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Old 12-30-2018, 02:02 PM   #1
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Name: Tom
Trailer: Casita
Illinois
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What are the best trailer tires?

We have a 2016 Casita 16 foot camper. We are thinking of putting on new tires this spring (size 225-7515). What is the "best" tire branded model to buy for our camper?thanks, Tom and Debbie Moquin
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Old 12-30-2018, 02:57 PM   #2
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Tennessee
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Trailer tires are improved from even a few years ago. Now you can get D and E rated tires with higher speed rating. A couple of years ago the Carlisle Radial Trail HD was the tire of choice and I've had no complaints with mine. However, Goodyear now has the Endurance, with similar specs but made in USA.
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Old 12-30-2018, 03:16 PM   #3
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Name: Bruce & Kathryn
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I have 16,000 trouble-free miles so far on the Goodyear Endurance E-rated tires on my Bigfoot, running at 75-80psi. They are nothing like the worthless Goodyear Marathons, IMHO. This is a fairly hot topic, but the best advice I have is to run a quality set of tires inflated to the pressure that meets your load requirement. And I believe a TPMS can be of great value.
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Old 12-31-2018, 10:42 AM   #4
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+1 on the Good Year Endurance, Load Range E tires. It's what I run on too!
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Old 12-31-2018, 10:57 AM   #5
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Name: Mac
Trailer: 2013 Casita 17' LD
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8000 miles on GY Endurance, even wear and probably 75% tread life left. GY offers a 6-year warranty, after which we will replace ours (our trailer doesn't get a lot of UV exposure).
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Old 12-31-2018, 11:07 AM   #6
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We had Marathon tires. 2 blowouts of the 3 tires in less than 2 years. We also now run Goodyear Endurance load range E. No problems with almost 12,000 miles. Keeping my fingers crossed. We run them around 68 psi and usually around 60-62 MPH.

jon
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Old 12-31-2018, 11:10 AM   #7
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The Carlisle Radial Trails also come in a 10 ply load rate E and that's been my tire of choice for years. I've used them on several trailers (all molded fiberglass of course) over the years and never had a problem.
Just make sure they are the load E model.

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Old 12-31-2018, 11:15 AM   #8
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Name: bill
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Carlisle Radial Trail HD on my trailers, load range D. Had over 40,000 miles on my first set, changed those early before a trip to Alaska.

Bought them on Walmart.com
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Old 12-31-2018, 11:21 AM   #9
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I have 13" Carlisle HD load range "C" Tires on my Scamp13D.
I caution against getting a load range higher than appropriate for the trailer.
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Old 12-31-2018, 11:28 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by floyd View Post
I have 13" Carlisle HD load range "C" Tires on my Scamp13D.
I caution against getting a load range higher than appropriate for the trailer.
I really don't see how going to a higher load range tire would be detrimental. It's the main reason many people opt to go to larger wheel rims, so that they can get tires with a higher load rating. Smaller tires, like 13" ones are very limited in that they don't offer higher load ratings.
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Old 12-31-2018, 11:40 AM   #11
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I don't know of any reason why upgrading to a more robust tire would be unwise. So maybe I could learn something new?

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Old 12-31-2018, 11:54 AM   #12
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I'm with Floyd.

Ever rode on load range E tires? Really, really rough ride. Of course a lot depends on inflation. But it's similar to putting a suspension on your light truck meant for a HD pickup. Super harsh ride. You need the right amount of weight to make them ride well.

Really rigid tires on a vehicle that isn't heavy enough for them is going to cause it to bounce down the road. In theory.

Sort of like throwing a 5,500lb axle under a Scamp 13'. Might as well have no suspension at all.

I have Maxxis tires on my trailer, and they've been great. Lots of dirt roads, plus...oh, maybe 6,000 miles on them without any issues. It was like watching a horror movie reading through trailer tire reviews...Most of it may have been user error, I don't know. But the Maxxis had the best reviews as far as what I was willing to pay.
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Old 12-31-2018, 12:18 PM   #13
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Goodyear Endurance on our 2008 Bigfoot 25B25FB. Made in the good old USA. Enough said.
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Old 12-31-2018, 12:22 PM   #14
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Were those around 3 years ago? They're only around $10/tire more than the Maxxis. Seems like they're what I would have gone with given the chance. I have 14" wheels. Thinking about going to 15" when these tires wear out, but it'll depend on my finances when that happens.
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Old 12-31-2018, 12:24 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ZachO View Post
I'm with Floyd.

Ever rode on load range E tires? Really, really rough ride.
Well, actually, I do have load range E tires on both my Nissan Frontier and on my Casita. I run them on the trailer at 70 psi. It may create more bounce for some that don't also have shock absorbers, but I have shocks on my trailer too, so not so much bounce as there probably would be without them. Hasn't been a problem for me, and I do like having stronger tires. YMMV
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Old 12-31-2018, 12:31 PM   #16
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Getting off topic, but what do you run them at on the Frontier? Even with full size trucks I drive with E tires, I keep them closer to 50 or else the ride is terrible (with shocks and leaf springs). There's also a hit on gas mileage because of the extra weight, but I don't know how significant. Probably doesn't even factor into the equation for most people.
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Old 12-31-2018, 12:37 PM   #17
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Ever rode on load range E tires?

Yup, about 40,000 miles I'd say.

Really, really rough ride. Of course a lot depends on inflation.

Well, you kinda answer your own point here. In some of the forum threads, participants insist that the max PSI shown on the tire is what must be used, In that case I agree. The rig will have a rough ride indeed. Some so-called tire experts also state that, like etrailer, I think. On the other hand, at least some tire manufacturers publish graphs showing ideal inflation vs load. And some trailer manufacturers, Bigfoot and Escape in particular, show proper inflation much lower than the max. Just as on most cars and trucks.

But it's similar to putting a suspension on your light truck meant for a HD pickup.

Not really. Most suspensions have fixed stiffness, not adjustable like a tire with variable inflation.

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Old 12-31-2018, 12:49 PM   #18
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Even I should know better than to wade into a trailer tire discussion.
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Old 12-31-2018, 01:01 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ZachO View Post
Getting off topic, but what do you run them at on the Frontier? Even with full size trucks I drive with E tires, I keep them closer to 50 or else the ride is terrible (with shocks and leaf springs). There's also a hit on gas mileage because of the extra weight, but I don't know how significant. Probably doesn't even factor into the equation for most people.
Well, even though they're all Load Range E rated, it's a bit of "apples and oranges." The GY Endurance tires are ST (special trailer) tires, which means that they have stiffer side walls than standard passenger or light truck tires, and are designed for trailer service. The Load Range E tires on my Frontier are Michelin M/S tires, which I run at 35 psi. Vehicle and trailer tires are not the same, so an accurate comparison of the two does not result in the same requirements for pressure. And FWIW, when I tow the trailer I usually bump up my truck tires to 45 psi so there is less stress on the sidewalls. Just the way I roll. YMMV
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Old 12-31-2018, 01:23 PM   #20
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Name: Jack L
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Most people are aware of the fact that there is a maximum inflation pressure for a tire, but some people may not realize that there is also a maximum inflation pressure specification for a wheel and for a valve stem. You should use the lowest number. Your tire might have a maximum of 110 psi and your wheel might have a maximum of 80 psi with valve stem rated at a lower pressure.
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