RansomEli Posted March 29, 2007 Share Posted March 29, 2007 Time to buy new tires for my 18 foot enclosed car trailer. I don't carry more than 3500 lbs. Should I buy trailer tires or am I better off with truck tires? I've searched previous threads and don't think this topic has come up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Moskowitz Posted March 29, 2007 Share Posted March 29, 2007 Not a tire expert but I have always believed to get the highest rated tire applicable for my trailers no matter what the load. More expensive? Sure, but the safety is worth it. I am almost afraid to say this but in 30 years of towing I have never had a blow-out. Probably tomorrow it will happen! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R W Burgess Posted March 29, 2007 Share Posted March 29, 2007 Steve is right, Eli. Get the best money can buy. I'm sure you can search and get Earl Beauchamp's response concerning this. Age is the biggest killer of trailer tires. I didn't believe this until 2 years ago, when on a trip from Virginia to Syracuse New York I managed to blow out 3 tires within 3 hours. The trailer received fender damage because of this. A blowout at 70 mph can do great damage.I limped the rest of the way into Syracuse to find the fourth tire had separated too. It was not pretty to see it "wobble" across the lot to get replaced. These tires were about 6 years old, just sitting around all of those years getting old.....Ummmm, like me, I guess. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />At any rate, buy the best you can get, purchase tire covers to keep the sun off of them, and keep them pumped up.Wayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhigdog Posted March 29, 2007 Share Posted March 29, 2007 After several blowouts I switched to load rated "E" trailer tires. They were a few dollars apiece more but I've had no problems since........Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RansomEli Posted March 29, 2007 Author Share Posted March 29, 2007 Thanks for the advice. My tires are 3 years old and I am replacing them. From the replies, I will get d or E rated trailer tires. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Shaw Posted March 29, 2007 Share Posted March 29, 2007 I have lots of info on trailer tires:Trailer Tire requirements differ greatly from automotive tires. Automotive tires must maintain traction during all driving conditions: pulling, stopping, turning, or swerving. Because of this they must have more flexible sidewalls to maintain tread to road contact. Since trailers have no driving torque applied to their axles, the only time trailer tires must have traction is during the application of trailer brakes. Trailers with heavy loads, high vertical sideloads (like camper trailers), or trailers with inadequate tongue weight can be affected by trailer sway problems. Automotive bias or radial tires with their more flexible sidewalls can accentuate trailer sway problems, whereas the stiffer sidewalls of the ST (special trailer) bias ply tires help to control and reduce sway problems. For this reason it is not recommended that (P) Passenger or (LT) Light Truck tires be used on trailers. Best trailer control will be achieved with (ST) Special Trailer tires. TYPES OF TIRE CONSTRUCTION A.) Bias Ply - Poly or Nylon cords crisscross the tire from bead to bead with the same number of ply at both tread and sidewalls, providing stiffer sidewalls and more resistance to sway. B.) Bias Belted - Standard Bias Ply crisscross, bead to bead construction, but with additional belts under the tread. C.) Radial - Radial Plies run at right angles straight across the tire from bead to bead with belts (usually steel wire) under the tread. This provides excellent traction holding tread to road during swerving or turning. These are very important features for controlling a car or truck, but the flexible sidewalls of this type of tire may aggravate trailer sway problems when this type of tire is installed on a trailer.TIRE SIZE IDENTIFICATION A.) Originally American tires were provided with numeric sizing (480x12, 600x13, etc.) This gave the section width (the widest point of the tire) and the diameter of the rim. Some smaller trailer tires today still retain that numeric identification (480x8, 570x8, 480x12, 570x12, etc.) NUMERIC570X8570 8SECTION WIDTH RIM DIAMETER B.)Then in the 1960's tire manufacturers and D.O.T. changed most tires to alpha numeric identification to provide more information (B7813C, F7814C, H7815D, etc.) ALPHA NUMERICF7814C F 78 14 CAir Chamber Size Aspect Ratio = Section Height Section Width Rim Diameter: 13", 14", 15", etc. Load Range: A, B, C, D, and E, etc.C.) Finally in the late 1970's and early 1980's, D.O.T. and domestic tire manufacturers converted the majority of tire production to the metric system again providing more information about the tire. METRIC ST20575D14 ST 205 75 D 14Application Type ST- Special TrailerLT-Lite TruckP-Passenger Section Width: 205 mm 215 mm 225 mm, etc. Aspect Ratio = Section Height Section Width (70, 75, 80, etc.) Construction Type: D - Bias Ply R - Radial B - Bias Belted Rim Diameter: 13 14 15, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Wolk Posted March 29, 2007 Share Posted March 29, 2007 Great response Mark, and right on the money. My personal experience is to go for the grip. My trailer's tires and brakes save my life. Can't have too much of either.The only thing I didn't see in your highly educational post was the issue of tire pressure. The ST designation tires run at a much higher pressure. Mine are designed to run at 110 lbs. They offer very little rolling resistance.Another attribute of some trailer tires is an outer and inner tread band with no grooves. This bald surface allows for a certain amount of intentional side-slip for turning multi-axle trailers. I think that the tires are so importand that I've installed the commercial SmartTire system. I want to know if I'm about to have a problem.I consider myself too precious a cargo to cheap out on tires. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Braverman Posted March 30, 2007 Share Posted March 30, 2007 When it came time for new tires on my 25' enclosed trailer, the tire guy told me to only use trailer tires. The problem was that the trailer came with 16" wheels and E rated truck tires. Trailer tires are not made in 16" sizes so I still have 225/75/R16 E rated truck tires, and everything tows fine. Watch the weight ratings though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Wolf Posted March 30, 2007 Share Posted March 30, 2007 I have not have very good luck with the Goodyear trailer tires.The side walls are like paper. One time I hit a wooden 2x4 on the highway and it went trough the sidewall and ruined the tire.I started using Carlisles and had much better luck, cost was about the same.Does anyone else have an opinion between Goodyear and Carlisle.I usually go to the next size bigger to increase the load capacity, that is cheaper than getting tires the same size that would carry a bigger load. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Wolk Posted March 30, 2007 Share Posted March 30, 2007 <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Trailer tires are not made in 16" sizes</div></div>Says who? My Goodyear ST (Special Trailer) tires are 16" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Braverman Posted March 31, 2007 Share Posted March 31, 2007 Says who? My Goodyear ST (Special Trailer) tires are 16" Hmmm.... I looked all over the internet and asked all the tire dealers. All I could find were 15 inchers. Not an issue though, the trailer came from the factory with truck tires, and always worked well. Maybe next time I'll look for Goodyear STs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RansomEli Posted March 31, 2007 Author Share Posted March 31, 2007 Follow-up:Thanks for all the valuable information. I bought 4 new E-rated trailer tires. I also plan to travel with four spares. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R Walling Posted April 4, 2007 Share Posted April 4, 2007 Never believe your frindly auto tire store. My friend was told thet the most expensive radial tire that they stocked were the best for his 12,000 lb 30" trailer. It sways likea drunken sailor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Braverman Posted April 5, 2007 Share Posted April 5, 2007 <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Trailer tires are not made in 16" sizes</div></div>Says who? My Goodyear ST (Special Trailer) tires are 16" </div></div>What is the exact model of those tires? I can not find them on the Goodyear web site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Wolk Posted April 5, 2007 Share Posted April 5, 2007 Here's a link. My tires are Goodyear G614RST in a LT235/65/R16 Goodyear web page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Braverman Posted April 5, 2007 Share Posted April 5, 2007 Thanks Barry, I'll have to order a set next time. Maybe it will make the trailer pull better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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