Tires for teardrops?

[DragonFire]

So.. you folks with the trailer tires...are you replacing them every 3-5 years due to rubber aging? That was on the link one of the previous posters, um, posted.

I am not set either way. It makes sense to put trailer tires on a trailer. They are on my big trailer. I'm not made of money, but the cost isn't the issue. Remember I ride a scooter. 2 wheels. I only buy the top of the line tires for my scooter. If one fails, I'm basically dead. Perhaps not, but it's a good possibility. Why take the risk?

Another thing that has been bothering me: the insurance factor. I know someone who had an accident, but it was black ice and a single car/trailer issue. Insurance paid out, but what if?

What if I had a flat and didn't have a spare and called AAA or other roadside assistance? They balk at bringing me a car tire for a trailer. Remember, I'm in California. I kinda like to avoid hassles if I can.

So...keep the posts coming. I'll get the spare rim at some point in the next few months, and probably wait til spring to get tires all around. Meanwhile I'll make new curtains, stain and seal my table and sink board, repaint my fenders, add snaps and the fender skirts/covers, put in a spice rack, match safe, towel holder, etc.

So there is plenty of time to hear all the ins and outs of tires. I want what will be safest. That's the bottom line.

[nrody]

I got my trailer tires from Costco. They had to order them but that was ok. Cost around $75 bucks a piece. Got my rims from a local firm pretty cheep. Etrailer has tons of rims. I have ordered lots of things from etrailer and they arrive really quick. Sometimes no instructions and everything chucked in the box but the prices are competitive.
I figured if I am spending all this money and time on my tear I might as well not scrimp on the tires. That safety thing you know.

[DragonFire]

Les Schwab said $86 apiece for trailer tires..I see you are also in CA so maybe I'll hit the Costco up the street and see if they will order them for me. tanks for the suggestion. At least they would mount and balance. The cheapest way would probably be to order the tires and have them delivered, then take them and the rims to have them mounted and balanced. Then bring them back to the trailer.

Did Costco change your tires? Or did you take the rims in?

[nrody]

I took the rims in. bought them from the same place I got my axle montebello tire and rim. They moved to fontana. They also are listed under another name, cant remember it though, but you could find it online. Will try to find the name of it and post it later. The were helpful with my axle.

[Pottercounty]

Our Carlisle tires look brand new after 3 yrs & about 8K miles. We garage our trailer so the lack of being in weather keeps them in great shape.

[48Rob]

I also read about people running their tires under-inflated to give a softer ride. According to the experts, "Under inflation is the leading cause of tire failure.

Jim,

Running (trailer) tires underinflated for a softer ride is actually endorsed by many tire companies.
The amount is based on the load the tire carries.

Running less pressure in your car tires trying to get a softer ride is, as you pointed out, not a wise thing.
The manufacturer has specific tire pressures for specific vehicles, and that pressure should be maintained.
However, if you have a trailer tire rated for 2000 pounds, and your trailer only weighs 500 pounds, it is logical and safe to run less than the maximum 40-50 pounds stated on the sidewall of the tire.
Somewhere out there on the Internet there is a handy chart to help determine the right pressure for the weight you are running.
Maybe a better searcher than I can pull it up?

Rob

[Jim Edgerly]

Rob:

I finally found a website for goodyear tires that has a tire inflation guide as you indicated (here http://www.goodyearrvtires.com/pdfs/tire-care-guide.pdf )...page 9. You were right, it was difficult to find this information, and although you said many companies endorse it I had trouble finding even one.

For my tires ST205/75R14 it shows 50psi for 1760 lbs as my tire indicates, and the table shows that at 40psi a load of 1530 lbs....so 3520lbs at "max load", 3060 lbs at "flat." Everywhere I read read it has indicated that a tire with less than 80% of its maximum rated tire pressure indicated on the sidewall should be considered "FLAT" and the trailer should not be moved until the tire is fixed. Some where in between "max" and "flat" (some places use 6% down or 3lbs psi in my case) you run into the tire wear/irregular treadwear/reduced casing durability/fuel economy/handling/catastrophic tire failure issues. "Technically" at 20psi I would have over 2000 lb capacity with my tires according to the table, more than enough for my small trailer, although they would be pretty darn flat on the bottom portion of the tire.

I don't know the proper answer here, only throwing this information out for consideration. My trailer, which I have not weighed yet, is probably around 1200-1300 lbs. I know that if my tires are inflated to 50psi (3520 max load) I will get maximum tread wear, highest fuel economy, best "performance", supposedly best braking because of proper profile of rubber touching the road, and the least chance of catastrophic tire failure. Whereas at 40 psi (3060 max load) I will be "technically" running my tires "flat", get poorer mileage, reduced tread wear and tire life, poorer performance and braking, and run a much higher chance of catastrophic tire failure from heat/pressure build up...and a blowout towing a trailer at highway speeds, although I have not experienced it or seen it, I imagine has the potential to be not a pretty sight especially if you have a smaller tow vehicle like mine.

Is the "less pressure/smoother ride" worth it? Would I even notice a difference between 3520 vs 3060 max tire capacity with a 1300 lb trailer?

I honestly don't know!!! Will I try going from 50psi to 45 psi next year (1760>1640)...maybe. Will I go below 45psi...definitely no.

[48Rob]

Hi Jim,

I'm not trying to argue that reducing pressure is the only option, or that it must be drastic, just that it works very well for me.

Common sense says that if a given tire can be/is used on a wide variety of vehicles with different weights, and the tire manufacturer and the vehicle manufacturer agree that different weights of vehicle require/work best with air pressure adjusted to that specific weight, that if my utility trailer is designed, from the factory to carry 3500 pounds, I can safely assume that the air pressure recommendation is set so that the trailer can carry the maximum weight stated, and probably a bit more for safety.

However, unless I have the trailer fully loaded all the time, it is going to be a very bumpy and uncomfortable ride at that max. tire pressure when the trailer is empty, weighing in at only 1000 pounds.
Thus it makes sense to adjust the air pressure, just as different auto/vehicle manufacturers do when they install the same exact tire on two different vehicles weighing different amounts.

If you do a general search for "tire load/inflation tables" you can see that each tire manufacturer has different air pressure specs. for different weights that tire will carry.

Since most of us are "designing/building" our own trailers, there is no set table to refer to.
The tire load tables for the tires we choose will get us close, with additional minor experimentation resulting in the best ride/wear/safety we can get from our combination.

De rating leaf springs and torsion "springs" are a good way to be able to keep tire pressures at a safe level, while bringing the vehicles suspension closer to the "built" weight you end up with, as it is often hard to find/match up the perfect tire/spring combination.

While I agree that extremely under inflated tires are a hazard, so too are those trailer owners who have springs way over rated and tires aired up so tight that the trailer literally bounces all over the road each time a bump is encountered simply because "that is the number on the tire".

As a group, who generally has little design and engineering experience, we "build" and redesign these trailers, then put them on the road with other unsuspecting motorists.

I believe we should continue to share ideas and information so we can stay safe and not be regulated out of existence.

Rob

[DragonFire]

Don't know if this link will work, but it's also on page 2 of this thread.

Look at the 'Time' section of this article. Trailer tires should be replaced every 3-5 years no matter how they look or how much tread is left. They are not meat to be worn out, treadwise.

So, trailer tire folks....is this what you do?

http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/infoTrailerTireFacts.dos

[Jim Edgerly]

Hey Rob,

I agree with some of what you posted, and not so much on others, but I especially agree with "I believe we should continue to share ideas and information so we can stay safe." Since the goodyear table indicates that I could run my tires @ 25lbs psi and still have a safe margin of error of 1000 lbs for my trailer weight, yet goodyear also says that anything under 80% inflation (40psi) should be considered "flat" and a safety inspection performed before resuming travel. Goodyear also says "IMPORTANT: It's a common practice for RV owners to lower tire pressure in their search for a smoother ride. This is not only dangerous, it's relatively ineffective, as the difference in ride quality is not significant."

So, I am at a loss as to what to believe since there is no "manufacturers manual" for my home-built trailer.

I know you say "what you have works for you"... but it may not work for me. I know I will be SAFE and get ultimate tire performance (tread wear, mileage, braking, etc.) if I inflate my tires at or near the pressure indicated on the tire. Will I get the smoothest ride?...maybe not. Will not getting the ultimate smoothest ride affect my camping experience?...probably not in the slightest. Will I lose any sleep wondering if I have under-inflated my tires to the point of catastrophic tire failure, which may result in my death or the death of loved ones?...no. So I will inflate my tires at or near the pressure indicated on the tire...and not worry about doing any more internet searches on the subject. Since there is no "right" answer for every trailer, to pursue the subject any further would not be in my best interests.

I wish you safe travels Rob, and all the best with your teardrop. May you get many years, many experiences, and many miles trouble free with it. take care, Jim

[48Rob]

I wish you safe travels Rob, and all the best with your teardrop. May you get many years, many experiences, and many miles trouble free with it. take care, Jim

Jim,

Thank you, and I too wish you the best!
Everyone should study, learn, and choose their own path.


Rob

[DragonFire]

That's what I'm doing!!!

I'm just picking everyone's brains here...since I only know 2 people on this board personally, and not that well, I will just listen to everyone equally. I've heard horror stories about blowouts, and have been in cars with blowouts several times. I have never experienced this as a driver. Knock on wood. Add a trailer to the mix, and holy cow!

My dilemma now: if trailer tires are the best, are the trailer tire folks replacing them at 5 years no matter what?? I don't like that they supposedly degrade faster than car tires...or do they??? Have I been lucky with some of my car tires?? I use those until they have a sidewall issue or they don't have a lot of tread.

Bottom line..I want to be safe. Of course I'll go offroad...we are camping, aren't we??? I've been a little cautious about offroading in my Celica, so am I better with the trailer tires on my rig?


Or are we splitting hairs??

What I really want is a safe tire that has a white stripe on it like they did back in the 70's...not a full whitewall, but the stripe. That would look cool on the Grasshopper!

[Shadow Catcher]

I am working on trying to demyth this whole issue and I have to tell you the end product of hay through a male bovine is very deep.
First up the consensus is that a ST is only 10% stronger and if you use a P you should decrease its rated capacity by 10%.
ST's are 65 MPH or less The Michelin's on the car are 130MPH rated (I have only had them up to 125).
Sitting still is deadly to tires put them up on blocks off the ground for storage.
Weather cracks deeper than 2/32'' are unacceptable and you need 2/32" tread depth and considering some trailer tires start up with 10/32" that's not much.
RVIA tire life expectancy is 5 to 7 years.

[angib]

How come people never suggest inflating the tires of their tow vehicle to the maximum molded on the tire sidewall?

[Shadow Catcher]

Actually that is what is suggested and if they are hot you increase the pressure by three to five pounds.