Tire problems Flagstaff 5th wheel

[Rxdave]

I need tire advice. I have a 2009 Flagstaff 5th wheel classic lite 8526RLS. Over the past two months I have had two tires blow out doing major damage to the trailer. They are the OEM tires less than 3 years old and 3000 miles. The name on the tire is Ultra GCT made in China.

The Forrest River sticker states to inflate the tires to 50 psi cold. I do this prior to every trip and check them on a regular schedule. The camper is stored in a garage year round.

The roadside service technician told me the tires where underrated for these trailers. He states I should be using a 10 ply 80 psi tire and manufactured by Good Year, Michelin or Firestone.
Thanks for any advice.

[donn]

What you have is tires that were manufactured in China. They are known to be extremely problematic. There are literally thousands of posts on this subject.
Now as to how to fix the problem?
What are is the current size of the tires you have under this RV?
What are the axles rated for?
What is your trailers GVWR?
All of this information can be found on the DOT placard at the left front corner of your fiver. Give us some more information and we will be glad to give you some advise.
I hope you did not buy anything yet??

[LadyWindrider]

Tires are one thing, but the wheels may have a pressure rating also. And if you go with tires that require 80 psi, make sure and get the right valve stems installed.

[Rxdave]

Hi Donn -

No I haven't done anything yet until I get expert advise.

Here is my information

Tires are ST205/75R15/C RIMS 15x5.0JJ

AXLE - Front 3500 lbs, , Rear 3500 lbs

GVWR 8101 lbs

Thanks for your help

[donn]

Originally Posted by Rxdave

Hi Donn -

No I haven't done anything yet until I get expert advise.

Here is my information

Tires are ST205/75R15/C RIMS 15x5.0JJ

AXLE - Front 3500 lbs, , Rear 3500 lbs

GVWR 8101 lbs

Thanks for your help

Good,
I am not really up on 15 inch tires, so I will have to rely on others for the best tire for your wheels.
Now for that tire dealer, RUN from him! It is obvious he is only interested in selling you tires and not getting you what you need or can safely use. Your wheels are probably not rated for 80PSI so that is going to be the first issue you need to look at. Second you need to start doing research on tires. About 95% of the ST tires produced today are Chinese junk, so be very careful of what you choose. If I remember correctly Maxxis is one of the best ST tires around today. Not perfect, but a pretty good reputation. Since you have 3500 pound axles, you only need tires that have a load rating of around 2500 pounds each. I suspect now that you have supplied some more information that others will chime in with some help. As a parting word, check the date code on any tires you buy before they install them, and accept nothing older than six months.

[Dave_Monica]

According to the chart your 205/75/15 C tires are rated at 1820 lbs maximum load at 50 psi. The manufacturer's seem to supply tires that barely exceed the axle ratings of the camper. On our camper, we have 225/75/15 C rated at 2150 lbs infalted at 50 psi on 4000 lb axles.

It wouldn't hurt to replace the original tires with ones of a higher load rating...going from C to D range. Another alternative would upsize to a larger 15" tire if you have room.

Dave

[amxpress]

Maxxis makes a Load Range D tire in your size. A good tire to go with.
Here's their site:
M8008 ST Radial
When you have new tires installed, be sure to have them balanced and you might consider steel valve stems.
Good luck.

[extremebike]

Before you drop your hard earned money on new tires, you need to see the article below.

When financial analysts said that 2009 was a “banner year” for Cheng Shin Rubber Ind. Co., Ltd. in a report published back in May, the market watchers weren’t overstating the facts. But in 2010, when the 2009 results were made public, the Taiwan-based tyre manufacturer which is responsible for the Maxxis brand and Maxxis International companies, announced plans for two new factories, an international standard proving ground and some high profile OE contracts. It was also the year that saw the company move into 10th place in Tyres & Accessories’ annual ranking of tyre manufacturing companies. With all this in mind T&A recently visited Cheng Shin/Maxxis’ Kunshan tyre production plant near Shanghai, China and asked if 2010 was the real breakthrough for Maxxis? And if so what happens next?

As far as I know Michelin is the only brand I found where the tires are not made in China. I went with rib Light truck tires in the load rate rating per the trailer specifications. If you go to TireRack it is easier to compare tires. You may not like the price but I like to drive without worrying about the tires blowing up. There is enough to watch for on the road. Good Luck.

[crocus]

I replaced my factory junk with Maxxis D-rated tires, and they are NOT made in China. The local tire shop where I bought them said they have had excellent results from their customer feedback.

[alageezer]

Originally Posted by Dave_Monica

It wouldn't hurt to replace the original tires with ones of a higher load rating...going from C to D range. Another alternative would upsize to a larger 15" tire if you have room.

Dave

I agree with this statement whole heartely. However, on my Rockwood, about the same as Dave's, my tires are rated for 2150 lbs, but the wheels are rated the same. The Load Range C tires carry 50psi, but the load range D tires (rated at 2500 lbs) require 65psi.

I haven't looked a lot, but I don't believe ST tires come any bigger than 225 in a 15in, and a 15in LT tire is impossible to find. The only alternative is to go to wheels, but I'm scared to look at prices.

[Rxdave]

Thanks for all the advice. Whatever I decide I will keep 2 spares, a jack and lug wrench from now on. However Good SAMs club has been great in providing roadside service. Both times someone arrived within an hour.

[hoovercab]

We had the same problem, 2 trips 2 blowouts and damage to the wheel skirt, underbody trim and wheel well. We could not figure out why. When we looked at the tires they were in good shape with lots of tread left. We then looked at the weight load, and found the problem. We are ok for a empty trailer, but when we loaded with everything they did not meet the GVW. We are about 7600lbs(GVW), the tires on the camper were rated for about 7000lbs. We purchase all new rims and tires(Carlisle) we went to 2150 and D rating even though the trailer says C. We have not had a problem since. The test was about 2 weeks after we drove 9.5 hours in 100 degree weather at highway speeds and not a issue. We learned a new respect for what they go through and the first thing we will check on our next new trailer is the tires first and then the GWV and make sure the proper tires are on the unit. Good luck!

[Rxdave]

Thanks Hoovercab for your response. We essentially did what you did. Changed the rims and went with a D rated tire.

Fortunately a friend mine is a tire dealer and RV owner. He said the tires we had are underrated for the trailer when loaded.

The trailer is now at the body shop for another $2500 body repair for the second time. Allstate has been very good about taking care of the repairs.