I have copied and pasted this from another forum. It is my wish to alert people to 14" tire problems and possible solutions - B_Pi
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UPDATE on Maxxis 14" Trailer Tires
Crapsis might be a better name from my experience. Less than 12,000 miles and just over 2 years down the road, ALL 4 TIRES have been replaced. No catastrophic failures because I am OCD about checking on them and inflation pressures etc. All 4 have shown belt separation problems. The first was discovered 4 months ago and it was alarmingly ugly belt separation - bumpy and mishapen when I found it. Fortunately I did not drive another inch with it on the trailer and replaced it with a Carlyle. Got a credit on the still warranteed tire. Just today I had the other 3 replaced as 2 were clearly showing wear problems which the tire store owner confirmed were belt separation related. The third was developing a slight bulge on the tread which also was due to belt separation. Initially I was having some Trailer King trailer tires installed when I started talking to the Big O shop owner in Page Arizona and he told me that he had some Chinese (Thailand actually) made light truck tires on his snow mobile trailer and has had zero problems for more than 6 years. The trailer carries 6 snow machines. So, midstream on the changeover to trailer tires I had them instead install 4 Thunderer LT tires and made the Carlyle my spare. I have only put about 120 miles on them so far but expect much better reliability as they have an 8 ply rating as opposed to a 6 ply - I think. Also, they can carry 100+ lbs. more per tire and this is good as we are full timers and chronically a few hundred pounds above trailer GVWR- again, I think - not convinced of the actual weight when we used a CAT scale awhile back.
https://catscale.com/cat-scale-locator/
I'll report back when/if anything develops.
Quote:
Originally Posted by B_Pi View Post
When I purchased our 1997 25' Safari (bought it used in 2012) my biggest concern was in having reliable tires. When I researched trailer tires I found so many horror stories about catastrophic failures resulting in damage, I was really concerned. The wheels (dual axle) on the Safari are 14", which limits me to trailer tires as I cannot get LT tires for them. I found that many tires of the 14" diameter are made in China and and I frankly do not trust the quality of Chinese products UNTIL proven based on what I read. I eventually purchased 4 new MAXXIS tires which I found through hours of researching. They are made in Thailand and have good reviews overall. They are pricier than most in the 14" size but price is not my concern - safety is.
I think there are a few factors relating to tire safety and performance that we should stay aware of.
In my opinion, these are the critical ones:
1) Towing speed should be kept below 60mph. Speed limit signs often state a 55mph limit for towed vehicles. What's the hurry anyway?
2) Frequent monitoring of tire pressure and condition - always check before moving. When I stop for fuel or after a long downgrade run, I will feel the wheels and tires to get feedback on heat and look to see if the tires are equally inflated.
3) Do not run on tires more than 4-5 years old.
We have towed 7,500 miles this year and have had no trailer tire flats. Had a screw in the TV tire which we had repaired at Costco.
We are running Michelin LTX A/T2 tires on it
I had considered a tire pressure monitoring system earlier, but having read some posts here, I think I'll just stay fastidious about tire condition and towing speed and should be fine.
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