Kumho Radial 857

[dmullen]

I'm scared to death about blowouts with all of the recent posts I have been reading on multiple forums. My tires are a little over 2 years old.

Current tires - ST205/75R/14C
steel rims - 14 x 6 ArcWheel MAX Load 1870lbs

I want to go with the Kumho Radial 857

205R14c Trailer Use Only
Load Range D
Max Inflation - 65psi
Max Load - 2,271
Rim Width Range - 5.5-6.5

Other than using steel valve stems is there anything else I should know? Has anyone here used these tires and could comment on the quality?

[LarryJM]

I put on 4 Kumho 195R14 LR "D" tires back in mid 2013 which were about 12 to 18 mo old at the time. The load on each tire was close to 1700lbs and I typically ran themn at 60 to 65. The last Jan I had one go bad with tread separation and at the time had 6400 mi on it. I had to use my GY marathon spare and I purchased another matching GY Marathon tire on the existing rim and am now running 2 of the Kumho's on one side and GY Marathons on the other and have put another 2500 miles w/o issues since Jan. I bought another rim and I now carry a spare mounted Kumho and a spare mounted GY and plan to upgrade my existing configuration with Kumho 857s in the size 205R14 LR "D" at my next normal complete tire replacement. The only reason I'm running a mixed bag of tires now is the 195R14 LR "D" Kumho is no long available.

Even having one of the Kumhos go bad I still think that was just a luck of the draw. BTW previous to this tire separation with my current Kumhos I had run GY Marathons since 1995 with no tread separations and only one flat from a nail with about 75K total miles usage.

Something to consider IMO is running tires like the Kumhos or even Maxxis which are not normally available like the GY Marathons are one might be wise to carry two spares even if the second is not mounted so if you have one that goes bad on the road you can use a spare and still have another available until you can have time to replace the bad tire. I'm just leary of traveling very far from home w/o a spare for even a few hundred miles and about the only tire that is universally available like at WM or GY dealers nationwide are the GY Marathons since IMO they are the most used ST tire out there.

Larry

[gmw_photos]

I too am running kumho 857 on my funfinder. They are working very well, and lasting well. I am another user that noticed my trailer towed more stable with the Kumho as compared to the original ST tire that came fitted from the factory. I got my 857's from tire rack. I had the high pressure brass snap in stems installed and the tire/wheel assembly balanced.

[Tom_Trostel]

I have Kumho 857 on my Bigfoot. Zero problems. When the time comes to replace I'll get another set.

Bigfoot

[Bill___Kate]

My last trailer had 14" wheels, the current one has 15". With these two wheel sizes, the choices of tires with high load ratings and quality construction are very limited. The first thing to have to check to make sure the load rating of the wheel on you trailer can take the extra pressure of the higher pressure tires. After lots of research over the years, I think the best choices are:

14": Kumho 857 Trailer Tire which is a trailer tire that exceeds the "ST" standard.
The only other choice I could find in load range D was be the Kenda Karrier Kendra Karrier. They used to make a load range D (65 psi) in size 215, but now they only off it in the 205 width, but it still has a couple of hundred pounds more capacity than the Load Range C 215's.

[dmullen]

Great info....thanks!

[Big_Love]

Another thing to consider is if you have dual axles, how much room is there between your tires? I have the same tire size as you, but when I considered going to the metric sized D rated Kumhos, they were somewhat larger in diameter. The space between tires would have been only about 1", so I got Maxxis instead with only a C rating, and maintained the original spacing.

[time2roll]

You can use high pressure snap in stems good for 80 psi. Actually the standard stems are rated 65 psi. The steel wheel will be fine. Verify with your installer if you have concerns.

[patperry2766]

goducks10 wrote:
1000's of trailers sold monthly. How many have blow outs? I will agree that some tires are more prone to blow outs than others but internet forums can make a mountain out of a mole hill.

All that aside, if you are that worried then get some new tires. But don't think that getting a different brand will make you immune to blowouts.

Kumho's do have a good track record IIRC.

The Kuhmo's that I replaced the factory tires with weigh about 10 lbs more, and has stiffer sidewalls. I can't see how that could be a bad thing.

[goducks10]

1000's of trailers sold monthly. How many have blow outs? I will agree that some tires are more prone to blow outs than others but internet forums can make a mountain out of a mole hill.

All that aside, if you are that worried then get some new tires. But don't think that getting a different brand will make you immune to blowouts.

Kumho's do have a good track record IIRC.

[patperry2766]

Great tires. Put a set on my trailer last year and could tell an immediate difference. Trailer was a lot more stable in strong crosswinds.

[rbpru]

While one should always be concerned about their tire care. When choosing a new tire remember; the RV industry sells over a million tires a year and has for several years. Of those millions how many have failed?

There is no doubt the RV industry uses the least expensive tire that will do the job, but what is the failure rate per million of the tire you are buying?

Also, no tire is safe from road hazards or poor maintenance and an upgraded tire may have a higher load rating but you are still putting it on the same axle, which has a lower load rating than your original tires.

In general the more expensive tire compounds do offer more mileage and perhaps more scuff resistance but they usually time out long before they wear out.

[coolbreeze01]

No need to change rims to run higher load range tires. From the Carlisle Tire site:

"What is the maximum psi limitation for your trailer wheels? Max air capacities are typically a function of the tire, not the wheel. Unlike tires, the load rating of a wheel is not generally dependent on the operating pressure. The wheels themselves are manufactured and tested to a load rating (without consideration of pressure) and can safely support that load. As long as the load is within the limits of our wheel's load rating in pounds, our product will perform as expected."

[MarkTwain]

dmullen wrote:
I'm scared to death about blowouts with all of the recent posts I have been reading on multiple forums.

While not without controversity, an Emergency Road Side Service policy like the Good Sam ERSS will help reduce your level of "scared to death of blowouts". There are a number of such policies from different companies, look and compare then pick one. Personally, I am not a fan of AAA for RV's.

[Camreal]

I have the same size tire on my trailer now and they are 2 yrs old and look good. I dont see any problem with them at this point and will get another year out of them. Ive read lots on tires and it seems if you adhere to the speed, pressure , and load ratings you shouldnt have any blowout problem. Ive had 2 blowouts in the last 10 yrs and it was because of speed and 6 yr old tires.