips a couple of times a year, since 2002 with no tire trouble yet -- not even a flat. I went that route because it was hard to find trailer tires with the load capacity that I was seeking.

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The Warranty Dept. Mgr at Forest River will be emailing me with the Brand of American-made ST 16" tires appropriate for our trailers. He said that they are much more expensive than LT - Likely worth the difference, in the opinion of the professional haulers who use them.

He will also have the name of the product which can clean the black aluminum stains from white trailer skins.

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<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">He will also have the name of the product which can clean the black aluminum stains from white trailer skins. </div></div>

Marty, I'd like to know the name of the product that will take the "black rubber" from the last blow-out off the side of my enclosed trailer. I gave up on it a few years ago. frown.gif

Wayne

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http://korkay.com/p_4.htm

Awning Cleaner & Black Streak Remover # 196

Formulated for the RV industry to take off those ugly black streaks and dirt on the sides of your RV. Also removes bugs, tree sap, pitch, air pollutants, and other grime that collects on your RVs exterior and awning. Once you try it, you’ll be amazed!! Safe for RV’s decals, gel-coat, fiberglass and painted surfaces. Works great on vinyl siding, boat hulls & covers too!!!!!!

Available in; 32oz, 1, 5, 15, & 55 gallon sizes.

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Wayne, and thanks, Ron,

Yeah, I think that was the stuff he mentioned, but I'll let y'all know if any other product. Also will advise on ST rated tires.

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Thanks Marty and all the rest of you also. I had that tip on the black streak remover but have not had a chance to give it a try yet. I did try a RV streak remover good ole Walmart sells. It helped but did not get it all.

I'm waiting to hear back on Tritan brand trailer tires. The size and load range is available. USA product as well. All that is left is hearing the magic bottom line.

They specialize in industrial applications so it will be interesting to hear the price. Our tire dealer here handles the truck fleet where I work. They are going to "take care of me" because it is out of my pocket. We''ll see.

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Titan 10 ply USA made 16 inch load range E quoted at $126.95 each.

My local supplier would have to order them in special.

Apparently they don't ship them over by the container ship load at a time.

I may have to order a set just to do the right American thing.

Who knows they might be worse?

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While working on my trailer yesterday I thought of this discussion and jotted down my trailer's tire specs.

Size: ST205/75/R15

Tred: 4 Plies (Total) 2 Polyester, 2 Steel

Sidewall: 2 Plies (Polyester)

Max Load Single Tire: 1820 lbs at 50psi

Load Rance: "C"

Also noticed that the tires were made when about two months prior to my trailer being built in March of 2005.

Have not had any trouble with these tires so far even though they were made in China (ie. Mission Radial S/Ts)

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There is a lot of discussion of this question on an Airstream trailer forum I look at. Some of those Airstream owners tow their trailers A LOT. Most of their trailers are heavy. And a blowout can do some expensive damage.

Goodyear Marathons are the factory tire and are supposed to be good. Some people have good success with them, but many others have problems. It seems like every year Goodyear says they have solved the problems but the next year the same problems crop up again. By problems I mean tires blowing out or separating without warning.

Maxxis tires are a favorite and seem to give less trouble than Goodyear or Carlisle.

Many are changing from ST to LT tires. They seem to stand up better.

The key to a trouble free trailer tire is attention to detail. First you have to have the right tires to carry the load. Next your trailer and trailer hitch have to be set up right so the load is equally balanced on all tires. You need to check your tire pressure before every trip and inspect the tires frequently. Several people have caught a tire that was bulging or separating during a routine "pit stop" inspection. These were tires that looked fine at the beginning of the trip. Catching them before they blew saved a lot of grief.

The better the tires are balanced the longer and more trouble free their life. Best is to have them balanced as an assembly wheel tire hub and brake drum together.

Another secret is to keep the speed down to 60 especially in hot weather. Several owners of heavy Airstreams, that use them a lot, report that they never have tire trouble because they set up their rig right, pay attention to their tires, and keep the speed down. But that they have seen rigs that passed them at high speed, pulled over on the side of the road with blown tires a few miles after they went past.

Tire companies report that tires lose their strength with age. After 4 years they have lost half their strength. If the sidewalls are cracking with age practically all the resiliency is gone. In the case of a heavily loaded trailer they are almost sure to blow.

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My brother operates an RV storage facility, and he sees someone come in with tire trouble about once a week. His view is that the trailers come with tires that are almost maxed out by the weight of the trailer itself. Then, when people load up the trailers, or fail to scrupulously check air pressure, the tires are overloaded and blow out or suffer tread separation. Bottom line is that the manufacturers could do a better job of over-sizing the tires installed at the factory.

On my own trailer, I went from the standard 15-inch wheels to 16-inch to reduce the rotation speed (slower rotation translates into less sidewall flexing and thus less heat build-up). I also went to beefy Goodrich LT tires, radial to again reduce the heat. Also, I just didn't like having to choose from trailer-brand tires that I had never heard of, and that came with lower weight ratings than the LT tires I eventually chose.

I've run these tires since 2002 with no problems.

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