Fifth wheel tire problem

[DWhite]

I have a 34' fifth wheel trailer with a gvw of 15,700 pounds. It came originally equipped with LT235/85R/16 G rated Goodyear radial tires. Within the past 3 months two of the tires have thrown the thread totally off without losing any tire pressure. Anyone have any suggestions as to a good replacement tire? I have considered going to a higher rated tire but have not been able to determine if the 8 stud wheel rim will handle the higher load rated tire.

 

[RHoblitt]

Goodyear has a new F rated tire, i looked at it the other day at camping world, 14ply steel wrap. Any good tire dealer can look at the stamp on your wheel and tell you what the rating is. Good luck. Richard

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

DWHITE - what tire pressure are you running with the Goodyears?



A buddy of mine has lost 2 of those on his trailer the same way - one thing he found was that the difference in speed from 55 to 65 mph makes a HUGE difference it tire heating...

 

[DWhite]

Thanks Richard and Gary for your input. The G rated tires call for 110 pounds of air pressure and I never tow the trailer without making absolutely sure each of the 4 tires are at the prescribed air pressure. These tires are huge but I just cannot understand why they are shedding the tread. Tow at 65 most of the time when I can hold the Cummins back!

 

[DHawthorne]

I would let Goodyear know about it. Look at the DOT number. I think the last four numbers should be the build date of the tires.



Check your allignment on the axles. We had a 53ft flat bed trailer we built. The right rear tire would always run hotter than the rest and would shed its tread just like you mentioned. We found the axle was out just a little bit causing the tire to run at a slight angle.



Don't know if that is contributory to your problem.

 

[GAmes]

I have G rated Goodyears too

I do not run them at 110 psi though, I inflate them to the pressure that corresponds to the weight they are carrying. My triple slide 5er is heavier on the left side than the right (kitchen and bedroom slide is on the left) so the tires on the left require more pressure. If you e-mail them Goodyear will send you an inflation chart. I have also found that if trailer tires are over 4 or 5 years old they are subject to shed their casings regardless of being properly inflated.

 

[rob10858]

we've used all of the above and still have radical tread failure, ie blowing to pieces for no good reason. if our passenger vehicle and truck tires failed this much, the lawsuits would be unbelievable. i'm a firm believer that certain tire and tread designs are treated as "trailer only" forget what the mnf states for load ranges and uses when it comes down to honoring a warranty issue on trailers. the old "too sharp cuts on turns, underinflation, wrong turning ratios compared to the pulling vehicle" don't hold water with us, and never will... these tires are cheap and not meant to do what your tire rep say they will. when was the last time that you turned your truck at an angle that would cause the tire to twist the way a jacknifed trailer, in a tight spot would? :--)

 

[DWhite]

Thanks to all of you for the information. Currently working with Goodyear to see if they come through with the verbal comments that they would replace all of the tires and repair the damage to the trailer. Researched some today on the Rickson website to see if possibly we could go with the 19. 5 rims and higher load rated tires. Will see in the next few days if this is a possibility.

 

[Ron Bissett]

Old tires blow out or through the tread . New tires through the tread too, but not for the same reason Old from dry rot Sun damage , old age. New from heat caused by flex of the side wall this is from not having max air to stiffen the side wall . If you inflate to that stated on the side wall and then add extra 5 to ten psi more the tire will run cooler as the side wall will not flex as much . The tech at the factory will come up with a chart or two that will be the answer to any problem . But in the real world the adding of a few psi will keep the rubber on the road not in the air like one of the ... ..... spreaders on the farm. Ron in Louisville Metro KY :-{}

 

[Ron Bissett]

Originally posted by DWhite

Thanks to all of you for the information. Currently working with Goodyear to see if they come through with the verbal comments that they would replace all of the tires and repair the damage to the trailer. Researched some today on the Rickson website to see if possibly we could go with the 19. 5 rims and higher load rated tires. Will see in the next few days if this is a possibility.

Measure the distance between the tires on tandem or triple wheel set up ,before you get any different wheel tire combo . You can gain more hight room by moving springs to top of axle but distance between wheels ?

 

[Mschevey]

Talk to the guys at Rickson. They can build you a set of 17. 5" rims. This is also a commercial tire size for trailers. I will be going to these when I wear out or have problems with the stock 16" rims and tires on my trailer.



I found this out when talking to them about the 19. 5" i put on the truck. I asked about trailer wheels and they told me about the 17. 5" option, or I can get 19. 5" from them for the trailer.



They will need to know the type of axle on the trailer and if the wheels are hub centered or lug-nut centered.



Mike Schevey

 

[cscott]

Another thing to check is the speed rating. Some trailer tires are speed rated at less than 65 mph. Exceeding the speed rating can result in failure.



Good luck



Craig

 

[DWhite]

Update on working with Goodyear. Corporate Goodyear had the local retailer Airborne the two tires to them for evaluation. Hopefully they will be able to determine the cause for the failures. They have asked for me to contact them early this week.



All of the information provided on this website is appreciated. I really will not know which direction to go until I hear back from Goodyear. I like the idea of the 17. 5 sized rims with a commercial grade tire. We do plan some long trips beginning early next year if this current world situation turns around and having to not worry about the trailer tire situation would be nice.

 

[DWhite]

Tire problem update. Have decided to go with Rickson's 17. 5 inch trailer rims with H rated 235/75R/17. 5 tires. Maximum load rating for the H rated tires are 6,000 pounds which is substantially higher than the 3,750 on the G rated Goodyear tires. According to Dan the wheel will have the same diameter and width as the G rated tires so they should fit the trailer the same. They are really nice to work with. Don