TIRE SPEEDS how fast do you tow?

[arcamedies]

Since I'm new to trailering and a cautous guy I am curoius about speed ratings of trailer tires. So far all I've seen are 65MPH ratings on ST's and yet have trailers blow by me doing 75+.

Are there higher speed rated trailer tires?

From experience with cars I know if you exceed the speed rating long enough on a warm day, under inflated, it's bye bye tire, shread a thons.

I'm sticking to 65 unless passing and 75 is max for a pass for me.

[2airishuman]

caution can be a good thing.

but this has been discussed in many many many threads.

ST tires are not speed rated following the euro adopted system used for P metric and some LT tires...

st tires are LOAD tested at an industry standard speed of 65 mph.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f438...tml#post750780

and goodyear explains WHAT to do when using THEIR st tires at 66-75 mph (see da box in dis post)...

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f438...tml#post866535

____________

now, 4 da'speed folks here CLAIM to drive while towing...

there is this old thread...

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f42/...rive-8914.html

and THIS POLL spanning 7 years...

<<<http://www.airforums.com/forums/f232...w-at-2946.html>>>

i'll save the photoz of the speedo for another time...

cheers
2air'

[barts]

West Coast speed limits for trailers are 55-60 mph; one can finesse that a bit, but towing @65+ mph will get you a ticket.

In addition, stopping distances go up rapidly with speed and trailer stability equations indicate that the faster you go, the more problems you can find.

I don't get in a hurry when trailering; our truck & trailer easily gross out at 13k lbs combined - and @60 mph, that's already 1.5 million foot lbs of energy - about the same as 3000 .45 ACP rounds.

I tow w/ LT radial tires on the trailer - original equipment on our Airstream.

- Bart

[2airishuman]

clearly there are MANY reasons why driving S L O W E R may be sensible...

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f238...why-21559.html

cheers
2air'

[Lumatic]

I tow using an engine vacuum gauge as a guide. Generally 60-65 mph. In a good headwind the gauge shows a big drop off in mpg and I back off, sometimes to around 50 on the highway. Below 50 I feel like a roadblock. With good vacuum I sometimes get to 70 on a good straight downhill. Above 70 (for short periods) the trailer feels like it is beginning to get unstable (but so am I)

I have ST tires. I understand LTs can safely run at a higher speed.

[Phoenix]

I think the question may not be "How fast can you go?", but "How fast can you stop?"

In Arizona, we have seen a lot of travel trailers in the ditch or in pieces on the road, probably many the result of improper loading, overweight and/or under-inflated tires.

Five or 10 mph can make a big difference between a close call and being the lead story on the 10 o'clock news.

We drive at 60-65 (and slow down at night and in bad weather) and wait to pass the speeders when they breakdown up ahead...

[blmitch5]

60-63 ish. I have a Bambi so closer to 60 on flat land. In the mountains closer to 50-55. Let em pass me. We were on i70 at the Eisenhower tunnel and saw a huge class a with a large trailer pass us like we were standing still and the passed him (going 55) and gagged on the smoke from his breaks! He didn't even pull over! Slower is better.

[pilgrim]

If I go over 65 mph, it's a very staight, level road. I try to keep it around 60 for better fuel economy which is never great.....but certainly better at the slower speed. We try to spend no more than five - six hours driving each day giving us time to "see and do" when we arrive at our destination. One of our great fears is to leave a location and then read about some GREAT site we missed there....and we all learn there are a lot of small, out of the way places that shouldn't be missed! We look at 'streaming as an enjoyable experience - driving hard and long is no longer enjoyable so we take it easy. Happy Trails to All!!

PS I was planning to put LT tires on my TV but discovered they are not made in the 18" size. Is this true or am I being lead astray by a tire company that doesn't happen to have any 18" LTs?? Thanks.

[barts]

Originally Posted by pilgrim

I
PS I was planning to put LT tires on my TV but discovered they are not made in the 18" size. Is this true or am I being lead astray by a tire company that doesn't happen to have any 18" LTs?? Thanks.

LTX A/T2 | Michelin Tires

- Bart

[Gene]

I have 18" LT tires on my Tundra—the Michelin LTX A /T2.

There are so many different wheel sizes now, no company makes a complete line.

Gene

[thecatsandi]

Originally Posted by Lumatic

I tow using an engine vacuum gauge as a guide. Generally 60-65 mph. In a good headwind the gauge shows a big drop off in mpg and I back off, sometimes to around 50 on the highway. Below 50 I feel like a roadblock. With good vacuum I sometimes get to 70 on a good straight downhill. Above 70 (for short periods) the trailer feels like it is beginning to get unstable (but so am I)

I have ST tires. I understand LTs can safely run at a higher speed.

Some of us don't have Vacuum availabe to us. No Throttle plate. Diesel....

[wbrownrr]

Yep.... what 2Air, Barts and Phoenix said. That pretty much covers it. And, we like to limit our driving to a total of 6 hours per day whenever possible. What's the hurry, anyway?

[LI Pets]

I believe that ST rather than LT are the tires to use based on sidewall construction.

ST tires are not 65 speed rated if you over inflate by 10lbs for a given weight load, see any of the tire manufactures website for the chart.

I used to drive 70-75 mph all the time on wide open flat roads, perhaps 50,000 miles in the past 4 years.

More recently for economy/safety 67-70 works for me.

But all the tires are checked every couple of days while driving, and are within 1 lb of where they should be.