Yes! New tires!

[the sodfather]

It's funny the things you get excited about as you get older. After one failure and one constantly going flat, the Trailer Kings are done. Picked up a set of the Carlisle HD's at Discount Tire. My confidence in running down the highway with the so called China Bombs has gone away. Whew!

[sourdough]

It's funny the things you get excited about as you get older. After one failure and one constantly going flat, the Trailer Kings are done. Picked up a set of the Carlisle HD's at Discount Tire. My confidence in running down the highway with the so called China Bombs has gone away. Whew!

Did the same thing and I feel much better running back and forth to FL.

[gearhead]

Keep us updated on how you like them.
They may be my next ones. Discount usually stocks them as opposed to ordering Maxxis.

[Javi]

I think you'll like them, I've got three trips on mine so far... Bought them in November and they ride much better than the Trailer Kings...

[CaptnJohn]

Probably had 15K or more on the last set of Carlisle and about 3 - 4K on the set on the new 5er.

[the sodfather]

Keep us updated on how you like them.
They may be my next ones. Discount usually stocks them as opposed to ordering Maxxis.

Well, 142 miles down on their first trip and I can summarize it in one word...Amazing. I went with the load range D (65 psi) over the C's (50 psi). Looking forword to our next weekend camping trip in a few weeks.

[theallde]

Congratulations, I installed Carlisle Tires and feel the same way - towing is now a little less stressful.

I added TireReminders to the 4 valve stems and now can monitor tire pressure and temperature.

I tow now with a very relaxed feeling that the tires I can't see are reliable and monitored.

Enjoy ..... Don

[the sodfather]

Congratulations, I installed Carlisle Tires and feel the same way - towing is now a little less stressful.

I added TireReminders to the 4 valve stems and now can monitor tire pressure and temperature.

I tow now with a very relaxed feeling that the tires I can't see are reliable and monitored.

Enjoy ..... Don

I will add that when I had DT do the install of the tires, I had them replace the valve stems with the high pressure stems. They are brass and very stiff. My plan is to purchase a time minder type system next.

[lowing0525]

We upgraded from a 40'tag to a 39' 5th wheel, It has Goodyear marathons on it now they need replacing being we just bought it and I'm not familiar with how many miles are on them. any suggestions as to a good reliable tire at a reasonable price? we stay in state for the most part no long trips till retirement. 06' F350 dually 2011 montana 5th wheel

[CaptnJohn]

We upgraded from a 40'tag to a 39' 5th wheel, It has Goodyear marathons on it now they need replacing being we just bought it and I'm not familiar with how many miles are on them. any suggestions as to a good reliable tire at a reasonable price? we stay in state for the most part no long trips till retirement. 06' F350 dually 2011 montana 5th wheel

Carlisle HD ~~~

[the sodfather]

Carlisle HD ~~~

Yup! Great tire.

[sourdough]

Yup! Great tire.

^^^^I agree that they are a good tire.

I put them on in April of this year and I've made 2 trips to FL on them from TX and some shorter trips. Also went up to LRE from D; 65psi to 80. Seems to have made a lot of difference. The first time we came through on I10 in Shreveport then Jackson, MS (with Trailer Kings/65psi/LRD) I thought the trailer was going to bounce the truck off the road. When we came back thru in May I was braced for the "terrible" bumps but they never came; then they didn't on the return trip or on this trip up. I have to contribute that to the tire and increased load range - SO much more relaxing.

[flybouy]

I installed these on my trailer last summer but was only able to tow a few short trips. I noticed a reduction in reactive bounce. Also it seemed to be less roll resistance i.e. less throttle to get the trailer moving and less noise, flex in sharp turning radiuses ( parking in driveway).

[Orlando3]

Okay gentlemen maybe this is where I should ask since I see most of you have bought tires lately. I bought a brand new Fifth Wheel in December of 2016 and first trip I had a blowout, no damage thank God. I did several things that probably contributed to the blowout. I knew better, ran them at about 62 PSI rather than 65 as stated on the tire my mistake, followed rv dealer recommendation. I also ran the tires on a round-trip 1500 mile trip sometimes between 70 and 75 miles an hour which I Now understand you should not do. So here is where I'm at, do I put a 225 / 75 R15 E Rated Tire from the original D Rated Tire or do I put a 16 inch tire. Other sprinters run the 235/80R16 FROM THE FACTORY. I believe mine came with the smaller tires due to the fact that the factory weight didn't quite reach 10000 pounds, it was 97 30. Thoughts? BTW, my axles are already reversed (came this way).

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[gearhead]

I wouldn't think that 3 pounds would cause a failure. Most folks pressure gauge isn't that accurate. Get yourself a Joes Racing digital tire pressure gauge. And quit believing that dealer! LOL
http://www.joesracing.com/series-198165-joes-digital-tire-pressure-gauge.html

There are a lot of issues to consider if you step up to 16 inch. Load the trailer up like you're travelling and weigh it. You need to know how much weight is on the tires. Then look at the tire specs and see how much reserve capacity you have. More is better, a lot more is a lot more better. I would call and talk to Discount Tire. See if you can hook it up and take it to one of their stores that has a big parking lot easy to get in and out. You'll have to consider the height of the 16" tire and if it will fit under the trailer and not hit the trailer on bumps. I don't know if you can find a 16" wheel that will fit your 15" hub. If it's 6 lug maybe. If do you switch to 16" tires and wheels it will get pricey. Discount usually stocks Carlisle. Their new HD series has received good reviews. They can also order Maxxis which many consider the best.
Yeah quit driving so fast. You might have to stop fast.

[Orlando3]

Yup.....agree with all statements. Looking at the keystone sprinter widebody website, i see that anything less than 9800 lbs got the 225/15 tire and any thing above 9800 reveived the 235/16. It was the same for TT or fifthwheel, 9800 was the cutoff. I agree that lots of cusion is way better than just right. It is a six lug so no problem there.....not sure why keystone didnt offer it as an upgrade like jayco does, on their half ton towables. I was concerned on this first trip and didn't pack heavy......that said, I havent weighed it, but intend to. Understanding pin weight is confussing.....I quess pin weight is subtracted from GVW, if not, these original tires could barley handle the unloaded weight of this 5er!

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[notanlines]

Orlando, if I may be so bold, can we all assume you are towing a 298FWRLS? And what is your tow vehicle? Also, what brand tire did Keystone put on your trailer? Inquiring minds want to know.

[Orlando3]

Yes I am towing a 298 FWRLS with an 04 Dodge 2500, 5.9 diesel HO engine.. Keystone put trailer king ST 225/75R15 load rage D, about 2530 lbs. per tire. I guess I will buy the same size tire load E which will up it to 2833 per tire (since I was informed ftom Keystone that changing tire size will void warramty). At least until warranty is up, then I will make chage. I really like my RV but I`m beginning to feel I should have gone with Jayco.

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[notanlines]

Orlando, spend 20 minutes on the Jayco forum and see what you find. And then spend 20 minutes on this website learning about what tires to buy. As recently reported, your China bombs, underinflated and driving too fast will spell disaster. Trailer Kings spell disaster no matter what you do to them. And then stop at Taco Cabana and have breakfast in the morning. You'll feel better and I'll be jealous because I'm not there with you.

[sourdough]

Yes I am towing a 298 FWRLS with an 04 Dodge 2500, 5.9 diesel HO engine.. Keystone put trailer king ST 225/75R15 load rage D, about 2530 lbs. per tire. I guess I will buy the same size tire load E which will up it to 2833 per tire (since I was informed ftom Keystone that changing tire size will void warramty). At least until warranty is up, then I will make chage. I really like my RV but I`m beginning to feel I should have gone with Jayco.

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You need to go to LRE at the least. Keystone puts tires on their RVs now that BARELY cover the weight they are supposed to carry. In my case they exceeded my gvw by about 100lb. or so. Not good when traveling across bumpy highways...and will, and did, lead to catastrophic tire failure. You are in the same boat. Your trailer weighs in over 12k. Your tires are rated at about 10, 160 if I recall. Subtract the pin weight and you are carrying right at the max on each tire....and they are "China bombs". Do yourself a favor and dump them before something bad happens.

[CWtheMan]

Okay gentlemen maybe this is where I should ask since I see most of you have bought tires lately. I bought a brand new Fifth Wheel in December of 2016 and first trip I had a blowout, no damage thank God. I did several things that probably contributed to the blowout. I knew better, ran them at about 62 PSI rather than 65 as stated on the tire my mistake, followed rv dealer recommendation. I also ran the tires on a round-trip 1500 mile trip sometimes between 70 and 75 miles an hour which I Now understand you should not do. So here is where I'm at, do I put a 225 / 75 R15 E Rated Tire from the original D Rated Tire or do I put a 16 inch tire. Other sprinters run the 235/80R16 FROM THE FACTORY. I believe mine came with the smaller tires due to the fact that the factory weight didn't quite reach 10000 pounds, it was 97 30. Thoughts? BTW, my axles are already reversed (came this way).

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Sad but true. Keystone will provide Original Equipment tires that meet the very minimum required. For instance, the 2016 wide body 298FWRL models’ specs indicate the trailer is equipped with 5200# axles and de-rated by Keystone to 5080# - legally - which allowed them to fit it with ST225/75R15D tires rated at 2540# @ 65 PSI. Why they would not spend a few $$$ more for the LRE tires is beyond me.

With a trailer fitted like that it is very unlikely the OE tires would have lasted more than a year with a normal load, correct tire inflation pressures and speeds under 65 MPH.

Notes: All RV trailer tires are fitted to GAWR. With RV trailers there is no requirement/regulation for the trailer manufacturer to provide tires with load capacity reserves. The RMA recommends load capacity reserves to be at least +12%.

On average, a 1 PSI loss of recommended tire inflation pressure equates to a 1.7% loss of load capacity for that tire. It’s not a big deal with automotive vehicles because they have some reserves to fall back on. For people hauling fully loaded RV trailers it is a big deal. Do you know what kind of load capacity reserves your trailer tires are providing?

[CWtheMan]

Yes I am towing a 298 FWRLS with an 04 Dodge 2500, 5.9 diesel HO engine.. Keystone put trailer king ST 225/75R15 load rage D, about 2530 lbs. per tire. I guess I will buy the same size tire load E which will up it to 2833 per tire (since I was informed ftom Keystone that changing tire size will void warramty). At least until warranty is up, then I will make chage. I really like my RV but I`m beginning to feel I should have gone with Jayco.

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The LRE is rated for 2830# at 80 PSI. Check your rims to make sure they will handle the extra PSI. Without using PSI above 65 PSI you gain nothing with the LRE. Also, shop around. A lot of the new tires have higher speed ratings. Look for a service description like this 117/112L, The "L" is a speed letter for 75 MPH. They might also have "M" or "N" for higher speed ratings.

Note: Service descriptions are allowed on ST & LT tires but they are not the official load indicator, that distinction for those tires is the Load Range letter.

[Orlando3]

I do like taco cabana!

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[the sodfather]

Okay gentlemen maybe this is where I should ask since I see most of you have bought tires lately. I bought a brand new Fifth Wheel in December of 2016 and first trip I had a blowout, no damage thank God. I did several things that probably contributed to the blowout. I knew better, ran them at about 62 PSI rather than 65 as stated on the tire my mistake, followed rv dealer recommendation. I also ran the tires on a round-trip 1500 mile trip sometimes between 70 and 75 miles an hour which I Now understand you should not do. So here is where I'm at, do I put a 225 / 75 R15 E Rated Tire from the original D Rated Tire or do I put a 16 inch tire. Other sprinters run the 2w35/80R16 FROM THE FACTORY. I believe mine came with the smaller tires due to the fact that the factory weight didn't quite reach 10000 pounds, it was 97 30. Thoughts? BTW, my axles are already reversed (came this way).

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Id stick with the rims you've got. Dump the "China Bombs" and put on some new tires. You got very lucky to have a blowout that didn't tear anything up. Slow down and enjoy the ride. ;)

[Orlando3]

Heres the problem......everything is made in china. Goodyear are "mostly" made in america. What does that mean? Goodyear doesnt make or maybe I didn't see ST 225/75R15 E load range tire, only a D. Most tires are made over seas in american companies, is that what u mean?

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[sourdough]

Heres the problem......everything is made in china. Goodyear are "mostly" made in america. What does that mean? Goodyear doesnt make or maybe I didn't see ST 225/75R15 E load range tire, only a D. Most tires are made over seas in american companies, is that what u mean?

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I think most (all?) trailer tires are made overseas. I believe Maxxis are made in Thailand and Goodyear (RV) tires are back in China as far as I remember. They sent them to China, brought them back and sent them back again....if memory serves me correctly. The "china bombs" come primarily from the plants in the Shandong province. Those are the plants used to produce Trailer Kings and all of the other brands made by the parent company. From my personal experience, and many others posted on this forum and others, they make an inferior product. Most folks have had good luck with the Carlisle HD and Maxxis tires from what I've read.

[SummitPond]

Most folks have had good luck with the Carlisle HD and Maxxis tires from what I've read.

I have three questions:

1) When you say Carlisle HD and Maxxis, do I assume you mean Carlisle Radial Trail HD and Maxxis M8008 ST?

Background for #2:
I somehow scuffed up the lead trailer tire on the driver side and took a small chunk out of the sidewall (a Trailer King ST205/75R14C, original to the trailer, purchased new 2 years ago). The tire on the rear axle shows no scuffing or damage. I discovered this damage while doing a tire check prior to a camping trip.

I typically travel 55 mph on the highway. Tread and condition of the other three tires looks quite good.

2) Due to the present budget, I'd like to only replace the one tire rather than all four at this time, if the consensus is that is OK to do.

3) If the answer to #2 is it is OK to replace the one tire, when it is mounted should it be the lead tire or the trailing tire (i.e., do I put it back from where it came or should I swap it with the one behind it)?

Thank you for sharing your expertise.

[Tbos]

Sister Schack,
Replace at least that damaged tire. If you have a good spare consider putting it on as the other tire on that side. Last season I hit a curb and did the same thing on the right side. I saw no damage to the other tire on that side but I ended up having a blowout of the tire that didn't look damaged. Like you I am a conservative driver too. Travel safely.






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[sourdough]

Sister Schack,
Replace at least that damaged tire. If you have a good spare consider putting it on as the other tire on that side. Last season I hit a curb and did the same thing on the right side. I saw no damage to the other tire on that side but I ended up having a blowout of the tire that didn't look damaged. Like you I am a conservative driver too. Travel safely.






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Do at least what Tbos recommends above. You need to get that damaged tire off before you go anywhere and replace the other one on the same side with the spare....if it's any good. Look them over very carefully. They tend to destruct from the inside out. Unfortunately, replacing an RV tire one at a time in different years will probably lead to a failure at some point simply because you can't tell a "good" tire by looking at it. My recommendation, and I think most, would be to replace them all if at all possible. If not, be sure and put a note somewhere so you know what tire was replaced when so you can keep track of what's on what wheel.

I installed the Carlisle HD. Maxxis is another good tire but I don't know if they make them in your size. My problem with the Maxxis was getting them in in a timely manner before we left and they have far fewer warranty locations than Carlisle per the tire dealer (DT).

[the sodfather]

Yes, Carlisle Radial Trail HD and Maxxis M8008 ST tires are what most are referring to.

I'd figure out how to replace all 4 at the same time. DT usually always has 6 months no interest financing...

Get rid of those Trailer Kings...

If you were close, I'd give you my 3 "good" TK's.

[SummitPond]

As soon as I spotted the chunk out of the sidewall I swapped out the tire with the spare.

Wally World has the Carlisle Radial Trail HD 8 ply (the 65 psi tire) for $50 a piece, only $3 more than the 6 ply (go figure). I've spoken with the household budget director (the DW) and we'll do all four.

Thank you all for your comments and concern.

[SummitPond]

As of today I have four new, balanced, 8 ply Carlisle Radial Trail HD tires. Thank you all for your advice and comments. The old China bomb spare went back on the rear carrier - hopefully to never be used again.

[JRTJH]

Remember that part of the "preservation/aging process" for tires is being rolled under weight of the trailer, to release the oils in the rubber. Without that, tires "age faster". When you add sitting on the rear bumper under a black, gray or even a white cover, your spare will "get old before its time"... So, realize that the tires "on the trailer" will lose about 10% of capacity per year and "time out" at about 5 years, the spare, sitting on the bumper will probably lose capacity faster and age faster, approaching 15% or even more per year. So, if that spare has been on the bumper for 2 years already, that's close to the same as 3 (or more) years on the ground. Don't ignore your spare by thinking it's going to "just be there, stagnant" until you need it. Watch it closely, when you get to 3 years from the manufacturing date, start considering whether you want to risk using it, even as an emergency measure to get you to the next tire dealership.

[66joej]

As of today I have four new, balanced, 8 ply Carlisle Radial Trail HD tires. Thank you all for your advice and comments. The old China bomb spare went back on the rear carrier - hopefully to never be used again.

Thinking of buying these tires. Are they made in the USA.

[JRTJH]

Until just recently there are NO ST tires that are produced in the USA. Last month Goodyear announced their new ST tire, the Endurance and said that it will be produced in the US. https://corporate.goodyear.com/en-US/media/news/goodyear_launches_american_manufactured_trailer_ti re.html

To my knowledge, this is the only ST tire manufactured in the US. I haven't heard of any reports on durability, reliability or performance. It's available at Tire Rack, Wal Mart and other tire sales centers.

[66joej]

Until just recently there are NO ST tires that are produced in the USA. Last month Goodyear announced their new ST tire, the Endurance and said that it will be produced in the US. https://corporate.goodyear.com/en-US/media/news/goodyear_launches_american_manufactured_trailer_ti re.html

To my knowledge, this is the only ST tire manufactured in the US. I haven't heard of any reports on durability, reliability or performance. It's available at Tire Rack, Wal Mart and other tire sales centers.

John. Did some reading and it seems like this is a good tire. Will look into buying as long as they ship to Canada. Thanks

[busterbrown]

As of today I have four new, balanced, 8 ply Carlisle Radial Trail HD tires. Thank you all for your advice and comments. The old China bomb spare went back on the rear carrier - hopefully to never be used again.
What's even scarier than your China bombs are mine that size the same. The difference is my trailer is roughly 2,000 lbs heavier. I'm upgrading not only tires but wheels size to to give me much appreciated insurance when rolling at highway speeds. Wheels are on order; tires will be mounted and balanced courtesy of Discount Tire. And I didnt forget the spare. Spare tire gets a steel wheel though.

[66joej]

Further to the new Goodyear Endurance ST tires. Sound real good.
ST225/75R15 = 2800 load, 10 ply rating, n speed rating (87 mph).
Made in the USA. Doing research this is the ONLY ST tire not made in China or other overseas countries. Price on Tire Rack $120US. Was only introduced Jan/17 so too soon for owner feedback but Tire Rack has high praise for it.Worth checking out if looking for made in USA ST tires.