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Old 12-22-2013, 09:53 AM   #1
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why not car tires

why not use high mileage car or truck tires on trailers? i can't believe trailer tires don't last any longer than they do. car tires face ten times as much abuse due to heat, cold, high mileage, fowlweather,etc. the tires on my truck have over 65k miles, and are 6 years old . they still have 1/2 of the tread left and the rubber looks as good as new. i have car tires on my flat bed trailer with no problems. it has been all over the mid west and to the east coast. just asking. what am i missing here. bill
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Old 12-22-2013, 10:30 AM   #2
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How long is this flat bed and what does it weigh empty.
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Old 12-22-2013, 10:53 AM   #3
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From my understanding it has to do with the sidewalls.
I believe the sidewalls in cars & trucks are thinner/softer and designred more so for comfort, whereas trailer tires are thicker and stiffer and designed for weights and the sway of the trailer.

I really dont know the specifics, but I know using passenger tires for trailer tires is not a good thing.

I'm sure someone here can tune us all into the actual facts.

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Old 12-22-2013, 11:14 AM   #4
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I also wonder about that. I know many motorcycle riders use car tires on the rear of the bike. It is mostly Gold Wings and other large touring bikes. I understand why they do it with MC tires costing upwards of $150 and car tires at $60-70, plus a MC tire is good for ~~12,000 miles while a car tire goes 40,000+. And, many of them use run flat tires.

How about run flat tires for an RV trailer?
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Old 12-22-2013, 12:22 PM   #5
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Most of the passenger car tires I've seen don't have anywhere near the load rating of the ST tires. I can understand folks using LT tires but not passenger "P" tires.
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Old 12-22-2013, 12:55 PM   #6
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the thinner side wall does make sense, but the deteriation of the tir and rubber does'nt. sounds like they use cheap materials in trailer tires.
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Old 12-22-2013, 01:28 PM   #7
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I wouldn't recommend car tires on a trailer, but my dad took the tires off his 74 Ford LTD and put them on his 1978 24' Coachman and literally towed it from MO to TX to CA to WA to Nova Scotia and back to MO with no problems. I sure wouldn't have tried it, but he was successful doing it.
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Old 12-22-2013, 05:00 PM   #8
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Car tires (Passenger=P) can be mounted on trailers up to 9,999#. The drawback is their size and the fact they MUST be derated by about 10%. Most often wheelwell and axle spacing clearances cannot be achieved with the larger P tires. However, the P tires are frequently used quite successfully on Airstream trailers. You can visit their forum and read all about them. They seem to like the Michelin brand. They like the softer ride provided by the more flexible P tires.

The tire of choice is the P235/75R15XL with the highway all-season tread design. That tire is 28.9" tall with a section width of 9.3" and it will fit on 6" wide rims. It's load capacity is 2183# but that figure must be derated by dividing it by 1.1 to get the acceptable value for trailer service of 1984# at 50 psi.

Most of the trailers that tire is used on are under 7500# GVWR and dual axle.

Note: ST tires have a sidewall construction to help eliminate sway. A light truck tire does not have that construction. The ST tire sidewall construction is stiffer than P tire sidewall construction but softer than LT tire sidewall construction. The best way to confirm that is to pick-out a popular LT tire manufacturer and send them an e-mail.

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Old 12-22-2013, 07:22 PM   #9
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load rating has a lot to do with it. Also your car tires aren't drug sideways during turning like on a dual or triple axle trailer. Different construction. Is a shame that we only get 1/10th the mileage out of them when they cost the same and are "Made in China"
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Old 12-22-2013, 08:01 PM   #10
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I run 235/75r16 LT's Load Range E and have never had an issue. With that said, trailer purpose tires say on them "for trailer use only". Ever wonder why? This takes away the liability from tire manufacturers if someone ran them on a vehicle and experienced a blowout. They simply are not built to vehicular standards and the manufacturers know this.
You can not beat the reliability and service from a truck tire when compared to a "trailer use only tire". Always check and make sure you have a high enough load range and check your pressures. Good luck with whatever you choose.
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Old 12-22-2013, 08:23 PM   #11
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that is the only exception. You can get away with that with 16in rims, but most trailers don't have the room for that much tire. My dad has them on his 5th wheel cattle trailer and last forever.
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Old 12-22-2013, 09:17 PM   #12
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My local tire shop told me the reason why trailer tires say for trailer service only is because the are made to carry a rolling load and are not designed to have a twisting force put on them. So for example if they were put on the front of a front wheel drive car or on the rear of a rear wheel drive vehicle. That the twist from the torque coming off the drivetrain will damage trailer tires.
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Old 12-22-2013, 09:34 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wyo700 View Post
My local tire shop told me the reason why trailer tires say for trailer service only is because the are made to carry a rolling load and are not designed to have a twisting force put on them. So for example if they were put on the front of a front wheel drive car or on the rear of a rear wheel drive vehicle. That the twist from the torque coming off the drivetrain will damage trailer tires.
I think the heavy load and dragging sideways in turns is way more strain on a tire than most cars are capable of
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Old 12-22-2013, 09:57 PM   #14
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Car and truck tires are designed for traction, smooth ride (soft sidewalls), and regular use (so for high mileage have less internal lubricants in the rubber). Frequent use circulates the additives in the vulcanized rubber to keep the tires flexible yet give the best mileage.

Special Tires (ST) are designed with tread patterns for low rolling resistance for better MPG while towing, stiff sidewalls for high resistance to sway and twisting moments, ten times the lubricity additives to keep the rubber soft for long periods of non-use followed by short periods of operation at high speeds.

If you would like the absolute straight "skinny" on this topic feel free to contact the RV Safety Center tire engineer below:

Walter C. Cannon
Executive Director
RV Safety & Education Foundation
www.rvsafety.com
Ph. 321-453-7673
Fax 321-453-3853

Everything else is "Caveat Lector"
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Old 12-22-2013, 10:05 PM   #15
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that all sounds good, except for the 10 times the lubricity part when you can almost watch them dry rot....
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Old 12-22-2013, 10:13 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by davel1971 View Post
that all sounds good, except for the 10 times the lubricity part when you can almost watch them dry rot....
Treat your car tires the way most folks treat their trailer tires and you will see what I mean. Try parking your car for a year on the lawn; then one week in the summer start it up and take it out on the highway at 70 MPH.
Then park it back in the grass for another year. I doubt it will last through the second time you drive it.
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Old 12-22-2013, 10:24 PM   #17
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I didn't say I doubted you, just makes the whole rapid dry rot thing make no sense
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Old 12-22-2013, 11:05 PM   #18
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What's the difference between taking off snow tires and letting them sit for 6 months then putting them back on your vehicle... then putting your summer tires back on after sitting 6 months?
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Old 12-22-2013, 11:25 PM   #19
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What's the difference between taking off snow tires and letting them sit for 6 months then putting them back on your vehicle... then putting your summer tires back on after sitting 6 months?
Not going to justify it. Just stating the facts as I understand them.
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Old 12-22-2013, 11:37 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by herk7769 View Post
Treat your car tires the way most folks treat their trailer tires and you will see what I mean. Try parking your car for a year on the lawn; then one week in the summer start it up and take it out on the highway at 70 MPH.
Then park it back in the grass for another year. I doubt it will last through the second time you drive it.
That's funny because I do just that. I have a 1994 Dodge that only gets used in the winter months. Sits all summer, spring, and fall. Tires are fine. I top them off with air if necessary and I'm on my way. The tires are about 4 years old now with no signs of failure. Would I trust doing the same with a trailer tire, of course not.
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