G rated RV tires

[CUMMINZ]

We looked at a high end Forest River 5er yesterday. They have advertised G rated Goodyears for several years. This new coach had what looked like a foreign made G rated tire on it.



Go figure.

 

[rweis]

I have Goodyear 614 G rated on my ALFA. About $250/each, and seem to last about 4 years regardless of tread. 12k on the trailer tires (3k on the hitch, estimate).



Local tire guy (very very good) thinks they are the best G for a 16" rim.



Bob Weis

 

[KevinLewis]

My buddy has a 2006 37' toy hauler that came with Hiway Trooper tires from greenball on it. He had one blow out on the side wall down to the bead. Knowing how chinese tires can ruin a weekend camping trip he had all four replaced with the goodyears. When the tire shop called to tell him it was done they had found another tire close to blow out with a gash in the side wall.



RV. Net Open Roads Forum: Toy Haulers: First blow out on the trailer

 

[Grizzly]

"G" rated is a step in the right direction as long as they are LT. If they are ST made in China, I wouldn't get them. You may want to consider Michelin XPS Rib LT235R16, load range "E".

 

[J.BURCHFIELD]

Sorry all Good Year tires are made in China, Trailer as well as passenger car. All Trailer tires are now made in China. Trailer tires are engineered to not last much over 4 years even if not used. Nobody will guarantee trailer tires for more than 4 years even if no miles are put on them. It is the dirty little secret of the tire industry that because trailer tires were lasting too long for the industry to make money they began engineering them to fly apart after 5 years or less regardless of miles. Like most business it is make the money screw the customer. When you go buy trailer tires best to take a jar of vaseline with you. Enough said.

 

[HBarlow]

Mr. Burchfield,



I was amazed when I read your post. I hope that other members realize that what you wrote is 100% incorrect and simply ignore it.



All trailer tires are NOT made in China. Some brands are but not Michelin, BF Goodrich, Goodyear, Uniroyal, Cooper, etc. Greenball and many other new names in the industry are made in China and I wouldn't allow a free set to be installed on my truck or trailer.



No manufacturer makes any product with a goal of having it fail within five years. A manufacturer would be sued out of existence by some sleazy ambulance chasing lawyer if the company deliberately manufactured tires that would "fly apart" and the business would quickly fail of its own poor performance even if not sued.



A business, any business, invests capital and labor in order to provide good products and/or service and earn a fair return on their investment. It is called capitalism, the basis for the greatness of America and the stength of our economy. Any business who doesn't won't be around long.



Just out of curiosity, would you be kind enough to explain to the rest of us how you earn your living?



Harvey

 

[J.BURCHFIELD]

It is your choice to believe as you wish. I know from my own experience and the experience of others. Also three tire stores that know me also told me the same thing. My next set of trailer tires won't be trailer only tires, they will be something dependable like you mentioned. I hope you are right and some Lawyers get on this. Big business is not above producing products that wear out to insure future business. I am retired, what I did for a living when I worked is not related to what we are discussing.

 

[JOdell]

I have read alot of stuff on here about trailer tires. As we speak I have a trailer in the drive way with a missing fender & light and a big dent in the side because of a blown out tire. That makes 3 tires on 3 different trailers with different brands of tires. Carlyle, General & I can't remember the last. I always check my tire pressure before I go on a trip with it. Then I check it before I leave to return home. I wanted to stay away from Goodyear because I read bad things. Yet my buddy has them on his boat trailer and hasn't a lick of trouble with them. So what is the best? A LT tire with a load range of E? The only bad thing is it real hard to find a LT205/75R15 in a load range E. -Just had to vent I am looking at a BIG bill to fix this all Aluminum trailer that isn't even mine. -Jason

 

[rweis]

New tires every 4 years = $$$$



Repair blown tire every ?? = $$$$



Now where is the breakeven point?



Bob Weis

 

[Grizzly]

Mr. Burchfield,

I was amazed when I read your post. I hope that other members realize that what you wrote is 100% incorrect and simply ignore it.

All trailer tires are NOT made in China. Some brands are but not Michelin, BF Goodrich, Goodyear, Uniroyal, Cooper, etc. Greenball and many other new names in the industry are made in China and I wouldn't allow a free set to be installed on my truck or trailer.

No manufacturer makes any product with a goal of having it fail within five years. A manufacturer would be sued out of existence by some sleazy ambulance chasing lawyer if the company deliberately manufactured tires that would "fly apart" and the business would quickly fail of its own poor performance even if not sued.

A business, any business, invests capital and labor in order to provide good products and/or service and earn a fair return on their investment. It is called capitalism, the basis for the greatness of America and the stength of our economy. Any business who doesn't won't be around long.

Just out of curiosity, would you be kind enough to explain to the rest of us how you earn your living?

Harvey

J. BURCHFIELD is very much correct in his assessment of trailer tires. They are all made in China and they are all junk. Most trailer manufactures install the cheapest tires they can find on the trailer. Average cost is $50 to $80 per tire. You get what you pay for. I too hope an ambulance chasing lawyer goes after these trailer manufactures. Now some better trailer manufactures, like your Hitchhiker do install better LT tires instead of the ST tire. Unfortunately Northwood Mfg, makers of Arctic Fox 5er's, choose to install, made in China, ST tires.



There is an overwhelming amount of evidence to support J. BURCHFIELD assessment of cheap, made in China, ST tires. Don't sell him short, the man knows what he's talking about. Also, what he did for a living has nothing to do with the price of tea in China. What do you do for a living?

 

[HBarlow]

Burchfield and you are probably correct when you say that all Chinese made tires are junk. I agree and as I plainly stated in my post, I wouldn't take a free set to put on one of my vehicles. However, that is not what he wrote. He wrote "all trailer tires" not all trailer tires made in China. Michelin builds XPS Ribs which are a trailer tire. All of the other manufacturers I listed also build perfectly good tires that are either intended for trailer use or suitable for use on light trucks AND trailers. The better fifth wheel trailer manufacturers offer US made tires on their products. I recently bought a new Hitchhiker fifth wheel made by NuWa. It has Uniroyal Laredo tires installed by the frame manufacturer. I could have opted for Goodyear G614 LRG tires as an extra cost option. Neither of those tires is or ever has been molded in China.



If you and Burchfield are writing only about ST tires made in China you should say that not harshly and wrongly criticize all US tire manufacturers or all US businesses as Burchfield did. He is still wrong.



Anyone who can read can inspect a tire carcass and read the name of the country where a tire is manufactured on the back side of any tire molded by any of the manufacturers I listed above and easily determine that he and you are wrong. All of the tire manufacturers listed above are US manufacturers and do not, regardless of what the retail salesman in tire stores tell you, manfacture tires in China.



I served my country for 28 1/2 years in the United States Navy, primarily as a submarine crewman. After I retired I attended college then worked for several years at several jobs including state auditor, insurance adjuster, financial counselor, and Ford dealership finance manager. While working I purchased, one by one, and managed seven single family rental properties. I retired from working for anyone else in 1997. I recently sold all seven properties and walked away with a tidy sum of money. For the past two and one half years I have been an RV transporter. I began doing it in order to retire the mortgages on my rental properties during a tight time in the rental market. Now I continue doing it because I love wandering around this great and beautiful land.



I am an American patriot. I love my country, understand and fully support American businesses and capitalism in general, and am an informed citizen and consumer who takes the time and effort to understand issues before incorrectly labeling all US companies or all manufacturers in any industry as bad.



Harvey

 

[Grizzly]

Michelin builds XPS Ribs which are a trailer tire.











Michelin XPS Rib is a LT tire. That means it is a LIGHT TRUCK TIRE. ST means Service Trailer Tire.

 

[CUMMINZ]

I appreciate all the comments about tires. In my original post I find it amazing that the top of the line Forest River 5er would get away from the Goodyears for a (not known to me) tire. The tire was good looking but I don't know where it is made. I'll find out. Either way I am convinced that most tire blowouts come from the coach makers using tires and wheels that are being run at their load limit.



CUMMINZ

 

[J.BURCHFIELD]

I don't know why all of a sudden what I write goes away and I cant get it back. So I try again. My Mom and I and 30 other Americans were rescued by the Narwhal 167 in Nov 1943 off the northern coast of Mindanao, P. I. We had survived in the Jungle for 1 year and 11 months. They took us to the Sub base in Darwin Australia. I have always been extremely grateful to the crew for risking their lives for us. Mom was deathly ill and a few more weeks and she would have surly died. She had survived Typhoid fever with no medicine. Thanks to the crew of the Narwhal she lived until 1990 (age 93) This is getting too long so send me an e-mail if you wish and I will try to answer any questions you might have. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY. -- email address removed --

 

[HBarlow]

Mr. Burchfield,



Thank you. I'm humbled by your gracious comment about my service in the Navy but I can assure you it was modest compared to the experience you wrote of above. In November 1943 I was less than 1 1/2 years old and my mother was changing my diapers. Your experience as a boy surviving in a dense and frightening jungle in a country occupied by vicious enemy soldiers and as a rescued refugee aboard USS Narwhal SS-167 in the Pacific in the midst of a raging war with Japanese ships hunting you was more risky and worthy of discussion than anything I experienced riding submarines in peacetime for many years. We played cat and mouse games with the Soviets but no one dropped live depth charges or fired live torpedos at the submarines I rode.



Please tell us why you and your mother were in the Philippines and how you survived in a jungle for two years. That is a story you should write a book about. I have a very limited knowledge of jungles in the RP and the thought of spending one night in one would cause me to have nightmares. I spent five years in the "PI" at US Naval Base Subic Bay, traveled extensively throughout Luzon by motorcycle, and to a lesser degree in Leyte and Mindanao by bus. My wife grew up in Maasin, Southern Leyte and Davao City, Mindanao, RP and I have visited both.



I'd like to hear your story.



Harvey

 

[J.BURCHFIELD]

I would be glad to write to you by e-mail, I am having too much trouble loosing what I write and not being able to get it back, there must be a time limit here. -- email address removed --

 

[SnoKing]

Michelin builds XPS Ribs which are a trailer tire.











Michelin XPS Rib is a LT tire. That means it is a LIGHT TRUCK TIRE. ST means Service Trailer Tire.

And Michelin rates the XPS RIB also as a commercial trailer tire. ST tires are junk! And most are now fake Chinese junk. They (ST's) do not have to meet any government standard as they do not carry passengers. Even the GY Marathon ST is now faked in China. My trailer came with Kenda Klever LT Chinese fakes, I took the 110. 00 each from Kenda before they damaged my trailer and install XPS RIBs.



Anyone the believes that Special Trailer tires are something special needs to do a bit of research. The problem with fake tires is that you can not see inside the tire where the true construction details live. The Kenda looked fine, except that just about all of them came apart on the hiway. Their (Kenda's) replacement was a Chinese ST tire that also failed in large numbers. I hear that there has been some national media attention to the issue of fake Chinese tires.



SNOKING

 

[J.BURCHFIELD]

Thanks Grizzly, I have been on-line looking at Michelin "C" rated tires. I haul my wifes car on a flatbed trailer when we go from FL to Ohio to visit. That saves her having to rent one. She can but does not like to drive my Ram. I have now learned the hard way about Trailer Radials. The Radial part is good but they are Chinese made and wont last over 5 years no matter how much or little you use them. I am convinced they build them to fly apart at 5 years even if you put few miles on them. Don't many trailer tires wear out so they want us back buying new ones and have engineered them not to last. I think the Michelin LTX is the answer "C" rated will carry the load which is 5,000 pounds, Car 3,000+and 1,800 for the trailer. C rated is 1,800 X 4 = 7,200. Well within limits.

 

[Grizzly]

Thanks Grizzly, I have been on-line looking at Michelin "C" rated tires. I haul my wifes car on a flatbed trailer when we go from FL to Ohio to visit. That saves her having to rent one. She can but does not like to drive my Ram. I have now learned the hard way about Trailer Radials. The Radial part is good but they are Chinese made and wont last over 5 years no matter how much or little you use them. I am convinced they build them to fly apart at 5 years even if you put few miles on them. Don't many trailer tires wear out so they want us back buying new ones and have engineered them not to last. I think the Michelin LTX is the answer "C" rated will carry the load which is 5,000 pounds, Car 3,000+and 1,800 for the trailer. C rated is 1,800 X 4 = 7,200. Well within limits.

You are who deserves all the thanks for just being honest about good tires and junk tires. I'm sure you would be fine with C rated tires, however I'd feel better with a little more factor of safety and get the D rated. How much more can thy cost?



I too will email you about your's and your mother's most interesting survival experience.

 

[Jack in Alaska]

If this continues Mr Barlow and Mr Burchfield are going to be best buds soon after a rocky start.

Chineses tires are still a poor choice though.

I am always confused by the negative comments on Goodyear tires. I have used them and still do and have never had a bad experience. We travel long distances quite often with pick up and 5th. whl.

My last purchase was Michelin for my truck as the new GY kevlar tires are getting pretty pricey although I hear good things about them. Still have GY G614's on my 5th. whl w/o any problems in 24k miles.