question on tire research

Me Again wrote:

GrumpyandGrandma wrote:
Most RV tire issues are not due to where the tire came from, but from improper loading, under inflation and speed. 99% of all ST tires (US made included) are speed rated at 65. As to using LT on a tandem axle set-up, it is not recommended due to the side wall flex in hard turns. LT's have been known to pop off the rim in a hard turn due to the stiffer sidewall. The other big issue with ST tires is how long the unit has sat on a dealers lot (usually gravel) without moving before it is sold.

What a crock! ST tires fail at a high rate because they are a bottom tier cheaply made product, that we designed for utility trailers and local service. Some brainyact decided that one could see America with them on large heavy tall trailers.

Chris

You have your oppinon which if fine, but all you have to do is "research the facts". I camp with two very large clubs that are composed of 95% trailers and fw and the members do not have a large tire failure rate. Those that do are usually at the 5 to 6 year age range.

Here is some of the info

Trailers will be more stable and pull better on tires designed specifically for trailer use. Since Special Trailer (ST) tires are constructed with heavier duty materials, they are tougher than typical passenger vehicle tires. This is a plus because trailer suspension systems are generally stiffer and less sophisticated than automotive suspension systems.

Special Trailer (ST) Tire Speed Ratings

Industry standards dictate tires with the ST designation are speed rated to 65 MPH (104 km/h) under normal inflation and load conditions.

However Goodyear Marathon and Power King Towmax STR tires featuring the ST size designation may be used at speeds between 66 and 75 mph (106 and 121 km/h) by increasing their cold inflation pressure by 10 psi (69 kPa) above the recommended pressure for the rated maximum load.

Do not exceed the wheel’s maximum rated pressure. If the maximum pressure for the wheel prohibits the increase of air pressure, then maximum speed must be restricted to 65 mph (104 km/h).

The cold inflation pressure must not exceed 10 psi (69 kPa) beyond the inflation specified for the maximum load of the tire.

Increasing the inflation pressure by 10 psi (69 kPa) does not provide any additional load carrying capacity.

GrumpyandGrandma wrote:
Most RV tire issues are not due to where the tire came from, but from improper loading, under inflation and speed. 99% of all ST tires (US made included) are speed rated at 65. As to using LT on a tandem axle set-up, it is not recommended due to the side wall flex in hard turns. LT's have been known to pop off the rim in a hard turn due to the stiffer sidewall. The other big issue with ST tires is how long the unit has sat on a dealers lot (usually gravel) without moving before it is sold.

What a crock! ST tires fail at a high rate because they are a bottom tier cheaply made product, that we designed for utility trailers and local service. Some brainyact decided that one could see America with them on large heavy tall trailers.

Chris

Most RV tire issues are not due to where the tire came from, but from improper loading, under inflation and speed. 99% of all ST tires (US made included) are speed rated at 65. As to using LT on a tandem axle set-up, it is not recommended due to the side wall flex in hard turns. LT's have been known to pop off the rim in a hard turn due to the stiffer sidewall. The other big issue with ST tires is how long the unit has sat on a dealers lot (usually gravel) without moving before it is sold.

We currently have a MH on a KODIAK chassis and it is governed very near 75 mph since the MICHELIN XZE's are speed rated at 75. So speed is part of the overall failure rate.

I do not think you can blame ST problems on the chinese, as ST tires had issues way before production moved to china.

The whole premise of a cheap light weight tire can carry more weight than a similar size passenger carrying tire is a joke at the best. Chris

azdryheat wrote:
Nobody says that ALL Chinese tires are junk. ALL Chinese made ST trailer tires are junk. That's the difference.

It's been the experience of members of this board that, from our collective, personal experiences with Chinese made trailer tires that we have determined them to be junk. I don't care whose name is on them, how they're made or anything else about them, I'll never use a trailer tire made in China. I've had two blow up on me causing damage to the trailer. They are unreliable and unpredictable.

If you're trying to make a case for the Chinese made ST tire, I doubt you will find too many supporters here. Use the search function in this forum to find more info.

I use Michelin LT truck tires and have never suffered a problem.

The =only= caveat that I can think of is that trailers under 10k lbs, don't =seem= to have nearly the problems as those =over= 10k lbs, especially if the trailer owner has jumped up a load rating.

Lyle

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

azdryheat wrote:
Nobody says that ALL Chinese tires are junk. ALL Chinese made ST trailer tires are junk. That's the difference.

It's been the experience of members of this board that, from our collective, personal experiences with Chinese made trailer tires that we have determined them to be junk. I don't care whose name is on them, how they're made or anything else about them, I'll never use a trailer tire made in China. I've had two blow up on me causing damage to the trailer. They are unreliable and unpredictable.

If you're trying to make a case for the Chinese made ST tire, I doubt you will find too many supporters here. Use the search function in this forum to find more info.

I use Michelin LT truck tires and have never suffered a problem.

Having read his other thread and being the one who made the post I DO NOT think the poster is trying to make a case for Chinese tires. He had a problem and the dealer was pointing him to a particular brand of Chinese made tire.

To the OP I would suggest you search the term CHINA BOMB see if you get enough info.

SOme people are putting LT tires on their rigs instead of ST this is what your guy is trying to do for you. However the Gladiators probably have very little if any QC done in their manufacture (Think generic)

Nobody says that ALL Chinese tires are junk. ALL Chinese made ST trailer tires are junk. That's the difference.

It's been the experience of members of this board that, from our collective, personal experiences with Chinese made trailer tires that we have determined them to be junk. I don't care whose name is on them, how they're made or anything else about them, I'll never use a trailer tire made in China. I've had two blow up on me causing damage to the trailer. They are unreliable and unpredictable.

If you're trying to make a case for the Chinese made ST tire, I doubt you will find too many supporters here. Use the search function in this forum to find more info.

I use Michelin LT truck tires and have never suffered a problem.