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Author Topic:   Best Trailer Tires

junniebugg posted 10-24-2012 07:50 AM ET (US)
Time for me to replace the tires on my Majic Tilt trailer which carries my Montauk. What is the best tire for all around driving including Interstate high-speed use?
jimh posted 10-24-2012 09:12 AM ET (US)
This topic is an on-going and continual discussion topic. The general feeling is a radial tire is typically preferred. They roll nicely and give a softer ride to the trailer. The real debate starts when brands are mentioned.
For a long time Goodyear MARATHON TRAILER RADIAL tires were the most preferred, but then people began to notice the tires were being manufactured offshore in all sorts of places, and reports came of failures. Then reports they're being made Stateside. They are not stocked in most tire stores, but if the store sells Goodyear they can usually get them in a few days
Carlisle RADIAL TRAIL trailer radial tires are probably the most widely available. Like the Marathon radials, a few people have experienced problems with them. They seem to be widely available and in stock at many big tire stores. They're usually cheaper than the Marathon tire by $10
Lately there is mention of a Japanese brand of super trailer tire, KUMHO RADIAL 857, with very high speed ratings, and a rather expensive pricetag. It is usually sold only by boutique mail order stores. Apparently for the fellow who wants the absolute best (and most expensive) they are now the top-choice. They are $25 more than the Goodyear Marathon, typically. But there are even reports of failures and blowouts with these fancy tires.
bluewaterpirate posted 10-24-2012 10:45 AM ET (US)
IMHO Kumho 857 radial. I've put these on in early 2010 and have logged a little over 12000 miles on them. Still in great shape.
http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv129/bluewaterpirate/Kumho%20Tires/ 5-1.jpg
http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv129/bluewaterpirate/Kumho%20Tires/ 4-2.jpg
Kumho 857 Tires .....
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Kumho&tireModel=Radial+ 857
Tom
bluewaterpirate posted 10-24-2012 10:53 AM ET (US)
Kumho's are designed and manufactured by a Korean Company
tmann45 posted 10-24-2012 03:57 PM ET (US)
I replace my 16 year old Carlisle USA Trail tires this summer with their new Radial Trail RH mentioned in Jim's link. They seem to run very cool just like the poster in the link said. Price was right with lifetime balance and rotate at Discount Tires. If you have Discount Tires stores I can't say enough good about them. They patched a flat (free) I had on tow vehicle tire the dealer would not repair due to hole being too close to the edge of the tread about 1,000 miles ago. I got the flat going to the dealer, otherwise I would have gone straight to Discount Tire for the repair.
tmann45 posted 10-24-2012 04:00 PM ET (US)
And I believe the Kumho 857 is the only ST (Special Trailer) tire that has a speed rating greater than 65 MPH.
jimh posted 10-24-2012 04:37 PM ET (US)
Tom (bluewaterpirate) says he put 10,000 miles on his trailer from early 2010 to now. Let's count that as 18-months. Now there is a guy who tows his boat around, about 6,600-miles a year.
I put on new Carlisle RADIAL TRAIL tires a couple of years ago--I don't have the exact date. I figure I am towing about four long trips each year, with the trips anywhere from a minimum of 600 to a maximum of 1,500 miles. Let's say about three at 600 and one at 1,500, for an average of 3,300-miles per year. Then there are quite a few trips locally, say 100-miles, and now perhaps I am close to 4,000-miles per year. The Carlisle tires have been fine. I have had no problems, no blow outs, nothing odd, and the tread looks like new. The conventional wisdom--probably initially started by tire manufacturers--is a tire older than about five or six years ought to be replaced due to age and not tread wear. At the current rate of tread wear on the Carlisle tires, they should easily make it to six years, and then I guess I would have to start worrying about their age.
One concern I don't have is speed rating, because I typically tow the trailer about 60-MPH. I know some like to tow much faster, but I am more comfortable at 60-MPH on the highway hauling my boat behind me.
Thanks for the note on the Korean background to Kuhmo. I think the Koreans always like to do things one better than the Japanese, so maybe that is why they make such a high-speed, high-load-rated trailer tire.
jimh posted 10-24-2012 04:38 PM ET (US)
Oh--forgot to say, I bought the Carlisle tires at DISCOUNT TIRE. They could have ordered the Goodyear tires, but I did not want to wait. I think I was on my way to Isle Royale or something like that, I decided to get new tires pronto.
David Pendleton posted 10-24-2012 06:48 PM ET (US)
I got 14 seasons out of my Goodyear Marathons; they were U.S. and Canadian-built.
I replaced them because I figured they were nearly three times past their intended lifespan. They still looked great, and my boat is stored outside.
I only do one "big" trip a year, sometimes not at all, so my trailering consists of a few hundred yards from my parking spot to the ramp or a 50-mile round trip home a 6-8 times a year.
I went with Kumho originally for their load range, and was pleasantly surprised to find they are much less "bouncy" than my previous tires.
Jefecinco posted 10-24-2012 07:10 PM ET (US)
If available in your size requirement quality truck tires work well on trailers.
Butch
mtwilling posted 10-24-2012 09:30 PM ET (US)
I put a set of Kuhmo 857s under my 180 Dauntless this year. I had quickly worn out a set of 14" load range C bias tires and was attracted to the Kuhmos because they make a 14" load range D tire. With about 2,500 miles on them so far I am very pleased with the wear and performance.
Ridge Runner posted 10-24-2012 10:14 PM ET (US)
I up graded my original 175X13 bias tires on the BW Karavan trailer for my 2005 170 Montauk to Kumho 857 195X14 radials. This made a major difference in trailering quality.
The Kumho Radial 857 trailer tires are R Rated. R is up to 106mph. Most on-line discussion site users rate the tires very well, much higher than the Goodyear Marathon.

This year I put over 7,500 miles, 5 NJ to FL – FL to NJ trips, on these tires with no issues.
[Badly formed URL was here, but I think I fixed it--jimh]
andygere posted 10-25-2012 12:50 AM ET (US)
It's a bit strange to see the Kuhmo tires characterized as expensive, and only available at boutique on-line tire stores. We put a lot of Kuhmos on the light truck fleet at my company, precisely for the opposite reasons: They are less expensive than the Dunlops and Goodyears they are replacing, and they are readily available from the two tire vendors that we use. Perhaps it's a regional difference. In any event, my trailer needs new tires, and based on some of the positive feedback here, as well as my general experience with the Kumho brand (I have a set on the Tacoma that I drive daily), I'll be putting a set of Kumho 857s on it.
jimh posted 10-25-2012 08:33 AM ET (US)
Andy--perhaps distribution of Kuhmo tires is not entirely uniform across the USA. In my area, you'd have to really want Kuhmo tires to find them for sale. I think Carlisle is headquartered in Cleveland, and perhaps that is why they're so prevalent around here.
bluewaterpirate posted 10-25-2012 09:22 AM ET (US)
I ordered my Kumho's online thru TireTracks they ere delivered the next day to a local tire dealer in town. My total cost installed was $521.00. Since install I've taken six trips of over 1000 miles apiece. The Kumho's have worked as advertised. The only thing I've done is to rotate them front to back (same side) every 1000 - 1200 miles. I keep mine cold inflated at 60 psi (the recommended manufacturers pressure).
On the interstate I try and maintain 65 mph.
Tom
andygere posted 10-25-2012 12:19 PM ET (US)
Jimh, I think you are right. There are 2 tire stores within a mile of my office that advertise Kumho tires on their outdoor signs.
retired posted 10-25-2012 05:08 PM ET (US)
When I was in the market last year for new 14" tires, I looked at Kumho 857 and the Goodyear HMG2020 U-Haul tires. I could not find a place where I could purchase the Kumho's I decided to go with Goodyear U-Hauls. Since, I had U-Haul's on my previous boat trailer and never had a problem,it was a simple choice to go with them again. They are a bias tire (ST205/75D14 HMG2020) and are rated for 2040 lbs, which is quite a bit more than I need, but then I like the extra safety margin.
Chuck Tribolet posted 10-25-2012 09:46 PM ET (US)
I see Kumhos advertised in my part of California too (not THAT
far from Andy). And they have a pretty good rep over on
CorvetteForum.com, which should be pretty tough graders on
tires.
And you can always get just about anything from TireRack.com,
and very quick delivery (I bought the Goodrich's I put on the
'vette from them, shipped to the tire shop, no problem with
TireRack (the kid at the tire shop was anothers story -- the
tires directional, and he was about to mount the the wrong
way round.)
Chuck
jimh posted 10-25-2012 10:06 PM ET (US)
Kuhmo-USA has headquarters in Rancho Cucamonga, California.
PeteB88 posted 10-25-2012 11:28 PM ET (US)
I like the name - KumHo - funny. What's it mean??
jimh posted 10-26-2012 01:11 PM ET (US)
A corollary to PeteBB88's question:
I like the name "Rancho Cucamonga." What does it mean?
Proposed answer:
The literal translation of "Rancho Cucamonga" is good place to set up Korean tire company headquarters.
Ridge Runner posted 10-26-2012 03:32 PM ET (US)
Kumho means "bright lake" in the Korean language.
Chuck Tribolet posted 10-26-2012 05:26 PM ET (US)
Rancho Cucamonga is a sea of warehouses for stuff coming in
from the Far East and getting forward on the the rest of the
USA. Linda has a sister living there.
Chuck
Ferdinando posted 10-28-2012 01:09 PM ET (US)
If you want great prices on trailer tires go to PEP Boys. I bought the same tires that came on my Karavan Trailer for eighty dollars less than my local boat stores and close to a 100 bucks less than West Marine.
Same brand and size only a lessor price.
Fred
jimh posted 11-01-2012 10:30 PM ET (US)
The name CONTINENTAL has a great reputation around here as a trailer manufacturer, and there are many testimonials and endorsements given to CONTINENTAL by experienced trailer boaters. Therefore we might be guided in a selection of trailer tires by the tires used on CONTINENTAL trailers. I believe that the OEM supplier to CONTINENTAL trailers for tires is KENDA LOADSTAR or KARRIER.
The KENDA LOADSTAR or KARRIER trailer radial tire is said to have been constructed with durability and road wear in mind, and this tire is said to have superior wear characteristics. The KENDA LOADSTAR or KARRIER trailer radial tire is not widely distributed in aftermarket, but it is strong in the OEM trailer manufacturing business. The tire is backed with a two-year warranty in most cases.
KENDA LOADSTAR or KARRIER trailer radial tires are competitively priced, and they are available from some trailer specialty stores. For example, see
http://www.easternmarine.com/
http://www.etrailer.com/
I don't think the KENDA LOADSTAR trailer radial tire is too often sold via big-box tire stores, but it can be found at places like Cablea's. For example:
http://www.cabelas.com
I think--not sure--that PEP BOYS is also selling KENDA LOADSTAR or KARRIER trailer radial tires.
Here is the home website of KENDA, the makers of the KARRIER trailer radial tire:
http://www.kendausa.com/en/home/specialty/specialtytrailer.aspx
KENDA has their American tire headquarters in Ohio, in Reynoldsburg. I know we have been commenting about place names in this thread, so I thought I would mention "Ohio" and "Reynoldsburg."
As far as we can tell "Ohio" comes from the Iroquois language and means place for Woody Hayes to coach football or in some alternative interpretations, great river. It is also the answer to the famous riddle, "What is tall in the middle and round at both ends."
I know some of you fellows on the West Coast are not clear on geographic place names in the middle part of the United States of America, but Ohio is that place just across Lake Erie from Leamington, Ontario, Canada.
As for Reynoldsburg, it is also known as "The birthplace of the Tomato." (I am not making this up.) It is located in Licking County, which was named for the salt licks there. Also, on a personal note, a friend of mine is a dentist and he used to live in Reynoldsburg.

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Author	Topic: Best Trailer Tires
junniebugg	posted 10-24-2012 07:50 AM ET (US) Time for me to replace the tires on my Majic Tilt trailer which carries my Montauk. What is the best tire for all around driving including Interstate high-speed use?
jimh	posted 10-24-2012 09:12 AM ET (US) This topic is an on-going and continual discussion topic. The general feeling is a radial tire is typically preferred. They roll nicely and give a softer ride to the trailer. The real debate starts when brands are mentioned. For a long time Goodyear MARATHON TRAILER RADIAL tires were the most preferred, but then people began to notice the tires were being manufactured offshore in all sorts of places, and reports came of failures. Then reports they're being made Stateside. They are not stocked in most tire stores, but if the store sells Goodyear they can usually get them in a few days Carlisle RADIAL TRAIL trailer radial tires are probably the most widely available. Like the Marathon radials, a few people have experienced problems with them. They seem to be widely available and in stock at many big tire stores. They're usually cheaper than the Marathon tire by $10 Lately there is mention of a Japanese brand of super trailer tire, KUMHO RADIAL 857, with very high speed ratings, and a rather expensive pricetag. It is usually sold only by boutique mail order stores. Apparently for the fellow who wants the absolute best (and most expensive) they are now the top-choice. They are $25 more than the Goodyear Marathon, typically. But there are even reports of failures and blowouts with these fancy tires.
bluewaterpirate	posted 10-24-2012 10:45 AM ET (US) IMHO Kumho 857 radial. I've put these on in early 2010 and have logged a little over 12000 miles on them. Still in great shape. http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv129/bluewaterpirate/Kumho%20Tires/ 5-1.jpg http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv129/bluewaterpirate/Kumho%20Tires/ 4-2.jpg Kumho 857 Tires ..... http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Kumho&tireModel=Radial+ 857 Tom
bluewaterpirate	posted 10-24-2012 10:53 AM ET (US) Kumho's are designed and manufactured by a Korean Company
tmann45	posted 10-24-2012 03:57 PM ET (US) I replace my 16 year old Carlisle USA Trail tires this summer with their new Radial Trail RH mentioned in Jim's link. They seem to run very cool just like the poster in the link said. Price was right with lifetime balance and rotate at Discount Tires. If you have Discount Tires stores I can't say enough good about them. They patched a flat (free) I had on tow vehicle tire the dealer would not repair due to hole being too close to the edge of the tread about 1,000 miles ago. I got the flat going to the dealer, otherwise I would have gone straight to Discount Tire for the repair.
tmann45	posted 10-24-2012 04:00 PM ET (US) And I believe the Kumho 857 is the only ST (Special Trailer) tire that has a speed rating greater than 65 MPH.
jimh	posted 10-24-2012 04:37 PM ET (US) Tom (bluewaterpirate) says he put 10,000 miles on his trailer from early 2010 to now. Let's count that as 18-months. Now there is a guy who tows his boat around, about 6,600-miles a year. I put on new Carlisle RADIAL TRAIL tires a couple of years ago--I don't have the exact date. I figure I am towing about four long trips each year, with the trips anywhere from a minimum of 600 to a maximum of 1,500 miles. Let's say about three at 600 and one at 1,500, for an average of 3,300-miles per year. Then there are quite a few trips locally, say 100-miles, and now perhaps I am close to 4,000-miles per year. The Carlisle tires have been fine. I have had no problems, no blow outs, nothing odd, and the tread looks like new. The conventional wisdom--probably initially started by tire manufacturers--is a tire older than about five or six years ought to be replaced due to age and not tread wear. At the current rate of tread wear on the Carlisle tires, they should easily make it to six years, and then I guess I would have to start worrying about their age. One concern I don't have is speed rating, because I typically tow the trailer about 60-MPH. I know some like to tow much faster, but I am more comfortable at 60-MPH on the highway hauling my boat behind me. Thanks for the note on the Korean background to Kuhmo. I think the Koreans always like to do things one better than the Japanese, so maybe that is why they make such a high-speed, high-load-rated trailer tire.
jimh	posted 10-24-2012 04:38 PM ET (US) Oh--forgot to say, I bought the Carlisle tires at DISCOUNT TIRE. They could have ordered the Goodyear tires, but I did not want to wait. I think I was on my way to Isle Royale or something like that, I decided to get new tires pronto.
David Pendleton	posted 10-24-2012 06:48 PM ET (US) I got 14 seasons out of my Goodyear Marathons; they were U.S. and Canadian-built. I replaced them because I figured they were nearly three times past their intended lifespan. They still looked great, and my boat is stored outside. I only do one "big" trip a year, sometimes not at all, so my trailering consists of a few hundred yards from my parking spot to the ramp or a 50-mile round trip home a 6-8 times a year. I went with Kumho originally for their load range, and was pleasantly surprised to find they are much less "bouncy" than my previous tires.
Jefecinco	posted 10-24-2012 07:10 PM ET (US) If available in your size requirement quality truck tires work well on trailers. Butch
mtwilling	posted 10-24-2012 09:30 PM ET (US) I put a set of Kuhmo 857s under my 180 Dauntless this year. I had quickly worn out a set of 14" load range C bias tires and was attracted to the Kuhmos because they make a 14" load range D tire. With about 2,500 miles on them so far I am very pleased with the wear and performance.
Ridge Runner	posted 10-24-2012 10:14 PM ET (US) I up graded my original 175X13 bias tires on the BW Karavan trailer for my 2005 170 Montauk to Kumho 857 195X14 radials. This made a major difference in trailering quality. The Kumho Radial 857 trailer tires are R Rated. R is up to 106mph. Most on-line discussion site users rate the tires very well, much higher than the Goodyear Marathon. This year I put over 7,500 miles, 5 NJ to FL – FL to NJ trips, on these tires with no issues. [Badly formed URL was here, but I think I fixed it--jimh]
andygere	posted 10-25-2012 12:50 AM ET (US) It's a bit strange to see the Kuhmo tires characterized as expensive, and only available at boutique on-line tire stores. We put a lot of Kuhmos on the light truck fleet at my company, precisely for the opposite reasons: They are less expensive than the Dunlops and Goodyears they are replacing, and they are readily available from the two tire vendors that we use. Perhaps it's a regional difference. In any event, my trailer needs new tires, and based on some of the positive feedback here, as well as my general experience with the Kumho brand (I have a set on the Tacoma that I drive daily), I'll be putting a set of Kumho 857s on it.
jimh	posted 10-25-2012 08:33 AM ET (US) Andy--perhaps distribution of Kuhmo tires is not entirely uniform across the USA. In my area, you'd have to really want Kuhmo tires to find them for sale. I think Carlisle is headquartered in Cleveland, and perhaps that is why they're so prevalent around here.
bluewaterpirate	posted 10-25-2012 09:22 AM ET (US) I ordered my Kumho's online thru TireTracks they ere delivered the next day to a local tire dealer in town. My total cost installed was $521.00. Since install I've taken six trips of over 1000 miles apiece. The Kumho's have worked as advertised. The only thing I've done is to rotate them front to back (same side) every 1000 - 1200 miles. I keep mine cold inflated at 60 psi (the recommended manufacturers pressure). On the interstate I try and maintain 65 mph. Tom
andygere	posted 10-25-2012 12:19 PM ET (US) Jimh, I think you are right. There are 2 tire stores within a mile of my office that advertise Kumho tires on their outdoor signs.
retired	posted 10-25-2012 05:08 PM ET (US) When I was in the market last year for new 14" tires, I looked at Kumho 857 and the Goodyear HMG2020 U-Haul tires. I could not find a place where I could purchase the Kumho's I decided to go with Goodyear U-Hauls. Since, I had U-Haul's on my previous boat trailer and never had a problem,it was a simple choice to go with them again. They are a bias tire (ST205/75D14 HMG2020) and are rated for 2040 lbs, which is quite a bit more than I need, but then I like the extra safety margin.
Chuck Tribolet	posted 10-25-2012 09:46 PM ET (US) I see Kumhos advertised in my part of California too (not THAT far from Andy). And they have a pretty good rep over on CorvetteForum.com, which should be pretty tough graders on tires. And you can always get just about anything from TireRack.com, and very quick delivery (I bought the Goodrich's I put on the 'vette from them, shipped to the tire shop, no problem with TireRack (the kid at the tire shop was anothers story -- the tires directional, and he was about to mount the the wrong way round.) Chuck
jimh	posted 10-25-2012 10:06 PM ET (US) Kuhmo-USA has headquarters in Rancho Cucamonga, California.
PeteB88	posted 10-25-2012 11:28 PM ET (US) I like the name - KumHo - funny. What's it mean??
jimh	posted 10-26-2012 01:11 PM ET (US) A corollary to PeteBB88's question: I like the name "Rancho Cucamonga." What does it mean? Proposed answer: The literal translation of "Rancho Cucamonga" is good place to set up Korean tire company headquarters.
Ridge Runner	posted 10-26-2012 03:32 PM ET (US) Kumho means "bright lake" in the Korean language.
Chuck Tribolet	posted 10-26-2012 05:26 PM ET (US) Rancho Cucamonga is a sea of warehouses for stuff coming in from the Far East and getting forward on the the rest of the USA. Linda has a sister living there. Chuck
Ferdinando	posted 10-28-2012 01:09 PM ET (US) If you want great prices on trailer tires go to PEP Boys. I bought the same tires that came on my Karavan Trailer for eighty dollars less than my local boat stores and close to a 100 bucks less than West Marine. Same brand and size only a lessor price. Fred
jimh	posted 11-01-2012 10:30 PM ET (US) The name CONTINENTAL has a great reputation around here as a trailer manufacturer, and there are many testimonials and endorsements given to CONTINENTAL by experienced trailer boaters. Therefore we might be guided in a selection of trailer tires by the tires used on CONTINENTAL trailers. I believe that the OEM supplier to CONTINENTAL trailers for tires is KENDA LOADSTAR or KARRIER. The KENDA LOADSTAR or KARRIER trailer radial tire is said to have been constructed with durability and road wear in mind, and this tire is said to have superior wear characteristics. The KENDA LOADSTAR or KARRIER trailer radial tire is not widely distributed in aftermarket, but it is strong in the OEM trailer manufacturing business. The tire is backed with a two-year warranty in most cases. KENDA LOADSTAR or KARRIER trailer radial tires are competitively priced, and they are available from some trailer specialty stores. For example, see http://www.easternmarine.com/ http://www.etrailer.com/ I don't think the KENDA LOADSTAR trailer radial tire is too often sold via big-box tire stores, but it can be found at places like Cablea's. For example: http://www.cabelas.com I think--not sure--that PEP BOYS is also selling KENDA LOADSTAR or KARRIER trailer radial tires. Here is the home website of KENDA, the makers of the KARRIER trailer radial tire: http://www.kendausa.com/en/home/specialty/specialtytrailer.aspx KENDA has their American tire headquarters in Ohio, in Reynoldsburg. I know we have been commenting about place names in this thread, so I thought I would mention "Ohio" and "Reynoldsburg." As far as we can tell "Ohio" comes from the Iroquois language and means place for Woody Hayes to coach football or in some alternative interpretations, great river. It is also the answer to the famous riddle, "What is tall in the middle and round at both ends." I know some of you fellows on the West Coast are not clear on geographic place names in the middle part of the United States of America, but Ohio is that place just across Lake Erie from Leamington, Ontario, Canada. As for Reynoldsburg, it is also known as "The birthplace of the Tomato." (I am not making this up.) It is located in Licking County, which was named for the salt licks there. Also, on a personal note, a friend of mine is a dentist and he used to live in Reynoldsburg.