Trailer Tires

[Lars Kneller 8246]

I will be pulling my enclosed 22 ft. car trailer to the KC GN next week and prefer to avoid the troubles I had in 2005 going to Des Moines.  I had 3 tires blow out that were 4 years old at the time. I have put 4 new tires on the trailer last month. They are D range 225-75-15's and are rated at 65 psi.  Goodyear's website states not to drive over 65 mph with this air pressure.  They recommend increasing the air pressure by 10 psi to 75psi if traveling over 65 mph, which I plan to do as the speed limit is 70 mph in places. Does anyone have experience doing this? The tires are rated on the sidewall for 65 psi, and the rims are rated up to 80 psi. Thanks.

[Otto Skorzeny]

I would call Goodyear's technical service department and speak with someone in person.

Is the trailer empty or loaded?

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

G'day Lars,

Boy, what a question.

Trailer tyres should always be Cross-ply construction, and at least 6 Ply.   This way, there is limited swaying of the trailer which translates into less chance of damaging the sidewall.

I wouldn't be towing any tandem trailer over 60 MPH, especially with Radials fitted.

Plus, the Towing Vehicle would want to be on the larger side of things if you have to have the pressures up so high, as it sounds like the trailer and car inside it are going to be on the heavy side of things.

Bruce.

PS.   Otto, it would have a Cadillac or LaSalle inside it.

[TJ Hopland]

You must be running the Marathon's?   They are trailer tires with a decent weight rating of 2450 so that should give you some room weight wise.   So far I have not had any issues with the radial trailer tires. Were you keeping an eye on the pressures when you had the issue?  Usually what happens is one has a leak which stresses the other tire which eventually fails which leads to the low tire failing.  I have had issues with car or LT radials on heavy trailers.  I checked a few places and it seems like bias trailer tires are not very common any more.

[Mike Josephic CLC #3877]

I think load range "E" would be a safer bet given the weight you're hauling.  See
the difference in capacity.  More expensive, yes, but able to handle the weight and heat
much better.  One example attached below:

  H188 ST225/75D-15" Tire & Galvanized Rim (6 Lug), Load Range D
Load Range: D (8-ply rating)  Max. Capacity: 2,540 lbs. each Maximum PSI: 65 lbs.
Overall Diameter: 28.7"  Rim Finish: Galvanized
                   Spoke Wheel STOCK # 1619106 = 6 on 5.5

$116.50
   
    CARLISLE USA TRAIL® ST225/75D-15" Tire & Galvanized Rim (6 Lug) L.R. D
Load Range: D (8-ply rating)  Max. Capacity: 2,540 lbs. each Maximum PSI: 65 lbs.
Overall Diameter: 28.6"  Rim Finish: Galvanized
                   Spoke Wheel STOCK # 1604103 = 6 on 5.5

$163.00



Mike

[Lars Kneller 8246]

Yes, the trailer will be loaded. I figure 3000lb of trailer and 5000lb of car so I'll be pulling around 8000lb.  The D tires are rated for 2540lb each, so I should be good. I think I am going to keep 65 psi in the tires and keep it at 65 mph max. I have a 3/4 ton Chevy Avalanche that is rated to tow 12,000lb or so. It has the 8.1L engine and 4.10 rear so pulling won't be a problem.

I am staying away from Carliisle tires as they are the ones I had all the trouble with 5 years ago. What I have now are Loadstar Karrier, plus 2 spares.  I haven't ever found E rating tires in my size. Trailer tires are hard to find around here (at least reasonably priced- local marina had one with a $410 price tag on it!). Walmart used to carry them but they don't any longer. I got these at etrailer.com.

[Fred Pennington 25635]

I thought I would give my 2 cents. I owned a RV / Travel Trailer dealership for 20 years.
I will tell you trailer tires was a thorn in my side for all those years
Simply put use only trailer ( ST ) tires Goodyear Marathon are the best.
Weight your trailer. Don't guess. know your axle weights individually and if possible side to side
You will be surprised how the weight is divided up. Once you know the actual weight you can make your tire choice
Most trailer manufactures buy axles , wheels and tires in bulk. They run the cheapest package they can for a given size of trailer
You may have to increase wheel diameter 15 to 16 to get the load capacity you need
Trailer tire failure tends to be on the right side of the trailer, Because as you drift onto the shoulder you run in the debris that collects there. If you pick up something most people will not realize they have a tire going down until it blows. Check your tires frequently
The higher the load range the more puncture resistant due to more plys. So you can prevent allot of problems by using a higher load range then you need.


Fred

[TJ Hopland]

Another part of 'when properly equipped' is often something like a weight distributing hitch.   Those are the really complex looking extra bars and links that extend along the front part of the trailer.   The idea with those is it spreads the load further away from the pivot point of the hitch.   5th wheel and goose necks dont need that because the weight ends up on top of the tow axle(s) so you dont have the extra leverage going from the axle to the bumper. 

Another tip for those trailing across multiple states is to check with those states about their rules.   For the most part most of them are not going to bother you as long as you look like a private individual with a proper rig and everything properly secured and lit.  If there are any names on the tow or trailer its a whole different game because they may think or classify you as a commercial rig.   

[Greg Powers]

Looks like you've gotten a lot of good advice. I agree, as a tire dealer,Goodyear Marathon is probably one of the best available tires for your towing needs.  Though I am not totally sold on the nitrogen use in all tires, this might be a perfect application to keep your tire pressure equal with little fluctuation. I also applaud your planning for the worst with carrying spares. We have roadside "emergencies" almost weekly from people with trailers that did not plan for a tire problem. Best of luck and safe motoring, Greg

[mrspeedyt]

with a car trailer... don't trust any trailer tire and check them often (and lug nuts) and drive 60 max. if one blows then you have a better chance and hopefully no damage. i've pulled 5000 lbs of cads on a 2000 lb trailer with my '99 toyota (4 cyl automatic 2wd with no equalizer hitch ) a few times... just load it right and use the trailer brakes mainly. 

[Lars Kneller 8246]

Thanks for all of the great advice!  I do have a 10,000lb weight distributing hitch, and will keep my speed down. See you in Kansas City!