New tires

[Jim Bennett]

Maybe it's just alarmist sales promotion at Discount Tire.

I believe to some degree it is, as it goes against what my tire shop manager (who has dealt with my multiple vehicles for many years) says, my own experience, and that of many others I know.

I guess you do get what you pay for, the 4 new tires will cost around $300, about what one new tire will be on the Ram with 20" wheels/tires.....

What tires did you get, Jim? Good tires unmounted start around $100 here, plus about $25 each for mounting and balancing. Even considering exchange, it is a fair bit more, though not the first thing Canadians have to pay more for.

 

[grump]

new tires

Jim, did you see where the tires were made? It seems like most tires for trailers are made in China. I haven't heard much good about Chinese made tires and was wondering if anyone here had any experience with tires from over seas.

 

[cpaharley2008]

I'm waiting to hear back from them, yesterday he said they were made in USA but I want to verify that.

 

[elongest]

No wrong answer. I would have bought one tire and put the spare on the road with it. I would have then taken the remaining good tire and made it the spare. In three years I would replace the complete set and make the newer tire I just bought my spare. That is if the spare tire used the same wheel.
I hate to throw away unused brand new looking 6 YO spare tires.
Eddie

 

[cpaharley2008]

Eddie,
I have tandem axles, so we are talking about 4 wheels....

 

[J Mac]

Eddie,
I have tandem axles, so we are talking about 4 wheels....

Wouldn't you be talking about 5 tires? The spare is as old as the 4 off the tandem axle.

 

[Iowa Dave]

There's as many ways to look at tires as there are permutations of the number of tires I suppose. Your personal, beliefs, experiences, finances and miles traveled all enter into it. Jim usually goes first boat and has been known to trade trucks rather than get a tuneup and trade trailers rather than fill the propane tank. We love him in spite of his eccentric ways. He'll share his beer, his Spam and his scrapple. How can you question the logic of a guy like that? Good luck with your new tires, Jim. I'm gonna buy a new set before spring.
Dave

 

[cpaharley2008]

Just got off the phone, the new tires are Loadstar, made by Kenda (chinese) and they come with a 2 year warranty. The rv dealer states thay have had -0- complaints with this tire as compared to other brands. BlackJack will be home tomorrow. Anyone here have any first hand knowledge of these tires?

 

[blue_bullet]

Just got off the phone, the new tires are Loadstar, made by Kenda (chinese) and they come with a 2 year warranty. The rv dealer states thay have had -0- complaints with this tire as compared to other brands. BlackJack will be home tomorrow. Anyone here have any first hand knowledge of these tires?

Jim,
If you check online all brands are maligned and praised. Kenda has a decent name in off road m/c tires. May have no bearing on their trailer tires. I got 4 Greenball Towmaster SS Special Trailer Radial Tire ST175/80R13 LRC tires from Costco on sale for $200 to my door. I did this b/c I like Costco, they stand behind what they sell, my trailer tires were 6-7 years old, blow outs are a bummer and potentially dangerous, and I could not really get a handle on who makes a decent trailer tire. Lots of what might be double talk on ST tires not needing as many plies b/c they are not driven wheels, fewer plies give more flex and a better ride and so on. Greenball does not make tires. They are a middle man but have been doing business for a number of years.

I applaud you for taking care of your tires. We are all safer when we look at having good, new tires as cheap insurance. BTW having lost bearings and several blowouts in the past I always go around and feel each hub and tire once or twice a day while traveling.
Sometimes you get a warning just by checking.

 

[Rossue2]

Been weighing ST vs. LT tires and have read much pros & cons. What is interesting is that Oliver is touting for their 2016 trailer several upgrades including nitrogen filled Michelin LTX MS/2 tires.

 

[blue_bullet]

Been weighing ST vs. LT tires and have read much pros & cons. What is interesting is that Oliver is touting for their 2016 trailer several upgrades including nitrogen filled Michelin LTX MS/2 tires.

The dry weight of the Elite II is about 1300 lbs more than the Escape 21. That could explain some of it. I asked Dennis about that on our visit to Chilliwack earlier this month. As I recall that was part of his response as well. That said I have always used Michelins on my vehicles for the last 30 years and have never had a bad one. Costco uses nitrogen too.
Since 78% of the atmosphere is N I don't worry too much when I have to air my trailer tires from my shop compressor.

ST and LT sidewalls are stiffer and provide less flex than P tires. I have not found any distinction between ST and LT other than ST should only be mounted on trailers not driven vehicles. What have you found to be the pros & cons?

Here's a link that seems to be lacking hype:
http://rvingwithmarkpolk.com/2012/11/08/trailer-towing-st-tires-vs-lt-tires/

 

[Rossue2]

The basic argument for ST tires is the sidewalls are stiffer and can handle the lateral loads better. The con is that there doesn't seem to be an ST tire out there that has people singing it's praises. I have had great experiences with Michelins as well and we put on the miles so am thinking of using these even though they will cost more. I recently saw a tire shredded on a trailer on the side of I-40 and don't want to be there.

 

[blue_bullet]

The basic argument for ST tires is the sidewalls are stiffer and can handle the lateral loads better. The con is that there doesn't seem to be an ST tire out there that has people singing it's praises. I have had great experiences with Michelins as well and we put on the miles so am thinking of using these even though they will cost more. I recently saw a tire shredded on a trailer on the side of I-40 and don't want to be there.

I try to avoid I-40 with or w/o a trailer when I get back east. Too much traffic volume for the number of lanes provided. It looks like Michelin makes an XPS commercial retreadable tire that is quite expensive. I cannot find an ST205-75R15S made by Michelin. The vision
of a shredded trailer tire on any interstate is scary.

 

[Rossue2]

Unfortunately you're right- it's all coming back now; Michelin stopped making that size a few years back. Wonder what size the Oliver is using- a 235/75 R15?

In checking my tread depth I don't want to go back out before replacement; we had a loss of traction on Kebler Pass from Crested Butte to Hwy 133 in CO that had the trailer sliding left at pretty low speed. That road is a smooth dirt/gravel/clay- or whatever and it had rained some the previous week, yet feel a more aggressive tread might have made a difference.

 

[Patandlinda]

Been weighing ST vs. LT tires and have read much pros & cons. What is interesting is that Oliver is touting for their 2016 trailer several upgrades including nitrogen filled Michelin LTX MS/2 tires.

Me too . I saw that also with Oliver's Rossue . On my trucks and cars only have used Michelins . I got tired of flats . Just had to fix tire on trailer . Saw it when I got home , cleaning the trailer up . Nice screw in tire . Never had a flat with Michelin's . Pat

 

[Rossue2]

So it seems that there are few LT choices out there now and they're $$$. The Goodyear Wrangler HT(215/75 R15) is one and purportedly U.S. made. A set of four is $660, whereas a set of Chinese Master Track from same tire dealer is $350, or about $400 for the Costco Greenball Towmaster SS. At $75/tire more, but am leaning that way. It just seems the LT tires have higher safety standards and are more thoroughly tested? At any rate the OEM Carlisle's are 4-ply, whereas the Wranglers are 8-ply.

 

[float5]

The dry weight of the Elite II is about 1300 lbs more than the Escape 21. That could explain some of it. I asked Dennis about that on our visit to Chilliwack earlier this month. As I recall that was part of his response as well. That said I have always used Michelins on my vehicles for the last 30 years and have never had a bad one. Costco uses nitrogen too.
Since 78% of the atmosphere is N I don't worry too much when I have to air my trailer tires from my shop compressor.

ST and LT sidewalls are stiffer and provide less flex than P tires. I have not found any distinction between ST and LT other than ST should only be mounted on trailers not driven vehicles. What have you found to be the pros & cons?

Here's a link that seems to be lacking hype:
Trailer Towing – ST Tires vs. LT Tires | RV 101® your education source for RV information

Dry weight is very misleading. Weight with options in an Escape may be 500-750 lbs. more.

I had nitrogen before and wish I still had it. Never needed to fill the tires.

 

[Brian B-P]

Tire Cost

I guess you do get what you pay for, the 4 new tires will cost around $300, about what one new tire will be on the Ram with 20" wheels/tires.....

Good point, but I think in this case it's a combination of size and quality.

 

[thoer]

...Here's a link that seems to be lacking hype:
Trailer Towing – ST Tires vs. LT Tires | RV 101® your education source for RV information

Interesting reading, thanks Rob.

 

[Brian B-P]

Tire Sources and Brands

Jim, did you see where the tires were made? It seems like most tires for trailers are made in China. I haven't heard much good about Chinese made tires and was wondering if anyone here had any experience with tires from over seas.

I'm waiting to hear back from them, yesterday he said they were made in USA but I want to verify that.

Almost no ST tires are made in North America... and many passenger car and light truck tires are made in the same Asian countries as the ST tires.

The one model of Carlisle ST tires made in the U.S. are called something like USA Trail... and as I recall, they're bias-plys.

Just got off the phone, the new tires are Loadstar, made by Kenda (chinese) and they come with a 2 year warranty. The rv dealer states thay have had -0- complaints with this tire as compared to other brands.

I can't remember the last time I heard a dealer - of any product they sell - say "these are garbage and people complain about them all the time"

If you check online all brands are maligned and praised. Kenda has a decent name in off road m/c tires. May have no bearing on their trailer tires...

I agree - since all brands of trailer tires are often operated overloaded and rammed into curbs, they will all have failure stories. Separating that from genuine quality problems would be tough.

Kenda makes the very specific tires used by the Can Am Spyder (a three-wheeled motorcycle)... and I don't think BRP was interested in taking chances with those. On the other hand, manufacturers (of anything, but especially tires) are quite willing to build to suit their clients' requirements, including "as cheap as you can make 'em".

I cannot find an ST205-75R15S made by Michelin.

There are no Michelin ST tires of any size, and I don't think there ever were. I don't think they make any of them, but if there is some obscure little corner of their operations making STs, they are not sold under the Michelin brand.