Is Goodyear the only tire to use?

[53flyingcloud]

Originally Posted by Action

Discount tire's website.

Tire Search by Brand - Discount Tire

Action

In addition to the link is this..
Trailer Tire Facts - Discount Tire Direct
ciao
53FC

[SafariSS]

I had one year (12k miles ), on my original Marathons when I had two tread seperations on my Safari 30 which is around 7k ready to travel. I replaced the Goodyears with load range E Maxxis and have had them on two years and 22k miles with PERFECT wear. At each bearing service I rotated them like the manual shows, but they are wearing so evenly...no cupping or other wear you see on trailer tires sometimes.

Secondly, the Maxxis are priced less than the Marathons at NTB in my area.

[53flyingcloud]

Note:
Mileage

• Trailer tires are not designed to wear out.
• The life of a trailer tire is limited by time and duty cycles.
• The mileage expectation of a trailer tire would be 5,000 to 12,000 miles.

[robert claus]

Sorry, I misspoke (working from memory, but checked after others questioned the E rating). I upgraded from the original load rating C tires that were on the trailer when I bought it, to D rated (which seem appropriate- the C rated seemed marginal), not to E rated. Anyway, I like the Goodyear Marathons.

[t walgamuth]

Originally Posted by 53flyingcloud

Note:
Mileage

• Trailer tires are not designed to wear out.
• The life of a trailer tire is limited by time and duty cycles.
• The mileage expectation of a trailer tire would be 5,000 to 12,000 miles.

Could you elaborate on the first two statements, please?

Tom Walgamuth

[Bob Thompson]

Well, I'm glad I didn't go with trailer tires then, because I have about 50,000 miles on my BF Goodrich Commercial T/A's and they only show slight wear. I may be able to get that many more miles out of them if I don't exceed the useful life which is about 7 years. They are about 5 years old now with no exterior sign of deterioration. If it weren't for all those concerned people telling me they aren't ST tires, I'd never know they weren't based on how they perform with the trailer. Replace tires every 12,000 miles.....not necessary with mine!

[53flyingcloud]

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

Could you elaborate on the first two statements, please?

Tom Walgamuth

Tom,
Read the info provided in the link..It should become clear, the logic of their statement.
ciao

[Action]

If travel trailers were used like a daily driver vehicle then you would replace when tread life is low or at mileage intervals. Since the majority of travel trailers sit unused for long periods of time the tire exterior will deteriorate from the UV or exposure to the atmosphere.

After 5 to 7 years all tires have reached the end of their service life. If you have a vehicle that you drive 10,000 miles a year, then at about 7 years on a premium tire they are done with 70,000miles The same for trailer tires except they have not seen the duty cycles a regulaer vehicle has seen.

Action

[waltero]

We have been running the Maxxis for 18 months, about 8000 miles, and
are quite happy with them.....

[Bob Thompson]

I think it is funny. ST tires have UV inhibitors and need to be replaced about every 3 years and most other tires don't have UV inhibitors and need to be replaced at 5 to 7 year intervals.

Switching to 16" wheels and BF Goodrich Commercial T/A's is the single most important "safety" modification I've done to my trailer. All that fussin' with tires is history. The peace of mind is on par with the Michelins on my Tundra.

[slowmover]

My trailer called for

Load Range C

H78-15

on an 8,000-lb GVWR trailer.

I went with an older tire size, just barely taller, 7.00x15

That was in YOKOHAMA RY-215
Yokohama

Load Range D, 8-ply rating; 2,040-lb



The comparable GOODYEAR MARATHON
225/75-15 LR-C
On The Wings of Goodyear | RV Tires - Tire Selection - Marathon®

Load Range C; 2,150-lb rating

From the site: "[I][I]Based on industry standards, if tires with the ST designation are used at speeds between 66 and 75 mph, it is
necessary to increase the cold inflation pressures by 10 psi above the recommended pressure for the load.

o Do not exceed the maximum pressure for the wheel.

o If the maximum pressure for the wheel prohibits the increase of air pressure, then the maximum speed must be restricted to 65 mph.

o The cold inflation pressure must not exceed 10 psi beyond the inflation specified for the maximum load of the tire."



The conversion to a 16" wheel and the BF GOODRICH Commercial T/A
On The Wings of Goodyear | RV Tires - Tire Selection - Marathon®

2,680-lb capacity

From the site: "While most tires will need replacement before they achieve 10 years, it is recommended that any tires in service 10 years or more from the date of manufacture, including spare tires, be replaced with new tires as a simple precaution even if such tires appear serviceable and even if they have not reached the legal wear limit."



I would say it is important to study the different aspects of the running gear, not just tires. Shocks, alignment, wheel/hub balance, etc. Fasteners, torque and studs. Brake drag.



For what it is worth, if AIRSTREAM uses a particular size, brand and pressure recommendation, then I would base all comparisons against that standard.



The second step, actual use, is at least important:


My trailer scaled at 7,460-lbs. To use the Goodyear Load Inflation Tables (assuming I was using LR-C GYM's),

http://www.goodyear.com/rv/pdf/rv_inflation.pdf

I would inflate my tires to a minimum 40-psi as each tire was carrying 1,865-lbs.

But, since my trailer tended to divide the weight by an excess to the rear of 250-lbs, the pressure might need to be adjusted (a leaf sprung suspension) to accommodate that bias.

I contacted a man in the business and he indicated that a 3-psi rise from cold after a minimum of 1.5-hours steady state of driving indicated an optimum cold pressure. A 3-5 psi rise was acceptable. More than 5-psi was call for more study.

I suppose I could start at 45-psi and work my way down to see where the lower pressure, overall, and the no more than 3-psi rise coincided.

My preference would be that the trailer have the softest ride, overall.

Step two, to me indicates the need for regular weight scale tickets and a tire pressure monitoring system.

No matter the tire, the followup has to be consistent as well.

[Beginner]

As stated before:
The ST tire is a 65 MPH tire.
The tire manufacturers will only use a rubber compound that will withstand the National Highway Transportation Safety Administrations 65 MPH test requirements, not one iotnothing more.
The 31 foot trailers and others seem to have more trouble with tires than shorter trailers (lighter trailers).
Sidewall flexing causes heat.
The tire can only dissapate (dump) so much heat, the rest stays in the tire forcing the tire to become hotter and hotter if mor heat is being generated than can be adequately dumped. When the temperature gets to a certain point the rubber compound gets to a ceertain temperature it lets go (melts) and the belts slip, causes a leak, the reduced tire pressure causes the sidewalls to flex more and produce still more heat at a faster rate.
The tire soon dissentegrates. The whole downward spiral takes about 5 minutes tops.
How do you determine better qualitytires?
Look at the SPEED RATING.
Bob thompson, me and a number of others who don't want to speak up because of all the irrational berating they too will recieve, have switched to 16 inch LT tires (BF Goodrich Commercial T/As or Michelin XPS Rib because of their dimentions) They carry a Speed Rating of 99 MPH.
Am I going to pull my 31 foot Airstream at 99 MPH?
Of course not. But I can pull it at 65 MPH day in and day out (except in CA) without worring about tire failures due to lower spec materials.
Its simple folks, you have bought the best, longest lasting travel trailer on the market. You must now buy tires that will survive our driving habits or go 55 MPH all the time.
Beginner

[slowmover]

Based on Goodyears recommendation, if I were using 40-psi to tow at or below 65 mph (assuming, I suppose, that it wasn't to be across Death Valley in August) I would be fine. If I wished to tow at above that speed I would want to increase the pressure to 50-psi.

But I would still be limited to 75 mph in all events. I, too, would prefer (and have made my purchases of) a better constructed tire. The tradeoff with some of these other tires is not so clear. It could be -- I am thinking -- that a stiff rear TV suspension and unyielding tires may not be a good combination.

A compromise in one place may call for another, elsewhere.

[Beginner]

I run my tires at 60 PSI, the same pressure that I had two ST tires that failed in Virginia (90 Degrees F or so) within 50 (or so) miles of each other and I kept my speed below 65.
Beginner

[jcanavera]

Originally Posted by Bob Thompson

I think it is funny. ST tires have UV inhibitors and need to be replaced about every 3 years and most other tires don't have UV inhibitors and need to be replaced at 5 to 7 year intervals.

Switching to 16" wheels and BF Goodrich Commercial T/A's is the single most important "safety" modification I've done to my trailer. All that fussin' with tires is history. The peace of mind is on par with the Michelins on my Tundra.

One big reason is that most vehicle tires roll. You find that those who are full timers or travel frequently can get more life out of their tires than those of us who may only get out once a month or so. The extra UV inhibitors helps during those stationary times. But nothing is worse for a tire than just sitting in one spot for extended periods.

Jack

[t walgamuth]

My local tire store has the carlisles and swears by them, I am going to try them.

This is a great thread.

[Bob Thompson]

Back when I researched tires to make the choices I've made, the subject of tires being idle for long periods came up. I don't remember the source (5 years ago and the memory isn't what it used to be) nonetheless the problem with tires setting for extended periods is the flat portion of the tire setting on the ground. This flat portion creates a "kink" in the belts at the leading and trailing edges of the contact patch. When the tires are put into motion, this "kink" will try to smooth out and will smooth out if driven slowly and gently for the first few miles. If not driven slowly and gently, and heavily loaded, the "kink" can cause the tires belts to fracture leading to failure. The best way to avoid this if you know the vehicle is going to be idle for an extended period is to make the contact patch as small as possible by reducing the load on the tires by transferring as much weight as possible to the stabilizing jacks.

The technique I use is to first lower the electric tongue jack about 3" then extend the rear stabilizing jacks until they are firm against the ground. Then raise the tongue back up 3" which puts a significant load on the rear stabilizing jacks and the tongue jack. Most importantly it takes most of the load off the tires and axles. It's good for the tires and the axles. Then I extend the front stabilizing jacks down until they too firmly support the trailer. The end result: probably less than 300 lbs per tire being supported for extended periods and thus, small contact patches. Again, good for the tires and good for the axles.

[richinny]

i agree with the part about the tires getting a 'flat' spot but the stabilizer part would kill the body of my 34 and i suppose any of the long/heavier trailers.

[slowmover]

After posting on this thread I was reading in the links above to Goodyear and Michelin and one or both recommended moving the trailer every three months or so (except, perhaps in coldest winter). Long term storage was preferred with no weight on tires and protected from elements.

I have seen recommendations elsewhere about overinflating by 10% above max sidewall pressure as tires lose around 2-psi per month anyway. Etc.

[Rebee]

I have two Carlisles on my unit. One is 2 years old and doing well; the other was 6 months old to me (1.5 years by date on tire). The newer tire separated and exploded. The dealer that sold me the tire refused to stand behind it. I called Carlisle and within 4 working days I had a brand new tire for no charge. The warranty on Carlisle tires is 2 years. I did have to place the old tire in a trash bag and wrap the sharp parts with duct tape and Carlisle paid to pick it up and ship back. The older Carlisle tire is doing great. I will replace all with the Carlisles eventually.