Is it necessary to only by tires for T.T. Why can't I not buy regular tires for my T.T? Reason I am asking is that its seams that I am getting flat tires too often, 2 in one year. is that normal? This tires are fill with nitro air which I fill they are full of it. you get my drift.Thank you in advance..

The tires you put on your trailer MUST be rated to carry the GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating) of you trailer.You should not use "regular" passenger tires on your trailer.I doubt you can find LT (light truck) tires in the size (I'm guessing 14 or 15 inch wheels - probably ST205/75D14 ) that are on your trailer....so you will have to stick with ST tires.Most all ST tires are made in China and have a shaky reputation.Many of us have had good luck with Maxxis 8008 tires.and yes...nitrogen is pretty much of a hype.

You can't and should never use passenger car tires on your RV!Try some Maxxis tires like suggested and don't worry about filling them with anything than plain old air.

No to anything other than the original ST tires or LT tires along with appropriate rims. You might want to go up one load rating (LRC to LRD) and use better quality tires.Most travel trailers come with ST trailer tires and it is critical to stay under 65mph and to keep them inflated to the correct psi at all times. Ignoring either causes overheating of the internal tire structure, irreversible damage and will result in tire failure. Avoid potholes. Stay off shoulders where you could pick up something that will cause a puncture. What is the weight of your TT versus the total tire load rating? You want a 20 percent or more safety margin but some manufacturers load them up close to their rating. The weight can vary from side to side too which can unknowingly overload tires on one side.Are you having punctures, "blowouts" or tread separation? In the occasional case, the axles can be bent (owner caused) or misaligned (factory caused) causing uneven tire wear and eventual failure.Many RV owners use a TPMS to monitor tire pressure in their RV. Some (like me) check tire pressure on each leg of a trip before heading off. We have made in China Goodyear Marathon load range "D" tires with 10,000+ miles on them over 2 season with no problems - factory normally installs ChinaMaster LRC tires.Lots of excellent reading on this blog by a former tire engineer.

There's more info on this and other forums about tires than you can read in a day; just search on "tires" and you'll be overwhelmed. Briefly stated, some heavier FWs are coming from the factory now with LT tires. But, unless you have 15 or 16" wheels now, you may not find an LT tire in your size, or you may not have space to go to a larger wheel and tire. The alternative is to get the best ST tires, which most people believe are Maxxis. OTOH, they too can blowout. Treat your ST tires well: don't hit curbs, keep them at max PSI all the time, don't bother with nitrogen (sales gimmick), don't go more than the speed rating (usually 65mph) and expect they may not last more than three years.

What is flattening your tires? Nails, screws, or what?I have good luck running E rated tires. I've had tires delaminate over the years and several trailers, but no flats or blowouts.

Tires | Good Sam Community

32 Replies

TexasChaps
Explorer
Mar 11, 2016
downtheroad wrote:
The tires you put on your trailer MUST be rated to carry the GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating) of you trailer.

You should not use "regular" passenger tires on your trailer.

I doubt you can find LT (light truck) tires in the size (I'm guessing 14 or 15 inch wheels - probably ST205/75D14 ) that are on your trailer....so you will have to stick with ST tires.
Most all ST tires are made in China and have a shaky reputation.
Many of us have had good luck with Maxxis 8008 tires.

and yes...nitrogen is pretty much of a hype.

I disagree.... I have 14 inch wheels and found a better rated LT tire..
however.. the op's tire size is still unknown at this time..

If the op would kindly post his tire size and TT gross weight we might better advise him.
gmw_photos
Explorer
Mar 11, 2016
Olli wrote:
So when in doubt or don't have any preferences, get Maxxis 8008?

I prefer not to function that way. When in doubt, I research, until I have a preference based on more than just guessing what might or might not be best.
RandACampin
Explorer II
Mar 11, 2016
FrankShore wrote:
You can't and should never use passenger car tires on your RV!

Try some Maxxis tires like suggested and don't worry about filling them with anything than plain old air.

This is not true at all, P-rated tires can and are used on trailers. You are wrong.
RandACampin
Explorer II
Mar 11, 2016
Huntindog wrote:
Olli wrote:
So when in doubt or don't have any preferences, get Maxxis 8008?
Maxxis has their issues.

There has been a disturbing amount of failures reported on this forum, at least for the small sample size it represents. Maxxis has a small percentage of the TT market, and this forum is a small percntage of that market.
This small slice of the market that is represented here has some very vocal Maxxis fans though.

But even the Maxxis fans (most of them anyway) will admit that Maxxis has an important shortcoming. Avaialability.
Almost everyone has to order, and then and wait to get them.. And when they finally do get them, sometimes they are very old.

Old tires are always a bad thing.

Having to wait for tires can be a bad thing... Sure, when making a planned purchase of an enrire set, a few weeks can be no problem..
But if a road hazard destroys a tire or two on a trip, then one can be stuck waiting for the replacements to arrive. Any tire can meet such a fate, so this concern has nothing to do with the quality of the tire.

This was a major factor in my decision years ago to do whatever it took to get 16 rims and LT tires.
They are easily available everywhere. I have never had a failure, but I recognize that it is possible. Being stuck somewhere waiting for tires would be a major problem for me.

If you are retired, or in a situation where you can be time flexible, then this would not be a concern for you.

Disturbing amount? I bet you can't provide links to 10 maxxis failures in a year.
Huntindog
Explorer
Mar 11, 2016
Olli wrote:
So when in doubt or don't have any preferences, get Maxxis 8008?
Maxxis has their issues.

There has been a disturbing amount of failures reported on this forum, at least for the small sample size it represents. Maxxis has a small percentage of the TT market, and this forum is a small percentage of that market.
This small slice of the market that is represented here has some very vocal Maxxis fans though.

But even the Maxxis fans (most of them anyway) will admit that Maxxis has an important shortcoming. Availability.
Almost everyone has to order, and then and wait to get them.. And when they finally do get them, sometimes they are very old.

Old tires are always a bad thing.

Having to wait for tires can be a bad thing... Sure, when making a planned purchase of an entire set, a few weeks can be no problem..
But if a road hazard destroys a tire or two on a trip, then one can be stuck waiting for the replacements to arrive. Any tire can meet such a fate, so this concern has nothing to do with the quality of the tire.

This was a major factor in my decision years ago to do whatever it took to get 16 rims and LT tires.
They are easily available everywhere. I have never had a failure, but I recognize that it is possible. Being stuck somewhere waiting for tires would be a major problem for me.

If you are retired, or in a situation where you can be time flexible, then this would not be a concern for you.
Olli
Explorer
Mar 11, 2016
So when in doubt or don't have any preferences, get Maxxis 8008?
gmw_photos
Explorer
Mar 11, 2016
FrankShore wrote:
Passenger means passenger, no?

Uh oh, then I must be trouble.
Cuz I carry passengers in my truck. And it's tires say "light truck".....nowhere on them do they say "passenger".
FrankShore
Explorer
Mar 10, 2016
Passenger means passenger, no?
bobndot
Explorer III
Mar 10, 2016
rbpru wrote:
There is no rhyme or reason to TT tires. Some are junk, some last forever regardless of brand or cost or place of manufacturer.

My set lasted 7 years, I put 15,000 miles on them plus whatever the previous owner had on them. They were Chinese and had enough tread left, I kept them for farm trailer use.

I keep them inflated to 50 lbs. and we do not get much sun damage in Indiana.

I agree. (yes I know 'whoopee-do' :B )
I think some owners cause their own problems. I would bet that your TT is balanced while towing. Meaning all four tires and both axles are all carrying the load equally.

Many owners do not weight them that way ...axle by axle.
It should be done because all trailers are balanced differently due to floor-plans and loading. Keeping in mind..axles also have ratings and 3500# axles are very common.
gmw_photos
Explorer
Mar 10, 2016
Some tires fail. Some do not. And this is true whether trailer tires, passenger tires, light truck tires, or even airplane tires.

If there is "rhyme or reason" to any of this, in my mind it is like most manufactured products, and that is, if the product in question is built to higher testing standards, by laborers trained to higher skill levels, in factories certified to highest manufacturing standards, then the chances of the product meeting our needs are higher.

That is all I have been trying to say, as well as several others on this forum, for several years.

There are differences in product lines regarding the criteria I mentioned above.
Research thoroughly, be an informed consumer, choose wisely.

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Tires

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