Yes. For all I know, they drove from the factory, parked it outside for a year on gravel, through winter, (yes, apparently my 2014 was built in mid-March 2013) and delivered it without ever checking the tires. The service guy said: " They are built to sit." I'd like him to put my tires on his trailer and drive on a hot summer vacation. Obviously, dealer problems more than factory on this issue.Thanks for the input.
Tire inflation and safety
- Thread starter CeeCee99
- Start date
What do you mean? No worries?
We can look at it pragmatically.
Let's say your new trailer came home as it did from the factory (from a weight standpoint). Heartland's site shows it as having the following dry/empty weights (we'll use these for this discussion):
6,795 lb. weight - 788 lb. hitch weight = 6,007 lb. weight on all the tires, or we'll round it to 1,500 lb on each tire.
Heartland's site also shows that the trailer is equipped with ST225/75R15-D tires. A quick trip through Tire Rack shows two brands available in that size: Towmax and Goodyear Marathons. Both have the same weight ratings: 2,540 lb. at 65 psi.
I found a load vs. inflation document for Goodyear RV tires on their website, and it lists the weight rating as 2,150 lb. at 50 psi. Given your trailer has nowhere near that amount of weight on any tire, I think it is safe to say that you have suffered no damage at this point. I would be inclined to just air them up to 65 PSI (before you head out on your next adventure) and enjoy your trailer.
It's a somewhat common misconception that one should automatically air up all tires to the maximum listed on the sidewall. Were I to do that on my truck, it would ride like a rock and would really offer me no more, as even at 65 psi, I'm well above the pressure needed to support the weight loaded on each tire.
Just remember that most trailer tires have a 65 MPH limit on them which is where the weight ratings of the tires are based. Cruise down the road at 75 MPH and all bets are off.
Let's say your new trailer came home as it did from the factory (from a weight standpoint). Heartland's site shows it as having the following dry/empty weights (we'll use these for this discussion):
6,795 lb. weight - 788 lb. hitch weight = 6,007 lb. weight on all the tires, or we'll round it to 1,500 lb on each tire.
Heartland's site also shows that the trailer is equipped with ST225/75R15-D tires. A quick trip through Tire Rack shows two brands available in that size: Towmax and Goodyear Marathons. Both have the same weight ratings: 2,540 lb. at 65 psi.
I found a load vs. inflation document for Goodyear RV tires on their website, and it lists the weight rating as 2,150 lb. at 50 psi. Given your trailer has nowhere near that amount of weight on any tire, I think it is safe to say that you have suffered no damage at this point. I would be inclined to just air them up to 65 PSI (before you head out on your next adventure) and enjoy your trailer.
It's a somewhat common misconception that one should automatically air up all tires to the maximum listed on the sidewall. Were I to do that on my truck, it would ride like a rock and would really offer me no more, as even at 65 psi, I'm well above the pressure needed to support the weight loaded on each tire.
Just remember that most trailer tires have a 65 MPH limit on them which is where the weight ratings of the tires are based. Cruise down the road at 75 MPH and all bets are off.
JohnD
Moved on to the next thing...
No . . .
What I am saying is that there are too many fear mongers trying to scare the living daylights out of us about tire issues that are not as commonplace as they want us to believe.
Keep an eye on your tires and tire pressure . . . not your blood pressure!
Unless ordered by your doctor, of course!
Don't let this ruin your RV'ing fun.
You can have a tire blow inward and you will never know it an no damage will occur.
Ok. Thanks. The tire is Trailer King ST225 75R15. Goodyear says running underinflated causes undue stress on sidewalls, a key component of trailer weight support both parked and on the road. Can cause a blowout if the sidewalls are compromised in this way. Not about can it carry the load but potential damage from running low and overflexing sidewalls.
Yep, had that happen on a single axle trailer. About 3 seconds later the trailer slide to one side hit the edge of road bounced about twice and flipped on its side. There was damage believe me.
Thank you all for your thouhhts andcexperiences. Tredit Tire is the distributor of the tires to Heartland and I have talked to them . I will call tomorrow to get in touch with manufacturer, but running underinflated does create a potential problem with safety and warranty. I'll let you know what I find out.
caissiel
Senior Member
All my tire failures occured with 225,15 and they were rated 2540 on 5 k axles. The rear tires failed most of the time. I concluded that it was road hazard problem. I replaced 2 Calisle tire due to bulges.
The LTs were rated for 1920 lbs at 50 psi.
I aired them at 60 psi and solved my tire problem.
ST tires don't have enough protection on the thread surface and hazards on the road damage then much faster then heavier LTs.
I will never install STs on my trailers for that reason.
Last year I bought 4 18" wheels for my truck to have stronger tires. They had good used tires on, but last month one of them broke a belt on the rear tire with trailer loaded.
I removed them and re installed the stock 17".
I have driven radials for 40 years and never experienced tire damage on my cars/truck.
I conclude they were run under required pressure and it was disaster waiting to happen.
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The LTs were rated for 1920 lbs at 50 psi.
I aired them at 60 psi and solved my tire problem.
ST tires don't have enough protection on the thread surface and hazards on the road damage then much faster then heavier LTs.
I will never install STs on my trailers for that reason.
Last year I bought 4 18" wheels for my truck to have stronger tires. They had good used tires on, but last month one of them broke a belt on the rear tire with trailer loaded.
I removed them and re installed the stock 17".
I have driven radials for 40 years and never experienced tire damage on my cars/truck.
I conclude they were run under required pressure and it was disaster waiting to happen.
Sent from my LG-LS720 using Tapatalk
Jim.Allison
Well-known member
Hi All
Just 2 cents here; A cursory review of travel trailer blogs will indicate a tire problem exist within the industry. Some brand names pop up more than others. We cannot draw any statistical conclusions from this observation, because most of those tires are private label and can only be tracked back to the actual manufacturer through the serial number. But we can combine that with our personal experience. I bought my BC3650RL last fall. I picked it up in Ohio and pulled it back to San Antonio. On my next "shakedown" cruise I blew a tire 50 miles into the trip. Since I'm a newbie, I tend to watch every detail, checking my cold tire pressures among the details. Sooooooooo since I lost a TowMax within 1650 miles I started checking the internet and ran into this huge controversy. All I got to say is; "Where there is smoke there is fire." I dont think that I will stick with a tire system that is obviously inadequate and resulted in $2000 in damage to a brand new rig. Most of the wheels that come with the 16 inch China bombs, are rated at 3750 LB and 110 PSI while the tires are only 3520 at 80 psi. My suggestion is to immediately go to the Goodyear G614, rated at 3750 at 110 PSI, which will immediately improve your tire system by 1000 lbs. forget about the LT/ST controversy, the G614 is a trailer tire even though it says LT. If you have a big rig, and you intend to do some real traveling, I strongly recommend buying 17.5 inch wheels and running the G114 tire. This will eliminate all doubt and these tires will last the lifetime of your rig. If you seriously think that you are going to pull your rig around on a tire that weighs 35 lbs while the tire on the truck that you pull your rig with, weighs 60 lbs, keep thinking. That China bomb will be wrapped around your axel soon enough. IMHO
Just 2 cents here; A cursory review of travel trailer blogs will indicate a tire problem exist within the industry. Some brand names pop up more than others. We cannot draw any statistical conclusions from this observation, because most of those tires are private label and can only be tracked back to the actual manufacturer through the serial number. But we can combine that with our personal experience. I bought my BC3650RL last fall. I picked it up in Ohio and pulled it back to San Antonio. On my next "shakedown" cruise I blew a tire 50 miles into the trip. Since I'm a newbie, I tend to watch every detail, checking my cold tire pressures among the details. Sooooooooo since I lost a TowMax within 1650 miles I started checking the internet and ran into this huge controversy. All I got to say is; "Where there is smoke there is fire." I dont think that I will stick with a tire system that is obviously inadequate and resulted in $2000 in damage to a brand new rig. Most of the wheels that come with the 16 inch China bombs, are rated at 3750 LB and 110 PSI while the tires are only 3520 at 80 psi. My suggestion is to immediately go to the Goodyear G614, rated at 3750 at 110 PSI, which will immediately improve your tire system by 1000 lbs. forget about the LT/ST controversy, the G614 is a trailer tire even though it says LT. If you have a big rig, and you intend to do some real traveling, I strongly recommend buying 17.5 inch wheels and running the G114 tire. This will eliminate all doubt and these tires will last the lifetime of your rig. If you seriously think that you are going to pull your rig around on a tire that weighs 35 lbs while the tire on the truck that you pull your rig with, weighs 60 lbs, keep thinking. That China bomb will be wrapped around your axel soon enough. IMHO
Bohemian
Well-known member
Proper tire inflation is critical. Excessive low pressure is much more damaging to a tire than excessive high pressure. That said, proper tire inflation needs to be MATCHED to load. If the left and right loads are different, then you need to inflate both sides the same to match the greater of the two loads, The maximum tire inflation pressure is NOT the proper inflation pressure unless you have the maximum load on the tires. It is a maximum. If it were the proper tire inflation pressure for all applications it would not say maximum. It would say simply "Inflation Pressure".Over inflation will lead to excessive wear, especially in the center of the tire, and a harsh ride, with less adhesion to the road due to a reduced contact surface. Under inflation will lead to excessive wear, especially on the outside of the tire, excessive flex and bounce and excessive heat leading to early failure. Proper inflatio9n will give the optimal ride and wear with even wear across the tread and maximum adhesion to the road.Consult the tire manufacturer for the load vs pressure chart.
I follow the "smoke means fire" inclination. I also know we all have to weigh advice, ratings, and make a decision. I have aTT, which is lighter than a 5er, but more vulnerable in handling in the instance of tire failure. As someone said earlier, IF my dealer takes any responsibility for the underinflation, they might just swap my tires from another TT and pass potential problems to someone else. My BEST option is probably to buy my own decent replacements. Nonethelesd, I'll let you know what Trailer King/Tredit have to say about the dealer delivering a set of tires 24% underinflated. For you about to purchase any RV, dont assume the dealer has prepared your unit for travel and do all your checks anyway!
porthole
Retired
Just a thought, "perhaps" your trailer actually had the correct pressure when it left the plant, and I am thinking the odds are fairly good they were inflated correctly at that point.
The trailer sat in the lot for a few weeks and then someone picked it up and delivered it to your dealer - where it sat for a year.
Losing 15 psi over a year I would think is not that uncommon.
Shame on the dealer for not actually airing up the tires when it was delivered to you.
But, it is incumbent on us to check our own tires before any trip. The tires on trailers are not the same tires (or have the same "reserve") that are on our cars and trucks.
And another thought - don't ask - don't tell.
Why even take a chance and potentially void your warranty?
Personally, 75 miles, unloaded, not excessively hot, I would not worry about it. Even if the tires were at the proper inflation, you could still have issues.
More good things to consider. My dry weight is 86% of GVWR- a14% difference. The tires were 24% underinflated. So far, the tire company doesnt have my specific info. I hope I can at least impress upon the dealer to never let this happen again. BTW, I discovered my trailer was manufactured 12 monthe before purchase, so the tires were sitting for nearly that long at the dealer.
JohnD
Moved on to the next thing...
Good luck with that . . .
Chances are they will not ever give it another thought once you hang up the phone!
True. But I have the chance to make an impression as my gray tank blew today and I am taking it in tomorrow. A long, long list of issues. I'll create another post to see if it is "normal" for a new trailer.
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It is my opinion that the standard equipment tires installed by the factory are "delivery tires only". Your services guys quote "They are built to sit." says an important true factor. You also stated that it swayed alot during the 75 mile drive home which also is a factor as it points to excessive sidewall flex likely due to the under inflation which regardless of outside temperatures will have increased the internal temperature of the tire further shortening the life of the marginal delivery tires the manufacturers install. Since the vast majority of towable RV's are towed to seasonal sites and then never move again why would a manufacturer install anything more than the least expensive tire that barely pass the minimum spec. As has been noted you have no idea how fast the RV hauler drove delivering it to the dealership or what the inflation pressures during delivery. It is your personal comfort and peace of mind that only you can put a price on and will only truly know the cost of if you have a explosive failure along the roadside.
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