trailer tires

[JRS]

I have tried both Carlisle and Goodyears and not had much luck. Looking for suggestions for other brands. I'm interested in ST 225/75R 15's Load Range E. The only brand I could find in the E and this size was the Carlisle, but some one else has to make them.

 

[ata]

Titan makes a 225-75R-E I,ve had them on for 6000 miles so far so good. I don't know why they can't make a better tire for trailers. You would think they would get tired of paying for the damage they do when they come apart.

 

[JRS]

I agree. I have a dual axle enclosed race car trailer, and recently can't keep tires on it. I go to great lengths to take care of them; I use nitrogen in them, keep them covered while in storage, am constantly checking the air pressure, I even rotate them as if they were on the tow vehicle. I found an interesting article on the net that said ST tires were designed for speeds up to 65 mph. if that's the case, 80% of the people I see on the road are in trouble.



thanks for the heads up about the Titans.

 

[Slow Six]

If you have the space around your tires in the wheel wells you could go to 16" wheels and then you could get the Michelin XPS Rib which is an excellent trailer tire. In my opinion the 16" tires pull better, wear longer and are well worth the expense if they will work. I have been pulling trailers for years and I will not buy a trailer that only have a 15" wheel and tire.

 

[keimmmo]

Actually, I converted my trailer from the special trailer only tires to any load range E tire by going from 15 to 16 inch rims. If you stay with the same size tire and change only the rim size, the size difference is almost nothing. I might note that 16 inch rims with a 5 hole pattern are hard to find. The 6 and 8 hole wheels are common in a 16.



If you watch and have good connections, you can buy the wheels for about $45-50 each. What you save by buying light truck tires instead of the special trailer tires will almost pay for the wheels on your first set of tires!



Steve

 

[RustyJC]

If you can fit 16" wheels, I'd highly recommend the E-rated Michelin XPS Rib or (if you can find wheels in your lug pattern that can handle 110 PSIG) the G-rated Goodyear Unisteel G614 RST. Both of these are all-steel construction radials recommended for trailer service by their manufacturers. I've run both on either my previous or current 5th wheel, respectively. They're not cheap, but neither is repairing a 5th wheel after a tread separation (been there and done that).



Rusty

 

[jwduke]

Check over on RV Net about Titan tires. They are apparently junk. We haul them, and a guy at a big tire wholesaler company, told me that Titan tires are junk.

 

[backroad]

I know i'm going to catch a bunch of flack for this, but I've found that a bias tire really does hold up better on a trailer application. I've lost so many radials in the learning process.

 

[JHofmann]

You know, the salesman at the tire store where I just got a 15" D load radial said that I would be better off with bias ply tires. Has anyone else heard this also? Or have any first hand experience like backroad.

 

[ata]

backroad, You may have a point I have been pulling trailers since the 70's and never had any problems with bias ply tires. In 98 I bought a new trailer with radials and the fun started. But the new trailer is also a lot heavier.

 

[FloridaEd]

I had same problems as JRS. I settled on Denman tires, load range E. I was going to Alaska last Spring and worried about the D range tires that came on my 5'ver. I towed about 12K miles on the Denman "E" tires, over some really nasty gravel roads (my Brother in Law, who made the trip with us, burned 3 of the "D" tires before he broke down and bought "E" tires in Anchorage, Alaska. No problems after that.



The Carlisle's are now made in China... . I know because the tire dealer ordered them in for me and I would not accept them... he bought the Denmans and charged me $2 a tire more... they were made in Mexico... .



The RV manufacturer's put tires on trailers that are just not heavy enough, I feel.



With 16" tires, you have to change the hubs/axles and that opens a whole new can of worms.



Florida Ed

 

[backroad]

I don't know why you'd have to change the hubs and axles to run 16" wheels. There are many aftermarket wheels to fit almost ALL of the bolt patterns.

 

[Cummins Cowboy]

I absolutly hate trailer tires, IMO they use early 70's technology, radial tires are the way to go. I have a double axle trailer I pull everyday not real heavy but it wieghts in around 5500#'s. I found specific trailer tires where gone in less than a year and if they got a little low they would blow out. So I just go to walmart and for $33/tire I can get no name 225/75/15's and they have been on nearly 2 years and work great, they are more stable and track the road better and smoother. they are prolly not very good for heavy loads but work great on a lighter trailer. IMO use anything but a specific trailer tire

 

[keimmmo]

I too have had far more stability problems and tire failures with trailer rated tires than with light truck tires. Radials are far more stable than bias ply tires! I have had a couple of trailers with bias plys from the factory that I replaced with radials. They rode better and were more stable.



If you have the clearance, run bigger tires... the biggest that will fit. Bigger tires usually have a better load carrying capacity... often better than the factory size in the next heavier load rating.



Everyone uses their vehicles differently. I won't knock what works for YOU. However, the above is MY experience and opinion.



Steve

 

[MPalachuk]

I talked with a tire guy and he said you should not run the tire at over 70% of its rating, That is to get life out of them. So with trailer people putting on tires that just make the weight they are running at almost max all of the time. A 2 axle trailer good for 7000lbs the tires are probably rated at 1800 each thats 7200lbs but they are at max all of the time, you would have to go to a tire with a 2500lb rating to not run over the 70%. Who nows most of them are wanting to sell tires.

 

[CLAYTON]

With 16" tires, you have to change the hubs/axles and that opens a whole new can of worms.

I didn't have to change the hubs/axles at all. I swapped out my stocker 15" D Rated tires to a bigger 16" E rated tires and haven't looked back since. It's a LT tire with warranty and they look comfortable under my trailer. My 15" D rated tires looked maxed out and that's probably what lead to my blow out the first year I had my trailer. I feel much better knowing I have a tire that fits the weight rating and beyond that.

 

[JHofmann]

If I have too much more trouble with my 15" tires I am going to upgrade to 16" rims and LT tires. I have room for them, and the rims arent too expensive. I priced some 16" aluminum 6 lug rims at $112. The tires I would get are a little expensive... . Michelin XPS ribs are about $185 a piece. My trailer is a tri-axel too... . so multiply by 6! But for safety and piece of mind I suppose its not too bad.

 

[J&LRam]

jrs

the first 5er I bought was a '84 model that had B F Goodrich ST tires which they don't make anymore. After about 2000 miles they started to shed their treads. I don't use ST tires any more. All my trailers have 16" LTs now and don't have tread shed probs anymore... ... ... . JIM

 

[Grey Wolf]

I may give these a try next time..... http://www.coopertire.com/us/en/ProductDetails.asp?ProdType=SUV&id=220&title=SUV+Tires

 

[K5IP]

I changed the wheels from 15 to 16 in. Then, when the tires on my truck (LR E) are about 2/3 used, I switch them to the trailer and buy a new set (Michillin) for the truck.

Cheap, easy, and end of tire problems.

Rog