Didn't Believe about the Chinese Tires

[Marauderer]

I went from Atlanta to Tampa this last weekend and blew two tires on the Puma. I had read about Chinese tires hand granading but said to myself that the folks hadn't checked the tire pressures, etc and I already had a couple thousand miles on mine with no problems. This last weekend changed all that. I lost two tires in the matter of hours and when I got to my destination the next day was spent getting 4 new Maxxis 8008 E rated 10 plys installed.

Wow, what a difference in handling alone. It sure made a believer out of me.

[CKNSLS]

Maxxis tires fail - the horror of it! 🙂

[brirene]

...and so it goes. All downhill from here...

[Lowsuv]

The bottom line is :
The LT standard is 10-20 % tougher than the ST standard .
This has been proven repeatedly .
And discussed at length on this forum .
One indicator is that there is a report of an ST tire failing on this forum on average every week or so .
That includes a Maxxis ( Chang Shin Rubber Co of Taiwan ) about once per month on average over the last couple of years .
There is a report of an LT tire failing maybe once a year ( or less ) .

[JIMNLIN]

TomG2 wrote:
Has this switched from anti-Chinese tires to anti-ST tires somewhere along the way? Just trying to keep up. Why the heck to they even make ST tires if they are so awful? By the way, I have been towing full time for the past twelve years on ST tires without a problem, so personal testing doesn't prove much to me.

Issues with china made ST tires go hand in hand with ST tire issues in general.

We had these same discussions many many years before we had any made in china ST tires and all tires we use on trailers were all made in the USA.

[Huntindog]

The tire makers were,just filling a demand with ST tires. A cheaply made tire that doesnt laat very long and is profita le to,make. Most rvers dont want to pay as much for tt tires that they rarely use compared to,their tv tires that they use daily.
The claims are all,marketing based, to maximimize profits.

Read the testing standards for both types,of tires for a real eye opener.

[GrandpaKip]

rbpru wrote:
TomG2

The ST vs. LT is not a resolvable issue.

The tire manufacturers developed ST tires for the rigors of TT towing. They have a stiff sidewall to resist the torque applied while turning and a tread pattern designed for running. They are available in a limited number of sizes and weight ratings.

LT tire were developed for light trucks. They are designed for traction and stearing applications. They are available in many sizes, tread patterns and load ratings. Many RV owners believe the larger selection of LT tires allow them to better match the needs of their RV then the use of ST tires.

At this point I cannot say with any degree of certainty which opinion is correct.

Yep, pretty much have to agree. As of right now, I'll stick with my Maxxis tires and keep on glampin'.

[rbpru]

TomG2

The ST vs. LT is not a resolvable issue.

The tire manufacturers developed ST tires for the rigors of TT towing. They have a stiff sidewall to resist the torque applied while turning and a tread pattern designed for running. They are available in a limited number of sizes and weight ratings.

LT tire were developed for light trucks. They are designed for traction and stearing applications. They are available in many sizes, tread patterns and load ratings. Many RV owners believe the larger selection of LT tires allow them to better match the needs of their RV then the use of ST tires.

At this point I cannot say with any degree of certainty which opinion is correct.

[TomG2]

Has this switched from anti-Chinese tires to anti-ST tires somewhere along the way? Just trying to keep up. Why the heck to they even make ST tires if they are so awful? By the way, I have been towing full time for the past twelve years on ST tires without a problem, so personal testing doesn't prove much to me.

[dclark1946]

Lostincanada wrote:
I'm guessing they were original equipment? So 5 yr old tires grenade, don't think it had anything to do with them being Chinese.

Just my very humble opinion.

I would be surprised if a 5 year old trailer only has 2000 miles but maybe they were originals and the trailer is not used much. My experience is that you can have blowouts with even 3 year old ST tires well maintained and driving at 60 MPH. After switching to LTs I have had no more issues and just completed my fourth season with a 2000 mile trip this summer in upper 90 deg weather. In the past, the quality of China supplied ST tires has been all over the map and you had no way of knowing what you had. On our last trailer we left the dealer with our new trailer and drove directly to a tire store to have the original STs replaced with quality (LT) tires.

Dick

[Huntindog]

I am on the first leg of a Long
Trip. Did 2000 miles in three days. Drove the posted limit,which was mostly over 65.
As usual,
My LT tires did the job that I paid them to do.

[ken56]

I have just gone 8000 plus miles on my Chinese Akuret 6 ply ST tires with no problems, except picking up a little nail in one. It was repaired and put back on. As stated before, watch the inflation pressure and your speed. I never exceed 65mph when pulling no matter what the limit is. Now when its time to replace them I will no doubt do LT tires even though my unit is not that heavy, 6500 lbs. It may be overkill, I know.

[dodge_guy]

Here is a good reason to replace tires every 5 years! these tires, Michelins, have been in service for approx. 5 years! Now this tire is showing it`s age, but some tires don`t show it. on some tires the age doesn`t show, but the inside is aged just as bad (inside the rubber). these tires don`t see a lot of use either. as you can see they have quite a bit of tread remaining!





FYI, don`t hit your thumb with a hammer!!!




BTW, these tires were replaced for safety!

[shakyjay]

I'm not going to get into the argument of whether Chinese made tires are necessarily bad. Here is a link to an Allstate Insurance blog about tire age that I found interesting.
Allstate Blog

While it is not referring specifically to trailer tires it does make some good points.

[TomG2]

I replace tires when they get to be 5-6 years old, not because I think that they will immediately fail after 72 months, but for the same reason I purchase other forms of insurance. It improves my odds against having tire failures and I would rather travel than have tire problems. Now, I suppose that someone will tell us that a seven year old tire is better than a two year old because it has "maturity" on its side? I don't buy it.