travel4family wrote:
HOLY MOLY PEOPLE!
Ok, I really tried to follow and absorb all this - this was a lot for a fairly new RVer whose knowledge of my car tires is limited anyway.
We found we had a bulge in our trailer tire about 4500 miles into our 5000 mile trip driving home on a Saturday night / Sunday in July. We put on the spare and came home and now I'm looking to replace the main and spare tires (who knew brand new were junk tires- until now). Yes it was hot coming across NE, SD, IA and IL in July. We're talking about Texas next year so we'll see heat and mileage again. I think that makes us semi-serious RVers- not full timers but we don't stay within an hour of home either. We have a very lightweight trailer - 3000 pounds loaded at the local grain elevator (technically can be up to 3500).
I think the advice that's agreed upon is:
1) watch the speed limit (which while we weren't excessivly over running anywhere from 60-70, I'm not sure how we were supposed to know as newbies that ST tires are rated for 65 - I've looked in everything we were given - nothing!)
2) get tires that together are rated for weight
3) make sure they're nylon capped (what is that?)
4) get made in the USA
5) get ST if you'll run the speed limit and LT if you'll run a few over (as I said, we're not doing 80 but sure we'll hit 70going at times).
6) LT may or may not fit our rims??
Be gentle, please. I don't have an opinion I'm trying to wrap up what all I read here to inherit one.
Thank you as always,
Trave4Family
travel4family wrote:With your light TT, it may be difficult for you to find tires that will fit that are not speed restricted. Just about anything is possible, if you want to do it badly enough though.
HOLY MOLY PEOPLE!
Ok, I really tried to follow and absorb all this - this was a lot for a fairly new RVer whose knowledge of my car tires is limited anyway.
We found we had a bulge in our trailer tire about 4500 miles into our 5000 mile trip driving home on a Saturday night / Sunday in July. We put on the spare and came home and now I'm looking to replace the main and spare tires (who knew brand new were junk tires- until now). Yes it was hot coming across NE, SD, IA and IL in July. We're talking about Texas next year so we'll see heat and mileage again. I think that makes us semi-serious RVers- not full timers but we don't stay within an hour of home either. We have a very lightweight trailer - 3000 pounds loaded at the local grain elevator (technically can be up to 3500).
I think the advice that's agreed upon is:
1) watch the speed limit (which while we weren't excessivly over running anywhere from 60-70, I'm not sure how we were supposed to know as newbies that ST tires are rated for 65 - I've looked in everything we were given - nothing!)
2) get tires that together are rated for weight
3) make sure they're nylon capped (what is that?)
4) get made in the USA
5) get ST if you'll run the speed limit and LT if you'll run a few over (as I said, we're not doing 80 but sure we'll hit 70going at times).
6) LT may or may not fit our rims??
Be gentle, please. I don't have an opinion I'm trying to wrap up what all I read here to inherit one.
Thank you as always,
Trave4Family
CKNSLS wrote:Let me get this straight, cause I have been known to misunderstand what someone is saying.Huntindog wrote:CKNSLS wrote:Huntindog wrote:Therefore, LT tires are a unnecessary expense.
That right there is the root of the problem.
Most TT owners don't tow very far or very often.
Given a choice, they will put the cheapest tire possible on.
Which has led to the ridiculous situation we now have....
No choice.
There are more SERIOUS TOWERS on this forum that in the general population by a lot. But since we are in the minority, our views are not being considered.. The manufacturers will not build a more expensive more capable, better tested ST tire for us. It simply is not profitable.
They make a ton more money selling cheap junk to us. Those of us (I was one) that are slow to realize their game contribute greatly to their profits.
Those who buy into their marketing (some of who have less demanding tire needs) also help the tire makers by repeating their propaganda as gospel.
And to JJ,. You are correct. I don't demand good tires be put on before I buy. My reasoning is that I have many other things on the table, and I can do the upgrade better and cheaper than what they would have to charge me.. There is no economies of scale when they do a one off unit. The entire cost upgrade plus labor would need to be paid by me. Many may think that they "forced the dealer to do something their way.... They are wrong. If something costs a dealer too much...They will say no.
Anyways I do drive a very hard bargain price wise, and pay cash. And I am amazed at what can be bought for very reasonable prices when doing so. I guess that's why I don't see spending 1500.00 as the end of the world.
Don't take my post out of context. Let's talk about serious towing. About a month ago I just completed an 8,000 miles trip around the U.S. I replaced the stock tires on my trailer about half-way in Orlando FL. The new Carlisle Radial Trail RH tires went up the East Coast all the way to Maine, then back to Utah. This trip is where I observed 75% of TT and5th wheel owners speeding on the Interstate, EXCEEDING THE SPEED RATING FOR ST TIRES!
Don't call me a non serious tower. The Carlisle tires never saw speeds beyond 60mph, consequently, they performed great.
Did you actually confirm that all the speeders you saw were using ST tires?
You may have seen me...I use LT tires.
And I never called you anything. I was making a general statement.
Your new tires are a month old. A little early to declare victory. Come to AZ next July, in 115 temps and then I may be impressed.:B
When I saw some of the TT and 5th Wheels at rest stops and saw the same ones in the campgrounds, YES, most (not all) were using ST tires. As I said-approximately 75% were speeding, we know 75% do not use LT tires.
travel4family wrote:
HOLY MOLY PEOPLE!
Ok, I really tried to follow and absorb all this - this was a lot for a fairly new RVer whose knowledge of my car tires is limited anyway.
We found we had a bulge in our trailer tire about 4500 miles into our 5000 mile trip driving home on a Saturday night / Sunday in July. We put on the spare and came home and now I'm looking to replace the main and spare tires (who knew brand new were junk tires- until now). Yes it was hot coming across NE, SD, IA and IL in July. We're talking about Texas next year so we'll see heat and mileage again. I think that makes us semi-serious RVers- not full timers but we don't stay within an hour of home either. We have a very lightweight trailer - 3000 pounds loaded at the local grain elevator (technically can be up to 3500).
I think the advice that's agreed upon is:
1) watch the speed limit (which while we weren't excessivly over running anywhere from 60-70, I'm not sure how we were supposed to know as newbies that ST tires are rated for 65 - I've looked in everything we were given - nothing!)
2) get tires that together are rated for weight
3) make sure they're nylon capped (what is that?)
4) get made in the USA
5) get ST if you'll run the speed limit and LT if you'll run a few over (as I said, we're not doing 80 but sure we'll hit 70going at times).
6) LT may or may not fit our rims??
Be gentle, please. I don't have an opinion I'm trying to wrap up what all I read here to inherit one.
Thank you as always,
Trave4Family
Huntindog wrote:CKNSLS wrote:Huntindog wrote:Therefore, LT tires are a unnecessary expense.
That right there is the root of the problem.
Most TT owners don't tow very far or very often.
Given a choice, they will put the cheapest tire possible on.
Which has led to the ridiculous situation we now have....
No choice.
There are more SERIOUS TOWERS on this forum that in the general population by a lot. But since we are in the minority, our views are not being considered.. The manufacturers will not build a more expensive more capable, better tested ST tire for us. It simply is not profitable.
They make a ton more money selling cheap junk to us. Those of us (I was one) that are slow to realize their game contribute greatly to their profits.
Those who buy into their marketing (some of who have less demanding tire needs) also help the tire makers by repeating their propaganda as gospel.
And to JJ,. You are correct. I don't demand good tires be put on before I buy. My reasoning is that I have many other things on the table, and I can do the upgrade better and cheaper than what they would have to charge me.. There is no economies of scale when they do a one off unit. The entire cost upgrade plus labor would need to be paid by me. Many may think that they "forced the dealer to do something their way.... They are wrong. If something costs a dealer too much...They will say no.
Anyways I do drive a very hard bargain price wise, and pay cash. And I am amazed at what can be bought for very reasonable prices when doing so. I guess that's why I don't see spending 1500.00 as the end of the world.
Don't take my post out of context. Let's talk about serious towing. About a month ago I just completed an 8,000 miles trip around the U.S. I replaced the stock tires on my trailer about half-way in Orlando FL. The new Carlisle Radial Trail RH tires went up the East Coast all the way to Maine, then back to Utah. This trip is where I observed 75% of TT and5th wheel owners speeding on the Interstate, EXCEEDING THE SPEED RATING FOR ST TIRES!
Don't call me a non serious tower. The Carlisle tires never saw speeds beyond 60mph, consequently, they performed great.
Did you actually confirm that all the speeders you saw were using ST tires?
You may have seen me...I use LT tires.
And I never called you anything. I was making a general statement.
Your new tires are a month old. A little early to declare victory. Come to AZ next July, in 115 temps and then I may be impressed.:B
Bruce H. wrote:This is a concern that is often brought up.
Would like to inject another consideration into this ST/LT discussion. Does a ST tire have better shock-absorbing capacities than a LT tire? In other words, will a TT ride softer on a ST tire than a LT tire of roughly the same load capacity?
This is not just a hypothetical question on my part. After one year, I upgraded from the Fail America tire to the Maxxis ST M8008 tire. Even though the Maxxis ST tire has been trouble-free, I would dearly love to upgrade again to the Maxxis UE-168, an euro-centric commercial (light truck) tire, in order to get more reserve capacity and all the touted benefits of LT tires. But I worry if it would result in a stiffer ride that could eventually damage the trailer (which rides on a Torflex axle).
Bruce
Francesca Knowles wrote:CKNSLS wrote:
The problem is when an ST tires blow it's an UNSUBSTANTIATED CLAIM (99.5% as to cause). Some of us run the same tires, adhere to the published SPEED RESTRICTIONS and don't have issues. Therefore, LT tires are a unnecessary expense.
You forgot a most important detail that some of us also adhere to in addition to those you mention: proper inflation of the tires.
According to a survey done by Bridgestone:wrote:Link
In a separate survey conducted by Bridgestone/Firestone, 4 out of 5RVs had at least one underinflated tire, a third of which were dangerously underinflated, and at risk of failure.
CKNSLS wrote:Huntindog wrote:Therefore, LT tires are a unnecessary expense.
That right there is the root of the problem.
Most TT owners don't tow very far or very often.
Given a choice, they will put the cheapest tire possible on.
Which has led to the ridiculous situation we now have....
No choice.
There are more SERIOUS TOWERS on this forum that in the general population by a lot. But since we are in the minority, our views are not being considered.. The manufacturers will not build a more expensive more capable, better tested ST tire for us. It simply is not profitable.
They make a ton more money selling cheap junk to us. Those of us (I was one) that are slow to realize their game contribute greatly to their profits.
Those who buy into their marketing (some of who have less demanding tire needs) also help the tire makers by repeating their propaganda as gospel.
And to JJ,. You are correct. I don't demand good tires be put on before I buy. My reasoning is that I have many other things on the table, and I can do the upgrade better and cheaper than what they would have to charge me.. There is no economies of scale when they do a one off unit. The entire cost upgrade plus labor would need to be paid by me. Many may think that they "forced the dealer to do something their way.... They are wrong. If something costs a dealer too much...They will say no.
Anyways I do drive a very hard bargain price wise, and pay cash. And I am amazed at what can be bought for very reasonable prices when doing so. I guess that's why I don't see spending 1500.00 as the end of the world.
Don't take my post out of context. Let's talk about serious towing. About a month ago I just completed an 8,000 miles trip around the U.S. I replaced the stock tires on my trailer about half-way in Orlando FL. The new Carlisle Radial Trail RH tires went up the East Coast all the way to Maine, then back to Utah. This trip is where I observed 75% of TT and5th wheel owners speeding on the Interstate, EXCEEDING THE SPEED RATING FOR ST TIRES!
Don't call me a non serious tower. The Carlisle tires never saw speeds beyond 60mph, consequently, they performed great.
