Chinese tires on TT

[Firehawvvk]

First let me say that I have searched for help and looked at the FAQ section but have not found an answer that can help me.
I picked up my new TT (28' Coachman Catalina) and never made it home w/o a tire exploding and leaving me stranded. Then, after I got home I found out that the tires are only rated for 800 pound limit. That means a total of 3200 pounds on the trailer axles. It says the dry weight is 5442 lbs. Tongue weight of 690 lbs.
Now, am I wrong in guessing that if you subtract the tongue weight you'd be close to the total weight on the two trailer axles? If so, how the heck can they sell a unit that is over the weight limits of the tires. That should be illegal and certainly unsafe as witnessed by my ride home.
Also, any recommendations as to replacement tires (all 5). The ones on the unit are ST205/75R14's and Load Range C. Brand name: Constancy; made in China. I wouldn't mind going bigger/wider, etc. Just wish I had weighed the unit at a truck stop on the way home. I appreciate any help as I am overwhelmed with questions about what to do now. TIA

[facory]

NEVER trust the TT's new condition when it leaves the dealer and/or manufacturer. Check tire pressure and have the wheel bearings and brakes inspected and serviced by an independent source ASAP. Manufacturers try to get the trailers out the door as fast as possible and take shortcuts to make it happen. Don't let their haste become your problem. Have bearings and brakes checked every year before heading out.

[LarryJM]

the bear II wrote:
After a year of research I went with Michelin LT tires.

LT tires work well on TT.

And just where did you find 14" Michelin LT tires since that is the subject size being discussed here. Otherwise your post is only confusing the issue and is non helpful.

Larry

[jerem0621]

I also think that there needs to be a little investigative work on your part. Check the TT axles alignment... Did you drive 70 plus....did the tire deflate....when was the last time you checked air pressure....what was the psi in the tires....should have been around 50 PSI for load range C tires...did you drive the ST tire over a curb accidently?

Finally....during a visual inspection of the tire did you see evidence of ply/band separation in the tire? This would be evident by new budges in the tire etc...

I have had good experience with Maxxis ST tires....the new Carlisle ST tires are getting great reports... So are Khumo's... The Carlisle ST's are now speed rated over 65 IIRC too.

Thanks and good luck!

Jeremiah

[JIMNLIN]

op wrote:
Now, can I just use car tires? I searched tirerack.com but found no tires in that size except for 4 different car tires. I guess I'll keep searching.

P tire make a excellent tire for small lightweight trailers. However their not a good idea on a trailer as heavy as yours.
Fed regs require a P tire mounted on a truck or trailer to have its capacity derated by dividing its load capacity by 1.1 which means the P tire may have a 1800 lb load rating but on a trailer its now down to 1636 lbs.

Your ST tire story isn't rare at all. Many have reported ST tire failure with a few hundred miles of service.
And you don't know what kind of abuse the RV transporter put those tires through.
The speed limit on the interstate near me is 75 mph. I'm on it daily. I've see most RV transporters running in the 70-72 mph range pulling all sizes of trailers.

A tire that has exploded means you heard a blowout.

A shredded tire on the wheel doesn't mean it had a blowout.

[shakyjay]

facory wrote:
Simple. If you have them, get rid of them. If you are buying new tires, don't buy them. Stay safe. Best tires going are Maxxis. You can get them that are made in the USA.

That is certainly one opinion.

A blow out before getting a new TT home, regardless of tire brand warrants some investigation as to the cause. Could be that tire had damage caused while being driven from factory to dealer. Could be an axle alignment or other issue. Could have been underinflation. Could be some road hazard. Just too many could have beens at this point. In any case if I were you I would be contacting the dealer as well as the TT manufacturer. If it is determined that the tire was defective I would nicely demand that all of the tires be replaced with a tire of my choice. I have a friend who did exactly this a few years back and with a little persistence he was successful. In his case however he had more than one blow.

[gmw_photos]

coolbreeze01 wrote:
....snip.....

In any event, many running 14" tires like these:
http://www.kumhousa.com/tire/category/truck-suv/7EAB87AD-62DC-4D82-897E-E59335DE416C

Yes, this ^^. I am using these on my travel trailer, have about 20,000 miles on them now, they still look like new, and are working well.

[facory]

Simple. If you have them, get rid of them. If you are buying new tires, don't buy them. Stay safe. Best tires going are Maxxis. You can get them that are made in the USA.

[rbpru]

My ST205/75R 15 C rated tire are marked 1820 lbs. The TT manufacturer states 50 psi and 65 max. mph. I have never had a problem.

800 lbs sounds light.

[4X4Dodger]

Firehawvvk wrote:
First let me say that I have searched for help and looked at the FAQ section but have not found an answer that can help me.
I picked up my new TT (28' Coachman Catalina) and never made it home w/o a tire exploding and leaving me stranded. Then, after I got home I found out that the tires are only rated for 800 pound limit. That means a total of 3200 pounds on the trailer axles. It says the dry weight is 5442 lbs. Tongue weight of 690 lbs.
Now, am I wrong in guessing that if you subtract the tongue weight you'd be close to the total weight on the two trailer axles? If so, how the heck can they sell a unit that is over the weight limits of the tires. That should be illegal and certainly unsafe as witnessed by my ride home.
Also, any recommendations as to replacement tires (all 5). The ones on the unit are ST205/75R14's and Load Range C. Brand name: Constancy; made in China. I wouldn't mind going bigger/wider, etc. Just wish I had weighed the unit at a truck stop on the way home. I appreciate any help as I am overwhelmed with questions about what to do now. TIA

First of all sorry for your trouble.

I think it's important to know what happened to the tire first.

Did the tread separate? Was it a blow-out? Did it come off the rim?

These are all clues that will lead you to what actually is the cause. The fact that they are made in China ( Where many of the big name brands are made may be irrelevant)

Before I gave up on those tires based on what may be a totally false assumption I would try to figure out what happened.

It very well could have been underinflated or hit an object on the road. Did you check the wheel bearing on that wheel? This may be heat related. Or it may have been just a bad apple. In any case that tire has already made it from the factory to the dealer. Possibly something happened on that trip to compromise the tires integrity.

I'd do some looking into it first. The chances are pretty good that you can run those tires till the tread is gone with no problems.

[coolbreeze01]

The tire probably picked up a nail or screw as a basic cause.

In any event, many running 14" tires like these:
http://www.kumhousa.com/tire/category/truck-suv/7EAB87AD-62DC-4D82-897E-E59335DE416C

[Firehawvvk]

Wow, I feel better already. I am thinking I misread the rating. It must be in KG. And now I see why they call them China Bombs. That thing really blew. I'm just glad it didn't do any damage.

I did go back out and check. Boy do I feel stupid!:o It does say KG and then 1750 lbs. That means capacity 7000 lb per trailer axles. I still do not like these tires and will most likely opt for replacements. Now, can I just use car tires? I searched tirerack.com but found no tires in that size except for 4 different car tires. I guess I'll keep searching.

Thanks for all your help, I do feel a lot better knowing I have crappy tires instead of grossly under rated tires.

[fla-gypsy]

I think you misread that load rating. 800kg is 1760lbs. They are still junk and I would press for replacement. Your best choice would be the Maxxis M8008 ST load range C for that TT.

[goducks10]

You have a serious problem if the tires are only rated for 800lb each. I would be contacting the dealer and get the whole axle/tire situation corrected.

The smallest tire sold for trailers is a 175/80/13 C @1360lbs each.

You coachman should have 14" wheels according to the brochure. The smallest 14" tire will have 1760lbs for load. That's 7,040lbs total. Subtract 10% from the TT GVW and you have 6750lbs on the tires. Under the max load. This is assuming you have 205/75/14C which is the lowest rated 14" tire.

Absolutely no way do you have only 800lbs max load on your tires. Recheck what you have. Post a pic if you can.

[FrankShore]

Look into getting some Maxxis brand tires. They're durable and not China Bombs (as they're referred to on this forum)