Tires

[spinnaker33]

Any opinions on Lt 235/85R16 Kelly Safari ATR tires for my 5th wheel about 12000#loaded. Made in a country that's called USA.Very unusual for tires.

[wingnut60]

Should be ok if rims are rated for 80psi.

[TXiceman]

It appears to be a LT (light truck) tire and not rated for a trailer.

Ken

[Ray,IN]

As long as the load rating is sufficient high (meets or exceeds axle rating) I see no reason not to use them. One thing to keep in mind though. Trailer tires are made to drag sideways = reduced tread grip. LT tires are made to grip in all directions, braking, turning, accelerating,etc. Remember those tires will be unforgiving when making sharp turns on hard pavement. Some years back I saw one roll off the rim in a spot turn and lose the bead seal.I suspect he must have been running them at less than sidewall max.

[FastEagle]

The parent cmpany for Kelly Tires is Goodyear. Their LT tires are normally made in the Fayetteville, NC plant.

FastEagle

[JIMNLIN]

LT tires can be used in a steer/drive and trailer position Much depends on tread pattern.
Generally a all terrain (AT) tire has larger tread blocks/voids compared to a highway tire (AS). The larger blocks and voids don't make for the best tracking tire which is a good trait for a trailer tire. The ATR is a all terrain.
Example is look at the XPS or Bridgestone R-250 tread pattern which is like a semi trailer tire with solid directional ribs in the tread.

I would contact Goodyear/Kelly for their input on which LT tire line they recommend for using on a heavy trailer. Usually a tire maker may recommend one or some times two lines of LT tires for trailer use.

Other excellent 16" LT E tires that have given a thumbs up from their manufactures are the Goodyears Wrangler H/T and of course the BFG Commercial and its sister tire Uniroyal Laredo HD-H or Cooper SRM II or the very popular Firestone Transforce HT.

I've used the BFG Commercials and the Firestone Transports on all of my equipment and RV trailers for years.

And of course the all steel ply commercial grade XPS Ribs for a arm and a leg. Or the Bridgestone Duravis R-250 commercial grade all steel ply carcass for just one leg. Both of these tires are tops for trailer service.

[tuffr2]

Just towed an 2001 39' horse trailer with living quarters goose neck with old Goodyear LT 'E' tires. The empty trailer weighed 10,000 lbs.

There were bad cracks in the sidewall of 2 of the tires. We needed to tow this trailer 375 miles. When we started we expected a few blowouts but made it without any issues. I attribute not having a blowout to the tires being LT and not ST rated. Within the next two weeks I am switching ST China Bombs for Michelin XPS Ribs.

[Scottybdivin]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

Just towed an 2001 39' horse trailer with living quarters goose neck with old Goodyear LT 'E' tires. The empty trailer weighed 10,000 lbs.

There were bad cracks in the sidewall of 2 of the tires. We needed to tow this trailer 375 miles. When we started we expected a few blowouts but made it without any issues. I attribute not having a blowout to the tires being LT and not ST rated. Within the next two weeks I am switching ST China Bombs for Michelin XPS Ribs.

Good choice. I have 5500 mi with them on my 18K Cyclone.

Any opinions on Lt 235/85R16 Kelly Safari ATR tires for my 5th wheel about 12000#loaded. Made in a country that's called USA.Very unusual for tires.

I don't have personal experience with Kelly's, but I like where they are made. As long as the load rating of the pair of LT's exceeds the axle rating, you should be fine. Most LT 235 85R 16 E tires are rated for 3000+. They are usually rated for 100+ mph vs 65mph on many ST's. I assume you have 2 x 6K axles.

[JayC]

I had Micheline XPS ribs on my last two trailers which used load range E tires. I had no troubles at all with them and recommend them for that load range. Since I moved up to a larger and heavier trailer needing G tires, I now have the Goodyear G614's and so far, after a year and a half, no problems.

[RustyJC]

Originally Posted by JayC

Since I moved up to a larger and heavier trailer needing G tires, I now have the Goodyear G614's and so far, after a year and a half, no problems.

Jay,

Be prepared. I had no problems with the OEM G614s on our MS either - until they were 3 years old. I then had 2 tread separation failures within 3 months. I replaced them with 17.5" wheels and Michelin XTA tires (4805 lbs @ 120 PSIG) and haven't had any problems since.

Rusty

[JayC]

Thanks Rusty. I keep a close eye on them- so far, so good! I also am doing an experiment with nitrogen in my tires. Had it in for over a year now and so far, it has been worth it.

[RustyJC]

Originally Posted by JayC

Thanks Rusty. I keep a close eye on them....

Yeah, that's the problem. So did I. In fact, on both failures I had inspected the tires (no signs of sidewall cracking, etc.) and checked pressures before we pulled out that morning. There was absolutely no indication of any problem - until I heard that sickening BANG while running down the Interstate @ 65 MPH.

Rusty

[Cumminsfan]

It's a funny thing about tire discussions. Lots of opinions. Here's a fact, in Australia they don't run ST tires and they don't use China made tires. They run a lot of off road type tires. There is even a manufacture here in the U.S that makes an off road version of one of their TT's that comes with off road tires. There are a few large 5th wheels that come with LT tires. There are lots of guys running Mich Ribs that have zero problems. Problem with ST's on heavier units is they can't hold up to the stress of being run at max loads. You can get away from being at max loads by running LT tires. Also how often do you hear about an LT tire blowing out? Almost never. How often do you hear about ST tires blowing out. All the time. It could be that's because almost all TT/5'ers come with ST tires too. Or it could be that LT tires last longer.