Axle and tire?

[tntcrock]

I have a 2006 Montana Mountaineer that has GVWR of 12275lbs but has 6lug 5200lb axles. This doesn't seem right to me but I guess they deduct some for pin weight. It came with Load E tires but I've had blowouts and thinking of going up to load F or G. I'm tired of tire issues and damage. I'm fanatic about tire condition and psi, I'm always on top of it. Last blowout tire was less than 2 years old. I've also had a new set all roll the belts and have to be replaced within a year, probably one trip on them, they bulged out in middle tread.

[JIMNLIN]

Quality commercial grade all steel ply carcass LT E tires like the XPS Ribs or Bridgestone R-238 are gonna' cost more than run of the mill poly ST E made in china/USA tires however run a cost per miles years of trouble free service and the Ribs and R238 will be cheaper to operate in the long run on a trailer especially for those of us who travel 10k-15k miles per year.

[fj12ryder]

Well, you can get them for under $300, but that's still too expensive. IMO anyway.

[goducks10]

azdryheat wrote:
Yes, dump your tires if they say Made in China. I run 16" Michelin XPS RIBs. Zero problems in 9 years of towing all over the USA.

Not sure what you paid for them 9 years ago but today they're off the charts expensive.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Michelin&tireModel=XPS+Rib&sidewall=Blackwall&part...

[deltabravo]

tntcrock wrote:
I'm also going to add tire pressure monitoring system to may trailer and truck, any suggestions?

Tireminder or TST. They both make great systems.

[JIMNLIN]

I have ran 235-15 Good Year wranglers from Walmart. This is a 3 axle trailer.

In the late '90s and early '00s Goodyear Wrangler HT came as OEM on several rv trailer brands with 5.2k and 6k axles. Most were LT235/85-16" load E size.
Then in the mid '00s Goodyears started having issues with their G614 load G and the Wrangler HT tire lines.
By the late '00s to Goodyears credit both had their issues fixed (mostly tread loss).

[ferndaleflyer]

I am not good at all the technical advice here but I’ll submit real life, no BS, experience. My truck and trailer together weigh 22,000lbs. In 10+ years and over 100,000 mi I had 2 tire problems, 1 the whole tread came off of the tire but it was still full of air and the other was road debris. I tow level, check air often and here is where I lose all the “experts”. Other than what came on the trailer when new I have ran 235-15 Good Year wranglers from Walmart. This is a 3 axle trailer. I once had a trailer that blew 9 tires in th 6 months or so I owned it, don’t know why.

[laknox]

tntcrock wrote:
I have a 2006 Montana Mountaineer that has GVWR of 12275lbs but has 6lug 5200lb axles. This doesn't seem right to me but I guess they deduct some for pin weight. It came with Load E tires but I've had blowouts and thinking of going up to load F or G. I'm tired of tire issues and damage. I'm fanatic about tire condition and psi, I'm always on top of it. Last blowout tire was less than 2 years old. I've also had a new set all roll the belts and have to be replaced within a year, probably one trip on them, they bulged out in middle tread.

I'm not a GY fan, but put a set of Endurance on my FW. So far, I'm happy, but I did notice that the tread depth is noticeably less than other brands. Given that ST tires rarely wear out, not a huge issue, but if you tow in the wet a lot, you might want to consider something else. I'd love to go to LTs but most places won't install them unless the tires have a load rating that meets or exceeds the placard, so you end up having to take the wheels off, take them to the tire shop for the swap, then put them back on.

Lyle

[azdryheat]

Yes, dump your tires if they say Made in China. I run 16" Michelin XPS RIBs. Zero problems in 9 years of towing all over the USA.

[C_Schomer]

A previous 5er was 9600 gvw and it had 6 lug 15"s on 5200 axles and two sets of ST tires went kaboom in 48 months, just like clockwork. Having enough capacity for the FULL weight of the 5er and storing it on jack stands and using tire covers, with the second set, didn't help a thing.
I got 16" wheels from etrailer and LT 16" tires from Discount Tire, for a total of exactly $800, and never another tire problem. Craig

[JIMNLIN]

My then new 32' 1997 5er with two sides and 6 lug 5200 lb tandem axles came with ST225/75-15 load E tires.
I sold the 15" ST may pops/wheels and went with 6 lug 16" trailer wheels and BFG Commercial TA/2 LT215/85-16 E at 2680 lb ....110720 lbs total capacity.
Ran the first set for 55k miles per set ....2nd set for 53k miles and with 48k miles on the 3rd set.
I'm looking at a new set this spring. No issues at all at legal highways speeds
WE make long trips and mileage adds up.

There is no better tire for 5200 lb trailer axles than a commercial grade LT 16" E like we ran on our 3/4 and one ton trucks. With 15 and 16/32" of tread depth they last longer (miles of service) than any 16" ST E tire on the market.

I sure wouldn't put a load F or G on any of my rv or non rv work trailers with 5200 lb axles.

[tntcrock]

Running ST235/80/16's
Yes, I'm towing level. I'm also going to add tire pressure monitoring system to may trailer and truck, any suggestions?

[Cummins12V98]

garyp4951 wrote:
GY Endurance made in USA is what I have after 2 Westlake tires blew that were 3 years old with 5k miles.

You beat me to it!!!!!!!

YES the GY's have a stellar record. Try to find a non road hazard failure.

Put a set on my Boat Trailer Summer 2017, they are going strong with well over 25k and plenty of tread left. They do have a 87mph speed rating. OH and if it matters are US Made.

[MFL]

Weigh it hooked up for accurate amount on tires/wheels. Even if unhooked, a large percent is on landing gear. You likely won't have more than 10K on the two axles.

What size tires/wheels are you running? Even 15" E-rated should be around 2,830 load.

[tntcrock]

Had problem with the Hercules ST's, currently what I have on about 3 years old.
I ran Firestone LT's, I didn't like them; sidewalls seemed softer with more roll.
But didn't have any blowouts on them. Yes, I need to weigh trailer. Do I weigh it hooked up or unhooked? I know there's post on weighing, I'll have to look those up and get up to speed on that before going to scales.