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Old 07-05-2013, 01:07 PM   #21
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Originally Posted by georgewa View Post
Has anyone found any 13" trailer tires made in the USA or other than in China?

Any comments on the best 13" trailer tire to purchase? Don't want to open the flood gates to input, but this is not something that is well documented it seems.

Thank you.
I see you're in Washington, Walter.

I suggest you go to your Les Schwab dealer and take their advice per tires. That's where I've been buying all my tires for more than thirty years, including the thirteen inch ST's I have on my Trillium. Those folks will NOT steer you wrong.

Being a member of multiple trailer forums, I'm very familiar with the whole "China bomb" schtick that's out there and think it a bunch of hooey....but even if there was something to it:

I don't know where their stock 13" ST radials are made but doubt that location would make any difference whatsoever since all Les Schwab tires are built to very specific standards established by that company. And backed by a very comprehensive guarantee/service network available in hundreds of locations all over the West, from the smallest towns to the largest cities.

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Old 07-05-2013, 04:07 PM   #22
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Francesca,

Thank you for your suggestion.

As it turns out, I did check with Les Schwab and American Tire and all their 13" trailer tires are made in China as well.

I'll keep looking for a trailer tire made other than in China; I'm in no rush.

Walter
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Old 07-05-2013, 04:25 PM   #23
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Francesca,

Thank you for your suggestion.

As it turns out, I did check with Les Schwab and American Tire and all their 13" trailer tires are made in China as well.

I'll keep looking for a trailer tire made other than in China; I'm in no rush.

Walter
Isn't that kind of like trying to shop for a television make in America or a portable radio, etc.?
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Old 07-05-2013, 04:49 PM   #24
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My curiosity raised, I check my Goodyear Marathons for country of manufacture. My first set was made in New Zealand. This set was made in China. It's interesting that a product that I imagine uses a fairly automated process has to be manufactured in China.
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Old 07-05-2013, 05:01 PM   #25
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13" Trailer tires - not made in China - where are you?

In my search for trailer tires, I did come across a brand that was not made in China but rather in Thailand. I forget the name of the tire, something like Momentum or Maxima. I did email the co but got no response and forgot about it.

Rather than just settling on any Chinese trailer tire, what is really needed is a good technical review of 13" trailer tires with field tests and owner reviews. That way, if we are stuck buying trailer tires from China, one could pick the best of the bunch, and one can make a more informed decision. I hope this review comes out before I need to purchase trailer tires again.

This whole subject is not irrelevant because not too long ago there was a huge recall of car tires made in China which were found to be defective and caused problems for people. I forget the exact brand . I would not buy a Chinese made tire for my car under any circumstances as long as their were other choices out there which fortunately there are. I don't know what the learning curve is for making quality tires or where the Chinese are on that curve at this point in time. It would be interesting to know when/what any car makers put Chinese made tires on their new vehicles as that might tell you that at least one entity has decided they are now ok.

So if anyone spots a good technical review of different brands of trailer tires I hope they will share it with us.

Thank you.
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Old 07-05-2013, 05:14 PM   #26
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That's what dealing with a reputable dealer like Les Schwab does for one, Walter. They do the specs for the product and stand behind it 100%. Country-of-origin doesn't matter. It's the end product that does.

Especially since ownership of Tire companies is so tangled, there's little hope that you'll ever find what you're looking for, which seems to be any tire with which there's no Chinese involvement. On that subject: I would be much surprised if that Thai-made tire you refer to is NOT made by a Chinese-owned company. Most such Thai-based companies are. Would that matter to you? Or is it only Chinese labor you're concerned about, management being O.K.?

In my opinion, ownership/quality control at the top is what matters most in the end.

Francesca
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Old 07-05-2013, 05:16 PM   #27
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There have been probably as many American Made tire recalls and China Made or Japanese Made, etc.
I suggest going with a name brand and a good warranty and not worry about where it's made.
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Old 07-05-2013, 05:25 PM   #28
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From another forum:

Re: American made travel trailer tires
After having good luck with both US made TowMasters and Carlisles on my 30' Carri-Lite fifth-wheel, I had 2 blowouts and trailer damage with chinese made Carlisles. Last year, I converted from ST225/75R15 to LT225/75R16 Michelins (made in Canada). These are the same type of tire that my pickup has (only narrower) and I've not had any problems with LT tires on it. The conversion cost me about $2K and I consider it worth it.

My experience with trying to find 15" LT tires was that they are expensive and hard to find. That was the reason for going up to a 16".

Part of my investigation pointed to a general over rating on ST tires. Apparently because they are not rated to carry people, the manufacturers can rate them for up to 1000 pounds more load than a comparable LT tire.
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Old 07-05-2013, 05:30 PM   #29
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And another web site:

This site was created to help you do some research on how to find out which tires are made in America. Check out our page, Where's My Tire Made, for code info.

One source is Tirerack.com. On their website you can enter your tire size and look at many tires. When you see one you're interested in, click that tire. Then click on the "SPECS" tab. The last column will show you where the tire was manufactured.

Remember the only 100% sure way to tell where your tire is made is to physically look at the side wall. You can use this info to buy locally but have the tire store confirm U.S.A. on side of tire before having them installed. Please, let them know Americanmadetires.com referred you.

AmericanMadeTires.com
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Old 07-05-2013, 05:31 PM   #30
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Mac,
This is a much discussed topic on all trailer forums. Finding an independent technical review is difficult, mostly you only hear from those that have failures.

So far I haven't found a review but I did find the following explanation/description of ST tires that may be of interest.

Trailer Tires - Tips and Advice by autoMedia.com
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Old 07-05-2013, 05:55 PM   #31
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Country-of-origin does matter in today's commerce, and it's not limited to specs and quality control of the end product. It's how a product is made, and under what conditions, that should interest us just as much, and help drive our buying decisions. The garments recently made in Bangladesh all met their industry's product quality standards, yet I don't think many of us can feel comfortable knowing the immense risks the workers were exposed to while churning them out.

Maybe Chinese tires are just as good as US or French, but then again maybe not, all things considered.
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Old 07-06-2013, 07:17 AM   #32
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IMHO, the best option for 13" trailer tires are Maxxis Radial M8008 ST, made in Thailand, with a C load range. I believe Discount Tire can special order these. I bought mine online. The best 14" trailer tires are Kumho Radial 857, made in Korea, that I bought online from Tire Rack. These are not ST but sold in the US as trailer tires.
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Old 07-06-2013, 07:48 AM   #33
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Last point first this time:

Buying your tires from a tire chain will also have the adventage that if a tire fails you have a better chance of going to a branch of that same company for a warranty claim. Otherwise warranty value can be a crapshoot if you have a sidewall fail in Padukah, KY and you bought your tires at Joes Tires in Parump, NV. Same warning about buying on-line, you may save a few $$, but you do put more space between you and the supplier in the event of a problem. Me, I always use America's Tire/Discount Tire, they match on-line prices and have the best customer service on the planet.

Buying chinese made tires with a major mfgs name on them seems a safer bet than house brand tires, the makers have more to lose if they make defective products.

About Chinese Tires..... Many private and name brand tires are now made in China where, at least a few years back, there were significant quality problems when local managers (in China) attempted to increase profits by using excessive amounts of recycled tire material in new tires. As of late I haven't seen much on that issue but: "fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me" is still good advice when it can be followed.



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Old 07-06-2013, 08:27 AM   #34
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Per the Kumho 857:

Not sure where the "this isn't a trailer tire" comes from. Here's its description from one site where it's sold:

Quote:
The Radial 857 is KUMHO's Euro-metric Commercial-sized special purpose tire designed for use on trailers. Radial 857 tires are not intended to be used on cars or light trucks.

On the outside, the Radial 857 features a 4-rib design to provide constant rubber-to-road contact that delivers dependable highway stability, traction and durability. Internally, the Radial 857 features twin steel belts that stabilize the tread to increase traction, while a 2-ply, polyester cord body helps even out the trailer's ride.

KUMHO Radial 857 tires feature blackwall styling and are available in Q-speed rated 82-series, Load Range D (65 psi) Euro-metric Commercial sizes for 14" wheel diameters.

Special purpose trailer tires are not UTQG rated.
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Old 07-06-2013, 02:26 PM   #35
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Thank you everyone all for your helpful comments and suggestions.

Tom, your info about the 13" Maxxis Radial M8808 ST from Thailand available from Discount tire by special order, is appreciated and will be kept in mind when the need for new tires arises.

Hope everyone has good luck with their tires .
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Old 07-06-2013, 02:36 PM   #36
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Maxxis are good tires! Made by a Chinese company called "Cheng Shin Rubber"..

Quote:
Maxxis has manufacturing facilities in locations including Yuan Lin, Taiwan; Xiamen, China; Kunshan, China; Rayong Province, Thailand; and Vietnam.
Maxxis has technology centers in Yuan Lin, Taiwan and Kunshan, China. The Maxxis proving ground is located in Kunshan.
Francesca
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Old 07-06-2013, 02:47 PM   #37
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Francesca,

Thank you for this info. One never stops learning! I guess the Chinese have a monoply on trailer tires now, like a lot of other things.
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Old 07-06-2013, 05:26 PM   #38
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Originally Posted by honda03842 View Post
It's interesting that a product that I imagine uses a fairly automated process has to be manufactured in China.
Two explanations come to mind, although both are frankly guesses:
  • Although automated to a significant extent, there is still significant labour in manufacturing tires.
  • There are many more factors than labour rates which affect the cost of doing business in a location. Cheap supplies, inexpensive land with cheaply built facilities on it, and lax regulations could all make a completely automated factory cheaper to run in some countries than anywhere in North America.

Good work can be done anywhere; bad work can be done anywhere. The least well-built vehicles I have owned have been "American" (Chevy pickup and Ford Focus), but our very well built Toyota Sienna made in the U.S. too, as all Siennas have always been.
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Old 07-06-2013, 05:28 PM   #39
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Originally Posted by georgewa View Post
In my search for trailer tires, I did come across a brand that was not made in China but rather in Thailand.
Are you thinking that Thailand would be better or worse? My guess would be worse, if there is any difference due to location.
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Old 07-06-2013, 05:31 PM   #40
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Originally Posted by georgewa View Post
Rather than just settling on any Chinese trailer tire, what is really needed is a good technical review of 13" trailer tires with field tests and owner reviews.
That would be nice, but I would not expect that to ever happen. For one thing, most people really don't care about trailer tires, which is why there is mostly junk available. Also, with distributors changing their suppliers regularly - lowest bid wins - any review done today would be obsolete tomorrow.
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