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Old 06-15-2015, 04:47 PM   #21
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Originally Posted by Ron in BC View Post
I was mildly annoyed to find that it is indeed "full size". Actually the wheel size is 1" larger but the tire, while looking heavy duty is limited by speed and range.
So it is nearly full diameter, but probably narrower than the regular tires, requiring more pressure to carry the load, and built as a lightweight "temporary use only" tire... the usual compact spare for a load-carrying vehicle. Passenger cars have generally oversized stock tires, so the size difference to the temporary spare can be greater.
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Old 06-15-2015, 07:34 PM   #22
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Originally Posted by Ron in BC View Post
Geez, I'm in the middle of the Alaska highway and you bring up this topic now.

No, I wouldn't carry a second spare but we met John and Sherrie, Escape 17, who were returning from Inuvik and they had second spares and used them because the road is made from shale bits that cut tires.

One thing I'd like to have though is a "proper" spare, not the limited use one that came with the truck.

Ron
Alaska is on our bucket list. Two spares for the trailer, two for the truck? Engineers love overkill. Why not?
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Old 06-15-2015, 07:35 PM   #23
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I was under the impression that a "Trailer Package" on a vehicle included a standard sized tire, maybe on a steel rim but still standard load. One can not tow with a compact spare.
The tow package with the AWD Ford Flex includes a pressurized can of tire repair goo. It is strapped under the drivers seat. I keep it in the trailer bin.
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Old 06-15-2015, 07:42 PM   #24
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All the reading I've done on the forums over the years, folks that travel to Alaska and Mexico say to take spare tires, off the rims. Especially if you have a strange tire size. You may find yourself stranded if a tire has to be ordered in at your breakdown location. Frankly, I think it sounds like good advice. YMMV
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Old 06-15-2015, 08:10 PM   #25
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Alaska is on our bucket list. Two spares for the trailer, two for the truck? Engineers love overkill. Why not?
We are planning a trip to Alaska and when we pick up the trailer I think I'll pick up an extra steel rim and tire. The others will be aluminum. Loren
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Old 06-15-2015, 08:31 PM   #26
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All the reading I've done on the forums over the years, folks that travel to Alaska and Mexico say to take spare tires, off the rims. Especially if you have a strange tire size. You may find yourself stranded if a tire has to be ordered in at your breakdown location. Frankly, I think it sounds like good advice. YMMV
Yes, I am reading the same, due to the bad roads.
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Old 06-15-2015, 08:52 PM   #27
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When we went to Inuvik 3 summers ago we had 2 trailer spares and new 6 ply rated tires on the truck ,2 steel belts and 2 rayon only one spare for the truck .. We never used any spares but didn't regret taking them. The roads up north are tough on tires new and used. Cornering is where most of the damage is done .The shale on the Dempster is brutal like razor blades. And the top of the World Hi-way is just as bad. Forget the mini spares .They have no chance .
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Old 06-15-2015, 08:54 PM   #28
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Originally Posted by Loren & Cathy View Post
We are planning a trip to Alaska and when we pick up the trailer I think I'll pick up an extra steel rim and tire. The others will be aluminum. Loren
Actually the real surprise on this trip has been how good the Alaska highway is. We've done more than 2/3 of it so far and most of the time I'm doing the same speeds as at home.

I wouldn't carry a second spare but I do want to get a "proper" spare and I think that I'll also start carrying a can of inflation goo.

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Old 06-15-2015, 09:30 PM   #29
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Originally Posted by Donna D. View Post
All the reading I've done on the forums over the years, folks that travel to Alaska and Mexico say to take spare tires, off the rims. YMMV
Off the rims? Why? To save space/weight/cost? That would be my guess, but I'm guessing.
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Old 06-15-2015, 10:27 PM   #30
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Off the rims? Why? To save space/weight/cost? That would be my guess, but I'm guessing.
Yes, without the wheel (rim) to save cost and weight of a backup to a backup which is unlikely to be used. The assumption is that you can get to a service location with tolerable time and effort, but it could take days to get a tire shipped in from the south (which might mean from here in Edmonton )
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Old 06-15-2015, 10:32 PM   #31
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Two spares for the trailer, two for the truck?
Or, if you set up the truck and trailer to use compatible wheels and tires, maybe only two or three in total. Yes, I know that it's tough to find something that works for both, but it's possible with some tugs. It's almost easy with a Ford Ranger.

Just something to think about for fun...
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Old 06-16-2015, 12:16 PM   #32
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All good replies guys.

My question is, is there any advantage to getting say, a ten ply tire (durable??) for those conditions, or just go w what you brung?
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Old 06-16-2015, 12:19 PM   #33
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http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete...jsp?techid=219
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Old 06-16-2015, 12:22 PM   #34
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Thanks Robert.

So looks like some 10plys for the TV might be a reasonable purchase.
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Old 06-16-2015, 10:58 PM   #35
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All good replies guys.

My question is, is there any advantage to getting say, a ten ply tire (durable??) for those conditions, or just go w what you brung?
There are no highway tires which actually have ten plies of reinforcement, since modern tire construction (radial or even bias-belted) does not require the large numbers of plies needed in antique non-belted bias ply designs. The "ten ply" term now corresponds to a load range (which is capacity relative to a "standard" tire of the same size).
  • 2-ply Load Range A (typically 24 psi max, and long obsolete)
  • 4-ply Load Range B (typically 32 to 44 psi max; normal for passenger cars and the lightest light trucks; roughly equivalent to Standard Load)
  • 6-ply Load Range C (typically 50 psi max; now common for RV trailers and light trucks; roughly equivalent to Extra Load)
  • 8-ply Load Range D (typically 65 psi max)
  • 10-ply Load Range E (typically 80 psi max)
The pressures I listed are just a general guide and are not consistent; they depend on tire size and type (e.g. P versus ST versus LT versus commercial).

The actual number of plies may be very small. My motorhome's tires (an RV-specific tread with the construction of a heavy commercial truck tire, Load Range G) run at up to 110 PSI and each one alone could carry my entire van; they have only a single ply of steel cord in the sidewall (plus belts under the tread). The steel "cord" (cable) is just thicker than used with the lower pressures of lower-capacity tires.

Damage to the sidewalls of the tire from hazards such as sharp rocks has about as much to do with the rubber on the sidewall as the cords behind it. Off-road enthusiasts have tires with ridges of extra rubber for this purpose, which do nothing to support the load and are only there for protection. There is even a reason to avoid extra cord plies: more stuff in the sidewalls means more rolling resistance and heat buildup for the same inflation pressure.

In short, a higher ply rating means a higher load range and generally more sidewall strength, but is not entirely desirable and may not say much about resistance to damage from road hazards.

If I wanted to reduce the change of flats on the trailer due to road hazards, rather than choose a Special Trailer (ST) tire of a higher load range I would probably look for a Light Truck (LT) tire specifically designed to handle off-road or rough-road use.
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Old 06-16-2015, 11:03 PM   #36
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So looks like some 10plys for the TV might be a reasonable purchase.
The link has some good information, but without any explanation of load ranges or any mention of ply ratings, I don't see how the linked material would lead to the conclusion that tires with a 10-ply rating would be advisable. LT tires for a truck or van: yes. Adequate load range: yes. Excessive load range: I don't see it.
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Old 06-16-2015, 11:09 PM   #37
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Another factor to consider - I replaced those killer Firestones on my Explorer with Yokohama Geolander Light Truck tires hoping for more puncture resistance. ( paid extra, and the tire store wrote that they were passenger tires on the invoice to satisfy the recall requirements ).
They were incredibly loud and got louder as they wore. When I replaced them I was amazed that I could suddenly hear the radio and the engine revving.
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Old 06-16-2015, 11:35 PM   #38
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Yes, there is quite a range of tread patterns on Light Truck tires, and some of them are very noisy. Unfortunately the quiet tread patterns will be the "highway" types and the ones with the most sidewall protection probably have "off road" (meaning coarse and loud) tread patterns.
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Old 06-17-2015, 03:40 PM   #39
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OK, my final comment after driving the "top of the world"/Taylor highway is: Full size spare for sure, second wouldn't be unreasonable and also a can of inflation goo as well as a patch kit.

Made it to the border into Alaska from Dawson Creek, road gravel but not too bad, then nice paved road which gave me false hopes, then nasty rock. Got a truck puncture about 10 miles before Chicken, used my 12 volt compressor twice to get the tire inflated, very little shoulder and wouldn't have tried to jack up the truck anyway. Bought a repair kit in Chicken and patched it. Had one at home but even the $30 seemed like a bargain in those circumstances. Finished the rest of the highway to Tok and now I'm off to the tire store to have a proper patch put on the tire.

So I think the bottom line is if you're going off the Alaska highway take be prepared to deal with a flat when there's no AAA around.

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Old 06-17-2015, 04:07 PM   #40
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We always carry 2 spares. But, we have a 5th wheel. We also spend a lot of time in the wilds where getting a new tire would be problematical. With a dual axle trailer, if one tire goes, it can take out the other.
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