Best Replacement Tires??

jbsmith · 03-31-2012, 09:32 AM

Our brand new trailer has only about 225 miles on it, including the mileage from the factory and short trip home from the dealer. it's been sitting since December.

Now I'm sufficiently paranoid that I'm ready to replace all five Power King Towmax tires. So any recommendations on what are the "best" replacement tires?

mhs4771 · 03-31-2012, 03:57 PM

Definately NOT GY Marathons. What size do you have 15" or 16", what load range? A lot of folks are switching to LT Tires, such as Michelin Ribs, Goodrich and a few others. I would stay away from Carlisle as they've had their problems too. I put GY G614RSTs on our Montana they're a 14 ply and a little over kill, but I'd rather be safe than sorry, especially after getting weighed and finding out exactly how heavy we were.

jbsmith · 03-31-2012, 04:26 PM

I've got 235/80R16E on factory aluminum wheels. I'm thinking about going with the 235/85R16E Michelin XPS Rib. Kind of pricey, but I've read mostly good things about them. Any thoughts on the Michelin vs Goodyear?

outbackmac · 03-31-2012, 06:57 PM

Is there much of a difference in price between the g14rst and the Michelin xps. i would like to replace my st 235 80 r16

Johnnyfry · 03-31-2012, 09:21 PM

I don't quite understand what made you so paranoid to feel compelled to replace the tires at 225 miles.

Certainly there have been reports of premature failure with Towmax, but I have roughly 13,000 miles on mine and they are doing fine. I have temp/pressure monitors and check tire conditions frequently. I have plenty of tread left and no uneven wear. I had the tires balanced early on.

Take a few simple precautions, check frequently and chances favor you getting decent life out of the OEM tires.

IMHO,
John

**flybouy** · 04-01-2012, 03:36 AM

"especially after getting weighed and finding out exactly how heavy we were"

Overloading and improper inflation for the majority of failures. From what I've read using LT tires are not recommended as they are designed for a different purpose. Trailer tires are designed to flex more in the sidewallsand take some of the strain from the rims and axels when making a tight turn. IMHO the best recommendation is to be diligent in checking air pressure and tire condition before every trip.

kenn209 · 04-01-2012, 03:52 AM

I have 5500 miles on my 2010. Np issues so far. Yes I am concerned about them being chinese tires, but so far no problems. Probably replace next year during the winter due to age.

antiqfreq · 04-01-2012, 03:58 AM

We have MAXXIS on ours, and they've been on there about three and a half years. Just about time to change them as we've traveled the country - east to west - on them and then some......

Jo

kenn209 · 04-01-2012, 04:10 AM

I was thinking Maxxis too. I think they have a E rated version in the 15" tire.

gbsb · 04-01-2012, 04:28 AM

A lot of people are running their china made tires. We have a 2010 Fuzion that had Carlisle tires on it we had put 85 miles on it. We left on a extended trip last June and i just could not leave on those tires. It was hard to pull of new tires and put $2000.00 in to more tires. We put 16000 miles on last year no problems. We are currantly at a KOA in Texas and a couple pulled in last night with a new Sprinter about 200 miles from here had a blowout on the Left front tire tore the fender skirt off and messed the body up good. Got up the next morning and a tire on the right side had went flat over night, they were GY Marathons. He had his spare on and had a local tire company come out and replace tire on the right. I would not have left town with out replacing all the tires but to each his own I hope he makes it home. I put Hankook F14 They were made in Korea, on mine they are a 7.50 R16 trailer tire 14 plies. A lot of the ranchers here in North East Texas run them on their cattle trailers and Hay trailers. Come highly recomended here. Good luck on your choice, a lot of good tires out there just do some research. George

outbackmac · 04-01-2012, 05:36 AM

Maxxis are the best i had them on my 28outback bhs and never had a problem. I do think what ever tire you buy must be balanced. One more thing i have a 2011 outback 5ver and noticed odd tire ware and found bolts missing on the equaflex system, so please things as often as possible

Halibutman214 · 04-01-2012, 06:35 AM

Just my two cents on this but I have to say (as some already have) I honestly think most of the failures are due to under inflation of the tire. I've got more miles under my belt than I can imagine and have the added advantage of having worked in a tire shop for a couple years in my younger days. The amount of heat a tire will build up, even when moderatley under inflated is phenominal causing the tire to start to break down. When you feel one of your tires and it's too hot to touch, forget airing it up. It's time for a new tire. While there are bad tires out there, the idea that I need to change out my tires because they were made in a certain place or because of the brand name is ridiculous. If if gives one comfort in forking out the money for new tires I guess that's your choice. There is something to be said for peace of mind.

KenBob · 04-01-2012, 06:13 PM

We HAD 235/80r16 Carlisle load range E on our Fuzion. Took them off asap and put 17.5 load range H tires on. The tire you choose should depend on the GVW of the RV and the load carrying capacity of the tire. There is a rule of thumb to not go down in load carrying capacity. The OP likely has 6 lug wheels so tire choices are limited if LCC rule is adhered to. The only tires that I found that were equal in LCC to the OE tires were the OE tire (Carlisle) or the GY 614. Our decision to go to 17.5 tires was influenced by the lack of choices and the high potential lack of availability in an emergency situation. JMHO

We took the No Name OE tires off of our Crossroads and put Maxxis tires on.

jbsmith · 04-01-2012, 07:07 PM

Well, I wasn't the original poster; this thread started as a discussion about Power King Towmax failures. The thread got split and relabeled.

It's pretty obvious that folks have as many opinions on tires as they do on religion and politics. Tire choice ranks right up there with Dodge vs Ford vs Chevy. I guess every forum has their topics that seem to generate passionate discussion.

Since our new fiver is the heaviest RV I've ever owned (a featherweight by other 36+ ft trailers) I simply want the best/safest tires I can buy. Price isn't really an issue, especially when safety and peace of mind is involved. It's pretty obvious that the RV industry cuts some serious corners in efforts to save money, cut costs, and increase profits. Unfortunately tire selection seems to be one of those areas they cut at our expense.

I'm a bit OCD when it comes to tire pressure and stopping pretty frequently to check tire temp, walk around and check things out, fix a sandwich, grab a soda outta the fridge (challenging with the new rig) and roll to the next rest area for another stop. Add to that, I drive pretty conservatively (when towing) staying around 60 mph, which saves fuel but irritates the big trucks. I also won't tow in heavy cross winds or head winds...I'll park up and wait to save fuel and my nerves.

There's certainly inherent risk involved in moving our trailers around. That risk is directly proportional to the quality of the tires, tow vehicle, driver, road surface, conditions, etc. The best we can do is try to mitigate that risk by addressing those factors within our control.

So...it sounds like the plan is to find a good quality tire, rated for the required load carrying capacity, properly mounted and balanced, combined with close monitoring of pressure and temperature, while avoiding stuff in the road, and replacing tires when they have outlived their service life or show signs of wear.

If all else fails...there's always road side assistance, tire/wheel extended warranty, and insurance to pick up the pieces.

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allentx1 · 04-02-2012, 06:24 AM

Ok, so now I am thoroughly confused. The tire shop told me to switch to the 235/85/R16 as a better tire... how can a size up be that much better? And I had also heard that the LT tires are not a good choice... Has anyone ever carried to ready to go spares? Did you mount them under the 5'er? I am thinking now that I want 2 to have. That way if I do get into trouble, I'll still have a last resort.

KenBob · 04-02-2012, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by allentx1

Ok, so now I am thoroughly confused. The tire shop told me to switch to the 235/85/R16 as a better tire... how can a size up be that much better? And I had also heard that the LT tires are not a good choice... Has anyone ever carried to ready to go spares? Did you mount them under the 5'er? I am thinking now that I want 2 to have. That way if I do get into trouble, I'll still have a last resort.

I carried two full size spares on our previous toyhauler. It was a triple axle. The OE spare was mounted under the rear on one side. Welded in another bracket and winch system for the second spare. Never needed them after dumping the OE Carlisles and putting Greenballs on. But I was glad I had them. Our Fuzion has one spare. I don't plan on getting another as I have confidence (peace of mind) in the 17.5 tires that replaced the OE tires (Carlisle) before we took our first trip.

I try to prepare for most emergencies. We have had our share of tire failures on previous RVs. The hassles and headaches of a tire failure (not a flat) are not what I want to deal with anymore. I would rather spend the extra $$$ now to get a quality tire than to spend it later getting quality tires AFTER repairing RV damage, dealing with roadside assistance, etc. Sure, there is a chance of a tire failure. But I think the odds have decreased greatly.

flc · 05-04-2012, 08:04 PM

I put Maxxis tires on my previous trailer and was quite pleased with them.

Alpinecummin · 05-08-2012, 07:31 PM

I took my Tow Max tires off my fiver last July after reading about them on this forum and other forums. Two of my friends had Tow Max tires on their rigs and they have tire monitor systems to monitor the tires. Both friends stated they had blow outs just seconds after looking at their tire monitor systems and all the reads were normal. That was just within the past few months.

I have Michelin XPS on my rig now and also have a TST Tire Pressure Monitoring system to watch the pressure and heat in the tires. I also use a infra red heat gun to check the tires and axles when I stop for fuel or pit stop in a rest area.

Be safe; watch your pressures, don't over load your rig, torque your lugs nuts before each trip, and check your wheel bearing and brakes often! My rig is in the shop now getting the wheel bearings repacked and the brakes checked.

Murphie · 05-09-2012, 09:50 PM

I have the china made gy marathons. Not overly happy about it but I will not throw a bunch of money to monitor them. I will probably be willing to get new tires a year or so before I have to , just to lessen the odds of something going wrong. If so many people are having issues with these tires why hasn't the government or safety board done something about it.

fla-gypsy · 05-14-2012, 05:04 PM

If you can fit an LT tire that may be your best bet. If you are going to use ST tires I will only use Maxxis brand. I have had them for 4+ years now and been very satisfied with them.

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