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 reference to tires is staggering and so are the references to chinese tires, which got me thinking.China and the USA are about the same size land wise. We know where all the manufactures are located in USA, which have a solid reputation for producing a good sound rv. Resently, Darsden posted: Gladiator tires are a house brand for a U.S. and Canadian tire distributor.The problem with SOME Chinese tires is that the companies buying the tires from China are not watching to make sure Chinese factories are properly compounding, heating and molding the tires. Most if not all manufacturing is a joint venture with China controlling the factories and tire companies buying the product. Some tire companies Virtually all tire companies in the world have a presence in China and are having tires made there. Yes even Michelin has tires made in China for the European market.So it is not Chinese junk it is lackadaisical manufacturers. The same thing happens with many third world countries; there is no regulation or manufacturing standards so Chinese manufacturing companies are allowed to do lots of things not allowed in North America.So not all Chinese made tires are junk it depends on how much oversight the tire company gives the manufacturer. In Michelin's case I would not hesitate to buy a Chinese made Michelin. Has anyone done any research on these companies that make such poor quality tires and if so, please direct me to those posts or repost.

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.

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)

RV Tire ProblemsA 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 PressureCheck 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 TempAn 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 TiresThe 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 TiresThis 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 TiresI 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.htmlWhy 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.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

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

question on tire research | Good Sam Community

38 Replies

CKNSLS
Explorer
Sep 08, 2014
Traveling 8,000 miles around the country last year-it was hard to find a fiver OR TT staying under 65mph.

Saw a few of these rigs in the campground in the evenings-you guessed it-ST tires.

This is the primary cause of failures-speeding.
ol_Bombero-JC
Explorer
Sep 08, 2014
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.

Excellent observations!

It has nothing to do with China - and everything to do with ST Tires!

The Chinese are very capable of producing a product (tires or anything else) to the design (and DOT) specifications.
Where is the computer monitor you're using to read this mfg?
Your High Def TV? Many of your Auto parts, etc. etc.

Michelin has tire mfg facilities in China - along with many other *quality* tire brands.

However........Ever see a Michelin ST tire??..:S

Goodyear (ST) Marathons had the same problems when they were mfg in the USA as they did/do when mfg in China!

Airstream Forums: "Goodyear Marathon Failures"
This thread began on 11-29-06 - and still continues.

Put ST tires on lightweight trailers - and they do fine.
For heavier trailers - *they don't* - even when the ST tire meets the required load range.

"Carlos & Ranae" - *If* you wish to "track" (find) any tire mfg facility in China by brand - you can if you are persistent.
Google is your friend.

BTW - *YOU* can launch your own tire brand!
See any of the Chinese mfg sites - choose a name for your tire brand,
order the minimum - line up some dealers to carry 'em - and you're now in the tire business - - and can bid to supply the trailer manufacturers with your tires..:C

~
GrumpyandGrandm
Explorer
Sep 08, 2014
Me Again wrote:
Yada yada - boom boom! Have a ball with them, just don't come crying when they bite you!

Haven't had one blow yet in the 38 years of RV'ing and I only have 3 States left. Out of the lower 48 and Canada. They will take care of you if you take care of them.
Me_Again
Explorer III
Sep 08, 2014
Yada yada - boom boom! Have a ball with them, just don't come crying when they bite you!
GrumpyandGrandm
Explorer
Sep 08, 2014
Me Again wrote:
GrumpyandGrandma wrote:
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.

Marketing BS taken straight from a marketing web site. If all the things you posted were true ST would start at 300 bucks. Manufacturers most like pay less than 50 bucks for a ST235/80E16E.

OK you know more than EVERYBODY, including Mark Polk

http://rvingwithmarkpolk.com/2012/11/08/trailer-towing-st-tires-vs-lt-tires/

Here's some of what he says after he mentions both defective ST and LT tires

ST Tire Blowouts: Pay ATTENTION to the second sentence.....

When I talk about ST tire blowouts I am not referring to what we just discussed referencing the defective Chinese tires. In a nutshell most trailer tire blowouts are not a result of ‘bad or inferior’ tires, they are a result of one or more of the following conditions.

Overloaded tires. Every tire manufactured has a load rating based on the tire’s inflation pressure. A tire’s maximum load is the most weight the tire is designed to support at the inflated pressure. ST tires have some of the highest load ratings. This is one of the reasons they are designated for use on trailers. Truck and automobile tires do not have to withstand the weight and stress that is put on trailer tires. The only way to know if a tire is overloaded is to weigh the trailer by individual wheel position. It is quite possible to weigh an axle and be within the axle weight rating, but when the tire positions on each axle end are weighed separately a tire rating can be overloaded.
Over & under-inflated tires. Another culprit for tire blowouts is over & under-inflated tires. Failure to maintain the correct tire pressure for the load can result in fast tread wear, uneven wear and poor handling which can all lead to tire failure. Remember, the load rating for a tire is only accurate if the tire is properly inflated for the load. Under-inflated tires cause extreme heat buildup that leads to tire failure. Tire manufacturers publish tire load and inflation tables with information on the correct tire inflation pressure for the load. A big reason tires fail is they are not properly inflated for the load. The appearance of the tire can look normal on the outside, but the internal damage is not visible. Tires with internal damage caused by under- inflation can fail catastrophically without warning. One thought is to inflate the tires to the maximum ‘cold’ pressure found on the tires sidewall if you don’t know the exact load on the tires, or the exact weight of the trailer. This should not however serve as an excuse to not weigh the trailer.
Improper weight distribution. When a manufacturer builds an RV weight distribution is critical. The weight from front- to-back and side-to-side must be carefully considered to avoid having too much tongue weight, too little tongue weight and/or too much weight placed on the trailer’s tires. The manufacturer did its job distributing the weight when the unit was built, now the RV owner must do their job by properly distributing any weight added to the trailer. Some tire overload conditions can be corrected by distributing the weight in the RV, but you still need to weigh the RV by individual wheel position to make sure there is not an overload condition.
ST Tire Speed Ratings:

All ST tires are rated for a maximum speed of 65mph. When you travel at speeds higher than a tire is rated for it will eventually fail. The heat that builds up in the tire results in fatigue and tire failure.

Here is some additional information taken from a Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company Product Service Bulletin, PSB #2011-13.

This bulletin provides important information to help your customers obtain the best performance from “Special Trailer” tires. Please review the following important points with your trailer tire customers. Special Trailer (“ST”) Tires: Goodyear Marathon trailer tires are widely used in a variety of towable trailer applications and are designed and branded as “ST” (Special Trailer) tires. Industry standards dictate that tires with the ST designation are speed rated at 65 MPH (104 km/h) under normal inflation and load conditions. Based on these industry standards, if tires with the ST designation are used at speeds between 66 and 75 mph (106 km/h and 121 km/h), it is necessary to increase the cold inflation pressure by 10 psi (69 kPa) above the recommended pressure for the rated maximum load.

Increasing the inflation pressure by 10 psi (69 kPa) does not provide any additional load carrying capacity.
Do not exceed the maximum pressure for the wheel.
If the maximum pressure for the wheel prohibits the increase of air pressure, then the 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.
Me_Again
Explorer III
Sep 07, 2014
GrumpyandGrandma wrote:
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.

Marketing BS taken straight from a marketing web site. If all the things you posted were true ST would start at 300 bucks. Manufacturers most like pay less than 50 bucks for a ST235/80E16E.
Bamaman11
Explorer
Sep 07, 2014
I've read dozens and dozens of postings about ST vs. LT tires.

I have a set of Bridgestone R250 rib tires ready to go on my new fifth wheel trailer. The sidewalls are over an inch thick, and it has two steel belts bead to bead. And at 57 pounds in weight, they're some heavy tire.

I run Toyo Open Country A/T's on my F250 SuperDuty tow truck. I can tell you these LT265-75-16 E rated tires aren't even in the class with the Bridgestones in quality and structure.

I've read nothing but great things about the R250's and the Michelin's ribbed tire--commonly used on very heavy 1 ton trucks like utility beds with cranes. They're not something you'd want on your daily driver truck, but they do an absolutely great job on a service truck--or fifth wheel trailer.

I've also heard nothing but nice things about Goodyear's G614 tire.

Other than the Maxxis M8008's, you can have all the other ST tires on the market. The only other decent one is the Kumho 857, but it's a 14" bass boat tire.
JIMNLIN
Explorer III
Sep 07, 2014
op asks wrote:
Has anyone done any research on these companies that make such poor quality tires and if so, please direct me to those posts or repost.

We have two tire experts that post on ocassion.
One is CapriRacer . The other is Tireman9.

You might send them a PM on this forum and ask them for their opinion about china made tires/quality issues or your other concerns.

Tireman9 (is Roger Marble and has a very good RV tire blog). Contact him there also http://www.rvtiresafety.com/search/label/Failure.

CapriRacer is Barry Smith on allexpert.com. His tire blog is http://barrystiretech.com/sttires.html. He may also have some input for you.
amxpress
Explorer
Sep 07, 2014
I recently replaced the Akuret ST tires that came on my fiver with Maxxis M8008 ST tires. While in the shop watching the tires mounted and balanced, I rolled 3 ST tires, same size, next to each other. One of my Maxxis, an Akuret, and a Tow Master. All were ST235/80R16 Load Range E. The Maxxis was heavier, its sidewall was thicker and more firm with less flexing when weight was applied. My Maxxis were made in Thailand. The other two were made in China. I replaced the original tires on my fiver because one had a ply separation resulting in a grapefruit size bubble. This was the 3rd time I had a tire failure of an ST tire, all different brands, all made in China.
I don't care what the name is on the side of the tire, if it's an ST tire made in China, it is not built to the same quality standards as my Maxxis or the USA made Carlisle ST tires on my Dad's cargo trailer (though they are old and time to be replaced).
Best of luck with your tires, regardless of where they're made.
Curly2001
Explorer II
Sep 07, 2014
Well said

Forum Discussion

question on tire research

38 Replies

About Fifth Wheel Group

Related Content

Solar research

Starting my research

A Different Tire Question / Research

Question about tires

Researching Generators