More robust tires for EZE Tow dolly

[VillageNomad]

I have just experiences my third tire failure with my EZE Tow dolly and am wondering how to prevent a fourth. The dolly is less than 3 years old, has the 12 inch wheels with the standard 10-ply E rated tires with a stated max cold tire pressure of 80 PSI which I maintain. I never drive more than 62 MPH and typically stay within 55 - 60. So far I have experienced a bulge in one tire, a complete blow out in another and just recently the steel belt protruding through the rubber of the tire. I pull a Kia Sorento which is less than 4,000 pounds and hence well under the 5,000 pound rating of the dolly.


When having the recent tire failure replaced at a trailer repair shop I asked if they make a tire that would give me better security than the tires that come standard with the dolly. They said that in the 12 inch size these are the toughest and to get something more robust I would have to go with a bigger wheel. Does anyone know if I can put a larger wheel on the dolly or do you have any suggestions to keep my tires from failing?


Yes, I know that flat towing is recommended but this would mean selling my car, buying a new one that is flat towable and spending a lot of money to modify it for towing. This is not in the cards for us.

[TonyMac]

How robust are the tires on the dolly? You said "stated max cold tire pressure of 80 PSI" but what weight does that carry? BTW, that sidewall pressure of 80 psi is the min pressure to carry that max weight, not really a max pressure. Tire manufacturers never tell you the max pressure, and "cold" is a relative term.

Have you owned this dolly since new? Are the tires balanced? Do you have a TPMS? Is a brake dragging? How are the tires wearing? Do they show signs of toe or caster errors?

[Flyer15015]

I had one of those EZE tow dollies for 2 years and really got tired of the ramp set up and how they left skid marks at every gas station we had to make sharp turns to navigate through. Only had one blow out, but it was on I-25 in the middle of Denver and no place to get off the road. What a mess.

Finally sold it and went with a Master Tow dolly that I put regular 15" car tires on. Same size as what's on our minivan. Easy to load, swiveling platform and stationary ramps is what sold me. Now we tow with confidence at highway speeds and no skid marks.

Mike in Colorado

[Ludo]

What is the exact size / rating of your current 12" tires ?


My brother had a dolly with airplane tires on it. Never had a problem.

[ChesterRVs2]

I have an older eze-tow dolly and run these 10” wheels and tires:https://a.co/d/6GP9qg6

The first set got me 20k miles, then I swapped them for a second set. The second set came from the same Amazon link, but appear to be knockoffs. Brand on the tire isn’t as advertised.

That said, I’m towing right at the max weight and thought they wore well. No blowouts and roughly 10% tread left after that mileage. I carry a spare too.

[VillageNomad]

Originally Posted by TonyMac

How robust are the tires on the dolly? You said "stated max cold tire pressure of 80 PSI" but what weight does that carry? BTW, that sidewall pressure of 80 psi is the min pressure to carry that max weight, not really a max pressure. Tire manufacturers never tell you the max pressure, and "cold" is a relative term.

Have you owned this dolly since new? Are the tires balanced? Do you have a TPMS? Is a brake dragging? How are the tires wearing? Do they show signs of toe or caster errors?

Yes, I have owned it since new - approximately 2 1/2 years. I have had the brakes checked twice by two different trailer service companies and both have said the brakes are performing excellently. There is plenty of tread left on the tires and they are not worn unevenly. As far as the weight that the tires can carry - they are standard E rated tires and the sidewall states that it can support 1,520 pounds which "should" be adequate for the Kia Sorento. Finally, yes, I do have a TPMS and it has saved me in the last two incidents.

[VillageNomad]

Originally Posted by Flyer15015

I had one of those EZE tow dollies for 2 years and really got tired of the ramp set up and how they left skid marks at every gas station we had to make sharp turns to navigate through. Only had one blow out, but it was on I-25 in the middle of Denver and no place to get off the road. What a mess.

Finally sold it and went with a Master Tow dolly that I put regular 15" car tires on. Same size as what's on our minivan. Easy to load, swiveling platform and stationary ramps is what sold me. Now we tow with confidence at highway speeds and no skid marks.

Mike in Colorado

Thanks. Just curious about your "easy to load" statement. Other than the fact that you don't have to mount the ramps onto the dolly as you do with the EZE Tow, are there other differences in loading that make the Master Tow easier? I assume you still have to put on the tire straps and also the safety chains as you would with the EZE Tow. Is doing this any easier with the Master Tow? I like the bigger tires on the Master Tow but was a little nervous about its weight in terms of once its off the rig and having to man handle it into the campsite and lifting it off and on to the hitch. Is that a consideration relative to the EZE Tow?

[Flyer15015]

To load the Master, I just pull the pin up front, the ramps flop down and I drive the car on. When it gets into position the ramps tilt forward and I put the pin back in. Still have to put the straps on and hook up the safety chains underneath. Weight wise, it's easy to drag around due to the 15' tires and quite well balanced.

Mike in Colorado

[twinboat]

Don't use chains to the chassis, use safety cables thru the slots in the front tires. Run them thru and clip them to the dolly.

Easy to do because the car tires are higher then the EZTow dolly.

[tonyt10]

Originally Posted by twinboat

Don't use chains to the chassis, use safety cables thru the slots in the front tires. Run them thru and clip them to the dolly.

Easy to do because the car tires are higher then the EZTow dolly.

Can you send me a picture or a link for the type of cables you used as opposed to the safety chains thank you

[Gary RVRoamer]

Small diameter tires work awfully hard at highway speeds. A lot more tire revolutions per mile, increasing wear and heat vs the much larger tires of the tow vehicle.



I had a lot of highway tire failures on my boat trailer with 12" wheels too. Fine for local travel, but unreliable at interstate speeds. I upgraded the trailer to one with 15" wheels and no more issues over the next several years.

[twinboat]

Originally Posted by tonyt10

Can you send me a picture or a link for the type of cables you used as opposed to the safety chains thank you

Here is 2 pictures.