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VetPartTimer's avatar
VetPartTimer
Explorer
Aug 11, 2015

So Cal Trailer Tire "go-to"????

Is there a RV/Trailer "go-to" place in So Cal? You know, like a place that has a good selection of trailer tires in stock?

I'm in Santa Clarita and looking for some Greenball Transmasters for my 40Ft triple-axle toyhauler (235/80 R16 Load Range E). It came with the Greenballs and my last replacement set was Greenballs and I've had no issues. So I kind of just want to keep using what has been working.

The Greenballs seem to be special order only, hence my question.

My local tire guy is recommending Master Track, same load range and such but with everything I've heard about trailer tire blowouts, I'm kind of afraid to move away from what I have that has worked just fine for me.

Thoughts?
  • Johnnytree wrote:
    I go here for all my tires Mikes
    I've never had any problems with Mikes
    But I cant say the same for a few people I know.
    He has tires for anything I've ever needed and he gets you in and out fast.


    My BIL swears by Mikes. I swear by Western Tire in Burbank.
  • I go here for all my tires Mikes
    I've never had any problems with Mikes
    But I cant say the same for a few people I know.
    He has tires for anything I've ever needed and he gets you in and out fast.
  • VetPartTimer

    I want to provide you with some considerations that might cause you to re-think your tire dealer options.

    1St) My unit is a 2005 FSC2800 WW. It came with twin axel 15” wheels and tires. It has about 25,000 miles on it and I've had two complete sets of tires and I just installed my third set changing brands this go around. I am very cautious when it comes to tires.

    I also went through this 16” Vs 15”, Lt Vs St tire debate. I don’t want to go there again because I’ve already heard all the comments from the experienced member on this site. I spent my money and upgraded the tires and wheels to 16's and found that after measuring twice, talking a lot to people and dealers, and mounting up my new tires. The tire clearance was to narrow and I returned everything and returned to my old set up. It cost me money to return to the old sizes. I might also say that I’d had no problems with my stock Greenball Chinese tires.

    You can look in the archives for the extensive write up I did about 4-5 years ago.

    2nd) While Load level (D or E) is important don’t stop there. Check the load rating stamped on the sidewall of the tires. Also check the manufacturing dates. I found that the LT stamped maximum load was almost always lower than the stock St tires. Since I only had four tires to reach the maximum load capacity of the trailer I found that my choice of tire was limited in the St tires but still better than the Lt tires.

    3) Unlike your car that most people drive mostly in their local area your trailer will be travelling out of your local area. While local dealer support is important it is also a major factor to consider dealer support many miles away from home and their ability to do warranty work.

    I have elected to use a nationwide dealer, America Tire or Discount tire are the same folks. Goodyear, Firestone, Big O, and even Costco have services just about everywhere you’ll go.

    4) Choose the best and newest tires you can find. Buy the tires you’re most comfortable with.

    Enjoy your travels and be safe.
    Hap
  • Pretty much all local tire shops order their tires from the same one or two local warehouses so it doesn't really matter where you go to purchase. They can "get" whatever tire you want in most cases. Find a place you can develop a good relation with and has fair pricing and service after the sale.

    Best thing to do is do your own homework on which tires your looking for. GO into the tire shop with a list of two to three brands/sizes and ask for pricing on them.
  • In answer to your question, Discount Tire stopped carrying the GreenBall Transmaster in favor of the new Carlisle. I have 7 of those, they haven't failed (yet) but I have 7 new rims and will be buying something else this fall.

    Since you have 16" rims there are tires other than the ST that can be used (LT or "highway" tires designed for heavy loads). The ST's are generally considered more prone to failure, YMMV.
  • Why in the world would you want what is arguably one of the worst ST tires made for your trailer? In your size there is a wide variety of quality LT tires that should work.
  • I'm very happy with America's Tire. They always have or can get, at a reasonable price, anything I need.

    Never needed trailer tires, but its worth a phone call to see what they can do for you.