HF/NT tires - what is your experience?

[les45]

I've posted several issues recently about some handling quirks I've had with my NT based weekender with 12" stock tires. I am looking at moving up to 13" wheels/tires with a better quality of rubber, but I want to check on everyone else's experiences with the Chinese tires before I make that move. I've got the same 12" tires on my old HF utility trailer that has seen a lot of use over the past seven years and is still running on the original tires (albeit with a little surface cracking on the sidewalls). How long are your tires lasting and what kinds of pressures are you running in them?

[bobhenry]

What kind of handling quirks ?

[les45]

What kind of handling quirks ?

It's just a little road feel feedback I'm getting into my TV from the trailer, especially at slower speeds. I've increased tongue weight and leveled the trailer with a new drop hitch, but I still get a little road feel vibration. I'm thinking it is the combination of the stiffer springs on the 2,000 lb trailer and the relatively high tire pressures (48 lbs). My trailer weight fully loaded is about 1,400 lbs and my tongue weight is 160 lbs. It's not bad and the trailer tracks really well. Just a minor thing that I would like to fix.

[absolutsnwbrdr]

The tires on both of my HF trailers held up well, aside from one tire that simply went flat sitting in storage. Otherwise they have been fine, even down rough dirt roads.

My first trailer weighed around 900lbs loaded, so if I remember correctly, I ran around 30psi. My current teardrop weighs between 1300-1400 when loaded up, so I run around 40-45psi.

Just looked at your pics, and your Weekender looks like its pretty balanced over the wheels, from front to back . Something tells me your tongue weight is probably too light. On your next trip, load your trailer with some more gear towards the front, like folding chairs, water jugs, etc.

[absolutsnwbrdr]

I must have been typing as you responded.

160lb tongue weight seems high just from looking at it, but that should be plenty of tongue weight. I dont know then.

Try reducing your air pressure a little bit more - maybe to 40psi. Don't go to low though.

[les45]

I must have been typing as you responded.

160lb tongue weight seems high just from looking at it, but that should be plenty of tongue weight. I dont know then.

Try reducing your air pressure a little bit more - maybe to 40psi. Don't go to low though.

I measured tongue weight upon returning from our first camping trip so it was minus ice, water, and food. However, on the trip to the campsite, I stopped and moved all my ice and water from the galley storage to the front of the cabin along with all the other stuff I had in there and all the extra tongue weight made no difference in the feedback problem. I will say too that it is worse on a rough road than it is on a smooth road. I can see the trailer bounce more on a rough road and can feel that bounce through the hitch into the TV. That's why I think it might be the heavy springs. Not sure that bigger tires will fix it if it is the springs. Don't want to down rate the capacity either. It may be something that I just have to learn to live with.

[oldsman41]

it is possible that its your springs,but try lowering the pressure in the tires. if that helps try shocks and auto tires. different compounds in the auto tires. load range difference means you can run less air not as much bounce.

[Kody]

Bring your tire pressure down to 35 psi. Your trailer weight at 1400 lbs = 636 kg. My boat/trailer weighs 740 kg (1628 lbs) and I used to run the tires at 45 psi. This was far too high and the rig bounced all over the place. I reduced the pressure to 35 psi and everything was perfect. You could also dismantle the springs and grind a small bevel about .030" deep at the front and rear of each leaf, feathered out about 1/8" long on all the contact faces. This will allow the spring leaf to slide more smoothly along its contact face. Don't forget to grease the spring leaves when you reassemble them. The final pressure that the tires are lowered to is also dependent on the size of the tire. I would try 35 psi to start with and do a run around the block to see how the suspension and tires perform.

Kody