ST vs LT tires for 5th wheel trailers

[CWtheMan]

Originally Posted by Desert185

The Jaxxon brand ST's that came on my car hauler were dimensionally undersized compared to the same size in Carlisle's and wore out unevenly and prematurely.

Tires of the same design and size are supposed to have the same basic dimensions. The Tire & Rim association (TRA) sets those standards.

Were you comparing a tire that already had some miles on it to a new unused tire?

A tire already suffering from tread separation will be larger than a like sized tire.

In any event, you should have had the tires inspected or reported them to NHTSA.

[CWtheMan]

Originally Posted by Desert185

There are times when following the government regulations is "going out on a limb." There is such a thing as choosing to be safe rather than legal or recommended.

I'm not singling out your post for ridicule. I post many things that are misunderstood and this may be one of them.

Lets say you live in a state that has active vehicle inspection laws and your trailer has to be inspected periodically. When such state inspections are enacted most of the inspection procedures are already established. One is about tire size and design. The bottom line is; If an owner has replaced original equipment ST tires with any other design the inspectors will reject the use of such replacements and the vehicle will not pass inspection until adequate replacements are installed.

Now lets look from another view. Your car, pick-up etc. needs new tires. So you take it to your favorite tire retailer. They look at your vehicle's VIN number, compare it to a list of suitable replacements and tell you what brand they have on hand or can get quickly. To go off that list with a "plus sized" tire not recommended by the vehicle manufacturer will normally require a call to them for approval. That type of service is not available with RV trailer tires. With RV trailer tires it's use like sized tires as replacements or optional tires that are recommended by the trailer builder.

ST tire manufacturers are building tires for almost any load capacity needed by the trailer builders. New sizes are often introduced with new brand names such as the Goodyear Endurance with it's ST255/85R16.

I post a lot of information about what is supposed to happen. It's not always well received. But, that does not make it incorrect. Hardly anyone ever asks me for references. I have them. For instance, I have used the inspection information from 49 CFR 570.62 while writing this post.

[Desert185]

Originally Posted by CWtheMan

I'm not singling out your post for ridicule. I post many things that are misunderstood and this may be one of them.

Lets say you live in a state that has active vehicle inspection laws and your trailer has to be inspected periodically. When such state inspections are enacted most of the inspection procedures are already established. One is about tire size and design. The bottom line is; If an owner has replaced original equipment ST tires with any other design the inspectors will reject the use of such replacements and the vehicle will not pass inspection until adequate replacements are installed.

Now lets look from another view. Your car, pick-up etc. needs new tires. So you take it to your favorite tire retailer. They look at your vehicle's VIN number, compare it to a list of suitable replacements and tell you what brand they have on hand or can get quickly. To go off that list with a "plus sized" tire not recommended by the vehicle manufacturer will normally require a call to them for approval. That type of service is not available with RV trailer tires. With RV trailer tires it's use like sized tires as replacements or optional tires that are recommended by the trailer builder.

ST tire manufacturers are building tires for almost any load capacity needed by the trailer builders. New sizes are often introduced with new brand names such as the Goodyear Endurance with it's ST255/85R16.

I post a lot of information about what is supposed to happen. It's not always well received. But, that does not make it incorrect. Hardly anyone ever asks me for references. I have them. For instance, I have used the inspection information from 49 CFR 570.62 while writing this post.

Nothing personal taken.

I'm just trying to suggest that strictly adhering to a CFR may not be the entire story, as in china bombs vs Carlisles, Maxxis or Sailuns. Jaxxon ST tires are certainly at the bottom of the heap, in my experience. They came new on my car hauler BTW, and were dimensionally smaller. The manufacturer said I probably bent an axle or knocked it out of alignment. He gave me the specs, I measured, all was good, he could care less about the tires, so I bought Carlisle's (up one load range) and all was good.

The only CFR's I read are the FAR variety, and only because I have to. One can do one's due diligence and improve the situation without referencing guvmint, double-speak websites.