I have a new to me 2010 Keystone Hideout 27bhs. On my second trip, I had a driver yell to me that my tire was about to blow. I pulled immediately, and inspected the tires and checked pressure. No problems. I did notice some undercarriage (black tarp material) was ripped, and I assumed this is what he saw.On the way home, the driver side tires blew, and started shredding.Factory tires, 205\75r14, 1760lbs load. Original owners had 2 blowouts, so he upgraded to 205\75r15(1820lbs). These are the tires that blew for me, 2yrs old.My unloaded weight was 5500lbs on the trailer axle. I don't have a fully loaded weight.I want to fix this one last time, but how? The 15" tires seems to rub, so I don't want to keep this size. Do I go back to 14" and load D(2040lbs). Or to 205\65r15 light truck tires(1874lbs)?I have a 10yr old spare on now, so it won't be moving far until I solve this.Factory:205\75r14, 1760lbs, 26.1"Now: 205\75r15, 1820lbs, 27.1"Option1:205\65r15, 1874lbs, 25.5"Option2:205\75r14, 2040lbs, 26.3"Not sure if I need to derate load on LT tires on a trailer?Will I ever be carefree with my tires, or always to expect a blowout? Mine happened on the freeway(75mph speed limit), very small shoulder, driver side, with only my truck jack to use, 2 small kids and wife ready to get home. And I forgot to tighten the lugnuts, so I almost lost the entire tires 5m down the road.Update: I was traveling 55-62mph. The back front tire blew. Also, I'm open to other tire options

In which Chinese province were they made? Get some Maxxis tires and a TPMS. Problem solved.

Forget about the Chinese "No Name" ST tires. One is as bad as the next. Maxxis tires seem to have a good reputation on here.B.O.

Keep in mind that higher load rating usually requires higher psi. Make sure your rims can handle the extra psi. I like Maxxis, but if you want to go up in load rating on a 14" rim, FastEagle's option number 3 (Kumho) would be my first choice. These are Euro tires so a 195 would be the equivalent to a 205/75/14. Have them on a 31' boat trailer and my last TT. They have been great.

In your case, I would choose the Kumho 857. You might do some measuring to see how much room you really do have regarding diameter of tire, and the 195 size might be a better fit than the 205.Some trailers simply do not have any extra room above the tire to go to a larger diameter tire than what the factory specified as OE.

Tire Blowout Questions | Good Sam Community

JBarca
Nomad II
Jan 02, 2014
CKNSLS wrote:
JBarca wrote:

This statement you made, can you help explain where you are coming from with it or what point you are trying to make?
CKNSLS wrote:
And those same tires are considered when taking all tow specs in to consideration for that particular truck.

All I am saying is that if a manufacturer says the truck can tow XXXX that qualification includes the tire type/brand/weight specs/etc., that it comes equipped (OEM) with from the factory. That's all.

I agree as far as the truck can handle the weights and the pulling of towing.

Tire side wall flex which is a factor in stability of controlling a TT is where the issues come in. Towing and controlling a 7,000# 6 x 10 x 6 foot wide x 7.5 foot tall enclosed cargo trailer or a boat, flat deck trailer etc is different than towing a 7,000#, 30 foot long, 8 foot wide, 11 foot tall TT. The truck is not rated any different for those applications. Which I feel is a shortcoming as TT's have different needs.

The truck manufactures deal with the weights. Looking at the door sticker and the tire pressures they recommend are there to cover the full load of the truck.

I have not seen them deal with the side wall flex. Have you been able to find any type of tire stability rating by a truck or tire manufacture? Even the ability to inflate to tire max cold side wall pressure is not listed in the truck manual by the manufacture as a method to help increase stability while towing a TT, yet we know it can help in some cases.
JJBIRISH
Explorer
Jan 02, 2014
After all of these post, There have been many suggestions thrown out there, but the question remains, pretty much unanswered and the answers given seem to more approximate this is what I did as the answer... but it’s apparent there isn’t a one size fits all answer…

Now to recap, which brands list tires and sizes in the weight classification for use on small and light duty trailers that are VERIFIABLE on their web sites, in their brochures, or in their catalogs, and in their warranties???

Load Range E and below – 15 inch and below – for trailers 10,000 pounds and below…

Identifiable brands and sizes recommended by the tires manufacture as a replacement for my current ST tires, that are backed by the manufactures warranty in writing for this purpose???

Simple straight foreword questions… No debate on if the LT is better that the ST, No debate on brand, No cheerleading for one brand, and No criticizing of another brand or it place of origin…

Since I am asking about sound and verifiable information links are important…

.
CKNSLS
Explorer
Jan 02, 2014
JBarca wrote:
CKNSLS wrote:
JBarca wrote:
Cyclops69 wrote:
I am in the process of upgrading my axles, brakes, rims and tires and am going with the Michelin LTX tire as I have had great luck with them in the past and they are a quality tire. But still highly recommend a pressure monitor for the early warning!

Hi,

I'm assuming you are going LT tires and on the TT. I have no issue with your thoughts process on LT tires as a TT tire, however I will pass along a comment on using that exact type of tire, Michelin LTX, as a trailer tire. If that is what you where going to do. I have and use LTX on my non towing vehicles. A great tire. The ride is better, the quality is very high, no issues.

I have found the hard what that going with the premium highest quality tire I thought was right as a towing tire on my truck turned out to be a big issue. In my case, I made a wrong decision with the LTX. Here is why and what I found.

The LTX is rated to handle the weight and even decrease rolling resistance. However, the LTX has a softer side wall then other LT tires and that is a concern when towing. Side wall flex can make or break a towing rig. Too much sidewall flex and you have a situation that will create a rig instability. Stiff enough, and you have good rig stability. The issue in the industry is, there is no rating for tire side wall flex or at least that I am aware of as it relates to the needs of towing a camper.

The RV'er is left to chance, good luck, bad luck or finding someone with the same or similar rig that knows that brand/type tire worked OK. Some Those towing with 1/2 ton P type tires on their truck even have this problem all that much worse. Some P type tires have low side wall flex, others are sog city even at max pressure. This side wall flex issue carries into LT tires.

Here is my post from 2007 where my rock solid 2500 Suburban setup turned ugly from changing tires. Both from side walls flex and feathering wear on the "rear" tires.

Stability Effect When Changing Tires - GM 3/4 Ton Suburban

With that said, their are folks running the LTX on their trucks and have no issues. (BarneyS, OK jump in here...:B) And some of my other camper buds with and F250/gasser or 2500 Burb and a Hensley no less, found the same issue I did on my K2500 Suburban when going to LTX. Once the tire reaches close to max side wall pressure, using the LTX on a truck as a towing tires, is usable.

If I read your post correct, you want to put the LTX on a TT. While running them at max side wall pressure may help stiffen up the side wall enough to be tolerable, you now have the tandem axle turning scrub issue. Look at the link I sent you and see the pictures of my rear truck tires at 80 psi and the feathering going on. Now sort out in your own mind, will this be OK on a tandem axle setup when the tire may be close to full weight and dealing with the scrub of turning?

Based on my experience, I know I will not use the LTX as a truck towing tire. I would not even consider it as a TT tire from a side wall flex and or turning scrub angle perspective.

My point, before you buy the LTX, research out has anyone used that tire in your size and under your loaded TT weights on a TT and what was the outcome? Ideally you can find more then 1 person to base your opinion on.

What drove you to the decision to use LTX on the camper? I will say there is a new LTX over the vintage I had back in 2007, never found yet exactly what they changed but it is different.

As FYI, I went BFGoorich Commercial AT on my LT tire conversion. With my rig, under my weights and suspension upgrades, I am a happy camper that I did so far. See here

Good luck and hope this helps.

John

Never had a problem with P rated tires and a 750 pound tongue weight. They key to towing with P rated tires is to inflate them to MAXIMUM PRESSURE. Remember, most half-tons come OEM with P tires. And those same tires are considered when taking all tow specs in to consideration for that particular truck. Most weekend towers use their half tons for everyday drivers and the weekend comes and they do not increase the pressure when hooking up the family camper.

OK, I apologize, I used one wrong word. My bad, sorry. I was trying to help explain to Cyclops69 before he drooped a large sum of money on new tires to check out using LTX as a trailer tire. See the insert in red and the cross out in blue underlined for a better selection of wording.

I'm glad you had no problem towing with a P tire and many others have as well, including me when I use to tow with a 1/2 ton. And yes inflating them to max side wall cold pressure does help in some cases. However that will "not" fix excessive flexing of all brands of P tires as it will not fix it in all brands of LT tires. The odds are more in favor of the P type of tire to be more flexible then the LT. If you feel that inflation on any brand P tire to max side wall cold pressure will solve all flexing side walls, I caution that is not an absolute. It will help in many cases, it will not solve in all.

This statement you made, can you help explain where you are coming from with it or what point you are trying to make?
CKNSLS wrote:
And those same tires are considered when taking all tow specs in to consideration for that particular truck.

All I am saying is that if a manufacturer says the truck can tow XXXX that qualification includes the tire type/brand/weight specs/etc., that it comes equipped (OEM) with from the factory. That's all.
JBarca
Nomad II
Jan 02, 2014
CKNSLS wrote:
JBarca wrote:
Cyclops69 wrote:
I am in the process of upgrading my axles, brakes, rims and tires and am going with the Michelin LTX tire as I have had great luck with them in the past and they are a quality tire. But still highly recommend a pressure monitor for the early warning!

Hi,

I'm assuming you are going LT tires and on the TT. I have no issue with your thoughts process on LT tires as a TT tire, however I will pass along a comment on using that exact type of tire, Michelin LTX, as a trailer tire. If that is what you where going to do. I have and use LTX on my non towing vehicles. A great tire. The ride is better, the quality is very high, no issues.

I have found the hard what that going with the premium highest quality tire I thought was right as a towing tire on my truck turned out to be a big issue. In my case, I made a wrong decision with the LTX. Here is why and what I found.

The LTX is rated to handle the weight and even decrease rolling resistance. However, the LTX has a softer side wall then other LT tires and that is a concern when towing. Side wall flex can make or break a towing rig. Too much sidewall flex and you have a situation that will create a rig instability. Stiff enough, and you have good rig stability. The issue in the industry is, there is no rating for tire side wall flex or at least that I am aware of as it relates to the needs of towing a camper.

The RV'er is left to chance, good luck, bad luck or finding someone with the same or similar rig that knows that brand/type tire worked OK. Some Those towing with 1/2 ton P type tires on their truck even have this problem all that much worse. Some P type tires have low side wall flex, others are sog city even at max pressure. This side wall flex issue carries into LT tires.

Here is my post from 2007 where my rock solid 2500 Suburban setup turned ugly from changing tires. Both from side walls flex and feathering wear on the "rear" tires.

Stability Effect When Changing Tires - GM 3/4 Ton Suburban

With that said, their are folks running the LTX on their trucks and have no issues. (BarneyS, OK jump in here...:B) And some of my other camper buds with and F250/gasser or 2500 Burb and a Hensley no less, found the same issue I did on my K2500 Suburban when going to LTX. Once the tire reaches close to max side wall pressure, using the LTX on a truck as a towing tires, is usable.

If I read your post correct, you want to put the LTX on a TT. While running them at max side wall pressure may help stiffen up the side wall enough to be tolerable, you now have the tandem axle turning scrub issue. Look at the link I sent you and see the pictures of my rear truck tires at 80 psi and the feathering going on. Now sort out in your own mind, will this be OK on a tandem axle setup when the tire may be close to full weight and dealing with the scrub of turning?

Based on my experience, I know I will not use the LTX as a truck towing tire. I would not even consider it as a TT tire from a side wall flex and or turning scrub angle perspective.

My point, before you buy the LTX, research out has anyone used that tire in your size and under your loaded TT weights on a TT and what was the outcome? Ideally you can find more then 1 person to base your opinion on.

What drove you to the decision to use LTX on the camper? I will say there is a new LTX over the vintage I had back in 2007, never found yet exactly what they changed but it is different.

As FYI, I went BFGoorich Commercial AT on my LT tire conversion. With my rig, under my weights and suspension upgrades, I am a happy camper that I did so far. See here

Good luck and hope this helps.

John

Never had a problem with P rated tires and a 750 pound tongue weight. They key to towing with P rated tires is to inflate them to MAXIMUM PRESSURE. Remember, most half-tons come OEM with P tires. And those same tires are considered when taking all tow specs in to consideration for that particular truck. Most weekend towers use their half tons for everyday drivers and the weekend comes and they do not increase the pressure when hooking up the family camper.

OK, I apologize, I used one wrong word. My bad, sorry. I was trying to help explain to Cyclops69 before he drooped a large sum of money on new tires to check out using LTX as a trailer tire. See the insert in red and the cross out in blue underlined for a better selection of wording.

I'm glad you had no problem towing with a P tire and many others have as well, including me when I use to tow with a 1/2 ton. And yes inflating them to max side wall cold pressure does help in some cases. However that will "not" fix excessive flexing of all brands of P tires as it will not fix it in all brands of LT tires. The odds are more in favor of the P type of tire to be more flexible then the LT. If you feel that inflation on any brand P tire to max side wall cold pressure will solve all flexing side walls, I caution that is not an absolute. It will help in many cases, it will not solve in all.

This statement you made, can you help explain where you are coming from with it or what point you are trying to make?
CKNSLS wrote:
And those same tires are considered when taking all tow specs in to consideration for that particular truck.
gmw_photos
Explorer
Jan 02, 2014
coolbreeze01 wrote:
Ask Tire Rack if they sell a 106 mph rated ST tire............

But you know the comeback from the faithful is going to be, "but I don't tow at 106 mph".

So perhaps the better question is, "how smart is it to operate a product right at the edge of of it's rating" ? In other words, if a tire is rated at 62 or 65 mph, is it smart to operate it continuously at 60mph, which is 96% or 92% of it's "redline".
coolbreeze01
Explorer
Jan 01, 2014
Ask Tire Rack if they sell a 106 mph rated ST tire............
FastEagle
Explorer
Jan 01, 2014
FastEagle
JIMNLIN
Explorer III
Jan 01, 2014
diesel wrote:
There are may times when the P rated tire actually has a higher load rating than the LT tire in the same size.

Keep in mind a P tires capacity when used on a trailer or truck is required by fed regs for each tire's load rating is reduced by dividing by 1.10 or roughly 10 percent.

ST do have a softer ride as per their narrow tread design. This however leaves the ST with a basket ball shaped sidewall which creates more sidewall flex and leaves it more suspect to sidewall cuts. Sidewall flex = heat. Much the same as using a wrong wheel width on a P or LT tire. Carlisle old websites advertising mentions the soft ride from the ST as a plus.
dieselenthusias
Explorer
Jan 01, 2014
CKNSLS wrote:

Never had a problem with P rated tires and a 750 pound tongue weight. They key to towing with P rated tires is to inflate them to MAXIMUM PRESSURE. Remember, most half-tons come OEM with P tires. And those same tires are considered when taking all tow specs in to consideration for that particular truck. Most weekend towers use their half tons for everyday drivers and the weekend comes and they do not increase the pressure when hooking up the family camper.

CKNSLS, is correct! There are may times when the P rated tire actually has a higher load rating than the LT tire in the same size. I run a P rated tire on both of my lifted Jeeps and they ride so much better than a LT tire. Obviously, I run a LT Load E range on our Dodge Cummins. I think there is a reason why RV manufacturers use ST tires on many of their trailers. The ST tire probably handles better and rides better than a LT tire.
CKNSLS
Explorer
Jan 01, 2014
JBarca wrote:
Cyclops69 wrote:
I am in the process of upgrading my axles, brakes, rims and tires and am going with the Michelin LTX tire as I have had great luck with them in the past and they are a quality tire. But still highly recommend a pressure monitor for the early warning!

Hi,

I'm assuming you are going LT tires and on the TT. I have no issue with your thoughts process on LT tires as a TT tire, however I will pass along a comment on using that exact type of tire, Michelin LTX, as a trailer tire. If that is what you where going to do. I have and use LTX on my non towing vehicles. A great tire. The ride is better, the quality is very high, no issues.

I have found the hard what that going with the premium highest quality tire I thought was right as a towing tire on my truck turned out to be a big issue. In my case, I made a wrong decision with the LTX. Here is why and what I found.

The LTX is rated to handle the weight and even decrease rolling resistance. However, the LTX has a softer side wall then other LT tires and that is a concern when towing. Side wall flex can make or break a towing rig. Too much sidewall flex and you have a situation that will create a rig instability. Stiff enough, and you have good rig stability. The issue in the industry is, there is no rating for tire side wall flex or at least that I am aware of as it relates to the needs of towing a camper.

The RV'er is left to chance, good luck, bad luck or finding someone with the same or similar rig that knows that brand/type tire worked OK. Those towing with 1/2 ton P type tires on their truck even have this problem all that much worse. Some P type tires have low side wall flex, others are sog city even at max pressure. This side wall flex issue carries into LT tires.

Here is my post from 2007 where my rock solid 2500 Suburban setup turned ugly from changing tires. Both from side walls flex and feathering wear on the "rear" tires.

Stability Effect When Changing Tires - GM 3/4 Ton Suburban

With that said, their are folks running the LTX on their trucks and have no issues. (BarneyS, OK jump in here...:B) And some of my other camper buds with and F250/gasser or 2500 Burb and a Hensley no less, found the same issue I did on my K2500 Suburban when going to LTX. Once the tire reaches close to max side wall pressure, using the LTX on a truck as a towing tires, is usable.

If I read your post correct, you want to put the LTX on a TT. While running them at max side wall pressure may help stiffen up the side wall enough to be tolerable, you now have the tandem axle turning scrub issue. Look at the link I sent you and see the pictures of my rear truck tires at 80 psi and the feathering going on. Now sort out in your own mind, will this be OK on a tandem axle setup when the tire may be close to full weight and dealing with the scrub of turning?

Based on my experience, I know I will not use the LTX as a truck towing tire. I would not even consider it as a TT tire from a side wall flex and or turning scrub angle perspective.

My point, before you buy the LTX, research out has anyone used that tire in your size and under your loaded TT weights on a TT and what was the outcome? Ideally you can find more then 1 person to base your opinion on.

What drove you to the decision to use LTX on the camper? I will say there is a new LTX over the vintage I had back in 2007, never found yet exactly what they changed but it is different.

As FYI, I went BFGoorich Commercial AT on my LT tire conversion. With my rig, under my weights and suspension upgrades, I am a happy camper that I did so far. See here

Good luck and hope this helps.

John

Never had a problem with P rated tires and a 750 pound tongue weight. They key to towing with P rated tires is to inflate them to MAXIMUM PRESSURE. Remember, most half-tons come OEM with P tires. And those same tires are considered when taking all tow specs in to consideration for that particular truck. Most weekend towers use their half tons for everyday drivers and the weekend comes and they do not increase the pressure when hooking up the family camper.

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