Tire questions

[Jim Posz]

Don't know if it's relevant or not, but in 2008 we replaced all the Mission tires on our 2007 Sundance with Goodyear Marathons. A tire dealer ordered them ,and when they arrived they were made in China. We weren't too happy, and there were problems getting them to balance, but we used them. This fall we decided to replace two of these due to premature wear. No blowouts, however.
We ordered new Marathons, same size, load range etc. and when they arrived these were made in USA. They balanced easily, and it'll be interesting to see how they hold up. Curious to know if Goodyear moves production back and forth from China, or if this is a decision based on problems with the imported goods.

Jim Posz HOC#1719
3300SK
'09 Duramax

 

[TireHobby]

I am going to change out the china bombs on my 2011 bighorn 3185 and was wondering whether to put on Michelin XPS Ribs or Goodyear G614 . I keep reading about tire delams and blowouts with Goodyear but not with Michelin. Is that because nobody is running Michelin? Most of the problems seem to be with bigger , heavier trailers if I am reading right .My trailer is not a heavyweight (GVWR 14000) so either tire would be suitable. What is everyone else using?

Rick

The reference provided below is a Government safety document. It is generic but very informative. There is a very short and accurate paragraph labeled as “Tire Size”. Here lies a problem for many people when searching for replacement tires. In the document provided and in your owners manual it will tell you to buy the SIZE tire found on your trailer. Brand has nothing to do with it because the size is the key. The ST in ST235/80R16E is the size and should not be confused with any other such size because the ST tire has a much greater load capacity than the P=passenger and LT=light truck tires even though the LT tires may be branded with the same load range. Load range is a pressure thing not to be confused with a load capacity.

When in doubt about your particular tires check the sidewall for the correct information.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/TireSafety/ridesonit/brochure.html

TireHobby

 

[GOTTOYS]

I don't think the 380# difference in the load capacity between the Power King ST "bombs" I took off and the B.F. Goodrich LTs I put on is what I would call "a much greater load capacity". I really didn't get much information out of the generic gubment document as it pertains to trailer tires. Just my opinion..Don

 

[lwmcguir]

We have had good luck with the newer Michelin trailer tires. Several years ago we blew all of them out or lost the tread on almost every single one. In the last few years both the Goodyear and Michelin have performed well when we stay with the G series on Goodyear and the E's for Michelin.

Blew out a Nearly New E Wrangler on the way to pickup our Augusta a couple of years ago and did a lot of damage to the bottom, fender, wiring, and slide.

I wouldn't put anything on a Coach except a G614 or better or a Michelin. Just from real world experience. If money isn't an object then by all means go to the 17.5 series. All the manufacturers seem to have this range figured out as you see hardly any failures.

 

[caissiel]

I am not sure if I will get in trouble but my trailer GVW is listed at 14000 Lbs and the interior sheet says 15,500 Lbs.
In addition the tires are to be E load rating and the axles are 7000 Rated with G rated tires installed.

It was confusion when I bought it but I did check it out before signing the papers.

I am not sure if I will ever need the 15,500 rating placard so I just left it that way.

 

[Gaffer]

I would probably go with the Michilen if they were not bigger in diameter than my Power Kings. There is not much space between my tires now. If you look at tire weight you will get some useful insight as to construction. The Maxxis tire weighs a lot more than the other ST tires. It is also load rated higher than other ST tires at 3420 lbs. My trailer is light compared to some of ya'all so my needs might not be the same. I have been over the scales serveral times and have about 10,000 on the axels. The E rated Maxxis 3420 x 4 = 1,3680 should give me plenty of reserve.

 

[GOTTOYS]

My research shows that Power Kings weigh 39# each in the 235/80/16 Load range E size. Almost everything out there in a decent tire weighs at lot more than that. Everything I have read says you need a minimum of 1" between tires. My B.F. Goodrich Commercials have about 2" between them. They are the 235/85/16 size as opposed to the 235/80/16 Power Kings. There is also a 245/75/16 available in a lot of brands that would be the same diameter as the Power Kings but are slightly wider. Who would have thought this require so much thought...Don

 

[Gaffer]

Here is a lnk to tire information from an earlier thread:

 

[TireHobby]

Here is a lnk to tire information from an earlier thread:

Your reference is written by “Chris”. He is a regular poster in all tire forums on the RV.NET. Almost all of the information contained in that reference was plagiarized from Barry Smith, a self professed tire expert that has an active blog on AllExperts. Chris posted it (in part) on the NuWa forum and Mike Mitchell took it hook, line and sinker.

Normally Barry Smith’s information is good. In this instance he got confused and printed something that cannot be substantiated. There is NO reserve load capacity in the LT tire or for that matter any tires. What is printed on the sidewall is the maximum amount of load capacity for that tire at the indicated pressure.

Here lies the confusion factor: The automobile industry has a much different set of standards it has to apply. When selecting tires for a particular vehicle the vehicle manufacturer is responsible for setting the tire pressures. They must use a minimum value that is 94% of maximum load capacity of the vehicle. The actual pressure they chose will be for the average total weight of the vehicle under normal conditions. The best way to verify that is to check the tire placard on your car, truck, SUV etc.

The difference between the pressures found on your automotive product’s tire placard and the maximum pressure found on the tire sidewall represents the “reserve load capacity” referred to in the reference.

The design characteristics for the ST tire is so different from other tires it has it’s own prefix (ST) and it just cannot be compared to tires designed for drive and steer axles. It torques in tight turns putting extreme pressures on the sidewalls which are designed to withstand such torque.

TireHobby