Time for new tires

[AlCorr]

I just picked-up a 2019 Bamba 22fb. We took a trip to Maine and on the way home had a flat, the tread separated from the tire, no damage to the trailer but need new tires. I have Goodyear Endurance now and thinking I should get a different brand tire. I'm reading all these horrible things about Endurance.

What is the best tire and why?

[Rich Jenkins]

Could you be more specific about "reading all these horrible things about Endurance"?

I just had Discount Tire put on a set of five GYE on our new to us 2019 FC 25FBT, with Dill VS-902-W metal stems. I am pretty comfortable with that decision, but of course YMMV.

[GetawA-S]

If you search previous threads, you’ll find a lot of folks prefer Michelins.
My own experience is that the Endurance tires on our trailer don’t blow apart randomly. I have some kind of axle issue (recently popped up for a second time) that causes rapid wear on one tire. Each time the tire wore down to the belts but did not blow.
If those were the original tires on your ‘19 Bambi, they had pretty much aged out.
If you want advice beyond a few anecdotes, check out a site like tire rack, which has ratings based on customer feedback.
Happy travels!

[Bill M.]

If those were the original tires on the 2019 Bambi then they were too old to be used. Unless I had a strong preference for another tire I would probably just go with new Endurance. Single axle trailer you can probably run almost anything that has enough weight rating.

[gypsydad]

Endurance are made in USA, and are widely used by Airstream and many other travel trailer manufacturers these days. The Marathons (made in China) were the bad tires that had problems; not Endurance. If you go up to 16", Micheline offers an LT in that size that is very popular and used on many upper end TT's, including AS premium models, like Classic, GT, Potterybarn, etc..

I am on my 3rd set of Endurance on my 28', and have not had any issues. Great tire. I do run at mine at 58-60PSI cold, and I have enjoyed good performance and wear. Great tires, IMHO...

[SpikePoet]

I'm not aware of broad criticism or failure of Goodyear Endurance tires. I had seen such criticism regarding the previous Goodyear tire that AS had been using. I have been pleased with GYE tires and see no reason to increase wheel sizes and/or change tire brands, especially given the greater costs associated.
Spike

[DAVSCH]

You’ve opened the tire topic. Expect a MILLION responses that will cause you to throw your hands up in the air in frustration. I’m not going to recommend anything, just give you my experience.

My two Airstreams came with the Endurance tires. NEVER had a problem. The first was a single axle 2019 Sport, the second is a twin axle 2023 International. The front axle got bent on the International and after a 5,000 mile trip, one of the tires had a thin line of thread showing. It never blew. I have swapped out the axle, and the tires on that axle, and all is well. The tires are wearing evenly after many thousands of miles more. From my experience, there is NOTHING bad with the Endurance tire. The only thing I do special is to keep the tires at 80 psi for every trip. I firmly believe that sidewall flexing caused by under inflated tires is VERY bad for tires. Ask Ford how many people they killed due to wanting to give people a softer ride.

[BGClassic]

I like my Michelin tires, but would not hesitate putting GYE tires on a trailer.

[PB_NB]

I had a great experience with the Endurance tires on my 2019 22FB.

I ran them at 65 psi and found that to be a happy pressure, I also use a TPMS from TST.

I now have Falken LT236/75R15 A/W3S tires. They are heavier than the Goodyears but have a ton of tread. I find them a bit stiffer so reduced body roll which I like.

The 2019 22FB is a narrower trailer which does make it easy to tow.

[smmckean]

I just replaced my tires with Michelin XPS Rib LT225/75R16; Good Reviews both on the Michelinman.com & Discount Tire sites. We have had nothing good success from Michelin.

[Action]

Originally Posted by AlCorr

I just picked-up a 2019 Bamba 22fb.

I have Goodyear Endurance now and thinking I should get a different brand tire. I'm reading all these horrible things about Endurance.

What is the best tire and why?

Five year old tires of any brand on a trailer are near or at the end of their service life. And you might check the date code on the actual tire that had the damage to see when it was made. Then make the decision if it is a horrible tire. It could be the tire was older than 5 years.

Since Goodyear Endurance have been introduced (around 2017 or so) they have been a very good trailer tire by providing a durable, long-lasting tire solution for trailers, if they are well maintained. Non-use and underinflation would be two issues to shorten service life.

Don't take my word, search the net. Reviews have been pretty good for this tire. (Not so much for the previous Goodyear trailer tire)

Action

[waninae39]

i have Michelin defender ltx tires. no issues and they are very quiet

[Wayne&Sam]

Not only do I did I like my Michelin LXT (?) on 16" rims, but I only replaced them after 10 years- in accordance with Michelin's recommendations. They had very little wear, and because it is stored indoors, showed no sings of cracking/sun damage. So I just replaced them with Michelin Agilis Cross Climate. I'm expecting similar results.

[JCWDCW]

I think you won’t get Michelines for 14 or 15 inch wheels
Lots of great tires in addition to GYE
Maxxis, Carlisle come to mind

[jcanavera]

Keep in mind that the Endurance is a popular tire used by many trailer brands. Expect to see more bad reviews only because the universe of trailers with that tire is very large.

Now the old Marathon tire that was the predecessor to the Endurance was not a good tire and was widely criticized for its tendency to separate and lose tread. It was not unusual at the time to go to many trailer threads for different brands and see a large number of complaints about tread separation issues.

Many of us moved to Michelin's and 16" wheels due to what we felt was a lack of a good ST tire. I first moved to Maxis ST tires and similar issues with belt separations and finally moved to Michelin's LT tires and 16" wheels.

Keep in mind that the gross weight of that Bambi is 4,500 lbs with full tanks and camping load. So watch the tire pressure since that 22' model on a single axle is carrying more weight per wheel than some of the tandem axle models.

Jack

[AlbertF]

You've been getting some good comments. I'm going to try to pull it together for you.

Goodyear Endurance ST (trailer) tires have turned out to be a good product overall. Your's are no doubt simply at the end of their reliable lifespan due to age (going on 6 years, depending on the date code).

Your top choices, assuming you don't spring for a pair of 16" Sendel wheels:

1. Buy new Endurance tires in the OEM size: ST225/75/15 Load Range E.

2. Buy LT235/75/15 tires, ideally with the 116 load index. Choices will tend to have an all-terrain tread like the Falkens mentioned in an eariler post. If you have lifted your trailer for boondocking, you might like this option.

3. Try to find LT225 or LT235/75/15 tires in a highway tread. (You will probably not be successful, and would need to go to a 16" size for this.)

4. Consider Continental Vanco 225/70/15 tires or an equivalent. These are "C-metric" light truck type tires sized for European commercial vehicles.

5. Consider Michelin Defender 235/75/15 XL (109 load index) tires, as another poster has mentioned. (This was my choice a year ago, and I'm quite happy with them.).

However, this gets a bit complicated. The are "metric" tires, not P-metric or LT-metric. They *appear" to be the same at the LT235/75/15 Defenders that are no longer available. XL tires are described as having stronger sidewalls to carry extra load. In fact, the load rating is essentially the same, except the now-obsolete LTs were rated for 1985 lbs at a time when the non-LT version had a 108 load index (2183 lbs). This reflects the US guidance for downrating tires in truck or trailer use by 10% - which I understand to be based on the risk that they are more likely to be overloaded.

The load capacity for the current XLs is 2271 lbs each at 44 psi (max inflation 50 psi); the downrated capacity is 2064 lbs. Many say you should have an additional 15% margin, which takes the capacity to 1795 lbs. This is where it becomes subjective.

In my experience, axle loading on the 22FB runs about 3900 lbs with full water and ready to travel. Your's might be heavier; it depends on how you pack. That's 1950 per tire, assuming roughly equal loading side to side. Having thought through this, I'm comfortable with these tires, especially because I find they actually run cooler than the tires on our tow vehicle. That's a decision you will need to make for yourself.

In their favour, the Michelins have a very good reputation for durability, reliability and a smooth ride that reduces wear and tear on the trailer.

[BTCMUSN]

Originally Posted by smmckean

I just replaced my tires with Michelin XPS Rib LT225/75R16; Good Reviews both on the Michelinman.com & Discount Tire sites. We have had nothing good success from Michelin.

Yes Sir! DITTO. Love my Michelin XPS Rib tires.

[jcanavera]

Originally Posted by Wayne&Sam

Not only do I did I like my Michelin LXT (?) on 16" rims, but I only replaced them after 10 years- in accordance with Michelin's recommendations. They had very little wear, and because it is stored indoors, showed no sings of cracking/sun damage. So I just replaced them with Michelin Agilis Cross Climate. I'm expecting similar results.

Interesting because I replaced my first set of Michelin MS/2 LT's at the end of year 6 with no problems. I'm finishing year 6 on my Defender LT's which were the successor to the MS/2's. So far no issue there. According to Michelin they say the LT's have an expected lifespan of 8 years, but in reality if you speak to an Michelin telephone corporate support person on the phone, they will tell you the LT's shouldn't be used on a trailer.

Next years tires will be the Agilis Cross Climate LT which is the successor to the Defender LT's.

I do have extended time where the trailer is not in use. Thankfully the trailer is stored inside in an insulated garage where there is no solar exposure for the tires. I'm curious who at Michelin is giving you a 10 year life recommendation when all the contacts I have talked to at customer support won't even give any estimate since they do not recommend LT tire use on a trailer? Sounds like it maybe a local dealer who is selling Michelin tires?

Jack

[NO NOIZE]

Michelin XPS RIB'S!

All Steel, Bulletproof!

[richard5933]

Originally Posted by AlCorr

I just picked-up a 2019 Bamba 22fb. We took a trip to Maine and on the way home had a flat, the tread separated from the tire, no damage to the trailer but need new tires. I have Goodyear Endurance now and thinking I should get a different brand tire. I'm reading all these horrible things about Endurance.

What is the best tire and why?

I think that one issue not discussed so far is that you just bought this trailer and have no idea of the history of those tires.

They might have all looked great and had no visible damage, but you have no idea how many curb strikes they endured over the time previous owners were pulling the trailer.

Curb strikes and other road hazards can do all sorts of damage to tires which can result in tread separation and blowouts. My thought is to never trust tires on a used vehicle I buy. Not only do I not know about curb strikes and such, I have no idea if (or for how long) the tires were driven with low pressure, something which can seriously damage the sidewalls and cause a blowout.

I try to replace tires on any used vehicle/trailer I buy pretty quickly.

To add to the chorus, I have GY Endurance on my trailer and find them to be a great tire. There are LOTS of them in service, so going strictly by the numbers expect to see more problems reported than some of the lower-number tires, but that doesn't mean they are less quality. I think you'll find that as a percentage of tires on the road, the Endurance has fewer problems - at least that's what I've found.