18" Trailer Wheel and Tire Durability

[ETN22VLX]

Has anyone had durability issues for tires on the 18" trailer wheels? I tore the sidewall on one of the tires on the trailer for my 2016 22 VLX. I suspect the air pressure was low and the sidewall was pinched between the rim and a rock or crack in the road. Every time we take the boat out we have to drive it up approximately 1/4 mile of gravel road with ruts. Am I better off switching to a smaller wheel and tire with more sidewall? If so, anyone interested in a trade?

https://imgur.com/jNAseMi

https://imgur.com/ucXdhLH

[Nitrousbird]

18" are find and tow nicer.  Under inflation will kill ANY tire.  If you read all the threads with 14" and 15" tires blowing out, you wouldn't have any interest in a downgrade.  

[wdr]

1 hour ago, Nitrousbird said:

18" are find and tow nicer.  Under inflation will kill ANY tire.  If you read all the threads with 14" and 15" tires blowing out, you wouldn't have any interest in a downgrade.  

I have the exact same set up that NB has shown above and love the ride. Going on 8 years on the tires which are due for replacement, but I only tow 1 3/4 miles round trip to the ramp so I can be cheap a little longer than most.

[MadMan]

On ‎7‎/‎2‎/‎2018 at 3:07 PM, ETN22VLX said:

 I suspect the air pressure was low and the sidewall was pinched between the rim and a rock or crack in the road. Every time we take the boat out we have to drive it up approximately 1/4 mile of gravel road with ruts.

The pressure might not have been low, those low profile wheel/tire combos aren't very forgiving.  You can bend a rim easier with those also.

If I were you, I'd switch.  It's no accident commercial and trailer tires aren't manufactured with a stylish low profile.