Trailer tires

M

mbaker

Joined
Mar 18, 2008
Messages
115
Location
KC MO
Just had a tire let go in my boat trailer. They were Hercules Power St (or something to that effect) and had no problems with them until now. Admittedly they were older than they should be at 10 years as time got away from me.

Question is what is a decent tire right now I should look at. Seems like so many off brand names or tires that look the same but likely just different sellers. They are 175-80-13, tandem axles. In the past it was used a couple thousand miles a year but now more like a few hundred locally.

They are load range C, I see there are now D available but I don’t know that they were overloaded as much as just aged out.
 
For a few hundred local miles per year the next set will most likely age out as well. I'd put on whatever you could find that was cheap with some decent reviews. I've had good luck with Kenda's and Carlisle's.
 
Carlisle Radial Trail are $68 on Amazon, I'd just replace them after 6 years or so.

Discount Tire has them for $80 but show them the Amazon page and they'll price match.
 
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I put Carlisle's on my TT in 2021 and I've have had good luck with them. I plan to save myself the headache and change them every 5 or 6 years, hoping to avoid disaster.

Just my $0.02
 
Maxxis 8008. I have them on our boat trailer and our toy hauler, never an issue, wear even and hold air very well.
 
I will check on those. Any thoughts on the DT 'Hartland'?
A Local shop has quoted me Freestar at around 50$ each.


Do you guys balance your trailer tires. In this case being loaded all the time I don't know if it would make a difference vs unloaded or light load like a car? I would think the load on them would dampen any tendency to want to shake. I as because a couple of different shops I have called have given me both. Some have said not necessary, others say yes do it but ofcourse for 10$ per tire. If no balance I may just have some shpped to the house and swap these over my self the old fashioned way.
 
mbaker said:
I will check on those. Any thoughts on the DT 'Hartland'?
A Local shop has quoted me Freestar at around 50$ each.


Do you guys balance your trailer tires. In this case being loaded all the time I don't know if it would make a difference vs unloaded or light load like a car? I would think the load on them would dampen any tendency to want to shake. I as because a couple of different shops I have called have given me both. Some have said not necessary, others say yes do it but ofcourse for 10$ per tire. If no balance I may just have some shpped to the house and swap these over my self the old fashioned way.
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Yes, balance them. Keep them inflated to max pressure cold, check the pressure every time you use the trailer.
Trailer tires aren't the place to save 60 bucks.
 
Freestars are China Bombs.

M8008 Plus

Optimized tread compound allows for better tread wear and wet/dry traction. Rib pattern design maximizes hydroplaning resistance and minimizes irregular wear Engineered for high-load applications, the M8008 tread compound was specially formulated to minimize heat generation and incorporates...
shop.maxxis.com shop.maxxis.com
 
I have some Walmart China Bombs on my 5th wheel that I haul 6 miles each year to the campground that we like. Sometimes we take it two times per year. I check and correct the air pressure each time I hook it up. Can't just say they look OK. You must check the pressure cause if it isn't correct they get so hot that they fail.
 
Just make sure any tire has the nylon cap (they almost all do) and you will be fine. Make sure the load rating is correct. I buy the cheapest I can find-replace every three to five years (depending on how they look) and don't curb hop, don't drive excesses speeds, and check inflation before I start out.
Curious enough-I have hauled all over the country and haven't had a single issue-NOT A ONE.
 
In web searching it seems like every tire seems to have questionable reviews. The maxxis and Carlisle noted above have reviews with the same issues at times over the past few years. In general it seems like a crap shoot more often than not, one tire that might be considered 'good' a few years later is having lots of issues. I'm sure the Hercules tires I had were likely made overseas as well but I always maintained and made a point of monitoring pressures and speeds and not pushing the weight limit along with being stored out of the sun. It seems like a lot of issues come from the RV community where perhaps the tire rating meets the empty weight of the trailer but once the end used loads it for actual use these may be at or even slightly over the load rating.

As some one mentioned maybe buying a relatively inexpensive (not cheapest) tire but maintaining and replacing every 3-5 years is the easiest route. Most stores I have checked into carry or quote some version of the generic trailer tire (looks like the old goodyear marathon) just with different names molded on the side. Likely all from same factory too I guess.
 
Correct, you will find horror stories on name brand as much as junk tires. You must mitigate the risk with a spare tire, tire changing tools, and proper load weight management at all times regardless of the tire.
 
I just acquired a Ranger Reata 190LS, sitting on a Ranger Trail. The trailer/boat is circa 2015, nothing has ever been serviced. Boat has less than 100 hours on it. It's been sitting in the woods for ~2 years.

Of course, I'm going to replace all three trailer tires. My local shop has Carlisle 10-ply for $135 each, mounted and balanced. They have a "Power King", 8-ply, $108 each mounted and balanced. They swear the Power King gives them zero problems. I have two of them on my Sea Ray 230 trailer, will be doing 2 more soon - that boat stays in Dry Storage and I generally only trailer it once a year (100 miles each way).

The Ranger will see a lot of highway use, I'm not scared to put another $60 in tires if the Carlisles really are worth it.

I am one that does check air pressures each time, I will also carry tools to change a flat efficiently. What I don't want to happen is a blowout coming apart on the highway and it tear up the fiberglass fender on the boat trailer....
 
Power king tow max were quoted to me as well. My search shows a new tire ‘tow max vanguard’ that is supposed to be steel belts and nylon overlays in all sizes not just the bigger ones. For my size they were abiut 60$ vs some if the others at 80-90. I’m considering them and just replace often based on age since we don’t do a lot of long distance running.
 
My opinion is that all currently produced 13” trailer tires are a gamble. I bought a set of 14” wheels and raised the fenders on my boat trailer so I could run Goodyears after a new 13” tire with less than 2000 miles decided to spontaneously delaminate in rush hour traffic on I75 in Atlanta.
 
So far, so good with my Carlisle (Now Carlstar) Radial Trail HD's on my tandem travel trailer (14-inch/Load Range D). They balanced up nicely and seem to pull around just fine at 65psi.

I'm not kind to them as well. We run interstates a lot at 70 mph.
 
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