Trailer Tire Recommendation

Repair or modification of Boston Whaler boats, their engines, trailers, and gear
FL21WAC
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Location: North Florida

Trailer Tire Recommendation

Postby FL21WAC » Tue Jun 02, 2020 12:00 pm

Hi everyone. Please share:

—your preferred trailer tire.
—shopping advice for trailer tires
—where you buy trailer tires
—whether to buy only tires or tires pre-mounted on rims

Thank you.
1991 21 Walkaround, 2001 Yamaha 250 OX66
1987 Outrage 18 [project]

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Phil T
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Re: Trailer Tire Recommendation

Postby Phil T » Tue Jun 02, 2020 12:11 pm

My preference is LoadStar radials. I buy pre-mounted.

Shop local since shipping charges will erase any price advantage from online retailers.
1992 Outrage 17
2019 E-TEC 90
2018 LoadRite 18280096VT
Member since 2003

biggiefl
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Re: Trailer Tire Recommendation

Postby biggiefl » Tue Jun 02, 2020 12:14 pm

Where are you in FL? Many, many trailer shops in FL. Around Tampa/Sarasota area, Sturdy built is quite common. Walmart online has about every trailer tire made that can ship to your door or pickup as well.

I prefer radial tires over biased ply. Depends on your towing needs and budget. Buying a mounted tire/rim package depends on your needs for new rims or different rims. If your rims are still good, use them. Do you buy new rims for your car when you buy tires? Well then buy new rims too.
On my 24th Whaler. Currently in the stable: 86 18' Outrage, 81 13' Sport(original owner), 87 11' Sport, 69 Squall(for sale cheap).

ConB
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Location: Suttons Bay, MI

Re: Trailer Tire Recommendation

Postby ConB » Tue Jun 02, 2020 12:29 pm

Pay a little extra and buy Goodyear Endurance tires.
A premium, made in the USA tire that will not come unglued on the highway.

Con
!987 Outrage 18 / 2011 Yamaha F150
1969 13 / 30hp Johnson tiller

Jefecinco
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Re: Trailer Tire Recommendation

Postby Jefecinco » Tue Jun 02, 2020 2:46 pm

I second the recommendation for Goodyear Endurance tires.
Butch

biggiefl
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Re: Trailer Tire Recommendation

Postby biggiefl » Tue Jun 02, 2020 3:22 pm

I have used the Goodyear radials and the Load Star which I believe are made by Kenda. I have not had either fail. The crap bias ply combos at WalMart I have had fail multiple times and will not buy.
On my 24th Whaler. Currently in the stable: 86 18' Outrage, 81 13' Sport(original owner), 87 11' Sport, 69 Squall(for sale cheap).

FL21WAC
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Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 10:57 am
Location: North Florida

Re: Ordered Goodyear ENDURANCE tires

Postby FL21WAC » Tue Jun 02, 2020 3:58 pm

Thank you very much for all replies.

I am rolling on borrowed time with the Walmart-China tires that came on my trailer when I bought my boat a few months ago. I just ordered four Goodyear ENDURANCE tires.
1991 21 Walkaround, 2001 Yamaha 250 OX66
1987 Outrage 18 [project]

Vance's Revenge
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Location: Northern California

Re: Trailer Tire Recommendation

Postby Vance's Revenge » Thu Jun 11, 2020 10:37 pm

I had terrible luck with trailer tires on my boat between California and Wyoming. Most all trailer tires in our boat trailer sizes are made in China rated at 55 mph and cannot take heat build up at higher speeds. It is tough on 14" wheels because there are few options; but if you have 15" wheels cross reference to a light truck tire and your problems will go away.

Vance

biggiefl
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Re: Trailer Tire Recommendation

Postby biggiefl » Fri Jun 12, 2020 11:03 am

One should not run automotive tires on a trailer. There are reasons why they make trailer tires. To solve that dilemma is to buy quality tires that are rated for higher speeds and possibly not made in China. I do not trailer over 60-65mph for safety reasons.
On my 24th Whaler. Currently in the stable: 86 18' Outrage, 81 13' Sport(original owner), 87 11' Sport, 69 Squall(for sale cheap).

quickenberger
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Re: Trailer Tire Recommendation

Postby quickenberger » Fri Jun 12, 2020 12:37 pm

Vance's Revenge wrote:I had terrible luck with trailer tires on my boat between California and Wyoming. Most all trailer tires in our boat trailer sizes are made in China rated at 55 mph and cannot take heat build up at higher speeds. It is tough on 14" wheels because there are few options.


We had 14" tires and ended up special ordering quality ones that have held up well so far. You will have to spend extra on them but you get what you pay for.

Tire stores say that the belting in light truck tires isn't meant trailers. Mostly the belting doesn't hold up because trailer tires can have pretty good flex when making tight turns. We trailered a 19ft Sentry from Wyoming to California, and we had a tire blow at midnight in central Utah: we put on our spare.

We didn't find 14" tires anywhere in the 24 hour shops in Vegas and continued on to Barstow, California where we found one. Moral of the story: carry a spare and for long road trips bring a spare for your spare.

jimh
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Re: Trailer Tire Recommendation

Postby jimh » Fri Jun 12, 2020 2:08 pm

I have towed my Revenge 22 many thousands of miles. Tire inflation is checked and maintained at recommended near-max pressure. Towing speed is 55 to 60-MPH. The tires are trailer radial tires. First set was Goodyear Marathon. Second and third sets were Carlisle. So far zero tire failures. We always carry a spare wheel with mounted tire on the trailer.

Vance's Revenge
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Re: Trailer Tire Recommendation

Postby Vance's Revenge » Fri Jun 12, 2020 6:10 pm

I switched [apparently means switched to light truck tires from special trailer tires--jimh] out of frustration and a friend with a 5th wheel had already made the change. I'm talking 2015 and the 5th wheel, especially toy haulers were coming apart right and left tearing the heck out of their rigs

Carlisle was one of the brands I was struggling with repeated tread separations. Tires were at proper pressures . 20' heavy aluminum bare hull center console weight is 1150-lbs amd225 two stroke with 9.9 yamaha kicker on a steel tandem axle trailer--a light rig.

Speed limit is over there is 65 to 70-MPH and the tires I found were all rated at 55-MPH and couldn't take the heat built up from the higher speeds. I now see that they are rating ST tires higher at 65-MPH so things have changed. I never had a problem with California's 55 MPH speed limit. I always set my cruise control at 62-MPH

I knew not to run passenger tires but E rated LT tires did the trick and were rated for high speeds. Pulled at least three times back there at high speeds and never had a problem again.

At the time I found it was a hot topic on all RV message boards and the switch to LT was the going trend.

My old Calkin tandem-axle trailer for my Revenge 22 had 185R14 light truck tires on it when I bought it. I believe they are load range D. They are in good shape so I have been running them in California at 62-MPH. So far, no problems

jimh
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Re: Trailer Tire Recommendation

Postby jimh » Fri Jun 12, 2020 9:19 pm

Vance's Revenge wrote:I'm talking 2015 and the 5th wheel, especially toy haulers were coming apart right and left tearing the heck out of their rigs.


I don't quite understand that sentence. Can you clarify what you mean? Thanks.

Vance's Revenge
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Re: Trailer Tire Recommendation

Postby Vance's Revenge » Fri Jun 12, 2020 10:48 pm

I'm sorry for the confusion. When I bought the last set of tires for that boat trailer it was 2015. Now that I look into it, there have been changes in the ST Trailer series since then. In c.2015, every [ST trailer tire] I could find was rated at 55-MPH. Doing some research online, I have found the ST series tires are [available at] at higher speed ratings.

--Vance

jimh
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Re: Trailer Tire Recommendation

Postby jimh » Sat Jun 13, 2020 7:52 am

Re shopping advice for trailer tires:

Check with Discount Tires if you have a local dealer. They have more than 1,000 stores in 35 states. I have bought trailer tires from them several times, and tires for my truck and sedans several times.

Link to DISCOUNT TIRES for Carlisle Radial Trail HD tires
https://www.discounttire.com/buy-tires/carlisle-radial-trail-hd

The Carlisle Radial Trail HD tires are rated for a speed of 81-MPH. Their load ratings range from C1 to D1 depending on size. These tires are a good example of the ability to locate and use radial tires that are ST (Special Trailer) tires with speed ratings that exceed any reasonable possible highway towing speed and with load ratings equivalent to any other tires of a similar size.

ASIDE: A former co-owner of Discount Tires, Ted Von Voitlander, was a graduate of the University of Michigan. He passed away, but before he did he established a charitable foundation. His foundation has endowed and supported medical research at the University of Michigan Hospital with millions of dollars. I didn't learn about this until a few years ago. I was a customer of Discount Tires for years, and had no idea about the owner's charitable giving. It is nice to see a private businessman with a successful company give back millions of dollars to the community.

Re buying tires already mounted on wheels: I buy tires and have them mounted on the wheels I already have on the trailer.