TT Tires question.

[Willie]

I've seen some dialog back and forth on TT tires in previous posts.

Our new Wildwood TT came with the "Trail America" tires . I seem to remember, some of you were referring to a bad brand and went ahead and replaced your tires. Was this the brand?

Thanks in advance.

[milzat]

I think the discussion was on Carlisle Tires.

Trail America Limited Warranty and Tire Adjustment Policy

Link to discussion on Trail America failures

I haven't read much on them, but looks as though they may be another Chinese Bomb.

[Willie]

Mike,

Just as suspected, I'll be taking some trips and get some use out of them so I can replace them as well. We don't need any surprises.

I just didn't know if anybody in the forum had any experience with them.

Thanks...

[Olratlr]

Good Luck finding about anything that don't have MADE IN CHINA on it.

[MacDaddy]

Whatever you do run them at their maximum tire pressure and have them balanced!!

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by MacDaddy

Whatever you do run them at their maximum tire pressure and have them balanced!!

I agree totally on balancing them. It is worth the money if you have ever seen unbalanced trailer tires bouncing down the highway.

As to pressure, you should run the tire at the correct pressure for the weight they are carrying. There are many charts for what this pressure is supposed to be.

Having said that, most manufacturers put the cheapest load range possible on their campers and at their max camper weight, the pressure should be at max for that tire.

Running at max when the tire is not loaded at max, however, causes wheel hop (excessive bouncing to your goods inside) due to stiff sidewalls and center tread wear from over inflation. Conversely, under inflation causes wear to the outer edges and excessive heat buildup from unnecessary sidewall flex.

Check with your tire manufacturer's web site for their inflation chart.
Here is a MAXXIS load chart as an example.

Weight your rig hooked up (so pin weight or tongue weight is on the tow vehicle). Divide the weight on the trailer tires by the number of tires on the trailer for the individual tire load. Inflate accordingly to ensure maximum tread contact with the road.

Too much pressure, tire is rounded like a donut and only the center of the tread touches the road. Too little and the tread is cupped in the center and tread contact is only at the edges.

[Mr. Black]

If you are gonna run Chinese tires (which I have for years) I would highly recommend Greenballs. E rated Transmasters. I have never had a failure and don't personally know of any who have.

I agree with Lou. Max pressure isn't always the answer. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't. My current trailer has a set of Ds on it and I run them at max to try and take the flex out of the sidewalls. It is still using all the tread though. At that they run fairly cool going down the highway at 65mph on an 85 degree day.

Good luck with what every brand you decide to go with. I know sometimes tire threads just spin their wheels.

[Herk7769]

I have been told that while the Carisle C rated tires are worse than crap, the D rated tires from the same company are infinitely better. I don't know that to be fact, just what I have been told.

I have Goodyear Marathon D rated St tires made in Georgia, USA on my rims. I run them at 55 PSI which is slightly higher than the C rated tires I replaced (which were maxed out at 50 psi and the weight I run on my way to FL each winter). I feel comfortable that my rims can handle this extra pressure (they are stamped 50 psi max). I am told the factory aluminum rims can handle 60 psi)

I also like the extra belts on the D rated tires which add strength to the tire and I feel give some me some extra insurance to road hazards.

[MacDaddy]

Thanks for the info Herk! I have been thinking about replacing my Carlisle tires as they have had some cupping problems both inside and outside edges of all 4 tires. It seems to have gone away since balancing them. Would like to go with a good radial but am limited to the amount of space and I would have to increase the size of the tire to get a radial.

Printed out the chart thanks again for the info.