Tire pressure & too many blowouts

[Terry26]

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 lbs
GAWR: 4300 lbs
Tires: ST225/75R/15C
Tire pressure; Cold/50 lbs

I 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

[Huntindog]

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]

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]

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]

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]

Definitely run 65psi on d-rated tires, but first make sure your wheels are rated that high

[Lynnmor]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.

[Terry26]

Jerry,

You are correct.
Thanks.

[MFL]

The 50 psi on factory label, is for load range C. When going up in load range using ST tires, it is best to use tire sidewall max psi. In this case 65 psi. If going to load E, your wheels may not be rated for 80 psi.

Jerry

[rockhillmanor]

Check the valve stems!
Some are rubber, some are plastic. There are regulations as to what vehicles need which valve stem.

Old story everyone is tired of hearing but I had one blow out and 2 more flat tires on ONE trip thru the hot hot weather of Houston!

Last flat, tow truck driver showed me they were leaking right thru the failing RUBBER valve stems.

Yup the idiot tire center put rubber valve stems on my MH tires. :R

I replaced them all with "stainless steel" valve stems.

IMHO the majority of these blowout incidents are nothing more than the tire going low while driving and ultimately ending up in a blow out like mine did. Not that the tire is bad.

REPLACE all the valve stems with stainless steel or equal. They are available at all tire stores.

[the_bear_II]

I always go by the pressure shown on the side of the tire or the chart on the tire manufacturer's website if available.

I always keep my tires at the maximum cold pressure shown on the sidewall. No blowouts.