New Tires, Jack, and Repair

[Gunny Mike]

I bought 12 ton HF air/hydraulic bottle jack for flats and have used it 1x. I usually carry a compressor, electric impact wrench, and a champion generator on my long hauls. I even have an additional tire along with the spare. At my age I have problems jacking it up manually and love the air feature. A little heavy to move around under the trailer though.

I’ll be buying 5 tires this fall and I’m going with Carlisle.

[wiredgeorge]

Originally Posted by travelin texans

By your way of thinking then jacking it up from the frame raising that single tire off the ground would bend the axle aslo as well as twist the flimsy frame.

As for tires I've used the Carlisles on a couple rvs/utility trailers with very good service.
And like George I've priced the GY Endurance, in my opinion "made in America" didn't make them twice as good a tire, from my experience, as the Carlisles to justify twice the price.

Danny, I told everybody you had gone into witsec. Haven't seen you around for over a week. Welcome back to the zoo....

[fourwalshes]

Thanks for your input. I bought Goodyear Endurance 205/75 R14s this weekend, rather than the wider 215s. My thought is...my Keystone bullet has a wider space between the two axles. They tend to get wonky when making tight turns, backing in, etc. (the shackles and springs also make a lot of noise) Especially on dry pavement. I'm thinking the less tire width, the less friction, the better. No loss, since it calls for 205s, and I've been using 205s all along. the Goodyears seem like good tires. All had a mfr. stamp in July 23. D rated at I think 81mph. 65PSI. (I keep them at 65 PSI cold).
I also ordered one of the ramps to pull up on to make changing tires easier if it happens again. I already have a breaker bar in the truck.
To fix the bottom of the camper above the tires, I sprayed it with bed liner paint. waterproof, durable. Eventually I will put some galvanized metal or aluminum over it.

Thank you all for your input.

[Kzneft]

Some good advise. I went with the Sailun tires, which I love. Got them from my local Big-O tires. Attached is what I went with.

[wiredgeorge]

Originally Posted by Kzneft

Some good advise. I went with the Sailun tires, which I love. Got them from my local Big-O tires. Attached is what I went with.

Sailun tires don't come in 14" or 15" sizes so many have no need to consider this brand. Not sure why they don't as there are more of the smaller sizes sold I am guessing (just guessing).

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by fourwalshes

Thanks for your input. I bought Goodyear Endurance 205/75 R14s this weekend, rather than the wider 215s. My thought is...my Keystone bullet has a wider space between the two axles. They tend to get wonky when making tight turns, backing in, etc. (the shackles and springs also make a lot of noise) Especially on dry pavement. I'm thinking the less tire width, the less friction, the better. No loss, since it calls for 205s, and I've been using 205s all along. the Goodyears seem like good tires. All had a mfr. stamp in July 23. D rated at I think 81mph. 65PSI. (I keep them at 65 PSI cold).
I also ordered one of the ramps to pull up on to make changing tires easier if it happens again. I already have a breaker bar in the truck.
To fix the bottom of the camper above the tires, I sprayed it with bed liner paint. waterproof, durable. Eventually I will put some galvanized metal or aluminum over it.

Thank you all for your input.

You might want to do a "dry run in the driveway" to make sure your "ramp to pull up on" is compatible with the wide stance axle configuration on your trailer.

Those "ramps" advertise they make tire changing easy, and for some trailers, they do. Then, on some trailers, even with the "tall ramp for wide spaced axles" you may find that you need to put a 2x8 under the ramp to "augment the height needed to get the flat tire off the ground.....

Making sure you have "what it takes" before you need it is the key to not being stranded with a flat tire in the middle of nowhere, on a busy road, at night, in a rain storm, with mosquitoes big as birds and snakes hiding in the tall weeds, "hissing with every step you take".... Those ramps, if they aren't tall enough for YOUR SPECIFIC TRAILER AXLE SPACING, are not much help to ward off mosquitoes and snakes..... YMMV

[markdol1]

Originally Posted by CWtheMan

It's a good decision to use the vehicle manufacturers OE designated size as replacements. Keystones, like all other vehicle manufacturers seldom approves a size change from the OE designated size. Remember, an increase in load range is not a tire size change.

Not all ST tires have nylon overlays. If they do have them, it will be molded into the tire sidewall.

All Keystone trailers are supposed to be jacked for tire changing using the trailer's frame. That's a Keystone standard. They built it and that's their rules.

Attachment 44672

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Attachment 44677

I thought Dexter made both the frames and axels for keystone trailers. I would go by what they recommend when it comes to jacking.

[travelin texans]

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

Danny, I told everybody you had gone into witsec. Haven't seen you around for over a week. Welcome back to the zoo....

Traveling & busy!

[MJCougler]

Again, in reading all these "Tire changing posts" I have yet to read about the four RV's tires' maximum load capacity, per tire. I have to ask:

For example, if one of your dual axle tires blows, immediately (approx) 1/2 of your trailer weight is immediately slammed onto the other tire until you slow down and get to the side of the road. Then, to change the blown tire, you slowly drive the non-blown tire onto the tire changing ramp to change the tire, and then drive back down the ramp onto level solid ground. What damage occurred to the non-blown tire during the blow-out? And, does changing the blown tire with the same overloaded tire now pulled onto the ramp, supporting 1/2 the RV weight (approx) not do any further damage to the non-blown tire on that same side of the RV? And, what is the vector force on the non-blown tire as it is going up the angle of the ramp, while also supporting 1/2 the RV total weight?

If you are going to change your own RV tire, you are going to carry a short 1x6, a 4x4, a 6x6, and a bottle jack in the RV. And, you intend to lay out an old shower curtain on the ground, crawl under the RV and put the bottle jack, on leveled ground, on one of the boards, under the spring mounting axle U-bolt plate, and jack up the RV. The RV is attached to the TV, (in Park), and it is NOT going to move? And, (approx) 1/4 of the RV weight is already designed to be attached to that same RV U-bolt spring axle mounting plate already.

The last USAA dispatched professional tire changing guy, that changed my blown RV tire, he shoved his 10 ton rolling shop floor jack on the grass, under that same axle mounting plate, jacked up my RV, and changed my blown tire.

Please, any other safety advice, answers, or suggestions?

[wiredgeorge]

Originally Posted by markdol1

I thought Dexter made both the frames and axels for keystone trailers. I would go by what they recommend when it comes to jacking.

Lippert makes the frames for almost all Keystone towables.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by MJCougler

Again, in reading all these "Tire changing posts" I have yet to read about the four RV's tires' maximum load capacity, per tire. I have to ask:...
...?

This (and most other RV forums) have numerous threads about the "other tire being critically overloaded during a blowout" discussions. Most of those threads will have a comment something like: "When you get to the tire shop, replace both tires on that side or you'll be facing another blowout within the next 100 miles or so"..... And, no, don't "save money by using that overloaded but ought to be good tire" as your spare. What will happen during your next "blowout" is that you'll have the "good tire on that side critically overloaded AND the spare also having been critically overloaded".... That's a recipe for a double blowout within the next few miles, then, with no spare left, you'll be "anchored to the side of the road with 3 blown tires".....

So, the recommendation to immediately replace the good tire on that side after a blowout "has merit" for the cautious RV trailer owner....

[flybouy]

There's a lot of generalization here. I've had two tire failures in the nearly 50 yrs of towing various trailers. Both were my fault for getting in tight are and hitting/jumping a curb at <5 mph. I drove less than 100' before using the Trailer Aid to change it out.

I suppose if you are driving at highway speed oblivious to a tire failure it may be a different story, i.e. the harm done to the adjacent tire. I have a TPMS and am always scanning my side mirrors regularly. Maybe I've been lucky, or maybe I'm prepared by having good tires, driving slower than some, and not pushing speeds on really bad roads.

I know things happen and anyone can run over road shrapnel. One advantage to driving at a bit slower speeds and not tailgating is having the time to steer clear of many hazards. There's a sticker I'm thing about placing on the back of the trailer that reads "No I'm not driving drunk, I'm just dodging pot holes." I think it would compliment the one I have on there now near the camera that reads "Yes I see you, and no I don't care."

[markdol1]

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

Lippert makes the frames for almost all Keystone towables.

Your right, i went back at the picture of stacks of new frames and saw the lippert labels.