Trailer tire -

[bassboogieman]

As many of those that attended Wheeler know, I had a couple tires go out on me on the way home. One was a new trailer tire, new with about 1000 miles on it. I had bought a new trailer a month ago and it came with an off brand, Chinese made tire that I probably would have never bought had I had a choice. I don't have much faith in any product produced in China intended for the USA marketplace. That's my opinion, everyone is free to choose what product fits their budget and personal preferences. I'm posting the following pictures, not to bash a particular tire brand, but to share my experience, you digest the content and make your choices. This may have happened to any brand tire, but I haven't had problems, of this nature, with other brands of tire.

As mentioned this was a NEW tire, not a couple years old (trailer tires tend to degrade and weaken over several years of use) and with little wear. I do not think I hit any debris in the roadway (Interstate 40 E, outside Knoxville, TN.) Speed limit on this roadway was 70 MPH and I was traveling on cruise control at just under that. I was in the upper 80's temperture wise and I think the tire failed due to overheating. Tire pressure was at recommended level, and it just seperated - tread from sidewall.

I heard it go, and saw the tread fly off in like a donut. Luckily no vehicle was following or attempting to pass in the left lane, or it would have been additional damage to another person's vehicle. I was also lucky I have a tandem axle trailer, the other tire held and allowed me to get safely off the roadway. It also bent the fender, destroyed the marker light at the rear of the fender and shorted out my running lights (which I didn't catch until nightfall). I pounded out the fender to install the spare, but there was more damage (expense) involved other than just the tire.

Someone with a single axle may not have been so lucky. So you guys with single axle trailers, this post is for you. Consider what tires you buy, your speed when traveling - especially over long distances. Everyone should, but single axle trailer guys this could be much more serious.

There is no way I would expect a tire to fail in this way, especially a new one. I have 3 left and they will be off the trailer before it sees the road again. I could not trust them at all, for any long distance tow at highway speed. If you buy cheap, off brand (I'm pointing at Chinese made) tires are you really saving anything? I'm not even going to ask about warranty on this tire - if they offered to replace it FREE, I wouldn't take it.

This is a 205/75/D14 tire. Smaller tires are more prone to overheating stress than the larger 14" tires.


I'm pretty certain the slice in the sidewall was from the rim after the tire seperated.


As mentioned in the previous picture, there is a nearly identical slice on the rear sidewall, at same location as the front sidewall - caused by the rim after the tire seperated.


Tire is identified as an H188ST. Link has tire info, with a wheel. http://www.monstermarketplace.com/tr...wheel-5-on-4-5 I searched the H188ST on the internet and they appear to be a commonly used trailer/RV tire - no way for me after this experience. Also found 99% of their tires ARE produced in China, that was not an assumption on my part in the post.

[Shake n' Bake]

What is the make of these tires?

[bamabassman]

dang bruce....that is just terrible man. so very sorry you had a bad trip back home buddy. but relieved that ya'll made it in one piece, even if frayed a bit.

[Embrey]

no matter what tire it is...sometimes, this just happens. always carry a spare just in case. ive got alot of miles on mine and they are probably chinese too. theyre about 2 years old so ive forgot,but i go out about every week or sometimes more and frequently go out of state and theyve held up so far. ive seen this happen to well known 'good' tires too.

[carolina-rig-01]

One thing that I wonder is what is the max speed these tires are rated for? Not that it would be any fault of your own but I wonder if the place that built your trailer put tires on it that aren't rated for highway speeds. The reason I say this is because Goodyear Marathons are somewhat known for doing this and although they are the tire that comes on almost all boat trailers when they are new, they actually are only rated for a maximum speed of 60 mph. Goodyear issued a press release a while back that stated that the tires are not rated for highway speeds and if they are going to be drove above 60 mph then you are supposed to over fill them 10lbs for every 10mph over 60mph you will be driving. It is beyond me why boat companies are allowed to rig trailers with tires that are not meant to be driven at highway speeds. If this is the case with your tires then although you ran them at max air pressure it's possible that even more air would have helped keep the heat down and prevented this failure. On the other hand it's possible that they are just Chinese junk too.

Either way I am sorry about your problems.

Right now I am running the Marathons that came on my Triton trailer but I will soon be replacing them with Carlisle tires. But in the mean time I have been running them at around 65lbs of air and knock on wood, no problems yet.

[jmartin]

That sucks and there is no reason why this should have happened other than the fact that it appears a cord may have seperated in the tire. Did you notice any vibration prior to the tire blowing? C-rig amen on the Carlisle tires I sell them at my tire shop. And hands down the Carlisle Radial trail tire is the best trailer tire on the market. I also sell The Goodyear Trailer tire so I have plenty of expieriance with both. As far as warranty I would at least try to see if the trailer dealer would give you a reimbursment or instore credit because the tire albeit Chinese junk should still have some sort of warranty.

Jerry

[docirv]

Well, Bruce, that convinced me to stay with my tandem axle trailer....

[cassidyta]

Not to hijack the thread, but when do you guys change out the tires.
I haven't changed the tires since I got the boat which was used 2 years ago and this has me thinking I may need to consider it.
My longest drives are about an hour, but I do it almost every week. Tread is fine and I have no bumps or buldges. My boat is a 17" tracker, so there is not much weight on the trailer, maybe 900 lbs with all the gear and gas.
Also, this is a dumb question I am sure, but when you guys get new tires on your trailers, do you simply tow the boat to the tire place?

[carolina-rig-01]

Cass I am probably not the best guy to answer this since I am not really a tire guy. But I do know that trailer tires usually fail long before the tread starts looking worn, dry rot is a huge problem since they are wet and then sit in the sun a lot. You can certainly pull the trailer to the tire shop or you can jack the trailer up and pull the wheels off.

[bassboogieman]

Sorry, I realized after I finished that this is a long post so if you need to use the bathroom, get a cup or coffee, or scratch do it now......

I'm not an expert either, but carolina's point about dry rot affecting the tires usually before the tread wear would indicate the need to replace the tire, is true. A lot of factors affect how long your tires will last, milage towed, if the trailer in a garage or outside, etc. I actually bought 4 tires last fall (before I knew the trailer was rusting out from the inside) as I didn't really know how old the tires were that were on that trailer. I had it 2 years, but I don't know how long the previous owner used them. So I have 4 Carlise trailer tires from the old trailer that are now on the new trailer.

As mentioned, I have a tandem axle trailer and plan on replacing tires on a 4 year, or 15,000 mile, cycle. My trailer sits outside, and I tow several thousand miles each year. Trailer tires aren't that expensive and I'd rather be safe (if that's possible based on recent experience ) than sorry. As for taking the trailer to the tire shop - because of the tandem axle I take 2 wheels at a time to the shop to change, obviously one form each side. I find it easier than dragging the trailer in. If I had a single axle trailer, I'd likely change the tires more frequently, probably 3 year or 12,000 miles, because a blowout similiar to what happened to me would possibly have more severe consequences, and two tires are less of a monetary outlay than four.

Bottom line is there really aren"t any guarantees, a blowout can happen anytime and for reasons other than tire defects - like debris in the roadway or on the ramp. I'm just trying to be proactive and minimize those possibilities as best I can, with my tire replacement plan.
Checking your tires regularly (and before any long distance trip) for proper inflation, damage, or deterioration should be part of your pre-towing check list.

Several points have been mentioned in this thread, and I'm not arguing, but my thoughts: I do not understand why a tire manufacture would make a tire not intended for use at HIGHWAY speeds a big DUH? here. Common sense would dictate boat owners tow on the highway, and cover some distance, at least some of the time, and usually drive at the posted speed limit (if not slightly above) to keep up with traffic. I haven't seen the recommendation to OVERINFLATE trailer tires for driving in excess of 60 MPH, and not certain of the logic behind it. I keep mine at the recommended MAXIMUM presure. If tires have a MAXIMUM pressure, why would a manufacturer say you should exceed it? Maximum means the upper limit, not to be exceeded, does it not? The other issue is tire pressure actually increases slightly as the tires heat up, so I guess I actually am EXCEEDING the recommended maxium anyway. Increasing the pressure above the maximum also (IMO) would put additional stress on any defective area of the tire and increase the possibiliy of failure at that defect. But I'm not an expert, it's just what I think. I am curious about NITROGEN - I've heard of it being used to inflate car tires, but not trailer tires. Would that be a worthwhile change?

[jmartin]

Cass I changing tires is totally up to the owner. But as a general practice I tell my customers if your boat, camper or any other trailer is stored outside I recomend every 2-3 years. I realize that is easy for me owning a tire shop, but that being said it is better to replace befor the need arise than to get hung up along the Interstate with 85 mph traffic zooming by at 4 feet away. Bassboogieman as far as Nitrogen I think it is a sales gimmick! The Pros of using Nitrogen is it doesnt expand or contract like air does in when you go from hot to cold so you can maintain a consistent air pressure and get more even tire were. The Cons are if your tire gets low you cant back up to your garage air compressor and top it off or you defete the purpose of Nitrogen that is why a tire with Nitrogen in it has a Green valve stem.

Jerry

[bassboogieman]

Thanks for the info on Nitrogen!

[Captmikestarrett]

I have mentioned this before that certain trailer tires have a max speed on them. Bias Ply like Carlyles have failed me many times.

I used to use standard light truck tires with steel belted radials and they worked great. But when they blow it is a fender crushing event.

I had this talk with a large group of boat owners and most agree that trailer tires these days are all crap..Talk of new tires failing from 8 of 10 boat owners..Some started carring two spares.

Capt Mike

[nofearengineer]

Originally Posted by jmartin

The Pros of using Nitrogen is it doesnt expand or contract like air does in when you go from hot to cold so you can maintain a consistent air pressure and get more even tire were.

Jim, that's not true. Nitrogen is an ideal gas, just like Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide, et.al.

All ideal gases expand and contract at the same rate under the same conditions (temp and pressure).

What pure (95%) Nitrogen supposedly does is not leak out of the tire through the rubber as much. Tests have shown that there is a small reduction in leakage...on the order of 1% or so. Since normal air is already 78% Nitrogen (21% Oxygen, 1% others), it's a no-brainer that paying an extra 5 bucks per tire to use Nitrogen is a complete rip-off.

I liken it to "buy 3 tires, get the 4th free!" (really...who actually buys only 3 tires?), where they then proceed to nickel and dime you with stem charges, balancing fees, and tire disposal fees (they sell the damned things...they should be paying you) back up to the real price of 4 tires. Just another way for the tire places to make more money with pseudo-scientific techno-babble.

[jmartin]

I stand corrected thanks for the heads up the guys that come to my shop trying to sell me on that machine say it doesnt change in tempature.

Jerry

[Embrey]

i rarely run UNDER 60 with mine...lol. no issues yet,knock on wood.

[cassidyta]

I always run at 55 on the freeway. Well, ever since the cop kindly reminded me that it was the max speed while towing on our freeways.

[nofearengineer]

No prob, jmartin. I'm a constant source of annoyingly true information.

I used to tow mine at 80 mph, when I didn't know any better (and was in a big hurry haha). I am probably very lucky I haven't had any mishaps. Now I don't take them over 65. I have Goodyear Marathons. Again, a very common trailer tire that has had mixed reviews. I pull over and feel the treads and sidewalls regularly to see if they are hot or cool. I am having good luck with mine...probably put 7,000 miles on them in 2 years.

[nofearengineer]

Originally Posted by cassidyta

I always run at 55 on the freeway. Well, ever since the cop kindly reminded me that it was the max speed while towing on our freeways.

God, I love Kalifornia.

[bassboogieman]

I always run at 55 on the freeway

55? as in MPH? I can't do it........... turn up the volume........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfNATuw1DRs

[cassidyta]

Originally Posted by nofearengineer

God, I love Kalifornia.

Towing with a 4 cyl Saturn also keeps me from going all that fast.

[bamabassman]

i am hearing the song now in my head..........I........CAN'T DRIVE...................55!!!!!!!

[docirv]

I read that tire life is about 6 years before dry rot will set in or breakdown of the rubber occurs. They say that a lot of tires are several years old when purchased and that the date of manufacture is located on the inside face of the tire (if it is a whitewall the date will be on the opposite side) and the date is in the format of 0910 as in 8th month of 2010. When buying new tires you should always check the date of manufacture to be sure you are not getting a tire with limited life left.

[bassboogieman]

and the date is in the format of 0910 as in 8th month of 2010.

Really? Again your mind is detached from your typing fingers......... Sorry, but it IS MY JOB, & I got it before Bryce did.

If you still haven't figured it out: 0910 is September, 2010
8th month of 2010 would surely be AUGUST.

I'm good at my job and believe I should get a raise.............

[carolina-rig-01]

Originally Posted by bassboogieman

I haven't seen the recommendation to OVERINFLATE trailer tires for driving in excess of 60 MPH, and not certain of the logic behind it.

The way it was explained to me is the more air you have in a tire the less heat can build up. And heat is what kills tires. I do know that tires will hold way more air than the max rec. limit.