Premium Tires on a Premium Cougar?

[TomkNomad]

Hello All,

We purchased our 2021 Cougar 290RLS 5th wheel to replace an older, worn 2008 Coachman. This was in August 2021.

After researching this brand and model, we decided it would really be our last 5th wheel. Advertised as a "Premium" model it was everything we needed and more. Happy Campers!

I had never heard of the Trailer King tires before, but surely they would at least be good for 4 years after purchase. We had the Tire Minder TPMS on them and always made sure they were all within a couple of pounds of each other and proper PSI range. They held pressure nicely.

In preparation for a small vacation a few weeks ago, we updated the tires on the TV with new tires and new batteries in preparation for a trip to Albuquerque. The Cougar tires were looking good so no problems there. Mileage was at about 4000 miles on them.

Right about 12 miles to Gallup, NM (from Southern CA), we heard a dull pop and alarm from the Tire Minder. The rear left rear tire had blown and with minor damage to the 5th wheel. The entire tread was gone. Thank you AAA Roadside Assistance for changing my tire along the side of the freeway. I replaced all of the tires with Goodyear Endurance that weekend at Discount Tire as my wife and I did not want to trust these Trailer King tires again.

I learned a lot about trailer tires in a hurry and never thought that a "Premium" 5th wheel would have some cheap tires on them from the factory but here they were. Shame on Keystone for that cheap*ss move and dumb of me to think that.

If you have these on your rig, you would be smart to replace them ASAP with a reputable set. My normal tow is on a winding mountain road with no shoulder so glad we weren't on that route when it happened.

Tom K

 

[NH_Bulldog]

My prior camper (2019 Passport) came with Trailer King tires that wore evenly and had excellent tread life. We finally replaced them at just shy of 30,000 miles with a set of Goodyear Endurance.

Understand that RV tires tend to age out long before they wear out. Lack of use, sitting parked in one spot, sunlight (UV) degrading and weakening the tires, etc. My Passport was built in August 2018 with tires that had a date code of January 2018, so by the time I bought my brand new camper in April 2019, the tires were already over a year old! It is reasonable to expect 3 maybe 4 years from an RV tire and it sounds like you were there, maybe even a little older depending on when the tires were manufactured. In the future, understand that outward looks can be deceiving, look at the date codes, brand, etc. to determine whether your tires are good or not.

That all being said, Keystone has been installing Goodyear Endurance tires from the factory on Cougar 5th wheels starting back in 2022 (you missed it by a model year). The spare is still a Trailer King though, but I am on the fence about replacing it just yet since it is in an enclosed compartment and I regularly keep tabs on pressure. As a spare, I think it will be just fine for emergency use (like one of those "donut" spare tires in cars).

 

[workinonit]

My 2022 Alpine has HiSpec tires, aka China Bombs. They will be replaced as soon as possible.

 

[workinonit]

You guys don't run a TPMS sensor on your spares so you don't have any surprises?

 

[TomkNomad]

You guys don't run a TPMS sensor on your spares so you don't have any surprises?

I removed the stem cap sensor on mine from the blown tire and put it on the spare. I have a small compressor that will work if the tire is low but the AAA guy had one on his rig so he filled the spare to spec.

 

[TomkNomad]

You're right on all counts, Rob. I was more confidant than I should have been, never having blown a tire on a trailer.

Tom

 

[workinonit]

I carry a compressor and air tools as well. I bought a six sensor TPMS so that I could run sensors on my spare(s).

 

[TomkNomad]

Good idea. I can order another tire sensor for the spare.

 

[sourdough]

Bear in mind that RV trailer tires age out vs wear out from mileage. Yours were approaching the drop dead date for a "premium" RV tire and well past the "take it off now" date for a China bomb. I've never kept a set of trailer tires 4 years....except the Sailuns I currently have and I'm going to get one more trip out of them even if it pulls old Uncle Harry's whiskers.....I think . Do some research on RV tires and do some searches on the forum about tires.....LOTS of reading there. And no, I don't trust Trailer King tires after they cost me 7k in damages on my first long trip (different trailer).

 

[Peto]

I think a TPMS sensor on the spare is unnecessary. IMHO, I just check it every time I check all the tires and it's aways up and ready to go. If I have a flat the sensor from the flat tire gets moved to the spare. Why waist the money?

 

[sourdough]

I think a TPMS sensor on the spare is unnecessary. IMHO, I just check it every time I check all the tires and it's aways up and ready to go. If I have a flat the sensor from the flat tire gets moved to the spare. Why waist the money?

That depends on the situation. Like you I always checked my spare on the back and didn't really need a sensor but I finally added one which was much more convenient only removing the cover when actually needed. Then this trailer came with a Hide A Spare with the LRG tire UNDER the trailer. It is no fun, at all, trying to get to that tire to check air pressure "for grins". The sensor tells me when to check and add air without all the unnecessary work.

 

[NH_Bulldog]

Danny, how do you like the hide-a-spare? I was thinking of adding one so I could free up some space in my front compartment. Any pros or cons you care share based on your experience?

 

[sourdough]

Danny, how do you like the hide-a-spare? I was thinking of adding one so I could free up some space in my front compartment. Any pros or cons you care share based on your experience?

I think the Hide A Spare is a great idea and tool for an RV....with some caveats.

The Hide A Spare has seems like a generous weight capacity - 100lbs. IIRC in my conversations with BAL. The design, convenience, ability to get to the spare - all are well thought out and very convenient. The location of the carrier not only provides easy (more on that) access but safe access since it's to the off side.

My issues are due to steel encased LRG tires. I don't think the weight exceeds 100 lbs. but they are close, and, that is enough for the sliding tubes to bow. When they bow the design of them sliding in and out to access the tire becomes unusable due to excessive friction. I've pulled the tubes, dry lubed them, waxed them....when they bow you have to really YANK on the handles to get the tire in or out. DW just finished back fusion surgery due to yanking the handles while I was under the trailer trying to push the bow up so the tire would come out/go in.

Bottom line; great idea, good design and very handy. If you only put a 15" LRD tire on it I think it would be the cat's meow. I think my tires at 16" LRG are just more than it was designed for. I've talked at length with Bal and they don't really have a solution. I am going to pull it all apart (will have to get the neighbor young man to help) and install a steel pipe inside the smaller tube to see if it will reduce the bowing to an acceptable level.

 

[TomkNomad]

Danny,
Not to mention another benefit but the reduction of the weight in front of the axles relocated to the rear will remove about double the weight from the payload in the truck bed (if it were an equal amount of length from the axles). It would still be there to tow, just not in the payload portion of the weight, if that makes any sense.

Tom K