Tire blow out- anyone using Carlisle tires?

[NJtoNC]

hola folks. we had a quick trip 3 hours a way this weekend. While traveling around 50 - 55 mph we had our first ever tire blowout. these were carlisle tires, bias - ply (6 ply i believe). we put them on new in 2010 and took 1 major road trip across country (7k miles) then another trip 16 hours total, maybe another 1200 miles. they have under 10k miles on them, and i was surprised to see them fail so soon. they damaged the underside of the trailer, too.

i should note that we did NOT cover the tires and they were kept on the trailer in the sun. this was the only reason i could think of why it would have failed so soon.

I went online to buy a replacement tire, and when i googled carlisle tires, i came across this link;

Carlisle Radial ST Utility Tire Reviews. Buying Guides & Consumer Product Reviews - Epinions.com

of 57 reviews, at least 80-90% give it 1 of 5 starts and have experienced blow outs.

Anyone here have a similar experience?

I went with carlisle because i wanted an American made tire. Looks like I didn't do my research. Do you have any other suggestions for american made tires? since i need 2 new ones now, should i stay with bia ply or radial? it's a '62 GT.

Thank you : /

[perryg114]

Stay away from trailer tires. What is the rim diameter and how much does the trialer weigh?

Perry

[NJtoNC]

what do you mean stay away from trailer tires? what do i use then, truck tires? the size is 15". heres the specifics;

CARLISLE ST225/75R-15" RADIAL Tire, Load Range C

trailer weight is 3500 - 4000lb depending on water weight, stuff we're packing, etc.

[perryg114]

Look at this thread. I hear about problems with ST tires bias and radial but have not heard anything bad about car tires blowing out when used on trailers.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f438...ire-83262.html

Perry

[perryg114]

You would probably be ok with the 235/75-R15XL (2100lb or so load rating) but they are bigger and may not fit in your fender well. Others have gone to 16" rims and higher load range tires are available in that size. It may take away the vintage look if you change rims though.

Perry

[NJtoNC]

not really interested in buying new rims. just bought 'um in 2010. : /
do ya think the 235's would've prevented a blow out? whats the idea behind the 235's? you think the weight of my trailer is too much for the tires?

[Safari Streamer]

We had Carlyle troubles years ago - blowouts and trailer damage. Turns out the tires were old when we bought them. Now we know to check the manufacture date. Now we use Maxxis and they have been good to us (knock on wood).

[handn]

My experience: two Carlyse tires, one blowout. The tire only was two years old.
Perryg knows his stuff. Stay away from ST tires of any brand. They are made to a standard lower than their likely use, i.e., temps less than 100 degrees and speeds less than 65 mph. On a hot, long freeway trip, your odds of blowout are good with any ST tire.
I went with Michelin P235 R 75XL on my tandem axle Safari. Car and LT tires are under the scrutiny of NTSB and are made to endue hotter temps and higher speeds. 235's are only slightly bigger than 225's and fit in the wheelwells of my AS with room to spare.

[NJtoNC]

HandN,

do you have a vintage trailer? i have a 62' GT. my only concern is will they fit. i've been reading the thread perry gave me...

[NJtoNC]

also will the 235's fit on the same rim as the 225? thanks all....

[jkcru]

Try 225/70-15 goodyear G-24 tires or Continal Tradesman tires 2900 weight rating

[perryg114]

You can get the 235 in a XL rating that is higher than a standard car tire. It is also wider so it can carry more load at lower pressures. I think the Michelins in 235 XL would be a great tire for your trailer. Getting an IR thermometer can make measuring tire temps easy. When the tire starts getting near 200F you need to back off and slow down. You can also use it to adjust pressures. When the temp in the center and sides is the same you are good. When it is hotter in the center too much pressure and hotter on edges means too low pressure or overloaded tire.

Perry

[vswingfield]

Originally Posted by NJtoNC

also will the 235's fit on the same rim as the 225? thanks all....

All that tire stuff (the letters and numbers) actually mean something, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tire_code. In this case, the 225 and 235 refer to the nominal width in millimeters. So a 235 is only 10 mm (.4 inch) wider than a 225.

So yes, it will fit nicely on the same rim. As far as total width goes, that is less than a quarter of an inch on each side. Not really that much.

[NJtoNC]

thank goodness for airforums! this is great info. perry, i'm trying to get the tires your recommend. i appreciate the advice.

last question; is it a terrible idea to keep the 225 radial as a spare? it has 200 miles on it. can i use the 225 temporarily with a 235 if one of the 235's blows?

[vswingfield]

Originally Posted by NJtoNC

thank goodness for airforums! this is great info. perry, i'm trying to get the tires your recommend. i appreciate the advice.

last question; is it a terrible idea to keep the 225 radial as a spare? it has 200 miles on it. can i use the 225 temporarily with a 235 if one of the 235's blows?

That's what I'd do.

I wouldn't want the mismatched tires on there for a long time, but they would still be a much better match than those compact spares that cars used.

I also agree with Perry, I've had great luck with Michelins on my Trade Wind. I put a set on way before I learned about the forums. (OK, way before the Internet.) I put the same tires on the trailer as I had on my Tow Vehicle. Great results.

[perryg114]

Keep it as a spare. I have a cheap chinese made spare that cost me $100 for the tire and rim. It will be better than nothing if your main tires blow. Always keep an eye on temps. When you stop at least get out and feel the tires. Hot weather and high speed kills tires or at least trailer ST tires.

Perry

[purman]

I have Carlisle's on my trailer, They are 8 ply D rated. This year before my 3000 mile trip i checked the date they were made. It was 06'. I bought a tire monitoring system for $260 to keep track of pressure and temp. they have well over 15,000 miles on them. I had no problems on my trip and no temps over 114, I run at around 70 mph. even in 104 degree temps outside.

With this said, and all the blowouts with ST tires I will be putting on truck tires now. I am also probably going to get some 16 inch rims, as mine are the original rims, and I want new ones anyway. There are more options for tires with higher weight ratings with 16 inch rims. This is the only reason to switch to them. If you have new 15 inch rims I would go with the michelins. They also have a $70 rebate right now..

Why would you want to put tires on your trailer that are not built to the same standard as Your TV. They cost any more, and I haven't heard of anyone complaining about blow outs once they switch.

[azflycaster]

I am a little confused. What size was the bias tire that blew out?

[10Smiles]

We had Carlisle tires on our '04 SOB trailer when new. We usually didn't tow it very far from home, but once on a trip to Eastern Washington from the Salem Oregon area we had a blowout in 100° weather. Then the next year, we were going to Yellowstone (I-90) and had a blowout on the way there and another one on the way home. So, that was three of the five Carlisle tires that came with the trailer (all blowouts were in hot weather). Then we replaced the fourth Carlisle tire (kept one as a spare) and had no other problems. Now we have an Airstream and next spring are hoping to switch to 16" wheels and get LT tires.

[Airslide]

This was three days ago... outside temps of 90 degrees plus. These are four year old Carlisle's and was to be their last trip before replacement .

I have been all over with these guys and satisfied to this point. They are E rated tires as the slideout units are heavy. It was a very loud explosion that took a small part of my airstream with it.

To be fair to the tires.. I must add that with the high outside temps Im not exactly sure on the tire pressure. These E rated tires were set cold to 65 psi and I know they heated up to 75 psi on the way up.. They are rated at 80 psi. Once I had the blowout I lowered all the tire pressures to 70 psi hot.

Vinnie