Problems with enclosed trailer TIRES
10-27-2009, 10:22 AM
#1
Racer
Thread Starter
Problems with enclosed trailer TIRES
A friend of mine is moving out of New Jersey, bought a house in Alabama.
He wanted to transport his '59 Vette to his new home. Inspected his tires on his trailer , found a six inch long by one inch wide bubble on the thread area of one tire. [ not on the side walls] Figured it was just a defective tire [replaced it] .All the other tires looked great, put 50 lbs. in each.
Trailer info.--Bought new 10/03. He put less than 8, 000 miles on it. It is a 21 footer with ST 205/75R15 load range C ,"Made in China" tires on it. Had a spare, plus jack, just in case.
Delivered his Vette to his new home. But on the way back to N.J. he had a blow out [trailer was empty] he put the spare on . B.T.W. the tire was completely destroyed. [Plies ,threads pealed off.] He drove somemore miles [was in another state] , had another blow out. Same as the last one. He drove home with three tires on it. When he got home He looked at the one that did not blow and it had a bubble [on the thread part] about the size of a silver dollar.
He said that he would never put another Made in China tire on his trailer.
Has anyone else on this Forum had a similar experience with their tires?
He took the tires back to our local dealer. The tires are warrantied for one year , the trailer three years. He bought four new tires-
ST 225/75R15 tires made by Goodyear [Marithon] ,Load range D [ can put 65 lbs. in them ]. The dealer sold them to him for his cost.
Here is what I found out---
Most trailer tires are made in China. The law says that the country of origin must be on the tire, the dealer showed me a made in china tire ,the Made in China was on the bead of the tire where it mates up with the rim, another words once the tire is mounted on the rim the made in china is covered up!!!! Other manufactures are putting the origin on the inside of the tire facing the interior of the car. I bought Michlins for my SUV and the tires was made in Thailand.
Carisle tires are made in Pa. but their threads do not look similar to other tires, plus the overall dia. is slightly different.
Goodyear tires [Marithon] were made in china but now are made in the USA. Old inventory might still have Made in China on them. GY probably heard about the new tarrif coming on the china tires.
I read on the internet last month that three more tire manufacturing plants in the U.S. shut their doors last year.
According to Consumer reports there was a recall on tire valve stems failing , and when they failed the tire deflated super fast and caught the driver off guard resulting in serious crashes. Havent read anything about tire failure.
Do not take your tires on your trailer for granted. I took my Vette out to the SACC Convention in Harrisburg ,Pa. All of this could have happened to me. I would'nt have enough spares , would have left the car/trailer on the side of the road, plus not everybody carries ST tires in stock. Really enjoyed the week-- Convention/Carisle , this could have turned into a nightmare.
He wanted to transport his '59 Vette to his new home. Inspected his tires on his trailer , found a six inch long by one inch wide bubble on the thread area of one tire. [ not on the side walls] Figured it was just a defective tire [replaced it] .All the other tires looked great, put 50 lbs. in each.
Trailer info.--Bought new 10/03. He put less than 8, 000 miles on it. It is a 21 footer with ST 205/75R15 load range C ,"Made in China" tires on it. Had a spare, plus jack, just in case.
Delivered his Vette to his new home. But on the way back to N.J. he had a blow out [trailer was empty] he put the spare on . B.T.W. the tire was completely destroyed. [Plies ,threads pealed off.] He drove somemore miles [was in another state] , had another blow out. Same as the last one. He drove home with three tires on it. When he got home He looked at the one that did not blow and it had a bubble [on the thread part] about the size of a silver dollar.
He said that he would never put another Made in China tire on his trailer.
Has anyone else on this Forum had a similar experience with their tires?
He took the tires back to our local dealer. The tires are warrantied for one year , the trailer three years. He bought four new tires-
ST 225/75R15 tires made by Goodyear [Marithon] ,Load range D [ can put 65 lbs. in them ]. The dealer sold them to him for his cost.
Here is what I found out---
Most trailer tires are made in China. The law says that the country of origin must be on the tire, the dealer showed me a made in china tire ,the Made in China was on the bead of the tire where it mates up with the rim, another words once the tire is mounted on the rim the made in china is covered up!!!! Other manufactures are putting the origin on the inside of the tire facing the interior of the car. I bought Michlins for my SUV and the tires was made in Thailand.
Carisle tires are made in Pa. but their threads do not look similar to other tires, plus the overall dia. is slightly different.
Goodyear tires [Marithon] were made in china but now are made in the USA. Old inventory might still have Made in China on them. GY probably heard about the new tarrif coming on the china tires.
I read on the internet last month that three more tire manufacturing plants in the U.S. shut their doors last year.
According to Consumer reports there was a recall on tire valve stems failing , and when they failed the tire deflated super fast and caught the driver off guard resulting in serious crashes. Havent read anything about tire failure.
Do not take your tires on your trailer for granted. I took my Vette out to the SACC Convention in Harrisburg ,Pa. All of this could have happened to me. I would'nt have enough spares , would have left the car/trailer on the side of the road, plus not everybody carries ST tires in stock. Really enjoyed the week-- Convention/Carisle , this could have turned into a nightmare.
Last edited by lovevettes; 10-27-2009 at 02:17 PM.
10-27-2009, 12:24 PM
#2
Melting Slicks
A friend of ours had two blow-outs on his trailer when we were heading to a show. One blow-out almost tore his fender off. It brought home the need to check out ours more closely. Most tire manufacturers recommend replacing tires by the age rather than tread depth. Not usually a problem with most cars and trucks but it can be with trailers. Also often overlooked is their inflation, load rating and condition such as cuts, abrasions or ply separation.
In checking out the various manufacturers I also found that many are made in China. I searched through several race forums and camper forums for more feedback. Two brands stood out as highly recommended. Denman Tire was one and Maxxis was the other. I ended up finding a local commercial tire dealer who carried Denman and replaced all of ours with those. I picked up a nail in one tire on a trip and put on the spare. Unfortunately that was on our trip out and would leave us with no spare for the return trip. Trying to find a trailer tire of the right size and load rating while traveling wasn't easy. We now carry two spares after that experience.
Rich
In checking out the various manufacturers I also found that many are made in China. I searched through several race forums and camper forums for more feedback. Two brands stood out as highly recommended. Denman Tire was one and Maxxis was the other. I ended up finding a local commercial tire dealer who carried Denman and replaced all of ours with those. I picked up a nail in one tire on a trip and put on the spare. Unfortunately that was on our trip out and would leave us with no spare for the return trip. Trying to find a trailer tire of the right size and load rating while traveling wasn't easy. We now carry two spares after that experience.
Rich
10-27-2009, 12:50 PM
#3
Drifting
Good information on the tires. Thanks.
I keep two spares on my trailer and I have tire covers on all tires when the trailer is parked to keep the UV damage to a minimum. In addition to the two spares, I recommend making sure you have a lug wrench that fits, tire gauge that will go to trailer tire pressures, roadside emergency reflectors, and a jack. Nice to have items are gloves and a plastic rain coat (I generally have flats when it is raining). The reason I am laboring with the obvious is that when people borrow a trailer, they generally don't think of any of the roadside equipment.
I keep two spares on my trailer and I have tire covers on all tires when the trailer is parked to keep the UV damage to a minimum. In addition to the two spares, I recommend making sure you have a lug wrench that fits, tire gauge that will go to trailer tire pressures, roadside emergency reflectors, and a jack. Nice to have items are gloves and a plastic rain coat (I generally have flats when it is raining). The reason I am laboring with the obvious is that when people borrow a trailer, they generally don't think of any of the roadside equipment.
10-27-2009, 02:15 PM
#4
Racer
Thread Starter
Trailer Tires
I have to make a correction here- He bought the trailer in Oct. 2006 , it is three years old this month. [my typing mistake], sorry.
I also asked the trailer dealer about using Light Truck tires, [ they have a higher speed rating] he said most of those tires are 2 plies on the sidewall , not too good with a trailer because trailers aren't steered around corners they are dragged , the tires skid. [ a lot of pressure on the side walls] Also I want to add the thread depth on the new tires he bought, are almost identical to the tires taken off [ very little wear].
B.T.W. the speed ratings on ST tires is 65 MPH max. Probably not too many people heed this.
Ed
I also asked the trailer dealer about using Light Truck tires, [ they have a higher speed rating] he said most of those tires are 2 plies on the sidewall , not too good with a trailer because trailers aren't steered around corners they are dragged , the tires skid. [ a lot of pressure on the side walls] Also I want to add the thread depth on the new tires he bought, are almost identical to the tires taken off [ very little wear].
B.T.W. the speed ratings on ST tires is 65 MPH max. Probably not too many people heed this.
Ed
10-27-2009, 02:30 PM
#5
Instructor
Member Since: Nov 2007
Location: Iowa
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Be carefull putting 225's on where 205's were. There may not be enough clearance on the backside when the trailer is loaded and they will rub. Especially if hauling something other than a car when the trailer may be loaded heavier on one side than the other. We had this happen to us. We replaced the 3500 lb. axles with 5000 lb. axles and had them ordered an inch or two wider to accomodate the 225 tires.3500 lb. axles are really not enough on an enclosed trailer that is longer than 20 ft. You now at sometime you may haul a "real car" that weighs over 4000 lbs. and with the weight of the trailer and gear thrown in you are approaching the max weight.
10-27-2009, 03:23 PM
#6
Racer
Thread Starter
My friend had one 225 mounted, the trailer dealer made him take it back to the trailer [ before he mounted all of them] to see if there was enough clearance and to the rear sheet metal there was 2 inches of clearance . All is well.
I ordered 4 tires [225's as well], I too brought my friends tire/wheel home to check it out. My trailer is about four years old now.
When I was at the dealers I walked around his lot to see the trailers in stock, I found a 21 footer with 225's on it already , I noticed that the rim width was 6" , mine is 5" , I asked the dealer if my rim width would be a problem and he said no. BTW that trailer with the better wheels cost a lot more than mine did.
I ordered 4 tires [225's as well], I too brought my friends tire/wheel home to check it out. My trailer is about four years old now.
When I was at the dealers I walked around his lot to see the trailers in stock, I found a 21 footer with 225's on it already , I noticed that the rim width was 6" , mine is 5" , I asked the dealer if my rim width would be a problem and he said no. BTW that trailer with the better wheels cost a lot more than mine did.
10-27-2009, 03:25 PM
#7
Some thoughts on trailer tires:
Never use a tire more than five years old. The tires can look new but they are subject to expensive failure. Check the dates, I bought some new tires from Tire Rack for my truck last year and they were over five years old. They then sent newer new tires.
Check the pressures before any use.
I bought a drive on ramp for my trailer. The good tire drives on ramp and gets the bad tire of ground to enable changing. Works great.
Read the other suggestions above ie two spare wheels and tires etc.
Make sure your truck and trailer is ready for prime time (all maintenance to your truck and trailer including wheel bearings and brakes are done before you leave home).
Regards
Never use a tire more than five years old. The tires can look new but they are subject to expensive failure. Check the dates, I bought some new tires from Tire Rack for my truck last year and they were over five years old. They then sent newer new tires.
Check the pressures before any use.
I bought a drive on ramp for my trailer. The good tire drives on ramp and gets the bad tire of ground to enable changing. Works great.
Read the other suggestions above ie two spare wheels and tires etc.
Make sure your truck and trailer is ready for prime time (all maintenance to your truck and trailer including wheel bearings and brakes are done before you leave home).
Regards
10-27-2009, 06:46 PM
#9
Le Mans Master
One of the main reasons for blow outs on dual axle trailer tires is that when one starts to lose air the driver is typically unaware of it until the loss is great enough to cause structural failure of the tire from excess heat. Once the tire fails it is not unusual for it to come apart and damage or destroy a fender. (And lets not forget the additional load now being carried by the remaining tire on that side of the trailer.) The secret to avoiding this particular problem is to install a reliable Tire Pressure Wireless Monitoring System.
Before you say they're too expensive or difficult to install, check out these basic systems and then ask yourself what the cost is in tires and lost time if one fails on the road due to a loss of air. They can begin to look like a bargain. At the very least they will provide additional warning of a loss of air and can give you time to make your way off the highway to a suitable location to change it.
http://www.tpms.ca/HDPURCHASE.php
These systems are completely portable so you can use them on different vehicles by simply removing the sensors from the valve stem and reinstalling them on another vehicle. (You can also remove them easily when they're not in use to prevent them from being stolen.) They are available to monitor as few as four tires to as many as 22 (some can handle even more).
The TPMS systems are just one, there are a lot of others available. However, they are some of the most professional systems available for everything from light vehicles to vehicles and trailers up to tractor-trailer rigs and are priced accordingly.
I check my tires at every stop, but if you run over a nail or develop a leak once on the road, you can travel hundreds of miles and not realize it until it fails catastrophically. If you tow regularly I think you will find these systems to be a very valuable tool and they certainly provide peace of mind.
Good luck... GUSTO
Before you say they're too expensive or difficult to install, check out these basic systems and then ask yourself what the cost is in tires and lost time if one fails on the road due to a loss of air. They can begin to look like a bargain. At the very least they will provide additional warning of a loss of air and can give you time to make your way off the highway to a suitable location to change it.
http://www.tpms.ca/HDPURCHASE.php
These systems are completely portable so you can use them on different vehicles by simply removing the sensors from the valve stem and reinstalling them on another vehicle. (You can also remove them easily when they're not in use to prevent them from being stolen.) They are available to monitor as few as four tires to as many as 22 (some can handle even more).
The TPMS systems are just one, there are a lot of others available. However, they are some of the most professional systems available for everything from light vehicles to vehicles and trailers up to tractor-trailer rigs and are priced accordingly.
I check my tires at every stop, but if you run over a nail or develop a leak once on the road, you can travel hundreds of miles and not realize it until it fails catastrophically. If you tow regularly I think you will find these systems to be a very valuable tool and they certainly provide peace of mind.
Good luck... GUSTO
10-27-2009, 07:11 PM
#11
Drifting
Gusto14, You are right. Thanks for the information and the link. Looks like an excellent idea and I don't see why trailer manufacturers don't make this more widely available. This is on my list.
10-28-2009, 09:32 AM
#12
Le Mans Master
Good information on the tires. Thanks.
I keep two spares on my trailer and I have tire covers on all tires when the trailer is parked to keep the UV damage to a minimum. In addition to the two spares, I recommend making sure you have a lug wrench that fits, tire gauge that will go to trailer tire pressures, roadside emergency reflectors, and a jack. Nice to have items are gloves and a plastic rain coat (I generally have flats when it is raining). The reason I am laboring with the obvious is that when people borrow a trailer, they generally don't think of any of the roadside equipment.
I keep two spares on my trailer and I have tire covers on all tires when the trailer is parked to keep the UV damage to a minimum. In addition to the two spares, I recommend making sure you have a lug wrench that fits, tire gauge that will go to trailer tire pressures, roadside emergency reflectors, and a jack. Nice to have items are gloves and a plastic rain coat (I generally have flats when it is raining). The reason I am laboring with the obvious is that when people borrow a trailer, they generally don't think of any of the roadside equipment.
great advice
