Trailer tires.

[Tuscany]

OK.
The interstates are again littered with travel trailers with blow tires..
So my trailer has maybe 2,500 miles on it, and yeah, I was talked out of by the manufacturer and I didn’t spend the extra $400 for the G/Y Endurance. The Rainier brand of premium quality China bombs are half worn. Lots of braking/stop and go. Five years seems to be the number to toss them no matter the wear, but I’m still wondering why we buy trailer tires that may blow at any time? Rounded turning profile just doesn’t seem to be enough of a reason to buy another set of ST tires, especially when 99.9999% is straight ahead driving.
So, tell me again why I want ST tires for replacements instead of car/truck tires?

[Big Block Power]

Because they are designed and engineered to be used on a trailer. I'm a endurance fan.

[dustinm]

IDK T. I always buy ST tires too and they seem to pop at the 5 year mark, so regardless the brand I always replace at 5. The last set on the car trailer had maybe 1000 miles and still had a couple tires with broken belts. I think driving over curbs and tight backing angles dont help with mine. Now my brother will not pay more for ST and only buys car tires for his trailers and never has problems as he says.

[Snowman8]

I too have never understood why not just put a set of truck tires on instead of the ST trailer tires. As long as the tire is rated for the load what does it care what is riding on it? The ST tires don’t ever have much tread depth on them and seem to wear out so fast. When I was just out of high school I worked for a couple guys that raced dirt track cars on the weekends. Those trailers were heavy and they would only run load range E truck tires on them. They wouldn’t use an aggressive tread but more of a highway tread. We would run all over the upper midwest and I don’t ever remember having a trailer tire blow out.

[Tuscany]

I’m going with truck tires next time.
I’m always looking back there and wondering..

On our last tow, there were two campers with blown tires in the sides of I-90. Every summer trip, there is at least one in our 45 minute tow, and always damage to the trailer.
Speed ratings are another issue. Most are rated for 65 mph, which is always a safe speed to tow, but why is speed an issue in the first place? Simply not built well enough for higher centrifugal force?

[Snowman8]

I am with you T. My trailer is only going on 2 years old and I have the same Rainier China bombs that you have but I have already been thinking about doing the same thing. I pretty much have the same trailer as you... I probably put about 2500 miles on a season and I can already see wear on them. It seems like I see a trailer on the freeway nearly every weekend with a blown tire and damage to the trailer or even boat. It doesn’t seem like it is worth it to try to push it a few extra years on cheap tires. I do believe that our tires are rated for 80mph though.

[mdadgar]

I used to run LT tires on my old race trailer - never had a failure. I'll either use Goodyear Endurance or LT tires when the factory tires on my current trailer (which is aluminum and a lot lighter, actually) are due for replacement - undecided as of now. The Goodyear Marathon legacy runs fairly deep in the racing community, which gives me a bit of pause.

Will probably move the boat trailer to Endurance at the 5 year mark - it currently has Load Range E tires on it now.

- Mark

[sailor55330]

I just switched this year to Goodyear Endurance. I recently saw 3 trailers with blowouts on a 100 mile drive and that inspired me to get rid of my 5yr old china bombs--although they had served well. One thin I immediately noticed about the endurance was the ride quality. They are a load range D which is significantly stiffer than C so the trailer was "harsh" over bumps. The tires are rated to 65psi. Here's my question-

I have always been a proponent of running max pressure in a trailer tire, usually 50psi. Goodyear actually publishes an inflation chart that changes significantly by weight. It is of course the load limits. Here it is.

Screen Shot 2019-10-26 at 3.54.04 PM.jpg

For example:

My boat on the cat scale in lake form was 5830lbs...so lets round to 6000lbs. 6000/4 tires = 1500lbs/tire. Tires are 215/75/14. According to Goodyear's website, I could theoretically run 35psi....not that you would do that.

I can tell you at 65psi, it was jarring and I felt every bump in the truck. Thinking of running at 60psi to see if there's a difference.

What say the guru's?

[Snowman8]

My trailer tires are load range E that recommend 80psi. I run 80psi in them. The tires that I put on my wife’s F150 are also load range E but I run 40 in the front and 65 in the back. I think the door sticker says 35psi but I don’t have stock tires so I run a little more air. I don’t notice much of a ride difference. I think my boat is really close to 7000lbs with the trailer.

[Tuscany]

I run 80 psi also.
I think we see a lot of China bombs booming because camper manufacturers are notorious for saving pennies where ever possible, and installing tires at the brink of their load carrying ability makes them “bombs”.
That was the reason I went 16”. Lots of load room, and no overloading excuses.
5 years is the key for me. Solid advice I know, but what part of the spec makes an ST tire on a 5 year timer?. Normally, tires are good until they wear out.

[sailor55330]

I would agree that LT tires are probably better than ST, but there are not a lot of choices in 14" LT tires out there....so you do the best you can with what's available. Right now, that's Goodyear Endurance.

[bruceb58]

No 14" LT tires. Even with 15" LT tires, they usually don't have enough load capacity.

Stick with Goodyear Endurance or Maxxis. First thing I did when I bought my boat was to put on new Maxxis ST tires.

The 5 year lifespan is for ALL tires. Reason you hear it for trailer tires is that trailer tires age out before they wear out. I don't think I have ever had an auto/truck tire reach 5 years before wearing out.

[Tuscany]

Maxxis are still a Chinese tire.
Same group as the others that I do not trust.
My trailer manufacturer loves Rainier, the deck over I just bought came with Rainier, but I’m not as comfortable.
One pop? Fender, gel coat, downtime…pass.
GY Endurance would be the choice for ST.
Having 16” wheels offer more options for me.

[Cruiser64]

Just replaced all 6 on my trip axle with D rated tires with a max psi of 65. My tire guy told me to run 60 psi to allow for temp rise but lower psi would cause to much heat.

[bruceb58]

Maxxis are still a Chinese tire.

It's not a Chinese tire. I have owned 16 of them including 4 I just bought in January. I have 4 on my travel trailer and 4 on my boat trailer. Just sold my last boat and trailer and no issues for 5 years towing often in over 100 degree weather. Can't say the same for Chinese tires I have owned in the past.

I have had a number of their bicycle tires as well. They are top tier with those tires too.