Have you had problems with your tires

[Jim W]

Originally Posted by Johnnyfry

I have 16 inch Towmax tires in my 318SAB and have had no problems for 13K miles plus or minus. They still have good tread on all four and the wear is even.

I did have them balanced soon after leaving the dealer and use tire pressure/temp monitors. I run them at 80 PSI and try not to exceed 60 MPH.

I run at 58 - 60. I see drivers running 70 plus and have to wonder if they are the ones complaining about cheap tires. If I need to get there that fast I'll call United Air Lines and fly.

I too, am planning an Alaska trip beginning in early June and hope I can do it on my present tires without buying 4 new ones until late in the trip, if at all.

John

John,
I failed one tire last year on my 318SAB in NB. Cost me $150 for the tire and $500 deductible for the $3000 in damage to the LH side of the camper. I am a stickler for checking things I check my air pressure in my tires first thing in the morning always. Whenever we stop I check the tire temperature with an IR heat gun to make sure they are not out of the temperature zone. When the tire failed I had just check the air pressure and it was 80PSI +/- 3 PSI and failed 10 min's out from the camp ground on Interstate 80.
I have replaced all of trailer tires with Michelins XPS RIBs LT245/75R16 E. tires.
Jim W.

[sandy43]

No. New XPS Rib's before I left the dealer.

[CWtheMan]

Originally Posted by sandy43

No. New XPS Rib's before I left the dealer.

According to the 2012 Keystone specs I’m guessing your GAWR is 6750#, ea. None of the XPS Ribs measure up to those axles. You’re asking a lot from tires rated at 3042#.

http://www.keystone-alpine.com/index...00RL&year=2012

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regul...px?reg=571.120

CW

[smiller]

Originally Posted by CWtheMan

According to the 2012 Keystone specs I’m guessing your GAWR is 6750#, ea. None of the XPS Ribs measure up to those axles. You’re asking a lot from tires rated at 3042#.

Yep, but you're about to hear that you can 'really use the tires at a higher load.' Usually you hear this from the same people who tell you that tow vehicle ratings are inviolable.

[Jim W]

Originally Posted by CWtheMan

According to the 2012 Keystone specs I’m guessing your GAWR is 6750#, ea. None of the XPS Ribs measure up to those axles. You’re asking a lot from tires rated at 3042#.

http://www.keystone-alpine.com/index...00RL&year=2012

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regul...px?reg=571.120

CW

CW,
I went to a reduced tire capacity tire rating also when I went from my ST235/80R16 tires that were on my 318SAB 5er. I went to Michelin LT245/75R16 tires these are rated for 3042 LBS each at 80 PSI.
The reason I could justify these tires is I have scaled my trailer and truck fully loaded for two weeks of camping. My load out include all passengers, full load of fuel and all are accessories that we carry for two weeks. The weights are GCVW is 18,200 LBS, trailer axle weights are 8,140 LBS, this is for both axles, drive axle on truck is 5,160 LBS, and the steer axle is 4,940 LBS. So with the Michelins tires I am will within the safe towing loads for these tires.
I would not recommend these tires to everyone unless you know the weight that you are towing and the axle weight of your trailer.

Jim W.

[CWtheMan]

When people have a mind set about tires it’s very hard to convince them their decisions may be flawed by loyalty.

Using any tires from any design or manufacturer that cannot support the RV trailers certified GAWR is a direct violation of government regulations.

That statement is not intended to be a “police” action. It’s a fact and a fact that many may not be familiar with. There are zero circumstances where the regulators or any other entity in the tire industry would support such action. It’s unsafe, unwise and unlawful. There is no justification to be found anywhere to support installing tires more than 650# below the certified minimum axle requirement.

Here is the standard again. Read it. It’s very specific about the minimum requirement.

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regul...px?reg=571.120

CW

[CWtheMan]

Originally Posted by smiller

Yep, but you're about to hear that you can 'really use the tires at a higher load.' Usually you hear this from the same people who tell you that tow vehicle ratings are inviolable.

Tow vehicle tire fitment cannot be compared to RV trailer tire fitment. They are governed differently. Regardless of where inspirations come from.

CW

[Festus2]

CW -
Are there similar rules/regulations and standards for RV's whose GVWR is LESS than 10000 lbs. and would these standards be equivalent and offer the same protection? I note that this document refers only to 10000 lbs or more. Our Cougar has a GVWR rating of 9940 lbs. so are the standards different? Lower? Or??

[Tom and Kelley Crawford]

2010 327RES fifth wheel with the same tires. We paid very close attention to the tire pressure and never had a problem for 2 yrs and maybe 3k miles on the tires. They still had great tread and no cracking or uneven wear. Left on a trip from FL to NC. 1 hr into trip we had a blowout which did major damage to the camper on the passenger side. One week later driving from NC to FL we had blowout number 2 on I75 in downtown Atlanta. This one was on the driver side and did more damage. We stopped at the next tire store and had the other two and the spare replaced. In total, our repair bill was $3500. Unfortunately we did not have time to shop for tires, we had to take what they had but in the future we will change tires every two years no matter the miles or wear. Next time we will put the Michelin Ribs truck tires and not a trailer tire.

[Halibutman214]

Originally Posted by outbackmac

Nice to see a post stick to its original purpose.

It was nice while it lasted. Let's see now, what was it we were discussing.... oh putting tires on that are not rated for the load they are carrying. Not sure if the law has changed but the tire shop I worked in for a couple years would not put them on and the local Les Shwab would not either. There's something called liability.

[CWtheMan]

Originally Posted by Festus2

CW -
Are there similar rules/regulations and standards for RV's whose GVWR is LESS than 10000 lbs. and would these standards be equivalent and offer the same protection? I note that this document refers only to 10000 lbs or more. Our Cougar has a GVWR rating of 9940 lbs. so are the standards different? Lower? Or??

Yes, here it is.

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regul...px?reg=571.110

CW

[CWtheMan]

Originally Posted by Tom and Kelley Crawford

2010 327RES fifth wheel with the same tires. We paid very close attention to the tire pressure and never had a problem for 2 yrs and maybe 3k miles on the tires. They still had great tread and no cracking or uneven wear. Left on a trip from FL to NC. 1 hr into trip we had a blowout which did major damage to the camper on the passenger side. One week later driving from NC to FL we had blowout number 2 on I75 in downtown Atlanta. This one was on the driver side and did more damage. We stopped at the next tire store and had the other two and the spare replaced. In total, our repair bill was $3500. Unfortunately we did not have time to shop for tires, we had to take what they had but in the future we will change tires every two years no matter the miles or wear. Next time we will put the Michelin Ribs truck tires and not a trailer tire.

This is not intended to be an accusation. Its just information for your consideration.

Because of the low mileage on your tires I suspect the trailer spends more time in storage than on the road. Tires, especially trailer tires, have a tendency to age badly while in storage. Mostly because of the conditions they are kept in. They should be kept on blocks and protected from direct sun light. The trailer should be as level as you can get it. The tire pressure should be kept at the maximum amount listed on the sidewall. The tires should be rotated 180 degrees every three months. A short trip around the block is recommended. Sometimes extra items are kept in the trailer while its in storage. Bad idea if its going to overload the tires.

That just scratches the surface. But those are some of the items that cause accelerated tire aging. Chemicals built into the tire can cause them to age from the inside out. They will look like new but in fact can be very weak.

CW

[RVUSA]

Interestingly Carlisle says to reduce the air pressure in their ST's when put in storage, on blocks as well. They say to replace every 2 - 3 years regardless of mileage.

As an aside... Tire rack shows the country of origin to be china for the towmax's.

[CWtheMan]

Originally Posted by RVUSA

Interestingly Carlisle says to reduce the air pressure in their ST's when put in storage, on blocks as well. They say to replace every 2 - 3 years regardless of mileage.

As an aside... Tire rack shows the country of origin to be china for the towmax's.

Most RV trailer owners do not jack the frame while its being stored.

Carlisle has two distinct air pressure conditions. While any of their ST tires are in service - vehicle weight on the tires - they require full sidewall pressure. When out of service and the frame is lifted to a position to relive the vehicle’s weight from the tires the air pressures should be reduced.

Another little tidbit about Carlisle ST tires is their speed rating. 60 MPH! That can also be found in the reference provided below.

For the air pressures open the resources tab and then open the “proper tire care & safety PDF..

http://www.carlisletire.com/

CW

[RVUSA]

Originally Posted by CWtheMan

Another little tidbit about Carlisle ST tires is their speed rating. 60 MPH! That can also be found in the reference provided below.

http://www.carlisletire.com/

CW

Could you link to that directly for me? I have the carlisle radials, and the only speed rating I can find is "highway speeds". Is that 55, 60, 65, 70, or 75?

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by RVUSA

Could you link to that directly for me? I have the carlisle radials, and the only speed rating I can find is "highway speeds". Is that 55, 60, 65, 70, or 75?

Here's the link.

http://www.carlisletire.com/product_...ire_poster.pdf

About halfway down the page in a paragraph that says:
High speed towing in hot conditions degrades Trailer Tires significantly. As heat builds up during driving, the tire’s internal structure starts to breakdown compromising the strength of the tire. It is recommended to not exceed 60 Miles per hour (MPH) while towing a trailer.

[CWtheMan]

Originally Posted by Halibutman214

In an effort to know all I can know I do frequent other RV sites and while it's not too bad on here I am REALLY tired of the tire posts that pretty much all say the same thing. It does get a guy to thinking though. What I'm looking for here is some first hand info about the tires they put on OUR Keystones. If you want to simply bash Chinese tires please don't bother.
I'm going to Alaska this year and the last thing (though I'm prepared) I want to deal with is multiple tire failures. The tires on my Keystone are Power King Towmax STR. I would assume if you have a newer Keystone you probably have the same brand of tire. What I'm wanting from you all is to simply know if you've had any issues with these tires? To make this simple maybe approx miles driven and yes or no on failures. When I say failures I'm not talking the occasional flat. Hopefully this will be beneficial to all. Thanks everyone

I was researching some tires for another post and found these and thought about this post.

Both of the tires in the reference have increased load capacities greater than your OE tires. They have much higher speed ratings and fit your rims. The increased tire pressure may not be compatible with your current rims.

http://www.powerkingtires.com/Tires/...an%20Radial/56

It’s just an option I found for those with your size tires and looking for options with increased load capacities and better speed ranges for the open roads. I’m sure there are more in this size from other manufacturers.

CW

[Quiroule]

Another important point, there is a discrepancy regarding the wheel’s torque level given in the Carlisle info at

http://www.carlisletire.com/product_...vice_guide.pdf

and the Keystone information on the video at:

http://www.keystonerv.com/?page=video_library

I would go with the one from Keystone.

[mguay]

I'll try to get us back on track with the OP's question...

2010 Laredo 316RL. Bought in 06/09. On the scales....2400# +/- on each wheel. LOADED
Original TowMax ST 235/80/16's. Balanced them when I drove it off the lot. Been to Key West twice, VA Beach twice, Niagara, Ontario, Quebec, DownEast Maine and everywhere in between, as well as every weekend that were not on a long haul, our favorite CG is 140 miles one way.
If I had to ballpark it...I would say that I have somewhere in the 25-30K range on them. They have about 1/3 of the tread left and wear great.
I had the alignment checked last year and it was dead on.
I run them at 80psi and check them every time they turn.
I rotate them every time I do the TV and include the spare.
I pay attention to how sharp I turn and try not to "drag a tire".
I stay as far away from curbs as possible.
And I set the cruise at 73mph.

Am I scared....only due to all the negative posting about them.

I have looked into goin the LT way for replacement...but I'm more than happy with my ST's at this time.

[fla-gypsy]

My Keystone Hornet came with Chinese made Duro's that disintegrated within 18 months. I replaced them with Thai made Maxxis and have had great service from them. I hate Chinese made tires. Bash over!