Trailer tires vs. LT Tires on Travel Trailer

[Grizzly]

What about Maxxis tires. They have a 225/75/r15 rated at 2830 lbs and 10 ply.

Maxxis.com

I am in need of new tires and could use a good option.

Maxxis is still an ST tire and are made in China. Look for an LT tire made in the USA.

 

[MLee]

Where its made!!!!!!!!!!!

Here is a web site that if you have questions as to where your tires are made. write down the dot code and check that against the list.

Go to--

http://www.harringer.com/tiremaker.htm



Marv.

 

[MLee]

What about Maxxis tires. They have a 225/75/r15 rated at 2830 lbs and 10 ply.

Maxxis.com

I am in need of new tires and could use a good option.

You were wondering where they are made, look on the right side bar. They received an award for being the top rated tire for 10 yrs running in Taiwan!!!

CHINA!!

 

[JCasper]

Maxxis is still an ST tire and are made in China. Look for an LT tire made in the USA.

I won't argue that they are a ST, but I think they are made in Taiwan, yeah not much difference but in a 15" there aren't many options.



LT's are only a 6 ply and barely have a 2,000lb load rating in sizes that would work.



These are about the only ST in this size I could find anything good said about on RV.net.



I just hope they last me this year and maybe next, after that I will be buying a 5er and will put Michelins on it.

 

[Grizzly]

Here is a web site that if you have questions as to where your tires are made. write down the dot code and check that against the list.

Go to--

http://www.harringer.com/tiremaker.htm



Marv.

Link does not work.

 

[Grizzly]

I won't argue that they are a ST, but I think they are made in Taiwan, yeah not much difference but in a 15" there aren't many options.

LT's are only a 6 ply and barely have a 2,000lb load rating in sizes that would work.

These are about the only ST in this size I could find anything good said about on RV.net.

I just hope they last me this year and maybe next, after that I will be buying a 5er and will put Michelins on it.

If I remember my geography from High School, Taiwan is part of China. It is an island off the China Mainland. I was there when in the military.



I have not researched 15" LT tires or weight capacities. If what you say is correct and I have no reason to doubt you, then I would opt for 16" rims that fit your 5 hole pattern. Discount Tire has the 5 hole 16" rims in the small and the larger pattern and sell for about $65 ea.

 

[AHarris]

I have a 5,000lb camper (4,500# empty). 14" rims. Any reason why I can't just get a good set of regular radials (i. e. the kind you'd buy for the car) as long as the load rating of all 4 of them adds up to a safe margin (i. e. 6,500 lbs) and they are 4 or 6 ply?



Don't laugh me off the board... just seems like a question worth asking.



Plus, it seems like the speed rating issue would take care of itself here.

C'mon guys--

 

[HBarlow]

Yooper,



Nobody has much to say when you're talking about 14" tires. The size is a pretty poor choice and there are few, if any, alternatives available.



When you wrote about whether you could replace your tires with "a good set of regular radials" I guess you meant car radials.



Radial tires meant for car applications probably will have very thin and soft sidewalls which would be easily damaged by curb strikes and may not have the weight carrying capacity needed.



I suppose if you buy a quality brand name like Michelin and the tire has equal or superior weight capacity to the OEM tires you would not be in a worse position.

 

[docjara]

I am not sure you can trust any tire made in china, but there are no tires made with the correct weight rating for a 15 inch rim. I am currently using tires from discount tire. Greenball transmaster 225/75/r15 with a load rating of E. They seem ok but I have some tire wear on the front passenger side. It is the same side as the larger of the two motor cycles that get put in back of the toy hauler. I have a 2 axle hornet hideout 30 foot long. I am thinking of switching the two bikes around to see if it helps. The tires seem to ride ok, just wear out quickly. I have been told that going to 16 inch rims would improve ride and wear on the tires. I hate to spend the money but I don't know if there is another option. I know this is a sensitive subject but LT tires don't have the weight rating I need. So it looks like ST tires.

 

[HBarlow]

I am not sure you can trust any tire made in china, but there are no tires made with the correct weight rating for a 15 inch rim. I am currently using tires from discount tire. Greenball transmaster 225/75/r15 with a load rating of E. They seem ok but I have some tire wear on the front passenger side. It is the same side as the larger of the two motor cycles that get put in back of the toy hauler. I have a 2 axle hornet hideout 30 foot long. I am thinking of switching the two bikes around to see if it helps. The tires seem to ride ok, just wear out quickly. I have been told that going to 16 inch rims would improve ride and wear on the tires. I hate to spend the money but I don't know if there is another option. I know this is a sensitive subject but LT tires don't have the weight rating I need. So it looks like ST tires.

docjara,



American consumers put a lot of faith in many simple things like numbers molded into the casing of a tire. We assume that the numbers when they specify something as important as weight carrying capacity of that tire meet some government testing standard and that the tires, at least on some random percentage basis, have demonstrated that capacity.



I'm not convinced that Communist Chinese tires are tested to our standards by their Communist companies or by American regulatory agencies.



If a person studies standard tire tables it is quickly apparent that all American tires of a given size are rated at the same capacity when inflated to the same pressure. In other words, all American LT235/85 R16 Load Range E tires are rated at 3042 lbs. when inflated to 80 psi. It is the same for Michelin, BF Goodrich, Goodyear, Bridgestone, etc.



Did anyone every wonder how it is that a Communist Chinese tire in the same size which can be purchased at 1/3 or 1/2 the price of an American brand name tire can safely and durably carry 3800 lbs. ?



I don't think so. No Communist Chinese tires for me on anything capable of running faster than my lawn tractor.

 

[docjara]

So then you think I have to go to 16 inch rims and tires? That is my only option#@$%! And if that is the only option I would be stuck with Goodyear tires as the only tire in 16 inch that is made in America. Assuming that Goodyear didn't have the tire made in china for them.

 

[HBarlow]

So then you think I have to go to 16 inch rims and tires? That is my only option#@$%! And if that is the only option I would be stuck with Goodyear tires as the only tire in 16 inch that is made in America. Assuming that Goodyear didn't have the tire made in china for them.

It was incorrect for me to refer to all the brands I listed as "American" tires. Michelin was originally a French company but the tires are made in England, USA, etc. Bridgestone is a Japanese tire made ???



Let me say instead that I consider Michelin the best tire available regardless where the parent company is headquartered or where the specific tire is molded. Michelins will consistently produce 120k miles of service on a dually Ram costing just over $0. 01/mile for a set of six based on $1200 purchase price at SAM's Club. I consider Michelin, BF Goodrich, Uniroyal, General, Bridgestone, and Yokohama acceptable brands for truck/trailer use. My new Hitchhiker 5er came with Uniroyal Laredo LT235/85R16 LRE tires. They were not my first choice but are fine so far. I will run them until the carcasses are 4-5 years old then install Michelins.



Goodyear makes top quality high performance car tires, not so good truck/trailer tires. As I have written repeatedly, I wouldn't put Carlisle, Maxxi, Mission, Greenball, or other Chinese-made tires on any wheeled product heavier than or capable of being driven or pulled faster than my lawn tractor.



In answer to your question, no, it is probably not necessary that you change to 16" wheels and tires. Your signature doesn't tell us what trailer you own so I can't offer specific suggestions. If I had an RV trailer with 15" tires I would buy the best commercial grade or SUV application brand name tire available from the list above.



I installed a set of Michelin 15" SUV tires on a 9,000 lb. Avion TT several years ago and put 60k miles on them, including a problem free trip to Alaska before I sold the trailer. BF Goodrich makes a good commercial grade 15" tire IIRC.



On edit I corrected my earlier error. Cost of a set of Michelins run on a Dodge dually is $0. 01/mile for a set of six. ($1200 divided by 120,000 miles)

 

[AHarris]

Yooper,



Nobody has much to say when you're talking about 14" tires. The size is a pretty poor choice and there are few, if any, alternatives available.



When you wrote about whether you could replace your tires with "a good set of regular radials" I guess you meant car radials.



Radial tires meant for car applications probably will have very thin and soft sidewalls which would be easily damaged by curb strikes and may not have the weight carrying capacity needed.



I suppose if you buy a quality brand name like Michelin and the tire has equal or superior weight capacity to the OEM tires you would not be in a worse position.

Appreciate the advice. I looked up the GVWR of the trailer and it's around 6,500lbs--don't think there's any cars made for 14" tires that weigh that much, and I couldn't find any LT tires on the Internet at that size.



The original tires I think are made by Goodyear and only have a couple thousand miles on them and the trailer has been stored indoors for 4 years. I might just re-pack the wheel bearings, get the wheels balanced, make sure there's no flat spots of cracks in the rubber, and hit the road.

 

[docjara]

It was incorrect for me to refer to all the brands I listed as "American" tires. Michelin was originally a French company but the tires are made in England, USA, etc. Bridgestone is a Japanese tire made ???



Let me say instead that I consider Michelin the best tire available regardless where the parent company is headquartered or where the specific tire is molded. Michelins will consistently produce 120k miles of service on a dually Ram costing just over $0. 10/mile. I consider Michelin, BF Goodrich, Uniroyal, General, Bridgestone, and Yokohama acceptable brands for truck/trailer use. My new Hitchhiker 5er came with Uniroyal Laredo LT235/85R16 LRE tires. They were not my first choice but are fine so far. I will run them until the carcasses are 4-5 years old then install Michelins.



Goodyear makes top quality high performance car tires, not so good truck/trailer tires. As I have written repeatedly, I wouldn't put Carlisle, Maxxi, Mission, Greenball, or other Chinese-made tires on any wheeled product heavier than or capable of being driven or pulled faster than my lawn tractor.



In answer to your question, no, it is probably not necessary that you change to 16" wheels and tires. Your signature doesn't tell us what trailer you own so I can't offer specific suggestions. If I had an RV trailer with 15" tires I would buy the best commercial grade or SUV application brand name tire available from the list above.



I installed a set of Michelin 15" SUV tires on a 9,000 lb. Avion TT several years ago and put 60k miles on them, including a problem free trip to Alaska before I sold the trailer. BF Goodrich makes a good commercial grade 15" tire IIRC.

In previous post I stated that I have a 2005 Keystone Hornet Hideout. 30 foot long, two axle, at least 11300 lbs. 225/75/R15 tires. Could fit 235/85/R16 but would have to buy rims. I really need to either get two spare tires to take on my trip in April or think about replacements. I don't see a very large selection of tires that are rated at least E for load in a 15 inch rim. Plenty available in D rating but the trailer weighs too much for that classification. Any advice is good but I have not seen anyone give a solution that is rated for this weight in a 15 inch rim.

 

[HBarlow]

I'm short on information to make an effective recommendation.



Is the trailer a 5er? I assume 11,300 is GVWR. If so, GAWR is what... . 5,000 lbs. per axle. You need 2,500# per tire. ST tires in that size offer a 2500# rated capacity but are known to be blow out prone with a few thousand miles on them.



Before I sold my old Avion TT I had found a set of six lug 16" wheel (Southwest Wheel online) available at a low price of about $25/wheel.



I had also determined that a set of LT225/R75-16 tires in LRD would give me at least the same weight capacity and be a serious truck type tire, far more reliable and durable than GY Marathons, Maxxis, or Carlisle tires.



You can shop online at Tire Rack or SAM's Club to consider tire sizes and capacities but I think Michelin and BF Goodrich Commercial LT are good choices.

 

[CUMMINZ]

In defense of a set of 235x16's x10ply that I upgraded my 5er to in 04. The wheels and tires were very over kill on my 5er but they performed absolutely great.



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[RSlater]

I picked up my trailer today with it sitting 2" higher.



I will take it in for tires next week. I have not yet decided on what to go with.

Any pics of the "lift" blocks? I'm wondering if I can duplicate the setup and possibly go to 16" tires/wheels afterward...

 

[JCasper]

Any pics of the "lift" blocks? I'm wondering if I can duplicate the setup and possibly go to 16" tires/wheels afterward...

I will put up pics when I get a chance. Not tonight though













UPDATE: The Maxxis tires I bought are made in Thailand.

 

[JCasper]

Here are the pics



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[RSlater]

Exactly what I was thinking! Thanks so much for the pics. How does the trailer handle now? Do you notice anything different? My 06 Megacab has a 3 inch lift, so adding blocks will not only help facilitate larger wheels/tires, but also set the truck-trailer angle properly. I use a weight distributing hitch, and on my old 2001 4x4, I used a 5 inch drop, but the 06 sits higher. I'm still waiting for the snow to melt around our place; I haven't towed with the 06 yet since I bought it in January. Thanks again for the pics!!