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Trailer Tire Recommendation?


Brent Wall

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My 2013 Boatmate tandem axle trailer came with the standard Trail America ST205/75R14 tires.  However, I am not pleased with them.  I had to replace one after the first year because the tread was separating and I now I have another that needs to be replaced.  I presume this is why Trail America tires are no longer on the market and Boatmate has changed their standard tire to another brand (Grand Ride).

I usually take 6 or 8 long trips with the boat during the season.  I don't want to personally experience any of the horrific stories that numerous other crew members have posted so I am inclined to replace them all.  Of course, the first place I looked for buying advise was TMC.  However, I'm finding it difficult to draw any reasonable conclusion from the posts here because it seems that for every recommendation there are an equal number of posts about failures.

Am I missing something here or is there a de-facto leader or two that I'm just missing?

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I've had good luck with Kendo tires from etrailer.com. Do yourself a favor and step up to the D rated tires when you replace them, the c rated are on the hairy edge once you figure the actual weight of what you are hauling.

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I also have a 2013 boatmate trailer under the boat I just bought.  Mines a triple axle, and I too noticed some issues with the original Trail America tires.  on mine one tire has been replaced and is mismatched,  another has a nasty spot in the sidewall that looks like it's about to blow, and another I found has a nail in it... So I'm looking to replace the whole set also.... I am leaning towards the Greenball tires, I've read lot of good things on them and Costco seems to have a pretty good deal on them too.

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  • 4 weeks later...

After much research, I decided on the Kenda Karrier 205/75R14 Load Range D tires.  This was the only 205/75R14 Load Range D tire that I could find on the market.  Load Range D tires are 8 ply and rated for 2,040 lbs versus Load Range C tires that are 6 ply and rated for 1760 lbs.  I realize that Load Range C may have been sufficient but I feel better with the additional margin of error.  In addition, the best price I found on the Load Range D tires was actually a couple of bucks less than the same tire in a Load Range C.

I bought them online from Trailer Tires and Wheels for $74 each including shipping.  (http://www.trailertiresandwheels.com/205/75-r-14-load-range-d-kenda-karrier-radial-trailer-tire)

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On ‎4‎/‎21‎/‎2016 at 3:22 PM, ilovetrains said:

 They are one a few that are manufacturer rated higher than 65mph.

Is this true? I thought by definition, all trailer tires were rated at 65mph.  I know that Goodyear says you can run theirs 75mph it you increase the pressure, but they are limited to 65 at the pressure listed on the sidewall.

36 minutes ago, Brent Wall said:

After much research, I decided on the Kenda Karrier 205/75R14 Load Range D tires.  This was the only 205/75R14 Load Range D tire that I could find on the market.  Load Range D tires are 8 ply and rated for 2,040 lbs versus Load Range C tires that are 6 ply and rated for 1760 lbs.  I realize that Load Range C may have been sufficient but I feel better with the additional margin of error.  In addition, the best price I found on the Load Range D tires was actually a couple of bucks less than the same tire in a Load Range C.

I bought them online from Trailer Tires and Wheels for $74 each including shipping.  (http://www.trailertiresandwheels.com/205/75-r-14-load-range-d-kenda-karrier-radial-trailer-tire)

I like the idea of running load range D tires, but at the load range C pressure.

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On 5/17/2016 at 5:01 PM, MadMan said:

Is this true? I thought by definition, all trailer tires were rated at 65mph.  I know that Goodyear says you can run theirs 75mph it you increase the pressure, but they are limited to 65 at the pressure listed on the sidewall.

I like the idea of running load range D tires, but at the load range C pressure.

A load range D tire requires 65 PSI for proper inflation.  At load range C pressure (50 PSI) they would be significantly under inflated and result in excessive wear on the outside edges of the tire.

 

On 5/17/2016 at 5:44 PM, Murphy8166 said:

Kumho trailer tire

If you're talking about the Kumho 857s...  Good luck finding them.  None of the tire dealers in my area nor their distributors had them.  I couldn't find a single online source for them either.   Tire Rack used to carry them but they don't any longer.

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3 hours ago, Brent Wall said:

A load range D tire requires 65 PSI for proper inflation.  At load range C pressure (50 PSI) they would be significantly under inflated and result in excessive wear on the outside edges of the tire.

The pressure indicated on the side of the tire is not the recommended pressure, it's the max pressure, just like a car tire.  If  you inflate to the maximum pressure you could end up with bouncing trailer syndrome and give you boat a rougher ride.  This charts shows pressure vs load:

http://www.goodyearrvtires.com/pdfs/rv_inflation.pdf

 

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2 minutes ago, RTS said:

Trailer tires should ALWAYS be inflated to max allowed pressure as stated on the sidewall.  Whole different beast than passenger car tires.

Goodyear states "Inflation pressure should be adjusted to handle the tire carrying the heaviest load, and all tires on the axle should be adjusted to this pressure." in there documentation and then shows the trailer tire inflation chart.  It's not always the maximum pressure.

See page 9:

http://www.goodyearrvtires.com/pdfs/tire-care-guide.pdf

 

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18 minutes ago, MadMan said:

The pressure indicated on the side of the tire is not the recommended pressure, it's the max pressure, just like a car tire.  If  you inflate to the maximum pressure you could end up with bouncing trailer syndrome and give you boat a rougher ride.  This charts shows pressure vs load:

http://www.goodyearrvtires.com/pdfs/rv_inflation.pdf

 

Goodyear is one of the only mfg who says that inflating a trailer tire to less than sidewall pressure is ok.

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1 minute ago, MadMan said:

Goodyear states "Inflation pressure should be adjusted to handle the tire carrying the heaviest load, and all tires on the axle should be adjusted to this pressure." in there documentation and then shows the trailer tire inflation chart.  It's not always the maximum pressure.

See page 9:

http://www.goodyearrvtires.com/pdfs/tire-care-guide.pdf

 

Good luck figuring out which tire is carrying the heaviest load and adjusting pressure accordingly.  I have never heard of anyone not inflating dedicated trailer tires (not RV tires...where comfort might be a factor) to the max pressure on the sidewall.   That is where you get you greatest load carrying capacity, so why not inflate to that pressure?  Giving your boat a 'rougher ride' is a far cry better than giving your boat (and you) a night spent on the side of the highway when you blow a tire.  And trust me...even with Goodyear Marathons, you are not going to get any more 'bounce' when inflated to 65 psi...the max on the sidewall...versus 50 or whatever that chart you linked to suggests...provided your boat is still on the trailer.

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27 minutes ago, oldjeep said:

Goodyear is one of the only mfg who says that inflating a trailer tire to less than sidewall pressure is ok.

I agree, Goodyear seems to be one of the few offering more than a load chart at max pressure.  But I would not assume that means I can only run them a max pressure, only if it's a trailer tire.

25 minutes ago, RTS said:

 I have never heard of anyone not inflating dedicated trailer tires (not RV tires...where comfort might be a factor) to the max pressure on the sidewall.  

Well, You've finally met the master.

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I just installed some Towmax tires.  My good boating buddy has had them on his Supra trailer for 5 or 6 years and lots of trips to Norris (4 hour tow each way) with zero issues.  They are by far the cheapest tire in terms of price - I ordered on ebay for $197 bucks for all 4, free ship, no tax.  Had Costco install yesterday for $15 each.  Time will tell how well they do.  I store inside out of the sun and keep them properly inflated, which I think makes a big difference.

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On 5/17/2016 at 4:01 PM, MadMan said:

Is this true? I thought by definition, all trailer tires were rated at 65mph.  I know that Goodyear says you can run theirs 75mph it you increase the pressure, but they are limited to 65 at the pressure listed on the sidewall.

I like the idea of running load range D tires, but at the load range C pressure.

Most trailer tire manufacturer list max speed as 65mph.  Greenball, Maxis and Goodyear have higher ratings, though it does vary by tire.  Mine are rated at 75mph.  I would not want something less.

 

I actually spoke with an engineer at Greenball years ago, and he sent me a chart at the time about tire pressure and speed.  He confirmed that their max speed was at max tire inflation per the sidewall.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On April 19, 2016 at 7:28 PM, oldjeep said:

I've had good luck with Kendo tires from etrailer.com. Do yourself a favor and step up to the D rated tires when you replace them, the c rated are on the hairy edge once you figure the actual weight of what you are hauling.

I was going to ask about class d.  I have 14" rims so I can't do light duty truck tires like I wanted too.  Will class d prevent all the trailer tire problems people have? 

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43 minutes ago, racer808 said:

I was going to ask about class d.  I have 14" rims so I can't do light duty truck tires like I wanted too.  Will class d prevent all the trailer tire problems people have? 

They help in that they are rated to carry more load, so they are less likely to come apart. Also helps you survive some lost psi since they are still capable of handling your actual load.

they can ride a little rougher, but not going to be any worse than running 18's

 

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  • 2 years later...
On 5/17/2016 at 3:23 PM, Brent Wall said:

After much research, I decided on the Kenda Karrier 205/75R14 Load Range D tires.  This was the only 205/75R14 Load Range D tire that I could find on the market.  Load Range D tires are 8 ply and rated for 2,040 lbs versus Load Range C tires that are 6 ply and rated for 1760 lbs.  I realize that Load Range C may have been sufficient but I feel better with the additional margin of error.  In addition, the best price I found on the Load Range D tires was actually a couple of bucks less than the same tire in a Load Range C.

I bought them online from Trailer Tires and Wheels for $74 each including shipping.  (http://www.trailertiresandwheels.com/205/75-r-14-load-range-d-kenda-karrier-radial-trailer-tire)

 

On 5/17/2016 at 3:43 PM, oldjeep said:

That is a great price.  I've been paying $100 a piece from eTrailer

I have to order 4 new tires since I just had a Carlisle tire seperate this weekend.  While searching I found the Kenda's here for almost 1/2 price of Etrailer:

https://simpletire.com/kenda-st205-75r14-09r031427d1-tires

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One thing I can say about the Carlisle trailer tires, once the ttead comes off, they are pretty tough!  I made it 30 more miles at highway speeds on just a little rubber and the steel belts. The tire didn't wobble or shimmy one bit. It just felt like I ran over someone else's piece of tire for a split second then rode fine.  I did not notice until I was stopped at the campground parking, then immediately put my spare on. Thankfully I had just aired up my spare to max inflation the day before the trip.  This tire was on the front port side of the trailer.

20180619_223709.jpg

20180619_223608.jpg

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6 hours ago, jwl019 said:

One thing I can say about the Carlisle trailer tires, once the ttead comes off, they are pretty tough!  I made it 30 more miles at highway speeds on just a little rubber and the steel belts. The tire didn't wobble or shimmy one bit. It just felt like I ran over someone else's piece of tire for a split second then rode fine.  I did not notice until I was stopped at the campground parking, then immediately put my spare on. Thankfully I had just aired up my spare to max inflation the day before the trip.  This tire was on the front port side of the trailer.

 

You were just like a locomotive at that point, steel wheels.

How old was that tire?

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1 hour ago, MadMan said:

How old was that tire?

The tires were almost 6 yrs old per the date stamped on them.  I was pushing it a little too much past the 5 yr mark I guess.

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2 hours ago, MadMan said:

You were just like a locomotive at that point, steel wheels.

How old was that tire?

Don't ever get between jwl019 and the lake.

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

I just picked up my 2013 VTX this weekend and had catestrophic blowout in the first 1.5 hours on the road. 

From what @River Monsters numbers were on another post it would seam that the load range D tires on the single axle itrailer would be a bit under rated. The blow out tore up the fender pretty bad, and my wife was super happy sitting on the side of the road with a 2 and 3 year old for 3 hours while we Tractor Supply saved the day... because there wasn’t a spare on the trailer, which there is now. 

Does anyone know what tires are recommended or come with the eagle single axle trailer? With respect to “load range”. I didn’t see it in the manual. 

Wheels are rated for 2800+ lbs, tires on there are 225 75 R15 D/8 Ply  

Goodyear has some that seem pretty good “E” tire that I may put on there. I don’t want that to happen again.  

Thanks crew. 

A30ED616-DBC7-4303-838B-4DBAF7C7732A.jpeg

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