2 Blow-outs on my trailer 235/80R16E tires.

[slowzuki]

I'd scale it and see, sure sounds like overload. I know its hotly debated but I put used LT load ranges E's on everything now. Seems to be less bad tires in the LT's. I'm about fed up with ST's in the smaller sizes.

 

[Soundguy]

ditto what DP said if both tires on one axle went.

as for tire ages.. it's odd.

my 2001 horse trailer lost 2 tieres otn ehj interstate. tires probably had 400m on them since new.. but they just got soft.. my flatbed ont he other hand has 3 of the 4 original tires on it from 2000 they are well worn and I will only drag her in city till i repalce them. spare is better tread as newer.. but change out and oem's are well worn.. deffinately owe me nothing as they have made MULTIPLE multi state trips and drug home stuff that might make you look the other way on the scales..

( because of that.. i've added a larger GN flatbed to the mix, and haul most stuff on it now.. just leaving the 16' BP for small 'down the road' jobs... like to my farm and back.. 8m etc... stuff I could run in the grass road side allthe way if I had to..

 

[sandman2234]

I went after a large fifth wheel camper a couple weeks ago for a gentleman in the panhandle down I-95 a couple hundred miles. Tires looked great, no dry rot checking. It was sitting in a semi-wet location, but it did have boards under the tires. I stopped about 3 miles down the road and evened out the air pressure from 30 on up to 70 psi. I made it less than 30 miles before the first one went, and another 100 miles later I discovered knots on two more of them. I suggested that the last tire be replaced (couldn't find a third at the time) and am waiting on an answer. I can't see blowing out another and doing damage to the nice camper as a good risk due to the previous three.
I don't think the ST tires are very good at handling their age, as these are original tires on a 2009 camper. They have very limited wear, so mileage isn't a question.
They are the same size as the o/p mentioned.
Another thing I noticed about load range E tires.... check the load rating on them. There seems to be quite a difference in what is printed on the tires. I think I saw anywhere from high 2000's to the 3600 range running single.
David from jax

 

[Diamondpilot]

I went after a large fifth wheel camper a couple weeks ago for a gentleman in the panhandle down I-95 a couple hundred miles. Tires looked great, no dry rot checking. It was sitting in a semi-wet location, but it did have boards under the tires. I stopped about 3 miles down the road and evened out the air pressure from 30 on up to 70 psi. I made it less than 30 miles before the first one went, and another 100 miles later I discovered knots on two more of them. I suggested that the last tire be replaced (couldn't find a third at the time) and am waiting on an answer. I can't see blowing out another and doing damage to the nice camper as a good risk due to the previous three.
I don't think the ST tires are very good at handling their age, as these are original tires on a 2009 camper. They have very limited wear, so mileage isn't a question.
They are the same size as the o/p mentioned.
Another thing I noticed about load range E tires.... check the load rating on them. There seems to be quite a difference in what is printed on the tires. I think I saw anywhere from high 2000's to the 3600 range running single.
David from jax

The problem is not the tires or the age, its the fact that it was sitting with low air pressure. This puts stress on belts/cords and sidewalls. Now when you drove it the 3 miles that about 2,100 revolutions of a standard trailer tire and this is like bending a small piece of metal back and forth 2,100 times, it flexes and eventually snaps.

We always put trailers that have a load on them on Jack Stands if they sit for more than 30 days. We do not do this with empty boat trailers or car haulers but everything else I deal with gets this treatment. This greatly reduces tire failures and the air pressure is keep at max per the side wall. On a load range E that is usually 80 psi.

Chris