How fast do you tow your TT?

[mike.t]

Originally Posted by Tireman9

Glad to hear CA has a reasonable limit. Have to wonder how often RVs get pulled over.

The problem with a blanket "drive the posted limits" is that some states do not differentiate between towing RVs and not towing.

Also not sure if a 40' "House trailer" is considered the same as a 24' RV by either the police or the person towing.

Some are "70 or as posted"

ST tires are designed by the manufacturer to pass certain tests. One of which would be speed test. With a industry standard of 65 it seems pretty obvious that people should never drive above that. But I'm only a Tire Engineer, what do I know?

That 55 MPH posting is for any trailer being towed

[Gordon Dewald]

Dont see many folks following the 55 CA limit, nor many getting tickets. Have seen at least two that were pulled over by the CHP. No idea of what the infraction was but speeding is the most obvious.

[Tireman9]

Originally Posted by timetogo

I've spent many hours on interstates with 80mph speed limits for all vehicles. Traffic moves smoothly and I don't recall any TT's on the side of the road with tire failures. Just lucky I guess.

Damage to the tire structure from high speed is seldom instantaneous, unless we are talking many, many mph above the tire limit (30 to 50 high)

BUT the tire is damaged non-the -less. This damage takes form initially as the loss of strength of the rubber compound around the belt edges. This loss along with the fracturing of the chemical bonds initially shows up as microscopic cracks. These cracks do not repair themselves but become stress concentrators. This leads to ever increasing crack growth and if run long enough to separation of the various tire components.
Like this


Ever wonder why some folk seem to have problems after only a couple years of service while others get 4 to 6 years with no problems?

Long term cumulative damage. So bottom line is that just because your tire didn't separate the moment you exceeded 65 that doesn't mean you haven't consumed part of its limited lifespan.

[AbdRahim]

Are there trailer tire made for higher speeds?

[Tireman9]

Originally Posted by AbdRahim

Are there trailer tire made for higher speeds?

Not to my knowledge, if by "Trailer tires" you mean ST type. If you want/need higher speed ratings you will need to switch to either European "Commercial" or to LT type.
I have a couple posts on my blog on the things that you need to consider and adjust for when switching from ST to LT as LT tires with higher speed rating (75mph) for trailer application do not have the same load capacity as the same size ST type tires.

Load capacity is one of the trade-offs when you require higher speed capability. Sorry but physics, chemistry and basic Science get in the way when you have a task to perform.

[Tireman9]

OK folks, I've got other "fish to fry". I've offered opinions on this topic based on my knowledge and experience. You can follow or ignore my advice as you choose. The topic of speed, inflation and load have been and will continue to be covered on my blog.
Good and safe travels to all.