Trailer Tires

[john in la]

I dread buying trailer tires but I feel I have pushed my luck as far as I can.
My tires have plenty of thread but they are 8 years old.

Does anyone still make a decent trailer tire ??????

I never go more than 100 miles from my house.
This is for a boat trailer so no overloading problems.
70 mph will be max speed.
Has load range C tires from factory but for a few dollars more I will take D tires.

So I'm in the market for ST175/80R/13 tires. 6 or 8 ply with a speed rating of L or M.
I'm kind of leaning toward Carlisle brand right now even though they are 50% more than some no name tires.

Finding a place that sells tires with a manufacture date in the last 6 months is my biggest priority.
Most of these cheap online places are selling tries that are 2 or 3 years old.

 

[moresmoke]

Goodyear endurance has some sizes that are USA made. I have had good luck with a set on my camper. Dont know if they are available in your size. And yes they cost more.

 

[Doug - Iowa]

I have ordered two sets of trailer tires from amazon, brand on first set was Trailer King and the second set was Super Max. Both are on trailers that get a lot of loaded miles especially on gravel and have held up real well. I'll but them again when the need arises.

One set replaced a set of 10 year old Goodyear's that was starting to show weather checking in the tread. I repurposed them to a hay wagon and they didn't last a year before the treads separated.

 

[Doug - Iowa]

I have ordered two sets of trailer tires from amazon, brand on first set was Trailer King and the second set was Super Max. Both are on trailers that get a lot of loaded miles especially on gravel and have held up real well. I'll buy them again when the need arises.

One set replaced a set of 10 year old Goodyear's that was starting to show weather checking in the tread. I repurposed them to a hay wagon and they didn't last a year before the treads separated.

 

[Steve@Advance]

I avoid ST tires, nothing but problems with them!

See if you can find some LT tires to fit it.

 

[john in la]

I run Goodyear on my pickup and car.
Not available in my trailer size as I looked there first.

 

[1970-1655]

I have been shopping online for trailer tires for a friend after I did the same for my truck. I found Carlisle tires at an excellent price, delivered to the nearest WalMart, and installed free. This year alone, I have put new tires on my truck and 5 different trailers this way. The date codes have always been within a month or so. We replace tires at around 5-6 years by date code.

Example: Friend priced tires at eTrailer.com - $175 each plus shipping, and you had to get them mounted.
Same exact tire, purchased online, delivered and mounted at WalMart - $78 each, out the door.

Internet shopping is cheap. give it a try.

 

[redforlife]

I'm on the other end of the thinking on that, as high priced as tires a getting.
Even though they don't last as long as they use to, I still run em on out until they are bald, blown, or coming apart. I do make sure I have a good spare and good jack when I head down the road.

I'd maybe not be this way on long trips. But for short trips (basically around home), I figure the short trips reduces the chances of having more than one blow out on the same outing, and needing more than just the one spare to get back home. And on the rare occasion you would, your not very far away from home, or if you really don't want to take chances, throw in a second spare.

I guess alot of it has to do with not being burdened with changing a flat. But if you got a good jack, and the right one for the job, it don't take long. Some just don't want to be bothered with it, and I understand that too. I get alot of used tires at the local tire shop, like what your going to take off, for virtually free. Put em on stuff that don't get used much, or go very far.

About the only trailer I got that I don't do that with, is my gooseneck stock trailer. I just don't like the burden of flats when I got livestock on board. I run fairly new 10 to 14 ply on it.

 

[john in la]

That is where I was looking.

Carlisle tire 8 ply load range D and speed rating M is $71 and if I do not like the date code I can just tell wal mart I changed my mind refund my money.

I can get no name on amazon for $55.
I'm thinking its worth the extra $30 to be able to return them to a local store if I do not like them.

 

[john in la]

redforlife
Blow outs and aluminum rims do not play well together at 70 mph.

On my 5x8 utility trailer I can see the air in the tire before I replace them.

 

[MarkB_MI]

I think the Goodyear Endurance is the only light trailer tire made in the US. But I don't think they're available in a 13 inch tire.

I have a set on my boat trailer, and I just bought a set for our fifth wheel camper. They're rated for 87 mph, and typically have a higher load range than competitor's tires.

 

[funky_g00]

I would say Carlisle tires are probably the way to go. I have not had very good luck with goodyear trailer tires although their endurance tires seem to be considerably better than their marathon tires were, and I have not used no name trailer tires but if the no name trailer tires are anything like no name car tires then they are junk. If it were me personally, I would keep running them, from my experience if they do not slip a belt or develop a sidewall bubble in the first year or so, they are good for the long haul. I realize tires do not seem to last in your area nearly as long as they do in mine (NE). I have more vehicles and trailers with tires over 10 years old than under. Very little of my stuff sees long trips, heavy loads or high speeds though. I am also looking for trailer tires in the same size, but for what little I use the trailer I am waiting for some cheap used ones to show up online or at the local salvage yard.

 

[da.bees]

I've bought only 2 trailer rated tires in passed 40 years and that was oweing a bunch of trailers and some overloading. I've drawn my conclusion from seeing trailer tires that come with trailers fail compared to others. When size matches I move truck tires to a trailer while they still have good tread. In this case I would establish load requirement for the boat trailer then do one of a few different things. If you were lucky real lucky you can buy used 13 truck tires with good mfg date from wrecking yard or tire store. If the fancy wheels aren't a have to be,see if 15 preferablly 16 tires will fit beneath fenders. Many 15 & 16 passenger tires have higher load rating than D & E 13. For certain the whimpyest 15-16 Lt tire will carry twice what you can find in 13. If all else failed I'd buy 13truck tires twice on Sunday before buying trailer rated.

 

[Hay hay hay]

I pull a horse trailer on the interstate at 70+MPH. I have been the route, best tires, and cheap tires etc. I have ended up buying trailer tires at walmart. In the past they have almost always had a good deal on something. Frankly, I think all the tires come out of the same couple factories in China. For what I have saved in price, I carry 2 new spares..tire and wheel... in the trailer tack room.

 

[560Dennis]

I suggest you get them ,balanced ,I did all four of my new ones , I got a better ride in the truck , and mileage over the ones I took off 3 to 7 percent better mileage ,depends road conditions (hills,flat ) and temperature . same truck same trailer same load tractor
Tire guys said ,we dont balence trailers tires , I said the quote was mounted and balanced , your balancing these today.

 

[john in la]

If the fancy wheels aren't a have to be

Yes I guess you can call them fancy.
But this trailer is regularly submerged in salt water.
So the trailer and rims are aluminum to prevent corrosion.
The only thing metal on the trailer is the axle and springs.

 

[redforlife]

The last I knew, minimum speed on the highway was 45. Maybe a tad more (55 or so) on the interstate.

You said 70 for a max speed in your post. I'm guessing you don't have to drive 70 if you don't want to. You never mentioned aluminum rims in your original post.

 

[docmirror]

Like most, I do a lot of towing. Often over 10,000Lbs loaded. I've blown out, or separated more than a dozen cheap Chinese tires, and I got tired of it.

All I buy now are Goodyear Endurance, or Goodyear LT tires. So far, in the past 4 years ZERO failures of all the Goodyear product. Yes, they cost double the Chinese tires, but with 10,000Lbs on the trailer, going 70MPH in NM 100+ heat, I'm not interested in changing a tire on the side of the fwy.

YMMV, but that's my conclusion.

 

[560Dennis]

Good choice ,Id say , one blow out cost three time the price of a tire minimum

 

[muleman51]

My son just bought a new to him travel trailer, 2017 model, first time out this weekend. I got a call 1 pm yesterday with a blow out, he checked all the tire before he left on Friday night. Luckily he had a spare that I found and brought down, fixed it in the ditch. just lowered the leveling jacks and a jack under the axle. Told him I had just read about crappy trailer tires. I have 40 year old livestock trailer with original tires, doesn't go far but they all still seem pretty solid and it isn't under cover.

 

[Dune Country]

My brother had a blowout on his RV last year. It didn't have the steel reinforcement in the upper fender well, took out the plumbing under the sink.


Was at my cousins a couple of weeks ago and he was looking for a propane leak in his RV, he had a prior blowout. I got to looking and just behind that tire was a propane line that transitioned from black iron pipe to copper, the tire pieces had hit the copper and cracked the flare, poor design.

I just put 8 ply LT's on my RV, none of that for me.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

16" LT tires are being phased out. 15" LT tires are just about impossible to find.

Did they ever make a 13" LT tire?

 

[Hay hay hay]

one more comment....I change all highway trailer tires every 4 or 5 years...even if they look new. but, Old low speed local haul trailers...not so much.

 

[Hay hay hay]

10,000LB = 2500 LB per tire

3,000 LB = 750LB per tire

Big difference.

Apples and Oranges

 

[John - OH]

Carlisle would be my choice. Not the cheapest, but I have had zero issues. I have tried many other brands, but never had great luck.

 

[4play]

There are not a lot of options in that size, at least name brands, also no LT tires and in that size. I really wouldn't consider Carlisle a premium brand but you don't have premium options in the smaller wheels/tires.Carlisle offers radial and bias ply, just make sure you get what you want.

Check or compare your prices, I have an account with two tire distributors and don't see a major difference in price, or about 20 bucks ea, from cheap to Carlisle. I know places need to make money but Carlisle shouldn't get a "premium markup" with less than a $20 difference in price. See if Hercules are available, I would consider these to be a better brand and at least comparable to Carlisle.

 

[Tslinger]

I've run primarily Maxxis on my trailers, with exactly zero problems. While I like to change them at the 5 year mark, I did let one set go almost 10, at which point they started to delaminate. Next set will be Maxxis as well.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

Perception is Carlisle is a premium brand, hence the premium markup.