ridecamp@endurance.net: trailer tires

trailer tires

Nick Warhol (nick.warhol@kla-tencor.com)
Fri, 6 Jun 1997 13:34:34 -0700

I learned a lesson about trailer tires on the Logan trailer I bought in
93. It came with 4 ply bias tires from a company called "Electra". The
tires wore out in less than 10,000 miles, and went flat about once a
week. I was a little disgusted, so I called the Logan factory and got
an explanation which almost satisfied me. They told me 1993 was a
transition year from Bias tires to Radial trailer tires, but the factory
was not quite ready to equip the trailers with the new Goodyear Marathon
trailer tires. They got this batch of Electra tires in a pinch, but had
a lot of problems with the quality. He suggested I replace them with
the new radials they were specifying from Goodyear. I bought a set of
6 ply ("D" rated) Marathon radials from a local dealer and have been
very happy. The radials run smoother, and more importantly they run
cooler than Bias tires. You can get the 6 ply tires for about 15 bucks
more per tire than the 4 plys. These tires will support all trailers up
to about a 4 horse, but after that you need the bigger sizes. I have
somewhere near 20,000 miles on the new Goodyear's - they still look like
new. Only one flat that I can remember in the past couple of years as
well. Good stuff.

One more important thing to remember regarding tires on trailers, and on
your pick up as well. Be sure to get tires which are rated for your
work load. It's a common misconception that the higher ply ratings like
"D" and "E" are based on the weight you are carrying. Not so! The
rational behind the higher ply ratings is to protect the tires from heat
more than weight. Towing heavy loads on tires creates a tremendous
amount of heat from the road. Be sure your tires on your truck are at
the very least "D" rated if you tow a large trailer, and if you have
any kind of a camper you need the 10 plys. ("E" rated.) Take a look at
those sexy looking BF Goodrich All terrain T/As on your truck and make
sure they are rated at least a "D" Most are "C" rated, which is not
sufficient for towing horses.

Another thing I discovered was the stock Goodyear Wrangler tires which
came stock on my Ford F-250 were "E" rated, but when I put my big camper
on the truck (2700 pounds) the tires were not up to the task. I wanted
a dual rear wheel set up, but Ford does not sell a Dually with four
wheel drive, which I HAD to have. The tires were rated OK, but the
truck would "wallow" when I drove with the camper and trailer,
especially in any wind, where the truck felt more like a boat than a
vehicle. There was just not enough sidewall strength for my taste.
After much research, I bought a special set of truck tires from
Goodyear called the Unisteel radial, which is the same tire they use on
the big Kenworths and such. This tire has a steel sidewall from rim to
rim,not just steel plies around the tread of the tire. They are not
cheap, (near $190 each) but that took care of that problem in a
heartbeat. I got the Unisteel G133 model, which is the all terrain tire
tread. They sell a road only version (for tow trucks, etc) and an off
road version as well. Now when we drive the camper it feels solid as a
rock, even in the wind.

Nick Warhol
Hayward, Ca.

Rowan, Shatta, and Warpaint - Who all ride in our trailer knowing the
rubber between the road and their hoofs is the best money can buy.

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