New Tires

[GATC35]

Well it's time for new tires on my cargo trailer. The trailer currently has bias ply 205 75 R 15 load range "C" tires installed, with dual 3500 lb. axles - brakes on both. Of the 4 tires none of them match as far as the manufacturer. This trailer spends allot of time on the interstate at 60 - 65 mph carrying tools for house renovations. The trailer is equipped with tool, hardware, and pipe racks inside. Very rare that it's loaded with allot of weight, but I want to be able to load it full of furniture if needed. So if you were buying new tires would you go with radials, or stay with bias ply? Would you stay with the 205's, or move up to a 225 load range "D" tire? Other suggestions?

 

[Diamondpilot]

I would go with Radials and check the pressure every time you use it. I would not go with larger tires. I had a customer who had a trailer with 205's and he wanted 225's. The first day he was kicking himself. The brakes were a lot less effective. I turned up the brakes for him but he was still not happy. Another issue with 225's is it does not appear you have the room for larger tires in those wheel wells.

As for brands I am having the best luck with Maxis and Greenball. I am running Greenballs on all my personal trailers with no issues. Just stay away from Carlisle and Goodyear. The Carlisle tires have always been crap and the Goodyear tires have cheapened up over the last few years to compete.

Also make sure they balance them dynamically. That is spin them up. Static balance is ok, not spinning, but do it right and they will last.

I buy 10 or so sets a year so these are my findings. Many swear up and down by the Goodyear Marathons but not me. Put a set on my car hauler and they lasted less than 1 year.

Chris

 

[Hematite]

The reason that Goodyear Marathons didn't last is that they took the route everyone else did: They had them made in China. Marathons used to be one of the best trailer tires until they did that.

Goodyear DID learn their lesson, though. According to Tire Rack, Marathons are now made in the USA. Hopefully, this means that they will be back to their former good quality.

Unfortunately, that leaves the rest of the field made in China. The quality of Chinese made tires varies greatly. Some few are OK, most are junk. If you want to read the horror stories, just go to a travel trailer website like RVnet. I will soon have to get some for my travel trailer and when I do they will be made in the USA.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I understand you want to buy tires in the the USA but in my marine business I have not been able to find a decent tire made here in the last 10 plus years. I take care of or tow 75 or so trailers a year and my experience is the Maxis and Greenball tires are the best by far. The main issue with trailer tires is under inflation and flat spotting. I put all trailers with a load on them that are stored over the winter or any period of time on jack stands and this has greatly increased the life of the tires.

Chris

 

[Hematite]

I have heard that the Maxxis and Greenball are the best of the Chinese tires on the RV forums. Never heard a complaint about US made Marathons but I don't know how long ago GoodYear went to Chinese tires. Could have been a while ago.

Denman makes an excellent bias ply in the U.S. and I think that Titan does as well. It's hard to make a statement where tires are made because the origins change, sometimes yearly.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I forgot all about Denman. We were buying them a few years ago but can not find them around here now. The last thing I will buy is a bias tire in any brand. I would put car radials on in a pinch before I went with bias but that is just my opinion after nearly 20 years in the boat business.

As for the Marathons being now American Made I am not sure. It would really surprise me since they are now sold as cheap as any others and are carried at WalMart. If they are now American made the damage is done. I got a email from a member here just a few weeks ago about Marathons that were oem on a trailer that did not last a few months.

It really has nothing to do with where they are made. Quality can come from anywhere. Many Chinese tires are great while a few are junk. Same as American. My ex-wife just called me to ask a favor. She needed tires and brakes on her car and wanted to know if $800 for a brake job, 4 new tires, a oil change, and a air filter seemed reasonable. I can not remember the size but they were 17" wheels. I told her it seemed fine. She then called me Saturday and said she had a blow out and what would I do. Her dad came and put the spare on but the tire place closed at noon and would not be open until Monday. I asked where she got them and she said they were Goodyears and she had all the work done at a Goodyear shop. The tire blew the sidewall out as big as a grapefruit with only 300 miles. All I could tell her was good luck trying to get them to warranty it.

Chris

 

[Toyboy]

I just replaced the tires on my single axle boat trailer last fall. It came with 205-75-R14 and I moved up a notch to 215-75-R14 which was the max allowed with my rims. I checked around on brands and was surprised to find most were made off shore and China especially. After some digging I found that Goodyear had moved production of the Marathon back to the US (NC I believe) because of complaints of the China junk. Needless to say I bought American. Everyone has their own priorities and can decide which tire is best for them. Goodyear was my choice, you guys can make up your own mind. I not trying to sell Goodyear on any one.

 

[KeithInSpace]

I just replaced the tires on my travel trailer with radials. Chinese, just like everything else (including the keyboard I'm typing on...I checked), but they do tow very nice. I looked into the brands Mr. Diamondpilot recommended, but none of my local places carried them and wanted a bunch of money to get them. I think I paid $30 a piece for the black doughnuts on there now.

My rationale (right now) is this: Don't spend a bunch on the tires and just change them more often. Don't wait for one to fail. My luck is that it will go in a tunnel or on a bridge or something.

The big problem with trailer tires is the combination of age and neglect...that's where the failures come from. My travel trailer is on jack-stands over the winter and is used at least once a month over the summer. The absolute longest I'm going to keep these tires on the trailer is 4 years, failure or not. You may save a handful of dollars keeping them on there longer, but you're tempting fate. AND it'll cost you more in time and inconvenience (as well as potential damage) to have a tire failure at interstate speeds.

Replace them with a radial of one-step higher load range, if possible, and roll with it.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Jack stands and age are the best things you can do for a trailer tire. Also when you buy a set of trailer tires have them show you the date code on each tire. I have bought new tires that were 3 years old. Worst time to buy trailer tires is in the spring. They are already nearly 1 year old and as we know rubber breaks down with time.

Now $30 is cheap Keith. I have not paid less than $60 per tire, even in smaller 14" size, in over 10 years.


Chris

 

[Toyboy]

Your right on watching the date codes. My 3 Goodyears were 4 months old when I bought them. That was the first thing the wife checked when I brought them home. LOL:laughing: