Chris wrote:
ExRocketScientist wrote:
Had to take yesterday as a lose it or use it vacation day. Drove over to Manassas Virginia and looked at a trailer I was interested in. Sat down to negotiate and the guy made me a real good offer. The trailer has Goodyear Marathon ST205/75R15 load range C tires on 6" wide aluminum rims on 3500 pound axles with GAWR of 3500 pounds. I told the saleman I liked the deal, but there was one thing I needed him to do for that price -- swap those tires out. I told him the ones on there were most likely damaged from the transporter towing the thing at 75 to 80 mph from the factory (there are roads along the way with 70 mph speed limits) and those tires are speed restricted to 65 mph. I also told him even though I commend Skyline for not putting the bare minimum required by law on the trailer, the tires should be at least rated for 2000 pounds each, and that it should have the ST225/75R15 load range C tires on it which will work fine with those wheels. I told him I would accept Chinese made Marathons, but would be willing to pay them a little more if they would put Maxxis M8008 on it. I even gave them the name of a Maxxis dealer in town. They came back and said they would have to do a lot of research before changing the tires. We finally settled on a $500 credit, and I will go get the tires replaced after I get it home (too bad there are no Maxxis dealers in Maryland).
The first place I stopped after buying the new trailer was the Subway (I was hungry) but the second was my RV parts supplier in College Park Maryland. While there, I met a regular customer who regularly gets ST205/75R15 load range C tires for his landscaping trailers. I have a customer lined up for the tires I will be taking off.:)
To top that off you found a customer that has the equipment that ST tires are designed for. Why are you not doing it right and getting a 16" wheel and small LT tire package from Southwest Wheel or someone like that. I have been reading that even Maxxis tires are cracking after a couple years. Chris
Going to 16" wheels would require getting new wheels, tires, drums, possibly axles, and either an axle flip or subframe to get the clearance in the wheel wells. That is overkill. If I have 2000 pounds capacity per tire, I will have 15% margin. At 2150 pounds each I have a 23% margin. I could also put the Maxxis UE168 Bravo on, and run them at 60 psi (which is the limit on the wheels), or run the ST225/75R15 load range D at 60 psi (that would be 2380 pound -- 36% margin). The 16" LT at 2680 pounds is 53% margin.
