Tires, what are you using? Trailer? Truck?

[twodownzero]

I just bought a used 5th wheel and I need to replace the tires. I'm not new to trailering but I know that trailer tires can really be a pain. I am used to using truck tires on trailers, however, LT235/85R16E tires won't have much cushion at max load for me; my trailer weighs about 9k pounds empty and has a GVWR of 13,500. It's a toy hauler and the empty pin weight is around 2,300 lbs.

Normally I'd go with an inexpensive, U.S.-made, E rated truck tire. I'm inclined to do that anyway, since they're rated for over 100 mph and I would not ever "overload" them although if I were to load my trailer to GVWR, they would be loaded to capacity.

Now I see there are trailer tires rated for 75 mph (Carlisle Radial Trail HD) that come in load range F, American-made trailer specific tires (Goodyear Endurance), and all steel construction tires in both Chinese brands (Tow-master, Sailun) and Michelin/Goodyear.

If money was no object, I'd be running the Michelin XPS Rib ($250) or Goodyear G614 ($320) tires. These are out of budget for my current setup.

Does anyone have any suggestions for a tire under $150? I'm inclined to stick to U.S. made, E-rated truck tires, but the F rated and G rated trailer tires that are made in China and rated for 75 mph, and especially the all steel ones, seem like something I should consider. Either way they will be replaced in 4-5 years, because they will age out before they wear out. I am religious about tire pressure, so it's really just a matter of wondering if I can trust a Chinese tire in 2019 and if not, I can probably live with a truck tire on my 5er.

I have searched and not much recent discussion on this topic; I'm trying to put some key words in my post here so that this thread may benefit others.

[JIMNLIN]

that inflation pressure hardly matters when it comes to wheel failures.

I have a lot of respect for Barry's opinions on tires as he is a expert on that subject but sure missed the mark on exceeding wheel pressures. The subject is about load carrying wheels not lightweight loads for light weight vehicles.

Every tire makers web I've looked at warns to not exceed a tire or wheel pressure rating. Same with wheel makers websites.

As a lay person using wheel and tire to make a living, I've seen first hand the folly of exceeding a trucks wheel load OR pressure ratings.

I sure wouldn't advise anyone its ok to pump a 3500 lb rated wheel to 110 psi which is what the subject is about. Follow your wheel makers recommendations.

[CapriRacer]

twodownzero wrote:
So I checked my wheels and I can't find a psi rating anywhere on them. Also checked my spare wheel for my other trailer and found nothing on it either, just a weight rating. If I had tires rated higher than the factory pressure, I'm not sure what I'd do.

It is my understanding that the max pressure is NOT required by the regulations - and after asking the question of various people who might know (wheel engineers and the like!), the best information is that load, not inflation pressure, is what is critical - that inflation pressure hardly matters when it comes to wheel failures.

[Cummins12V98]

On my 32.5' Avion Platinum it had "E" 80psi GY US Wranglers from the factory. I ran them at 80 since they were right at their MAX weight allowed. Replaced them with GY "G" 110psi and ran them for many thousands of miles in warm to HOT conditions at 85psi cold.

When I traded it in the tires were wearing perfectly even across all the tires. They also ran cool.

GY Tech told me to run the tires 5psi higher than what the chart said based on actual load when going up in load rating. They said if I were to run them at 110psi as others will tell you to do they said my braking would be less, tire wear would be worse and ride would be worse. I followed their advice and all was well.

[twodownzero]

So I checked my wheels and I can't find a psi rating anywhere on them. Also checked my spare wheel for my other trailer and found nothing on it either, just a weight rating. If I had tires rated higher than the factory pressure, I'm not sure what I'd do.

[Cummins12V98]

Use the weight/inflation chart add 5psi follow this when going up in load range.

There is a reason for the charts!

[JIMNLIN]

Was this in response to me? What do you mean by "derating"? A G rated tire at 80 psi will support my trailer loaded at its complete GVWR. At its unloaded weight, an E rated tire would support the trailer at something like 60 psi.

A main reason we use a bit higher load capacity tire on a trailer is to gain some reserve capacity. Derating a load G tire to 80 psi has lost any advantage over a 80 psi E tire. Another downside is a G tire is a very heavy tire and can run hotter at 80 psi than at higher pressures. Hell any tire can run hot when its pressures is derated by 30 psi while carrying a load.

I'm confident that a steel wheel is way stronger in every direction than the rubber tire it holds.

Having pulled for a living I've seen the results (split bead seats and cracked valleys from over pressuring/over loading steel and aluminum wheels. I would say that over a 10 year period the wheel has more service time left than the tire.
Wheels have pressure and load ratings for a reason.

[twodownzero]

JIMNLIN wrote:

I also disagree that all steel tires rated for 110 psi aren't stronger than E rated tires. At 80 PSI, they're technically rated for the same weight, but that doesn't tell the whole story. All steel tires are tougher in every way.

With a little experience you soon learn the cons out weigh the pos of derating a very heavy all steel carcass load G tire on a trailer to 80 psi.

I also haven't heard anything bad about the Goodyear G614 all steel tires, but they're $320 each and there are no discounts to be found anywhere.

JFI......the Goodyear G614 have been around for years and had a very bad service record till '09-'10 era . Goodyear re engineered the tire and its enjoying a much better reputation but complaints still come up time to time on rv and non rv websites.....but nowhere near the volume pore'10 era.
Anywayz...keep those new tires pumped to the max sidewall pressures for best long term performance and max reliability.

Was this in response to me? What do you mean by "derating"? A G rated tire at 80 psi will support my trailer loaded at its complete GVWR. At its unloaded weight, an E rated tire would support the trailer at something like 60 psi.

Although I would never deliberately operate something outside of its operating parameters, I am kinda skeptical of wheel PSI ratings. What's the difference in a wheel rated for 80 psi and one rated for 120 psi? I don't know what my wheels are rated for anyway since I haven't pulled them off yet, but color me skeptical that there'd be any harm in airing up one's tires beyond the wheel's pressure rating. I'm confident that a steel wheel is way stronger in every direction than the rubber tire it holds. I wouldn't be confident that the same would be true for loading it with more weight than it was rated for, though.

I went and checked mine, and I also can't find a PSI rating anywhere!

[aftermath]

Delta Bravo, I just watched your videos but am still wondering what message were you trying to convey. Of course a LRD will be lighter than a LRE which will carry more weight at a higher PSI rating.

The Carlsiles you took off the utility trailer are still functioning after 8 and 12 years of use. That is quite a testament for those tires. The wear pattern you mentioned has little to do with the brand but everything to do with the alignment of the wheels on the trailer.

I do agree that your choice of the new tires was a good one and the better wheels was also a smart move. Being "made in the USA" by itself is not a guarantee that the tire will automatically be better. I think your attention to detail and your care and management of your equipment has much to do with the longevity of the old tires.

When I bought my current trailer it came with the older version of the Goodyear tire. Mine were made in the USA but were rather poor tires and after about 3 years on the road I had to replace them due to belt separation. I went with Maxxis that served me well for 6 years and then replaced them with the new Carlisle tires and have been happy with them as well. The Goodyear Endurance was not on the market when I did my last replacement. Goodyear had moved their ST production to some Asian location, then moved it back, then moved it out again in the years after I got rid of mine. Sounds like they have a better design and that it is now being made in the USA. Good moves all the way around. I will look at them when I have to replace my current tires. Thanks for the video.

[JIMNLIN]

I also disagree that all steel tires rated for 110 psi aren't stronger than E rated tires. At 80 PSI, they're technically rated for the same weight, but that doesn't tell the whole story. All steel tires are tougher in every way.

With a little experience you soon learn the cons out weigh the pos of derating a very heavy all steel carcass load G tire on a trailer to 80 psi.

I also haven't heard anything bad about the Goodyear G614 all steel tires, but they're $320 each and there are no discounts to be found anywhere.

JFI......the Goodyear G614 have been around for years and had a very bad service record till '09-'10 era . Goodyear re engineered the tire and its enjoying a much better reputation but complaints still come up time to time on rv and non rv websites.....but nowhere near the volume pore'10 era.
Anywayz...keep those new tires pumped to the max sidewall pressures for best long term performance and max reliability.

[atreis]

Cheap chinese on the trailer, running at half their rated capacity, and never over 60 mph. Doing this, I've never had an issue that wasn't caused by metal puncturing the tire. (That's happened to me twice, and both times the cause was still stuck in the tire.)

Pirelli Scorpion Verde All Season on the TV. So far, very good tires. Great water handling.

[twodownzero]

Just as an update, I'm going to order the Goodyear Endurance ST235/85R16E tires from Discount Tire Direct. They're $121 a piece with all the rebates. Nothing else even comes close besides cheap Chinese tires.

Ultimately, I just don't want to trust Chinese tires, even if they're all steel or have a recognizable brand name. I also disagree that all steel tires rated for 110 psi aren't stronger than E rated tires. At 80 PSI, they're technically rated for the same weight, but that doesn't tell the whole story. All steel tires are tougher in every way. If I was persuaded they were cost effective for me, I'd go with them, but I never intend to load my trailer to anything close to its GVWR as I don't have anything heavy to put inside of it at this point. If my trailer ever sees 12k total it'll be a miracle, so a tire rated at 3042 will be rated for the full GVW of the trailer (not GVWR, GVW).

The Bridgestones and Michelin XPS Rib mentioned appear to be good tires with a good reputation. I also haven't heard anything bad about the Goodyear G614 all steel tires, but they're $320 each and there are no discounts to be found anywhere.

If anyone is in the market for a Michelin XPS Rib, they are currently on sale for $230.xx at Discount Tire Direct and there is a rebate of $50 if you use the Discount Tire credit card.

There was a U.S.-made Mastercraft (Cooper) LT tire on Amazon for $115 last month. The price has gone up to $133 each since then. I would seriously consider those if I saw them at $115 again; they will do the job for those of us who only need E rated tires.

On my utility trailer, I'd consider the Chinese (all steel) tires because it won't be damaged if they blow out. There's a ton of them out there in both E and G load range and they can be had in the $130-135 range each. Many people swear by these.

Ultimately I'd rather have newer tires than more expensive tires. I'm worried if I spend too much, I'll wait too long to replace them and regret it, so I'm going to go with the Endurance since they are presently available with a good rebate.

I agree with those of you above who are religious about your truck tires. I'm currently running Nittos on two trucks because they offered tread patterns that I really liked for that application. I may go with Goodyears next time on the tow rig Ram because they offer a treadwear warranty on the All Terrain Adventure and have the mountain snowflake for extreme snow. They are one of two tires available in the LT285/70R17E that I'm running that have both of those features; the BF Goodrich All Terrain KO2 is the only other one I've seen. If I can't get the right deal on those, I'm going to try the Nitto Exo Grappler in the same size, also with the mountain snowflake. I don't take this truck on rough off road anything, but the extra grip is good in the desert and off the beaten path.

Also, if I was pulling a bumper pull or a 5th wheel where I didn't need a nearly 32" tall tire, I'd consider going to 17.5" tires. I could buy wheels and tires for only slightly more than the cost of the more expensive all steel 16" tires without wheels, and I really think the 17.5" (or even 19.5, but more expensive) tires are probably the way to go for us. If I had a $100k 5er I wouldn't even blink at upgrading.

[deltabravo]

My new tires and wheels - Goodyear Endurance

Weight comparison of ST tires - Goodyear Endurance and Les Schwab Dynatrail

[tchil]

I second the Bridgstone R250's. I have been running a couple sets on toyhaulers for 8-10 years and have not had a single failure. They are less expensive than the ribs but if you only have to replace them every 8-10 years worth the extra money for sure.

[Dave_H_M]

Truck

[JIMNLIN]

Any opinion on their all steel tire in LR G? It's rated for 4400 pounds. My wheels are not rated that high, but it'll still allow for a comfortable margin.

I doubt my axles are rated for more than 6k a piece, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't appreciate having more cushion in the tires.

Your current trailer wheels most likely are only rated for 80 psi. There is no gain or margin....or reserve capacity as engineers say from using a 110 psi load G tire at a derated 80 psi. More negs than pos going that direction for tires used on a trailer.

For 5k-6k trailer axles the LT235/85-16 E at 3040 lb gives you plenty of reserve capacity. If you don't like the price of the XPS Ribs then go with another all steel ply commercial grade Bridgestone R-250 or the newer R-238 LT E tire at lower costs. Check the prices out on tirerack.com.

I use mostly the LT E Firestone Transport HT on my equipment trailers with 6k axles now.

And on a GN triaxle stock trailer with 7k axles I use the 16" Sailun S637 load G tires.

When I was on the road pulling trailers day in and day out I learned tires on my trailers lasted longer....run cooler at max psi.