Need some educating on tires please

[Glenn Baglo]

And, you need ST tires so that your trailer will be a Special Trailer, not a Lousy Truck.

[Mr Lynn]

I don't know what the answer is on ST (trailer) vs. LT (light-truck) tires, but will note that at least one molded-fiberglass trailer manufacturer, the high-end Oliver, puts LTs on their trailers. Is there some difference in suspension or other factor that influences them?

Don't suppose anyone here has any hard data on the issue. . .

/Mr Lynn

[padlin00]

I've had a few different types, my very limited experience.

Power King Towmax absolutely the bottom of the barrel, at least in 2006 and 2008, stay away. The new ones online look different.
Maxxis M8008, very nice tires although I only put about 10k on them before I sold the trailer. Nice wide tread.
Carlisle Radial Trail, early ones had many problems. They were reformulated, if that's the right word, a few years back. The new ones look a lot like the Maxxis now. I had about 25k on them, about 50% of tread was left. Had a blow out for unknown reason at about 15k.
Goodyear Endurance. Just put them on, cost a bit more then the rest. They do not look as good, tread wise, as the Carlisles or the Maxxis but they are too new to know for sure. The tread looks narrower but the written specs for them look the same. Not siped as much as the others, tread pattern kind of plain looking. Might be why they are supposed to last longer.

If you want a know good tire then either the Carlisle or the Maxxis are good. A few issues reported here and there but then all tires do. If you want a US made tire that's untested, then go for the Goodyear.

FWIW. I've used the same tire guy since I moved to this home 35 years ago. Seems he always pushes whatever he stocks (Goodyear Marathons) but if I insist he can get anything I want. He orders from the same local warehouse as all the other tire shops do, just the prices and service levels vary.

Do get them balanced, the guy I use outs the weights on the inside so I don't see them. If you think you may want a tire pressure system down the road, ask for metal stems.

[Pam Garlow]

ST tires. I prefer having a tire with a stiffer sidewall that is made for trailers. In the vintage groups, the strongest recommendation from the pros, and experienced long term trailer owners are STs. From the tire manufacturers, ST is recommended for Trailers as well. I don't see a good reason to shift away from that experienced majority.

[Joe Romas]

For what it's worth MANY trailer manufacturers are or have switched to the newly released Made in the USA Good Year Endurance tires including Casita, Air Stream and others.

I had a set of 4 year old Maxxis 8008 tires develop age cracks all over despite being off the ground and covered when not in use.

When Carlisle tires started failing is when Casita went to Good Year Marathons that were good until they started making them in China.

Kumho tires were all the word at one time but how long has it been since you heard of that brand?

Two months ago I went to Good Year Endurance tires because I think, hope, that Good Year designed a good tire to counter the rap they and other makers were getting from their Chinese made tires.

Time will tell.

I have been going to a Discount Tire store longer then I can remember. If I should have a problem Discount Tire and Good Year are all over the place.

Joe

[The Minimalist]

"For what it's worth MANY trailer manufacturers are or have switched to the newly released Made in the USA Good Year Endurance tires including Casita, Air Stream and others."

For what it's worth, many manufacturers when releasing a new product will give special introductory deals to companies in order to get their product out before the public, so several major manufacturers using a particular tire in this case doesn't necessarily mean better quality. I doubt that the trailer manufacturers have done extensive, long term testing of tires. Time will tell.

[Joe Romas]

Originally Posted by The Minimalist

For what it's worth, many manufacturers when releasing a new product will give special introductory deals to companies in order to get their product out before the public, so several major manufacturers using a particular tire in this case doesn't necessarily mean better quality. I doubt that the trailer manufacturers have done extensive, long term testing of tires. Time will tell.

I'm totally aware of that but extensive testing of trailer tires should be done by the tire maker and I believe GY recognised a problem with ST tires including their own Made In China Marathon ones and have come up with a better tire.
Trailer makers do not have the time or facilities to do extensive testing of every item going into their products. If they did Casita would probably not have chosen the Coleman Mach8 and Toyota would not have had to replace rusted out frames on Tacoma PU's.

I and I'm sure a good number of others are betting on Good Year making a better trailer tire.

And as you say "time will tell".

Joe