Community Forums

rbell · 03-03-2011, 05:39 PM

Maxxis tires are made in Thailand. I've had them side by side with Goodyear & Duro and it pretty easy to see they are way better.

BTW after I retired I worked for a power sports dealer and Maxxis were one of the better off road tires. The big problem with trailer and auto tires is finding someone that sells them. I get them from Discount Tire, but they always have to order them.

jodann · 03-04-2011, 02:59 PM

My one & only criteria for tires would be "Made in USA". Sorry, but this is an area, unlike many, that we have a choice. jodann

RangeCampMan · 03-04-2011, 10:32 PM

Unless a customer specifies a heavier tire we put 225/75/15 tires on all of our new camps. They will work just fine on your trailer. Also the manufacturer of your trailer is required to place a label on it that gives you the tire size as well as the psi they should be run at, if I had to guess i would say they should have 65psi cold.

Nitrohorse · 03-28-2011, 06:01 PM

I just returned from our local RV dealership after having repair work down. I spoke to a mechanic who worked at the dealership for over 15 years. He was a very personable guy and we discussed roof caulkings (Dicor and ProFlex) and trailer tires. His comment was that in 15 years, he had not formed an opinion as to what brand of tire was better than another. He said that what he seen in tire failures were the result of under inflated tires and overloaded trailers. He said that he had seen blow outs in every brand, regardless of where they were made. I left with the conclusion that operator error is more to blame than the tire itself.

Ray,IN · 03-28-2011, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nitrohorse

I just returned from our local RV dealership after having repair work down. I spoke to a mechanic who worked at the dealership for over 15 years. He was a very personable guy and we discussed roof caulkings (Dicor and ProFlex) and trailer tires. His comment was that in 15 years, he had not formed an opinion as to what brand of tire was better than another. He said that what he seen in tire failures were the result of under inflated tires and overloaded trailers. He said that he had seen blow outs in every brand, regardless of where they were made. I left with the conclusion that operator error is more to blame than the tire itself.

I agree, it's amazing how many buyers do not know all ST(special trailer) tires must be inflated to sidewall maximum or the warranty is voided. All they have to do is read the warranty.

Grodyman · 03-29-2011, 01:50 AM

Akibase,

I would go ahead and use the stock tires a couple years, make sure you don't overload the trailer beyond their stated load rating, and keep the speed at 65 or less. In the meantime, I would save and plan for the replacements, which for me would be 16" wheels (cheap steel white painted @ $50ea, or aluminum for about $100ea) and a 16" LT tire. If you want the best of the best, go Michelin, but any E rated brand 16" LT tire will do for your trailer's gvwr. You are only looking at about $200-$400 extra cost when you go to replace your tires, and you might be able to sell your 15" wheels to make some of it up. Good Luck.

Gman

RangeCampMan · 03-29-2011, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nitrohorse

I just returned from our local RV dealership after having repair work down. I spoke to a mechanic who worked at the dealership for over 15 years. He was a very personable guy and we discussed roof caulkings (Dicor and ProFlex) and trailer tires. His comment was that in 15 years, he had not formed an opinion as to what brand of tire was better than another. He said that what he seen in tire failures were the result of under inflated tires and overloaded trailers. He said that he had seen blow outs in every brand, regardless of where they were made. I left with the conclusion that operator error is more to blame than the tire itself.

The Mechanic is correct! I use to drive truck for a living and the biggest cause of tire failure regardless of brand is under inflation; under inflation creates heat; heat kills tires. I always ran retreads / recaps and never had a problem with them even when pulling double tankers with with loads upwards of 120,000#. Yet I knew drivers that could put a new tire on and it would blow a week later. As far as brands there are a number of them out there that are very spendy, I really don't think that they are worth the upfront expense. Its more important to find a reliable dealer, these guys deal with tires everyday and they can tell you what the best tire is for the money.

RustyJC · 03-29-2011, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RangeCampMan

As far as brands there are a number of them out there that are very spendy, I really don't think that they are worth the upfront expense. Its more important to find a reliable dealer, these guys deal with tires everyday and they can tell you what the best tire is for the money.

With all respect, it rankles me more than just a bit to see the blame for most RV tire failures laid back on the owner. I've been through tread separation failures 3 5th wheels ago with 15" Goodyear Marathons as well as with 16" Goodyear G614RST tires on our current 5th wheel. In both cases, Goodyear acknowledged that the tires were defective, paid to repair the damage on the RVs and replaced all 4 tires at their expense. In both cases, tire pressures were checked before we pulled out within 1 (in the first case) to 3 (in the second case) hours of the failures. MANY other users of these tires experienced similar failures.

I've seen all too many cases where RVs are factory equipped with axles and tires that are marginal at best in comparison with the RV's GVWR rating, even allowing for the pin/tongue weight carried by the tow vehicle. I've seen OEM-supplied tires that are running over 95% of their sidewall load rating when the RV's actual scale weight is less than its GVWR. The old "just enough to get by" story, it would appear.

On my previous 5th wheel I changed the tires over to Michelin XPS Ribs, and on our current 5th wheel I've upgraded to 17.5" Michelin XTAs that are rated at 4805 lbs @ 120 PSIG as opposed to the 3750 lbs @ 110 PSIG of the Goodyear G614s. I've never had a problem with any of our Michelin tires, and yes, I'm still a stickler for checking tire pressures daily when we're on the road.

To me, the "spendy" tires have been more than worth their expense for peace of mind. YMMV, of course. Ya pays yore money and ya takes yore chances.

Rusty

CD · 03-29-2011, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RustyJC

With all respect, it rankles me more than just a bit to see the blame for most RV tire failures laid back on the owner. I've been through tread separation failures 3 5th wheels ago with 15" Goodyear Marathons as well as with 16" Goodyear G614RST tires on our current 5th wheel. In both cases, Goodyear acknowledged that the tires were defective, paid to repair the damage on the RVs and replaced all 4 tires at their expense. In both cases, tire pressures were checked before we pulled out within 1 (in the first case) to 3 (in the second case) hours of the failures. MANY other users of these tires experienced similar failures.

I've seen all too many cases where RVs are factory equipped with axles and tires that are marginal at best in comparison with the RV's GVWR rating, even allowing for the pin/tongue weight carried by the tow vehicle. I've seen OEM-supplied tires that are running over 95% of their sidewall load rating when the RV's actual scale weight is less than its GVWR. The old "just enough to get by" story, it would appear.

On my previous 5th wheel I changed the tires over to Michelin XPS Ribs, and on our current 5th wheel I've upgraded to 17.5" Michelin XTAs that are rated at 4805 lbs @ 120 PSIG as opposed to the 3750 lbs @ 110 PSIG of the Goodyear G614s. I've never had a problem with any of our Michelin tires, and yes, I'm still a stickler for checking tire pressures daily when we're on the road.

To me, the "spendy" tires have been more than worth their expense for peace of mind. YMMV, of course. Ya pays yore money and ya takes yore chances.

Rusty

This is what I have been preaching for some time. We as consumers need to pressure the manufactures to equip our RVs with more load cap in the tires. When the tire is running at or near cap it has nothing left for that bump or hole that we can't miss and damages the tire enough that it fails later.

mickbizz · 03-29-2011, 06:02 PM

all the investigating I have done and I mean countless hrs I just bought maxxis for my tt.

Nitrohorse · 03-29-2011, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RustyJC

With all respect, it rankles me more than just a bit to see the blame for most RV tire failures laid back on the owner. I've been through tread separation failures 3 5th wheels ago with 15" Goodyear Marathons as well as with 16" Goodyear G614RST tires on our current 5th wheel. In both cases, Goodyear acknowledged that the tires were defective, paid to repair the damage on the RVs and replaced all 4 tires at their expense. In both cases, tire pressures were checked before we pulled out within 1 (in the first case) to 3 (in the second case) hours of the failures. MANY other users of these tires experienced similar failures.

I've seen all too many cases where RVs are factory equipped with axles and tires that are marginal at best in comparison with the RV's GVWR rating, even allowing for the pin/tongue weight carried by the tow vehicle. I've seen OEM-supplied tires that are running over 95% of their sidewall load rating when the RV's actual scale weight is less than its GVWR. The old "just enough to get by" story, it would appear.

On my previous 5th wheel I changed the tires over to Michelin XPS Ribs, and on our current 5th wheel I've upgraded to 17.5" Michelin XTAs that are rated at 4805 lbs @ 120 PSIG as opposed to the 3750 lbs @ 110 PSIG of the Goodyear G614s. I've never had a problem with any of our Michelin tires, and yes, I'm still a stickler for checking tire pressures daily when we're on the road.

To me, the "spendy" tires have been more than worth their expense for peace of mind. YMMV, of course. Ya pays yore money and ya takes yore chances.

Rusty

I think you hit the nail on the head with your assessment of how the TT industry cuts corners to maximize profits. On a tractor trailer with 12 ply 22.5 inch tires at 110 psi, each drive or trailer tire carries approximately 4300 lbs. The truck tires are massive compared to the average 15" tire that are standard in the RV industry. Yet the 15" trailer tire is required to haul upwards of nearly 3000 lbs. Big disparity in tire size and construction between the truck and TT tire. Add in a few more deep cycle batteries, full water tank, a generator, all the camping accessories, and possible under inflated tires, and it's easy to see how the tire brand gets the blame for the failure. Let's face it, the RV industry has gotten to the point where the furnishing, bling, and floor plan sell the product. It's no wonder that we are see marginal running gear. The cost savings/profits have to come from somewhere.