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Old 05-06-2012, 04:16 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 841K9 View Post
I don't know..

A Scamp 13 might just weigh more than that Festiva.
While that is unlikely, the Festiva did have FOUR tires. It came with 12" tires and I had to have 13" wheels custom made for it.
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Old 05-06-2012, 04:48 PM   #22
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Yes, it was me talking about sidewall flex. Same thing applies. A Light TRUCK (LT) tire may be up to an 8 ply, designed to be run at 65 or more PSI and to run at a higher speed than the (unrated) trailer tires. Try flexing the sidewalls by pushing sideways on a vehicle with THOSE on.

Many of our trailers came with bias-ply tires on from the factory, which had quite stiff sidewalls in relation to the next generation tires (first gen Radials) that replaced them. The best towing and handling I ever experienced involved radials on the tug and bias-ply on the trailer. Admittedly - only single-axle trailers - never had a tandem with bias-plies on it.

Radials have (in general) very stiff TREAD and softer sidewalls than bias ply tires.

Softer sidewalls will (in all likelihood) increase sway tendencies. Stiffer sidewalls (equals harsher ride) tend to reduce sway.

However ST (trailer-rated) tires just don't seem to have as stiff a sidewall as a LT rated tire.

I don't consider 4 years or 1,000 miles to be acceptable life. It sorta reminds me of the "no-name used car lot" with their famous "50/50 warranty". 50 Seconds or 50 feet, whichever comes first!
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Old 05-06-2012, 05:13 PM   #23
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Tires once more

Quote:
Originally Posted by Spencer View Post
I am thinking about putting a set of (Michelin) car tires on my 13' Scamp..

Anyone ever heard of car tires for a Scamp? Every tried it?
ie: ST205r14C > trailer tires ST trailer, 205 width / profile size, r radial, 14 diameter at rim, C load range; This size example ranges (B 1500 lbs, C 1760 lbs, D 1900 lbs)
> MTO, and Tire manufacturer reduce ability for Truck and Car tires when on a trailer due to suspension differences of 10%; "they are not designed to take the punishment of trailer suspensions" in fact told they would not last as long? "They did say all tires have a stale date of 5 years though generally over looked, this is even more important in special duty tires like snow tires"

We can get trailer radials and the new r radial tires ride very well and last longer while made to do the job. When it comes to speed do not feel it is safe to go over 65 mph / 104 kmh in fact feel that a limit of 55 mph / 88 kmh is more reasonable.

At the advice of the experts we replaced new car tires on our trailer last year for new trailer tires.
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Old 05-06-2012, 06:19 PM   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Borden View Post


ie: ST205r14C > trailer tires ST trailer, 205 width / profile size, r radial, 14 diameter at rim, C load range; This size example ranges (B 1500 lbs, C 1760 lbs, D 1900 lbs)
> MTO, and Tire manufacturer reduce ability for Truck and Car tires when on a trailer due to suspension differences of 10%; "they are not designed to take the punishment of trailer suspensions" in fact told they would not last as long? "They did say all tires have a stale date of 5 years though generally over looked, this is even more important in special duty tires like snow tires"

We can get trailer radials and the new r radial tires ride very well and last longer while made to do the job. When it comes to speed do not feel it is safe to go over 65 mph / 104 kmh in fact feel that a limit of 55 mph / 88 kmh is more reasonable.

At the advice of the experts we replaced new car tires on our trailer last year for new trailer tires.
I have the same trailer and have ST205r14's as well. With all the extra weight of the 1700 there is no way I would want to run car tires. I would run Light Truck tires if I had 15" rims but I do not.
If I had a 13' footer I can see running car tires if I had a good set kicking
around going unused. Buying car tires new? They would need to be a screaming deal. I like the higher load capacity, 50PSI air pressure and stiffer sidewalls of the trailer tires.
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Old 05-06-2012, 09:21 PM   #25
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Originally Posted by BCDave View Post
Yes, it was me talking about sidewall flex. Same thing applies. A Light TRUCK (LT) tire may be up to an 8 ply, designed to be run at 65 or more PSI and to run at a higher speed than the (unrated) trailer tires. Try flexing the sidewalls by pushing sideways on a vehicle with THOSE on.

Many of our trailers came with bias-ply tires on from the factory, which had quite stiff sidewalls in relation to the next generation tires (first gen Radials) that replaced them. The best towing and handling I ever experienced involved radials on the tug and bias-ply on the trailer. Admittedly - only single-axle trailers - never had a tandem with bias-plies on it.

Radials have (in general) very stiff TREAD and softer sidewalls than bias ply tires.

Softer sidewalls will (in all likelihood) increase sway tendencies. Stiffer sidewalls (equals harsher ride) tend to reduce sway.

However ST (trailer-rated) tires just don't seem to have as stiff a sidewall as a LT rated tire.

I don't consider 4 years or 1,000 miles to be acceptable life. It sorta reminds me of the "no-name used car lot" with their famous "50/50 warranty". 50 Seconds or 50 feet, whichever comes first!
A year of so after I first got my trailer I purchased a set of bias ply trailer tires (which it had on it when I got it) and I got about 3 years 9 months out of them - they looked great but decided it was time to start coming apart at the seams as luck would have it while I was in the middle on no where! I replaced with radial trailer tires and the only difference I have noticed between the bias plys and the radials is the trailer seems to ride a bit smoother on rough roads - no indication that the radials are inclined to cause more sway or at least I havent had the misfortune of experiencing that yet.... although I have put about 1700 miles so far on the radials.
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Old 05-07-2012, 09:11 AM   #26
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I don't have any real tire knowledge other than what we have experienced.

We've used 13" Goodyear Marathon ST tires on our Sunline, Casita and Scamp. The set on the Scamp is our second set. The first set used on the Sunline and Casita were on for four years and during that period we covered some 20,000 miles without any issues.

So far we have 8,000 miles on the set on the set on the Scamp without issue. We keep them infalated to pressures near their maximum and similarly our pressures on the tow vehicle are higher near maximum, particularly the rears. I do believe stiff sidewalls are inportant because sway is 'side motion'.

Our experience with LT truck tires, specifically Michelins, is poor. We had very expensive Michelin truck tires on our motorhome, we were never over weight, regular checked pressure and yet had 5 tire blowouts over an 8 year period. I admit the motorhome experience may not carry over to trailers.

Our experience is that ST tires do work when properly inflated and monitored. Are passenger tires ot LT tires a reasonable alternative? I don't know but I plan to stick with what we have until ST's stop working for us. In 4 years we will probably have 40,000 towing miles on them, assuming the tread lasts that long.

Safe travels
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Old 05-07-2012, 11:59 AM   #27
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I'm with Norm on this one. I replace the original tires after 5 years and had over 20,000 miles on them. The "new" ST tires are "C" rather that "B" load rated. They now have over 20,000 miles on them. I have always kept them inflated at or near maximum sidewall pressure (maximum pressure as indicated on the sidewalls). They've preformed great, no sway, minimum bouncing. I had a utility trailer with passenger car tires and that sucker bounced all over the place. You could see the sidewalls flexing as it bounced.

I did see a 16' Scamp that blew out a tire, it had been under inflated and got hot and melted before it blew. You could see the rubber had gotten hot enough to deform.
ST tires and full inflation for me.

You can take you chances at second guessing the engineers if you like, but.....
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Old 05-07-2012, 12:28 PM   #28
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ok,,,my take.
i am 61 years old. and have started ,run and sold two succesfull trucking companies.

that doesn't make me an expert , just makes me think i am.

trailer tires ,(at least when they were conceived) were designed to limit(that is , not add to) sway, carry a load, wear a long time, and help stop the trailer if equiped with brakes.

drive and steer tires have a completely different job. (not counting rear tires on a front drive car,,,basicle trailers then huh?)

i personaly have never had a blow out in a trailer tire.
but have seen lots of them. most every one is caused by debries puncture,or faulty maintainance. (bad tire pressure, failure to inspect.)

considering the weight of our trailers, load isn't really that big of a factor , assuming your not overloaded, or buying tires that are under rated.

so it comes down to four factors as i see it.
1. puncture. not much you can do about that execpt have a jack and a lug wrench. and don't drive with your wheels in the gutter. thats where all the nails live.
2. inflation. buy a good,,(not cheapo) tire preasure gauge and use it like you enjoy it.
3. inspection. your down there checking the preasure anyway....look at the tire, feel the tire,,,become one with the tire grasshopper.
4. excessive speed. your in your camper,,,not the daytona 500 slow down speedball tucker.
seriously your on vacation,,,whats your hurry?on the freeway 60 is plenty.
but i always look for two lane blacktop, i see so many wonderful things at 55, and its easy to stop and take pictures.

wow,,,no super secret technology? nope, just take care of your tires, buy good tires, and always watch out for the other guy.
as red green says..."we're all in this together...i'm pullin for ya"
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Old 05-09-2012, 07:21 AM   #29
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P.S. We use the recommended tire pressure on the inside of closet door while towing not tire max listed on sidewall, over inflation will lower tire life.

(My wife worked in the office for Goodyear when in doubt I ask the expert)

Quote from tire manufacturer
Disadvantages of Underinflation
An underinflated tire can't maintain its shape and becomes flatter than intended while in contact with the road. If a vehicle’s tires are underinflated by only 6 psi it could lead to tire failure. Additionally, the tire’s tread life could be reduced by as much as 25%. Lower inflation pressure will allow the tire to deflect (bend) more as it rolls. This will build up internal heat, increase rolling resistance and cause a reduction in fuel economy of up to 5%. You would experience a significant loss of steering precision and cornering stability. While 6 psi doesn’t seem excessively low, remember, it usually represents about 20% of the tire’s recommended pressure.

Disadvantages of Overinflation
An overinflated tire is stiff and unyielding and the size of its footprint in contact with the road is reduced. If a vehicle's tires are overinflated by 6 psi, they could be damaged more easily when running over potholes or debris in the road. Higher inflated tires cannot isolate road irregularities well, causing them to ride harsher.

The pressure must be checked with a quality air gauge as the inflation pressure cannot be accurately estimated through visual inspection.

A little extra pressure maybe needed with extra load though
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Old 05-09-2012, 07:37 AM   #30
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Originally Posted by Borden View Post
P.S. We use the recommended tire pressure on the inside of closet door while towing not tire max listed on sidewall, over inflation will lower tire life.
Seriously??? I am going to suggest that perhaps the tires on a 1978 boler have been changed more than once -as has the technology used to make them or if they are the same tires I would highly recommend that you change them!
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Old 05-09-2012, 06:49 PM   #31
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Seriously??? I am going to suggest that perhaps the tires on a 1978 boler have been changed more than once -as has the technology used to make them or if they are the same tires I would highly recommend that you change them!
My '76 Scamp had the factory tires on it when I picked it up in April.

They had the date cast on the sidewalls.
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Old 05-09-2012, 06:57 PM   #32
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Originally Posted by 841K9 View Post
.They had the date cast on the sidewalls.
Determining Age of Tires
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Old 05-09-2012, 07:05 PM   #33
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 841K9 View Post
My '76 Scamp had the factory tires on it when I picked it up in April.

They had the date cast on the sidewalls.
Prior quote:
"They did say all tires have a stale date of 5 years though generally over looked, this is even more important in special duty tires like snow tires"

Not surprised, before we purchased out trailer its tires were very old, and had cracks all through the side walls and lots of tread. Unfortunately the prior owner made a purchase of car tires as replacement told came even with a new spare but they were all car tires. We replaced them with new trailer tires. Will not worry about over age as long as they inspect well I too may go over the 5 years.

But 25 years old can only say wow!
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Old 05-09-2012, 08:08 PM   #34
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Originally Posted by Borden View Post
Prior quote:


But 25 years old can only say wow!
You mean 35?
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Old 05-09-2012, 08:20 PM   #35
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Borden View Post
Prior quote:
"They did say all tires have a stale date of 5 years though generally over looked, this is even more important in special duty tires like snow tires"

Not surprised, before we purchased out trailer its tires were very old, and had cracks all through the side walls and lots of tread. Unfortunately the prior owner made a purchase of car tires as replacement told came even with a new spare but they were all car tires. We replaced them with new trailer tires. Will not worry about over age as long as they inspect well I too may go over the 5 years.

But 25 years old can only say wow!
Tire pressure listed on 25 year old trailer are out of date. Contact tire manufactures and they'll tell you the warranty is only good if the tire is cold inflated to the pressure embossed on the sidewall.
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Old 05-09-2012, 08:32 PM   #36
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Tire pressure listed on 25 year old trailer are out of date. Contact tire manufactures and they'll tell you the warranty is only good if the tire is cold inflated to the pressure embossed on the sidewall.
I generally go half way between the listed pressure on the tire and the pressure on the vehicle if the tires are not OEM or extremely similar.

The suspension is set for a specific tire pressure. The tire's sidewall compresses as a part of the suspension. Certain auto companies may void the warranty on a vehicle with oversize wheels and super low profile tires.
I had a fun exchange with a customer about that. They were complaining about their SUV's ride quality after having installed 23" wheels.

trailers are not fun to pull.
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Old 05-15-2012, 12:03 AM   #37
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I run passenger tires and haven't had any problems... I just make sure they are load rated for more than my 13' weighs and never underinflated. (run them close to the max listed on the sidewall) I inspect them before, during, and after every trip. (and if the truth was known, they are ususally take offs from either my wife's car or some other car-- pre-tested that way, ya know) Larry
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Old 05-16-2012, 09:48 PM   #38
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I've had both ST & P tires on my trailers. Now I only have ST tires on trailers that I want to keep. Another thing I've been told is that its required by the D.O.T. that trailers have ST tires. You may want to check with dot regs for where you are traveling.
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Old 05-16-2012, 10:46 PM   #39
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I've had both ST & P tires on my trailers. Now I only have ST tires on trailers that I want to keep. Another thing I've been told is that its required by the D.O.T. that trailers have ST tires. You may want to check with dot regs for where you are traveling.
So, who told you that?....
Was it her again??...
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Old 05-17-2012, 05:59 AM   #40
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So, who told you that?....
Was it her again??...
Floyd, Jeff is in Alberta. Perhaps DOT regs for tires are different there than where you live? So far, I've not found any rules/laws that are universal except for the need to use common sense and there are lots of people who don't know how to apply that....
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