Kumho Tires

[acadianbob]

Kumho Radial 857

Has anyone tried these Kumho tires? They appeal to me. D rating in a 14" tire and a speed rating of 99 mph. Yes, they are trailer tires.

Like:
1) Extra capacity over my current C rated tires
2) Not worrying about exceeding 65 mph

Not sure I like:
1) Aspect ratio is 80 vs 75 so a little taller tire. Would need to go from 205 to 195 size. But load capacity is still higher. Diameter then the same as current

Before I get the lecture, I normally tow at 60 MPH but there are some long downhill runs where it would be easy to exceed 65 MPH. And sometimes it is tempting to get a "little run" of momentum for the next hill.

So, if anyone has actually tried these tires, I'd like to hear from you. Thanks!

Happy New Year!!

[F and E Damp]

My Kia Sedona came with Kumho tires when new. I replaced them all at 64,000 miles. The fronts were down to the cords on the inside, due to alignment problems. Since we're in Les Schwab country, they were replaced with Toyos. I also put Toyos on the RV when I got it, replacing the 9-year-old Goodyears.

I haven't heard any negatives about Kumho.

[MtnGuy]

Bob, there was a member on the Trailmanor Owners Forum that had 2 blowouts with 3 year old Kumho 857. He also had a blowout with a Goodyear Marathon. Trailmanors are close to the weight limits on the single axle, and there tends to be a lot of blowouts with them. Many members there are going from a 14" tire to a 15" tire to increase tire load rating.....I did that when I had my Trailmanor.

[08flagvlite]

I would love to run 15's, but the gap between the tires on the double axles is pretty small, and I don't think they would fit! Randy

[rthrbelsewhere]

I've upgraded my 13" wheels and tires on the Roo to 14" with this exact tire and have had no problems at all. I realize that I have a different TT, different weight, different roads, etc, but my experience has been really good with these tires. But making this move gave me almost another ton of carrying capacity....not that i'll ever use it, but I wanted more then necessary to allow some breathing room for any bouncing, cornering, etc that would occur. I haven't looked back since.

The original thread for upgrading: http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ions-2760.html

Photos: Picasa Web Albums - Joe Marquez - 2000 Rockwood...

Joe

[acadianbob]

There is only 2" between my tires on the Surveyor with the 14" tires. When I looked at the diameters of 15", I found that there is inadequate clearance. The tires would touch. So, it is 14's for me. I have lots of excess tire capacity even with the C ratings. I don't really need to go to D rating and haven't had any trouble. Just thought the 99 mph speed rating could be an advantage at times. It seems that the real issue with many different brands of tires is how close they are to full load. The heavier the load, the higher likelihood of blowout trouble.

[MtnGuy]

I did not mean for my post to be interpreted that members here should go to bigger wheels and tires. I was just referring to the members on the Trailmanor forum.......except for the biggest Trailmanor, all other models just have 1 axle. Depending on the load and WDH used, many Trailmanors or close or over the load limit on the 14" wheels and tires.....that is why the those members are going to 15" wheels and tires. Trailmanor now uses 15" wheels and tires on all of their models.

I think FR moves to tandem axles more readily with their models as the size and weight increases, so there is not the overloading problem with the trailers here. There should be very few times where a bigger wheel and tire are needed for additional load capacity.

[acadianbob]

Gottcha Chap. I didn't pick up on the single axle comment.

[rthrbelsewhere]

With the higher speed rating normally comes a thicker sidewall with it too. From the failures I had with the 13" wheels on my Roo was not due to the tread being thin, but rather the sidewall. Once you thicken it up with the D rating, the tires are able to withstand more everything - weight, heat, speed, pressure, etc (with proper air inflation of course). Bottom line is...safety. If upgrading to a D rated tire puts you and your family in greater safety going down the road, then I'd say go for it. The extra few dollars for the heavier sidewall is worth it in the end. This will be my second year on these tires and so far, they have not shown any signs of abnormal wear and I notice a real difference in the amount of heat I feel on the tread and sidewall when I pull over after a long haul...much less then the 13's of course. I would estimate that I've put about 3500 miles on these tires so far and should I need a new set, I would definitely buy them again...but that's me and my application specifically. I should also mention that I cover my tires with the covers each time it's parked, so I don't have the sun eating away at my investment. I also purchased the heavier duty air valves for them when I mounted them...same metal lined ones that I put on my Dodge 2500 with E-rated tires. Don't need the valve stem failing while going down the road either. Thanks for letting me chime in on this one.

[acadianbob]

Originally Posted by rthrbelsewhere

Thanks for letting me chime in on this one.

Thank YOU!

[MtnGuy]

Like many tire threads, I am going to add a little about a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS). After an incident with my daughter and son-in-law's trailer during a spring trip, I am a believer that most "blow outs" with trailer tires are actually the tires going flat. Because the trailer is isolated from our tow vehicles, we cannot feel a low tire. A low or flat tire can go for miles before it starts to come apart.......then we notice that puppy after it starts throwing chunks all over the place. Since the tire now looks like crap, we presume it blew out, when actually it went flat and disintegrated.

That's my story and I am sticking to it.

[rthrbelsewhere]

An excellent point!

(2011 to-do list - Research, Evaluate, and Add TPMS to the Roo before spring)

[acadianbob]

Totally agree with you Chap!