Hate to do this.. but... tires??

[blwnsmoke]

I've been reading over the past several months about how cheap the tires are for OE and to upgrade. Yes thousands of people don't have blow outs but others do and I know a blowout can usually cause a ton of damage to the camper. My brother in law as a 10k travel trailer that is 9 years old and has never had a blow out so I know it doesn't happen to everyone.

So I don't want to ask the same questions that get asked all the time but it seems I may be in a separate category then others.

My 5th wheel has a GVWR of 14,000lbs and when I looked at my tires, they are rated at 3,560 or just leaving me at 240 pounds over the GVWR.

So I began my quest in looking at other tires options. With my tire size, 235-80-16, the MAXXIS are rated at 3,420 and the Marathons are rated at the same 3,420 per tire essentially reducing my GVWR by 320lbs if I even attempt to max it out.

Dry weight is about 11,300 and although I have not brought it to a scale yet (I will this spring), I'm guessing I'm in the low 13s for weight by the time I add everything (bikes, mini fridge, all hoses/pipes, grill, bedding, pots pans etc etc).

I've tried over the past year to keep my speeds at the max rated of 65mph but sometimes it's just too easy to travel 70-72 on the open highways.

So if I can't get the Maxxis or Marathon tires, why do I go with that has at least a 3,600lbs rating each so I have a little wiggle room for safety??

PS - I'm still researching on my own and reading more threads but I'd love to hear recommendations on the above.

[TURBS]

Your forgetting the additional weight that is carried by your truck not all 14k is on the axles.


2015 Columbus 320RS
2008 2500HD Duramax
2015 nights camped "34"

[blwnsmoke]

Originally Posted by TURBS

Your forgetting the additional weight is carried by your truck not all 14k is on the axles.


2015 Columbus 320RS
2008 2500HD Duramax
2015 nights camped "34"

Great point.. so if my pin weight is 2,200lbs, I need to subtract the pin weight from the total camper weight to determine what the weight is on the tires?

I appreciate the bit of info that didn't even dawn on me.

[ependydad]

First, your tires only carry what your axles carry which is the GVWR less the 15-25% that is carried by the pin. My camper's weight is rolling in just shy of 17,000 lbs. but my axles are only carrying about 14,000 lbs.

Second, make sure that you have space between your tires for the higher capacity tires. They generally have a larger overall outer diameter than the lower carrying capacity (within the same load range). I had less than 2" of space with my Maxxis m8008 @ 3,420 lbs. per tire.

Finally, the major options are possibly a Sailun tire or the Goodyear G614. If I recall correctly, the G614 has 3,600 lbs. of carrying capacity. I think Sailun has an equivalent tire. I didn't look at them extensively as their outer diameters were problematic for me.

OR, you could go crazy and replace the rim/wheel + tire and go with a 17.5" rim and a commercial trailer tire. The ones I'm rolling on have 4,900 lbs. of carrying capacity each.

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by blwnsmoke

Great point.. so if my pin weight is 2,200lbs, I need to subtract the pin weight from the total camper weight to determine what the weight is on the tires?

Yes.

[SKnight]

Because 20ish% of your weight is in the bed on the hitch. So you're not carrying 13,000 on the trailer tires, it's more like 10,500.

So you should have plenty of margin. The scales will tell, but that should be close.

[blwnsmoke]

Thanks, once the snow has melted, I'll take it to the scales and see where we are at. I have everything still packed in there except for clothing and food so I'll be within a few hundred pounds of what we normally have. Once I know that, I'll go back to the Maxis or Marathon.

Much appreciated!!

[spock123]

No matter what kind of tires you buy, the most important thing that you can do is buy a TPMS and put on the tires. Get the TPMS first.


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[ependydad]

Originally Posted by spock123

No matter what kind of tires you buy, the most important thing that you can do is buy a TPMS and put on the tires. Get the TPMS first.

I fully believe that my TPMS fully paid for itself when I got my flat AND prevented it for quite a while before. It would have prevented it entirely if I wasn't such a dumbass.

They don't catch all scenarios, but they do enough for me to agree and consider it essential.

[Blackhat6mike]

I just returned from an 8 hr trip through GA and into Alabama. I traveled I-75, I-85 and I-95 to and from. On the way over, I passed two TTs on the edge of the road with flats and 6 on the way home. Two of the 5th wheels were three axle units and both had blowouts [tires ripped to pieces] on their middle axles.
I don't remember seeing any small, light weight units with flats over the past few years. My Keystone Passport never had a flat in five years and at least 20,000 miles.
It makes me wonder what the correlation might be if not weight alone?
Stopped once to let air OUT of the tires as they were approaching [92psi] "critical mass" [96psi warning] and the ambient temps were going up by 30*. They were brought up to 80psi when I left the CG for the trip home. The temp was 49*
I would never travel again without a TST 507 on my dash. Need to know real time what is going on back there.

[dcheatwood]

Originally Posted by ependydad

I fully believe that my TPMS fully paid for itself when I got my flat AND prevented it for quite a while before. It would have prevented it entirely if I wasn't such a dumbass.

They don't catch all scenarios, but they do enough for me to agree and consider it essential.

I agree with spock and ependy on tire pressure monitoring systems. Mine has gone off twice when I actually did not have a flat. Both times were on the sunny side and psi was higher. I'd rather 100 false alarms over 1 blowout.

[doc73]

Yes and no. Problem with the false alarms is that you eventually ignore the alarm or loose trust in it.. Had this on the way back from Disney. Very annoying to the point we shut it off.

I think the tire issue is a issue for multiple reasons, poor tire construction, over weight or close to overweight trailers, and just driving way to fast. On our 2000miles journey to and from Disney we were passed by many a rv like we were not moving, we were going 60 to 65 at the fastest... 8 of the many that passed us were later repassed as they sat disabled with flats. One passed us, had a blow out.. I guess after the repair REPASSED US just to get another blow out!

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[dcheatwood]

Originally Posted by doc73

Yes and no. Problem with the false alarms is that you eventually ignore the alarm or loose trust in it.. Had this on the way back from Disney. Very annoying to the point we shut it off.

I think the tire issue is a issue for multiple reasons, poor tire construction, over weight or close to overweight trailers, and just driving way to fast. On our 2000miles journey to and from Disney we were passed by many a rv like we were not moving, we were going 60 to 65 at the fastest... 8 of the many that passed us were later repassed as they sat disabled with flats. One passed us, had a blow out.. I guess after the repair REPASSED US just to get another blow out!

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Doc, I've thought about all these reasons too and another that I wonder about is the torquing on the tires when backing into my driveway. It's a 90° tight turn and really twists the tires around. All my blowouts have been belt separation related. You think the torquing may be weakening the tires? I always pull up and back straight again to get them straight before parking. The maxxis i had for 5 years never showed signs of belt separation. Neither have the GY marathons. But the Trail Express had buldging centers within a year. Just wondering.

[doc73]

I seem to think most failures are belt/tread separations. I have a similar approach into my drive, almost a 90.. But trailer tires are supposed to be better at handling this sideways torque than LT and pc tires. I think they are just junk and built way to close to the limits of normal everyday driving. Whether it is safe or not, roads have 65 to 85 mph speed limits... I am sure it is not good doing anything at its max failure limit... Ie trans Temps, rpms, speed or whatever.

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[SeaDog]

Tire pressure from what I know is the single most important factor in how the tire holds up. I have often wondered about TPMS for TT, but have thought because the truck is a long distance from the tires they may not work after reading I guess they do I need to look into that.

[doc73]

Yeah works fine. I have not seen a tpms that is integrated into the TVs electronics but that would be the nicest. Until then I have the little box on the dash and it works very well.

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[banda]

Originally Posted by doc73

Yes and no. Problem with the false alarms is that you eventually ignore the alarm or loose trust in it.. Had this on the way back from Disney. Very annoying to the point we shut it off.

I think the tire issue is a issue for multiple reasons, poor tire construction, over weight or close to overweight trailers, and just driving way to fast. On our 2000miles journey to and from Disney we were passed by many a rv like we were not moving, we were going 60 to 65 at the fastest... 8 of the many that passed us were later repassed as they sat disabled with flats. One passed us, had a blow out.. I guess after the repair REPASSED US just to get another blow out!

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You have good points here, and I think one of the most important is the travel speed. I think there are many people out there that are unaware that most trailer tires are only rated for up to 65 mph. I've never seen a tire that had that information on the sidewall. In fact the way I learned this fact was from forums. I bet there are a lot of people out there who never look at these forums! (And happily cruise the interstates at 75 mph until their tires disintegrate!)

[doc73]

I agree, no one ever told me about the speed rating of my tire.

I also will clarify my weight comment, I meant weight of trailer compared to the load capacity of the tire (very close tolerances) .

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[B and B]

I don't have TMPS and check the nitrogen pressure once a year. Never had a blowout on GY Marathons. Fiver is loaded at capacity as well.

As others mentioned Torque and tread separation is a major issue the secondary one is speed. Over driving the ratings causes faiulure as well.

[jjrver]

If not mistaken Goodyear has a RV tire guide that states the Marathon tires are only to be used on pop ups not 5vers.
Had a 35ft Carriage Cameo before the current Freelander 21QB & it had Marathons, I guess GY updating product line