Towmax blown tires
We have had our 5th wheel for 1 1/2 years. We had all four original Towmax tires blow (at different times). The new replacements are now bad. We kept 80psi in the tires. I am very confuseed as to what...
Forum Discussion
Lets see, my truck weights around 7K pounds and is on tires that weigh in at around 46 pounds each and my trailer weighs 12,400 give or take and you want me to tow it around on tires that weigh 35 pounds. No thanks, I will stay with my R250's that weigh 59 pounds or the XPS RIBs I ran 6.5 years that weighed 56 pounds.
I hate to disagree with you on the subject, but the currently available overrated ST tires on mid to larger 5th wheels just do not cut it in my book. They present just to many compromises to be a KISS product that I can trust in my type of use. Which in the last 5 years has been 3.5 day fall trips to Arizona and 3.5 day returns the 1650 miles in the spring. Trailer sits as each end for months, and then is asked to do the road trip. At the North end, it comes home for a few weeks and then is moved to a RV Park a hour away. Tire pressure gets check twice a year! At each stop on the highway the tires get SHOT with my infrared heat gun. Trailer tires run in the 115-120 degree range and truck LT265/75R16E run 120-125 degrees. And yes I believe Michelin when then claim that the steel carcass XPS Rib runs cool and has a low rolling resistance. Other than a wider tread, what else explains the truck tires running warmer than the trailer tires, other than the poly verses steel ply carcass.
When clipping off a 500 mile day I do not want to spend that 10 hours of driving wondering when the next tire is going to fail.
I think you nailed it in the 3nd tier materials and processes, however I call it a bottom feeder product. Many report their ST running in the 135-150 degree range and with 3rd tier materials that may be JUST TO HOT! I still think however if you stay with the overall ST design and loading, and use the best materials and processes, you will still have a tire that fails a lot. You are just asking to little to do to much with the inflated ratings. Like I said in another post, instead of getting a 10 percent increase in capacity, these cheap tires should get a 10 percent decrease in capacity. Plus you need to replace them every 3 years and/or 8-10K miles
A person goes out and buys a new 5th wheel that might cost between 60 and 100K and gets tires that the manufacturer pays maybe 50-75 dollars each for. Makes no sense, we would not stand for that on a new car or pickup, yet it has been happening on trailers for years.
When problems occur in the first year or two the user is blamed for not maintaining their tires correctly, which might have one hint of truth in it. Many post about having to air up their ST tires routinely. In 6.5 years with the XPS RIBs I had one tire one time need air added, and I re-seated the the valve core and never had that reoccur.
We as consumers just need to say no to these 3nd tier products!
Chris
I hate to disagree with you on the subject, but the currently available overrated ST tires on mid to larger 5th wheels just do not cut it in my book. They present just to many compromises to be a KISS product that I can trust in my type of use. Which in the last 5 years has been 3.5 day fall trips to Arizona and 3.5 day returns the 1650 miles in the spring. Trailer sits as each end for months, and then is asked to do the road trip. At the North end, it comes home for a few weeks and then is moved to a RV Park a hour away. Tire pressure gets check twice a year! At each stop on the highway the tires get SHOT with my infrared heat gun. Trailer tires run in the 115-120 degree range and truck LT265/75R16E run 120-125 degrees. And yes I believe Michelin when then claim that the steel carcass XPS Rib runs cool and has a low rolling resistance. Other than a wider tread, what else explains the truck tires running warmer than the trailer tires, other than the poly verses steel ply carcass.
When clipping off a 500 mile day I do not want to spend that 10 hours of driving wondering when the next tire is going to fail.
I think you nailed it in the 3nd tier materials and processes, however I call it a bottom feeder product. Many report their ST running in the 135-150 degree range and with 3rd tier materials that may be JUST TO HOT! I still think however if you stay with the overall ST design and loading, and use the best materials and processes, you will still have a tire that fails a lot. You are just asking to little to do to much with the inflated ratings. Like I said in another post, instead of getting a 10 percent increase in capacity, these cheap tires should get a 10 percent decrease in capacity. Plus you need to replace them every 3 years and/or 8-10K miles
A person goes out and buys a new 5th wheel that might cost between 60 and 100K and gets tires that the manufacturer pays maybe 50-75 dollars each for. Makes no sense, we would not stand for that on a new car or pickup, yet it has been happening on trailers for years.
When problems occur in the first year or two the user is blamed for not maintaining their tires correctly, which might have one hint of truth in it. Many post about having to air up their ST tires routinely. In 6.5 years with the XPS RIBs I had one tire one time need air added, and I re-seated the the valve core and never had that reoccur.
We as consumers just need to say no to these 3nd tier products!
Chris
