question on tire research
I don't do much posting, mostly because we are not full times, thus we dont' have experience to give good, sound advise. I do follow this site and do learn some things . The number of postings in r...
Forum Discussion
RV Tire Problems
A lot of personal opinions and not facts are being posted on the forum about trailer tires. The majority of it is personal opinions that unfortunately a lot of people without the facts pay attention to, and, end up spending a lot of hard earned money on new tires because of the personal opinions that were posted on the forum by wannabe tire experts.
Most people don’t have a clue as to what caused their tire failure all they really know is the tire failed.
Unfortunately newbie’s with little to no RV experience and others with little knowledge of tires are misled by these wannabes and end up with a lot of unfounded tire failure misconceptions causing them to worry and spend their hard earned money replacing perfectly good tires.
A lot of people have a bias against foreign made products. That’s too bad because more and more manufacturers are having their products made by foreign companies. I would prefer that all American sold products be made in this country but that is not the world we live in, if you can’t control it or you haven’t done anything to change it then don’t complain about it and keep your misleading opinions to yourself.
Before foreign companies started making the tires all the complaints about trailer tires were the same as they are now. American and foreign made tires all perform the same. If you don’t think foreign made tires meet DOT standards then do something about it like report it to the DOT or your congressman and quit whining and misleading people about the tires. Some people complain about foreign made tires having inferior rubber, they don’t have facts to back up their claim.
If you want a tire that will solve your tire problems then think about getting larger stronger tires. Light truck tires appear to last longer than ST tires based on comments I have seen on the forum, not facts.
Things to avoid that can damage tires:
1. Extended storage. Side walls tend to break down.
2. Improper inflation. Keep the tires inflated to the proper level when in storage or in use, 24/7/365. Under/over inflation when in use causes the heat to build up higher than what the tire is rated for which damages the tire.
3. High speed. Limit your speed to the max the tire is rated for, most are 65mph. Traveling over the max causes heat buildup above what the tires are rated for which damages the tire.
4. Hitting potholes in our wonderful highways and roads, running off the edge of the road, hitting curbs, rubbing tires against the curb. All of these things damage the tires. Belts break down and tires throw the tread.
5. Extended driving on hot highways in hot weather can damage tires from overheating.
6. Overloaded trailers, this will cause your tires to overheat, get rid of the extra weight.
7. Environment – keep tires covered to protect against the weather and sunlight.
8. Age, check with the tire manufacturer to educate yourself about when tires should be replaced.
9. Dry rot, check with the tire manufacturer to educate yourself about dry rot.
10. echanical problems like brakes sticking, or bad wheel bearings can cause the wheel to overheat which will cause the tire to overheat which damages the tire.
11. Defects in materials and workmanship. Highly doubtful this causes all tire failures.
Tire Pressure
Check your tire pressure when the RV has not been driven for 3 - 4 hours. That is when the tire is "cold". Forget ambient temp, 80psi at 10 degrees F is the same as 80psi at 100 degrees F. If you over inflate or under inflate the tires this can cause the tires to run hotter than normal which can damage the tires and cause tire failure. Stick with the PSI on the side of the tires. No need to turn this into rocket science. Check with the tire manufacturers if you need an education on tire inflation. Tire pressure does rise as the tire temp rises after driving down the road just like it is supposed to which is why you are supposed to check the pressure when the tire is “cold”.
Tire Temp
An Infra Red Thermometer can be a useful tool if you know how to use it. It will tell you the temp of the tire. You need to know the max temp for the tire if you are going to monitor it. If the temp of the tire is higher than the max temp the tire is rated for then you may have a problem (trailer is overloaded, improper inflation, or a mechanical problem). If you are checking to see if the tire is over the max rated temp and you don’t know what the max rated temp is, then you are wasting money for the thermometer and wasting time using it. Don’t mislead people into thinking they need an Infra Red Thermometer causing them to waste money and time.
Replacing Failed Tires
The tire dealer will prorate your failed tire and sell you a new one. Do not let the tire dealer keep the failed tire when you have it replaced. Contact the tire manufacturer about the failure. The manufacturer will arrange for a local tire dealer to ship the failed tire to them and reimburse you for the price you paid for the new tire plus pay for any damages to the RV caused by the tire failure if you provide estimates of repair. This has been my experience with Goodyear and Carlisle.
This can be a very helpful forum if you forget the personal opinions and prejudices, get the facts, and communicate the facts to help others learn. Post useful information like what caused a tire failure not dumb comments like”I had a China bomb blowout”.
?
Truck Tires vs Trailer Tires
This is not a valid comparison. Truck tires are made differently than trailer tires. Truck tires tend to be stronger than trailer tires and they certainly do not carry the weight that trailer tires carry. I haven’t had a truck tire failure since I started driving pick ups in 1975.
Trailer Tires
I started with American made trailer tires in 1975 and continued using American made trailer tires until they began being made in China. I have had just as many American made trailer tire failures as Chinese made trailer tire failures. If I am to use the same logic as those who say trailer tires fail because they are Chinese made then based on my experience I would have to say that American manufacturers set the standard for trailer tires and the Chinese manufacturers are just meeting American standards. So whats the problem with Chinese made trailer tires?
How good are Chinese tires?
http://www.rvtiresafety.com/2012/01/how-good-are-chinese-tires.html
Why are “Bad tires” on the road? http://www.rvtiresafety.com/2012/01/why-are-bad-tires-on-road.html
A lot of personal opinions and not facts are being posted on the forum about trailer tires. The majority of it is personal opinions that unfortunately a lot of people without the facts pay attention to, and, end up spending a lot of hard earned money on new tires because of the personal opinions that were posted on the forum by wannabe tire experts.
Most people don’t have a clue as to what caused their tire failure all they really know is the tire failed.
Unfortunately newbie’s with little to no RV experience and others with little knowledge of tires are misled by these wannabes and end up with a lot of unfounded tire failure misconceptions causing them to worry and spend their hard earned money replacing perfectly good tires.
A lot of people have a bias against foreign made products. That’s too bad because more and more manufacturers are having their products made by foreign companies. I would prefer that all American sold products be made in this country but that is not the world we live in, if you can’t control it or you haven’t done anything to change it then don’t complain about it and keep your misleading opinions to yourself.
Before foreign companies started making the tires all the complaints about trailer tires were the same as they are now. American and foreign made tires all perform the same. If you don’t think foreign made tires meet DOT standards then do something about it like report it to the DOT or your congressman and quit whining and misleading people about the tires. Some people complain about foreign made tires having inferior rubber, they don’t have facts to back up their claim.
If you want a tire that will solve your tire problems then think about getting larger stronger tires. Light truck tires appear to last longer than ST tires based on comments I have seen on the forum, not facts.
Things to avoid that can damage tires:
1. Extended storage. Side walls tend to break down.
2. Improper inflation. Keep the tires inflated to the proper level when in storage or in use, 24/7/365. Under/over inflation when in use causes the heat to build up higher than what the tire is rated for which damages the tire.
3. High speed. Limit your speed to the max the tire is rated for, most are 65mph. Traveling over the max causes heat buildup above what the tires are rated for which damages the tire.
4. Hitting potholes in our wonderful highways and roads, running off the edge of the road, hitting curbs, rubbing tires against the curb. All of these things damage the tires. Belts break down and tires throw the tread.
5. Extended driving on hot highways in hot weather can damage tires from overheating.
6. Overloaded trailers, this will cause your tires to overheat, get rid of the extra weight.
7. Environment – keep tires covered to protect against the weather and sunlight.
8. Age, check with the tire manufacturer to educate yourself about when tires should be replaced.
9. Dry rot, check with the tire manufacturer to educate yourself about dry rot.
10. echanical problems like brakes sticking, or bad wheel bearings can cause the wheel to overheat which will cause the tire to overheat which damages the tire.
11. Defects in materials and workmanship. Highly doubtful this causes all tire failures.
Tire Pressure
Check your tire pressure when the RV has not been driven for 3 - 4 hours. That is when the tire is "cold". Forget ambient temp, 80psi at 10 degrees F is the same as 80psi at 100 degrees F. If you over inflate or under inflate the tires this can cause the tires to run hotter than normal which can damage the tires and cause tire failure. Stick with the PSI on the side of the tires. No need to turn this into rocket science. Check with the tire manufacturers if you need an education on tire inflation. Tire pressure does rise as the tire temp rises after driving down the road just like it is supposed to which is why you are supposed to check the pressure when the tire is “cold”.
Tire Temp
An Infra Red Thermometer can be a useful tool if you know how to use it. It will tell you the temp of the tire. You need to know the max temp for the tire if you are going to monitor it. If the temp of the tire is higher than the max temp the tire is rated for then you may have a problem (trailer is overloaded, improper inflation, or a mechanical problem). If you are checking to see if the tire is over the max rated temp and you don’t know what the max rated temp is, then you are wasting money for the thermometer and wasting time using it. Don’t mislead people into thinking they need an Infra Red Thermometer causing them to waste money and time.
Replacing Failed Tires
The tire dealer will prorate your failed tire and sell you a new one. Do not let the tire dealer keep the failed tire when you have it replaced. Contact the tire manufacturer about the failure. The manufacturer will arrange for a local tire dealer to ship the failed tire to them and reimburse you for the price you paid for the new tire plus pay for any damages to the RV caused by the tire failure if you provide estimates of repair. This has been my experience with Goodyear and Carlisle.
This can be a very helpful forum if you forget the personal opinions and prejudices, get the facts, and communicate the facts to help others learn. Post useful information like what caused a tire failure not dumb comments like”I had a China bomb blowout”.
?
Truck Tires vs Trailer Tires
This is not a valid comparison. Truck tires are made differently than trailer tires. Truck tires tend to be stronger than trailer tires and they certainly do not carry the weight that trailer tires carry. I haven’t had a truck tire failure since I started driving pick ups in 1975.
Trailer Tires
I started with American made trailer tires in 1975 and continued using American made trailer tires until they began being made in China. I have had just as many American made trailer tire failures as Chinese made trailer tire failures. If I am to use the same logic as those who say trailer tires fail because they are Chinese made then based on my experience I would have to say that American manufacturers set the standard for trailer tires and the Chinese manufacturers are just meeting American standards. So whats the problem with Chinese made trailer tires?
How good are Chinese tires?
http://www.rvtiresafety.com/2012/01/how-good-are-chinese-tires.html
Why are “Bad tires” on the road? http://www.rvtiresafety.com/2012/01/why-are-bad-tires-on-road.html
