Hi, I have a 2000 Fleetwood Terry 26' trailer camper and only used 4 times in four years i had a blowout on each trip! My camper has a tandem axle.The factory sticker on the camper states: GVWR: 8300 lbsGAWR: 4300 lbsTires: ST225/75R/15CTire pressure; Cold/50 lbsI installed 4 new tires when I bought the trailer and are the size shown on the sticker and are ST with load range D. Of course since then an additional 4 new tires.I always felt 50 lbs was far less psi than proper but when I had the tires installed the tire man said he filled them up to the factory recommended specs. I looked at the tires and told him that on the tires its states 65 psi cold. Could this be my problem with blowouts? Too little psi? I've never pulled the trailer with any appreciable extra load. All water and waste water tanks empty, just clothes and food. I tow the trailer level, and use load leveling bars and anti-sway bar, I rarely exceed 65pmh and have never traveled mor than 350 miles to a destination but had blowouts after as few as 70 miles. Thanks

If the tires are LR D and you are only inflating them to 50psi, I would say that this is your main problem. Lots of reasons why tires blow out...tons of discussion about this. But, one of the primary reasons is under inflation.

I can't understand why the factory lable would give a 50psi tire pressure and slap myself for knowing better but blindly accepting the factory tire inflation specs.thanks

Pretty much a rule of thumb (in my opinion) is to always run at the max pressure indicated on the sidewall of any ST series tire on a trailer. Not doing so, you risk overheating them and having them blowout.

Terry26 wrote:I always felt 50 lbs was far less psi than proper but when I had the tires installed the tire man said he filled them up to the factory recommended specs. I looked at the tires and told him that on the tires its states 65 psi cold. Could this be my problem with blowouts?Definitely! You should not be running tires 15 psi under.

Also they rot out from the inside. We had four 3.5 year old tires go in one trip that looked perfectly fine... Including the spare that lived in the front compartment.

Tire pressure & too many blowouts | Good Sam Community

Huntindog
Explorer
Apr 01, 2017
Lynnmor wrote:
I'm waiting to hear the brand of tire. Since a load range C has the capacity to carry the trailer at 50 psi, a load range D will carry that load as well. Yes, I would get closer to the 65 psi, but that is not the entire issue here.
We have a winner!
I just put new tires on my Camaro.. Stock sizes.
The placard says 30 PSI... The max PSI on the sidewall is 51 PSI.

The proper PSI is what ever the placard says. The tire manufacturer has no idea what the tires will be installed on.... That is why the sidewall max is most always higher than the placard states.

Now having said that, the problem is likely the junk ST tires on the TT.. Lots of reading on the subject, and I won't rehash it all here.
I will just say that quite a few of us have moved on the LT tires, and no longer worry about tires.

Good luck on whatever you decide to do.
rbpru
Explorer II
Mar 31, 2017
I changed from load range C (50 psi) to load range D (65 psi) tires.

The new tires said that they could be operated at 50 psi, at a reduced load range C rating. Why one would do this I do not know. It did not strike me as too bright to run the tires at under their normal D rating.

I have always kept the my TT tire at their recommended pressure and the 2010 China bombs that came with my used TT had almost 7 years on them when I traded up because of their age.

I would much rather replace a tire because I worn the center tread out then replace it because it failed from under inflation.
gmw_photos
Explorer
Mar 30, 2017
NMDriver wrote:
Heat is a prime cause of blowouts. A higher speed rating tires can handle heat better. Whether from under inflation, road surface temperature, driving with locked trailer brakes, etc. heat is what you want to avoid.

Get a highway speed rated truck tire with a load range over 100 and a speed rating as far above Q as you can find (Most ST tires are rated N). Most any tire shop has such tires for less than $100. I run a 109 load range (2700lbs) speed range T tire through the desert 110 degree heat with no blow outs, where a Maxxis E load range ST tire blew out with less than 600 miles on the wheel.

BTW: Check the weight on your axles at a scale and buy the tires that will carry that weight plus a bit for those fully loaded trips. Do not rely on the factory sicker weights as being anything to go by.

This is your answer, original poster.
NMDriver
Explorer
Mar 30, 2017
Heat is a prime cause of blowouts. A higher speed rating tires can handle heat better. Whether from under inflation, road surface temperature, driving with locked trailer brakes, etc. heat is what you want to avoid.

Get a highway speed rated truck tire with a load range over 100 and a speed rating as far above Q as you can find (Most ST tires are rated N). Most any tire shop has such tires for less than $100. I run a 109 load range (2700lbs) speed range T tire through the desert 110 degree heat with no blow outs, where a Maxxis E load range ST tire blew out with less than 600 miles on the wheel.

BTW: Check the weight on your axles at a scale and buy the tires that will carry that weight plus a bit for those fully loaded trips. Do not rely on the factory sicker weights as being anything to go by.
phillyg
Explorer II
Mar 30, 2017
Definitely run 65psi on d-rated tires, but first make sure your wheels are rated that high
Lynnmor
Explorer
Mar 30, 2017
I'm waiting to hear the brand of tire. Since a load range C has the capacity to carry the trailer at 50 psi, a load range D will carry that load as well. Yes, I would get closer to the 65 psi, but that is not the entire issue here.
Terry26
Explorer
Mar 30, 2017
Hi, i would agree on your point in general, however with new tires two days old on my first trip I blew a tire after 80 miles. On the second trip two months later after 60 miles. The other two times were a couple years apart but I still don't thinks age was an issue. The camper is stored inside my barn and on blocks when not used. Id say without a doubt the tire pressure was the culprit.
JIMNLIN
Explorer III
Mar 30, 2017
Terry26 wrote:
Thanks Jerry, That explains it. It does say load range C on the label. I've always has D's. The devil is in the details! Thanks again for solving this issue.

Hmmmm.....I would agree doing so will help however your biggest issue is using the trailer only 4 times in 4 years.
Sitting for months and months on end without use is probably the biggest single contributor to the early demise of tires on our trailers.

And keep the tires covered or in shade when the trailer isn't used.

Check out Goodyear advise on the subject....

goodyear rv tire storage
MFL
Nomad II
Mar 30, 2017
Terry26 wrote:
Thanks Jerry, That explains it. It does say load range C on the label. I've always has D's. The devil is in the details! Thanks again for solving this issue.

Your welcome! There are many opinions, as well as misunderstandings, where tires, especially trailer tires are concerned. Anything causing heat is a problem for trailer tires, under inflation, overloading, and towing over speed rating are a few.

Jerry
Terry26
Explorer
Mar 30, 2017
Thanks Jerry, That explains it. It does say load range C on the label. I've always has D's. The devil is in the details! Thanks again for solving this issue.

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Tire pressure & too many blowouts

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