Bigfoot 17 longer tongue

[Rick M]

Originally Posted by Franswa

[QUOTE I wouldn't venture off to far with them as you probably know rv tires are made differently Good Luck.

sure.....trailer tires last half as long and when you have a flat with them they explode and disintegrate into pieces [/QUOTE]

Yes I agree with you they explode but any tire would,especially if you have a tandem axle you don't realize you have a flat till it is way to late and there is no tire left. Even automobile tires are really only good for so long also. They make trailer tires for a reason. I don't some times know why and agee with you on the why question. It is probably a sales pitch as trailer tires are more expensive also. Love your rims I had heard that the Ford Ranger rims fit most trailers.

[AnotherCanadian]

Yes, I'm very well versed in ST construction versus LT. I just had an ST seperate a bead and develop a lump....never had that issue with an LT tire carrying less than its rated capacity at correct pressure.

These tires are not staying on the trailer. They worked fine for 2 short trips being carefully monitored with no issues, but will get replaced with more suitable tires before our next trip.

Axle is a 3500 lb straight axle, then converted to spring over. Ground clearance is excellent but still very stable. I'm sure part of that is the fact I'm towing with a 1 ton diesel, but I watch trailer very carefully and there is no sway, or excessive cornering lean or anything concerning. When I get proper tires for it the height will be reduced about 1.5" and I think that will be ideal for our use.

[Jon in AZ]

If Michelin (or any other reputable company) made a 13” LT tire, they would be on my Scamp. They have adequately stiff sidewalls for weight carrying and tracking, and their use in passenger-carrying applications- crew-type pickups as well as commercial passenger vans- means they come with a significant liability exposure. That, along with the sheer number of them on the road, means more rigorous engineering and production control. Many high-end trailer makers- Oliver, Bigfoot, Airstream- supply then as OEM.

[ZachO]

I'm no tire expert and we all know what typically happens with tire topics...but my understanding is that you would absolutely not want to run a trailer tire on a passenger vehicle, but doing the opposite is fine. I know someone will correct me, but that's my thought. Trailer tires aren't meant for steering and all that. Not sure about sidewall strength in relation to a trailer tire vs passenger tire.

In another only slightly related topic, when I see newer, high-stance "off-road" trailers being sold with mud terrain tires, is that just for show? Is there any reason a trailer needs traction at low speeds off road? Aside from just basic treads? There's no power going to those tires after all.

[Raspy]

Originally Posted by Rick M

as you probably know rv tires are made differently Good Luck.

So true. LT tires are much better. And LT tires come as standard equipment on some trailers, like Olivers.

[Raspy]

Originally Posted by ZachO

In another only slightly related topic, when I see newer, high-stance "off-road" trailers being sold with mud terrain tires, is that just for show? Is there any reason a trailer needs traction at low speeds off road? Aside from just basic treads? There's no power going to those tires after all.

The only benefits I can think of are slightly better braking on dirt or mud, with an all terrain tire, and if you run wheels that interchange with the truck, you'd still have good truck performance with the trailer's spare on the truck.

[Franswa]

you have learned a good lesson about this board:


think outside the box, experiment some....probably spending less money that what RV dealers tell you you should......report satisfactory results after your "real world" experience about it all...............and you will get half a dozen "experts" on here to tell you that you you did was all wrong... not "proper"..... yada yada yada. Happens every time.


Thanks for posting your story...."who knew" explorer wheels fit on BFs ???
Cheers to you, F

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by ZachO

I'm no tire expert and we all know what typically happens with tire topics...but my understanding is that you would absolutely not want to run a trailer tire on a passenger vehicle, but doing the opposite is fine. I know someone will correct me, but that's my thought. Trailer tires aren't meant for steering and all that. Not sure about sidewall strength in relation to a trailer tire vs passenger tire.

I don’t think I’ve heard anyone suggest a passenger tire (P) for a travel trailer. The debate centers on light truck tires (LT) versus special trailer (ST) tires.

[AnotherCanadian]

Correct, I should point out that I'm looking for a set of LT, Load range E rated tires, which will have much more than adequate capacity for our trailer.

[Glenn Baglo]

For some reason, I don't think I'm smarter, or have more knowledge than the engineers and R&D departments of dozens of tire manufacturers who build ST ( special trailer ) tires for that specific application.
I've read on the internet that if you glue dryer sheets to your LT tires with vinegar, they'll last years longer.

[ZachO]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

I don’t think I’ve heard anyone suggest a passenger tire (P) for a travel trailer. The debate centers on light truck tires (LT) versus special trailer (ST) tires.

By passenger tire I was referring to tires meant for a vehicle containing passengers. Anything but trailer tires. Messy language use.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

For some reason, I don't think I'm smarter, or have more knowledge than the engineers and R&D departments of dozens of tire manufacturers who build ST ( special trailer ) tires for that specific application.
I've read on the internet that if you glue dryer sheets to your LT tires with vinegar, they'll last years longer.

(1) Engineers design and test to given constraints, including failure rate. Do you think that failure rate target is the same for ST and LT tires?

(2) Do you think all information obtained from the internet is false, or just some of it?

[AnotherCanadian]

I'm not opposed to running ST tires, but I find that many of them seem to have a high failure rate and be of much lower manufacturing quality than the average LT tire, so I'm exploring options. I may stick with ST if I anyone has recommendations on brands they have had positive experience with.

I'm not smarter than a tire engineer, but I do have a diploma in Mechanical Engineering and an Industrial Millwright ticket, so I am confident I can calculate the load put on each tire and select a tire with a higher capacity than required, whether ST or LT.

The vinegar trick is a great suggestion but it rains too much up here for it to last very long.....

[ZachO]

Well and it's not a matter of "smart", it's a matter of knowledge. This is just made up (mostly), but say you knew for fact (if those exist anymore) that the reason there are specific trailer tires is because they could make them less strong than passenger vehicle tires, knowing that no passenger would ride on them, so they didn't need to be built to the same strength. If you knew that was the reason for special "trailer tires", then you'd know that using an LT tire would be a major upgrade from trailer tires. But if you don't know this, then yeah, you're second guessing people whose business is tire design, which isn't smart.

I agree Mike, when you start looking at trailer tire reviews, they all look terrible. I also agree with others on this site who assume that the failure rate is more a failure to properly inflate and care for tires than because the tires are all crap. I also think that once you're up to a 14 or 15" wheel, there are quality trailer tires out there, like Michelin.