Trailer tires

[saxrulez]

I have some 13" wheels that are now in need of new trailer tires. I would really like some advice on some GOOD trailer tires. The tires that were on my trailer were passenger car tires and blew out while the tread was practically brand new! :facepalm:

I would like something with some serious longevity. I had one blowout today, replaced it and 15 minutes later down the road the other tire blew :facepalm::facepalm::facepalm: I am going to be making a 20ish hour drive with the boat in a few months, and I want some good quality tires on there! I don't want to have to worry if I'm running 70mph on the interstate.

Wellcraft Airslot 165(16' hull) with a Johnson 120hp VRO.

 

[superbenk]

Re: Trailer tires

First step is to get some actual trailer tires, not passenger tires. Sidewalls are different. I just switched from bias-ply to radial this year & so far I'm far happier with the radials. They run cooler, handle sitting longer and just generally seem like a better product for my boat/trailer needs. There's a ton of bias vs. radial threads on here if you search. I got these tires in load range D (these are C which I think should be plenty for your boat):

http://www.etrailer.com/Tires-and-Wheels/Kenda/AM10199.html

I know some people run their tires until they fall apart, but often you'll find that trailer tires will fail before their tread is worn. Trailer tires sit around a lot & because of that they tend to dry out and rot faster than car tires that get run a lot. One of the best things you can probably do is cover the tires from the sun. Even still, you should expect to change tires every 3-5 yrs regardless of the appearance of tread life.

 

[MAXXIE]

Re: Trailer tires

Well all I can say is: I just got new tires from Wal Mart, they were on mounted on rims all ready, although you can buy just the tire & there are all different sizes as well. They are boat trailer tires & seem to be very good tires, rated for higher speed. Some may say "Wal Mart for tires? Are you nutz?" But they seem pretty good to me. Just my .02

 

[cannonman]

Re: Trailer tires

I have purchased very heavy duty trailers tires and still had problems after they were 4-5 years old. It really does seem that age is the biggest factor with trailer tires. The only tires I can say were a problem from the beginning were Goodyear Marathons. I will not buy those!

 

[riptide09]

Re: Trailer tires

I have purchased very heavy duty trailers tires and still had problems after they were 4-5 years old. It really does seem that age is the biggest factor with trailer tires. The only tires I can say were a problem from the beginning were Goodyear Marathons. I will not buy those!

I have read a few places that stated the average life a trailer tire is 3 to 5 years regardless of the tread. I got 6 years out of one set of tires however I ended up with a blowout and on the side of the road changing a tire. 4 -5 years seems reasonable to me.

 

[robert graham]

Re: Trailer tires

I've always wished that Michelin would make trailer tires, but they don't, so we have to buy "the other brands". Buy real trailer tires, keep them pumped up to specified pressure, replace them with new tires about every 4 years, depending on usage. If you're pulling your boat just a few miles to the local ramp then maybe you can press your luck, but if you're like me, and have to pull my boat several hundred miles on a high speed interstate highway, then better keep your rubber fresh! After a couple of blow-outs on the interstate I decided it's worth a couple of hundred bucks to keep fresh tires. Oh, and carry a good spare and a jack, anyway! Good Luck!

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Trailer tires

http://www.etrailer.com/Tires-and-Wheels/Kenda/AM10199.html

x2 on these - I've had very good luck with the Kenda Loadstars, run them on the boat trailer and car trailer.

 

[jeffnick]

Re: Trailer tires

Were your car tires rated for carrying the load of your boat/trailer? Were they inflated to the pressure on the sidewall?

I'm a big fan of using car tires on a boat trailer.
http://72land-n-sea.blogspot.com/2011/05/trailer-tires-brakes.html

 

[saxrulez]

Re: Trailer tires

Were your car tires rated for carrying the load of your boat/trailer? Were they inflated to the pressure on the sidewall?

I'm a big fan of using car tires on a boat trailer.
http://72land-n-sea.blogspot.com/2011/05/trailer-tires-brakes.html

I honestly don't know. Unfortunately it was an area I overlooked with maintenance as they came on the trailer when I bought the boat last year. They were properly inflated. I replaced the bearings the beginning of this year. How often should the bearings be replaced/repacked?

 

[jeffnick]

Re: Trailer tires

I honestly don't know. Unfortunately it was an area I overlooked with maintenance as they came on the trailer when I bought the boat last year. They were properly inflated. I replaced the bearings the beginning of this year. How often should the bearings be replaced/repacked?

Grease isn't consumed and bearings seldom wear out, so theoretically trailer hubs don't need maintenance (how often do you do your car bearings) but because they get dunked, it's a good idea to check boat trailer hubs yearly for bad seals/leaking grease and water intrusion.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Trailer tires

I'm just amazed at the number of blow-outs people have. What are you doing to these tires?

Knock on wood, I've been trailering for 25 years, 60 miles each way, sometime 5-6 days a week and have never once blown out a tire on the truck or a trailer. Then again, I've never owned a bias ?ply tire. Maybe that?s the difference.

 

[saxrulez]

Re: Trailer tires

How often do you replace your trailer tires? Just curious!

 

[jeffnick]

Re: Trailer tires

How often do you replace your trailer tires? Just curious!

I could never get more than a couple years out of ST (trailer) tires. They had tread separation or uneven wear or weather checking or blowouts. With passenger car radials on the boat trailer I got the same service that I would on the car...replace them when they wore out - at about 40,000 miles.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Trailer tires

How often do you replace your trailer tires? Just curious!

I replace tires when needed i.e. first sign of dry rot or drywall damage.

I just replaced the GoodYear Marathons on the horse trailer after 10 years. The trailer is used twice a week, 10 months out of the year, for the past 6 years. The tires where kept inflated per GoodYear's operating procedure, not the sidewall data.

The tires on the boat trailer are 6 years old. No signs of wear or tear at this point. I will keep an good eye on them on here on out.

 

[saxrulez]

Re: Trailer tires

I could never get more than a couple years out of ST (trailer) tires. They had tread separation or uneven wear or weather checking or blowouts. With passenger car radials on the boat trailer I got the same service that I would on the car...replace them when they wore out - at about 40,000 miles.

It would probably take me 15 years to put 40,000 on my trailer!

 

[eli_lilly]

Re: Trailer tires

How often do you replace your trailer tires? Just curious!

I visually inspect mine and replace them when they start to show either weirdness on the tread or small cracks on the sidewall around the bead. The sidewall cracking almost always happens first, as the tire ages.

-E

 

[dockwrecker]

Re: Trailer tires

Maxxis radials get the best reviews of anything out there. Mine are great!

 

[superbenk]

Re: Trailer tires

Maxxis radials get the best reviews of anything out there. Mine are great!

Options are limited for radials in 13" wheels. Might have to take what you can find (though it might be easier with load range C).