New Travel Trailer Tires

[srcooke]

The tires were not any higher that the others, according to the tire monitors. My particular 5th wheel is only available with disk brakes, so they are made to handle some heat, but I don't think that was my issue. I just think it was a bad tire.

[Azdigs]

Originally Posted by babock

I replaced all 5 tires. If I am in the middle of nowhere and have a flat, I want a good tire to get me out of nowhere.

X2. I just put 5 GY Endurance tires on my TT. All my old tires were over 6 years old. Out with the old and in with the new. Not worth the PITA

[dannyabear]

I held my breathe on original westlakes for a year, then changed to Endurance, after 3 years I figured I better change the spare in case I ever needed it

[Jakieboy]

We have had great results at Americas Tire Stores here in California for trailer and truck tires. They are tied in with Discount Tire Stores throughout the country, so their tire warranties are honored at all shops.

[babock]

Originally Posted by rotohead

The other condition that I was told by techs is if the wheel bearings aren't maintained it can cause tire blowouts long before the bearings fail. The added friction, etc. I carry and use every fuel stop is a laser temp tool. $30 on Amazon. Most well worn traveler will know this but maybe some new RVers don't. Check hub temps regularly. It can go from OK-to-bad in a heartbeat.

Repack yearly!

[Summit1]

Did that three days ago on the V-Lite... OEM (Castle Rocks) were almost four years old so a set of five Goodyear Endurance tires went on. It was a bit heartbreaking to get rid of a literally new (but still almost four years old) unused spare... seemed like a waste, but I went for all five anyway. The new tires will probably outlast me, or at least they will last as long as I own the TT.

[Bobh1]

Replaced the Castle Rocks with Goodyear Endurence. Went from 205 to 215. Castle Rocks did not even have 500 miles on them.

[JimEastTexas]

Replace the spare with the Goodyear I had to use my China Bomb spare two weeks ago new never used before blew out after 150 miles. Had no spare at that point on a Sunday afternoon could not get any road services to respond not a good situation on a busy 4 lane highway shoulder.

Replacing spare with Goodyear and bought and extra wheel to have two spares (Goodyear).

[frank4711]

Originally Posted by srcooke

First, you can't pay me enough to put Goodyear tires on my camper. My camper came with Goodyear tires, and one lost the tread, not the air, while heading down I75.
The camper was eight months old. I checked the air that morning, and weighed two weeks before. I run tire monitors on all of my tires. No loss of pressure, no abnormal temperature, but the tread came off and did $4,000 damage to the floor in my camper. Goodyear refused to pay for the tire or the damage. Even the independent adjuster they hired couldn't believe it.
Buy Michelin's the have better ride and will last longer.

What Michelin can you run on a trailer ... Thanks

[Chuck_S]

Unless you're using bling "rims" on your trailer you can order tires mounted on wheels for about $35/wheel more than just tires. Have 'em delivered to the house and put them on yourself while you service the axle bearings and brakes.

Regardless, recreational trailer tires will age out long before they wear out so plan on replacing all 5 tires, not just 4.

-- Chuck

[Eran X. Jones]

We ordered some replacement trailer tires on wheels from Amazon for a utility trailer and they delivered them in 2 separate shipments. Kind of defeated the purpose of buying tires on wheels Amazon. Just saying, check your order boxes before purchasing.

[Chuck_S]

Much of this depends on what in stock at what warehouse. Not normal but not rare. I ordered a set of tires for my car and the fronts came out of Indiana and the rears out of California. Happens.

-- Chuck

[Skidds]

I travel with 2 spare 5th wheel tires. I once hit a rock on Califonia Highway 1 (The coastal highway) and blew both right trailer tires. It was on a Saturday night and no tire store was open, coach-net could not find anyone to replace until monday morning. I dont know if you know the road but it is very narrow and curvy. The state police stationed a car before the corner so that we would not be hit. How since then i have traveled with 2 matching trailer tire for spares. It was the scariest night of our lives. By the way, i use truck tires on the RV, same ones as on my truck Firestone Transforce 3700# per tire. And i have never had another failure. Drive safe.

[Eddie2002]

I replace both spares as well as the four on my trailer. I've had some surprises with tires while traveling with my last trailer, a 2001 Dutchman which finally got traded in for a 2017 Coachmen last month. I have had a tire split or blow up while on the spare tire holder, it was a Goodyear Marathon about six years old with maybe 3000 miles on it. Didn't take any pictures but yes it does happen. I have also had an eight year old Marathon which never saw any use blow out after 75 miles on secondary roads. Now any tire that is over five years gets changed out no matter what it looks like.

[jwfrede]

Originally Posted by Chuck_S

Regardless, recreational trailer tires will age out long before they wear out so plan on replacing all 5 tires, not just 4.

-- Chuck

Hard to do, but I'm working on it. I have 25k on my tires and tread still looks good, plenty of rubber. Also, wear is even. I bought the trailer Feb 2016 and tires are 3315, so tires are about 4 years old already. I'll have about 33k by the time they are 5 yrs old and I doubt the tread will be down. I'll probably change out before next winter's trip to Florida so I expect to get close to 30k. Since the tires will be 4 1/2 years old the spare definitely gets replaced. I may throw the present spare in the back of the truck for a second spare.

Yes, these are the Constancy tires that were original to the trailer. I check tire pressures at the start of almost every day of travel. I target 48-49 psi on max 50 psi tires, as I am not near max tire capacity Trips to FL from PA mean taking pressure down and then back up during trips back and forth. I'll probably get Goodyear Endurance as replacements after reading all the china bomb stories. Although I think most of the problems have probably been form improper tire pressure.

[rlh1957]

Originally Posted by tjwoody

But you’re willing to sell them to someone else? What are you thinking? If they’re not safe for you and your family they aren’t for someone else either. Just my 2 cents.

Leaving them with the tire shop does not assure they get disposed of. Tires can be obtained by resellers and used tire places and are put back on the road.

What I do is save myself the disposal fee they try to tack on, I take my old tires with me. I then find a farmer, fruit grower, field operation that operates off road flatbed trailers on their land. I usually give them the tires and get some produce in return. I wouldn't take more than $40 even if they wanted to pay.
They don't care if they are tread bare as long as they are round.

But you're correct I wouldn't want anyone to have something that I wasn't sold on or trusted. I also don't leave them with tire shop. Remember Cash for Clunkers? That Obama pony was a sham... Many cars in Atlanta ended up back on the road around Atlanta instead of going straight to the crusher.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by rlh1957

Remember Cash for Clunkers? That Obama pony was a sham... Many cars in Atlanta ended up back on the road around Atlanta instead of going straight to the crusher.

Interesting. As I understand how the program worked the Dealer, in order to get his money back the engine had to be destroyed by pouring a product into the crankcase, running the motor until it seized, and then "certify" that the vehicle was rendered inoperative. The VIN number was then reported to licensing departments as "Destroyed" so re-licensing would have been next to impossible. Vehicles removed from the road under that program couldn't have engine parts sold nor could any "rolling chassis" sold. Only certain body parts and the "hull" had to be crushed within 180 days.

To ensure that vehicles traded-in under "cash for clunkers" will not be resold by dealers, the program outlines a procedure for destructively disabling the engine (and thus also precluding the possibility that any mechanical engine components might be salvaged to be used in the repair of any other vehicles): The motor oil is drained and replaced with a sodium silicate solution, then the engine is started and run until the solution, becoming glass-like when heated, causes engine internals to abrade and ultimately seize.[25] In addition, the salvage or scrap facility which acquires the vehicle cannot sell the engine, cylinder heads or a "rolling chassis" from the scrap vehicle. The salvage or scrap facility can sell any other component (including the transmission and axles) from the scrap vehicle separately and may dismantle and warehouse the parts. The "hull" of the vehicle must be crushed within 180 days. Cut off or unbolt front end assemblies may be saved and sold at a later date, as well as the "top and back" of pickup cabs.

To avoid clunkers declared under the CARS program that could also find their way back onto the used-car market through surreptitious means, the federal government set up the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) to track totaled vehicles and prevent their resale. By October 2009, 28 state motor-vehicle agencies participated or contributed to NMVTIS, and 11 others were working toward participation. All states were required to be fully participating by January 1, 2010.[28]

The CARS program required that recyclers report the Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) and the status of clunker to the NMVTIS within seven days of acquiring the vehicle.[29] The searchable database (for a fee) contains information on vehicles from insurance companies, junkyards, and salvage yards

My guess is that no more vehicles were diverted from the CARS program and resold than stolen vehicles that have had VIN's altered and resold by unscrupulous used car dealers. The government learned from a similar program run earlier in Germany where cars were turned in, credits issued, and then cars were shipped to Africa and Eastern Europe.

[NMWildcat]

Originally Posted by tjwoody

But you’re willing to sell them to someone else? What are you thinking? If they’re not safe for you and your family they aren’t for someone else either. Just my 2 cents.

Chill. Lots of uses for old RV tires that don't endanger anybody.
I either give my old RV tires away or sell them. I advertise exactly what they are; aged out RV tires that are still good tires for utility trailers used around town or on the farm.
My BIL still has some tires on his trash trailer that I gave him four years ago. So that makes them 9 years old.
Lots of great, safe ways to repurpose used tires.

[DNA Dan]

Anyone know the proper way to incorporate a single spare tire into the tire rotation on a dual axle trailer?

[rlh1957]

I have no reason to rotate a tire that just goes round and round the same as all the other tires on the trailer and is not a steering tire subject to uneven ware. But we are all free to do what works best for us and no way is the wrong way in this instance.