Possibly a Better Solution for 15 Inch Trailer Tires
 

I am one of those unfortunate people with a travel trailer that has 15" wheels and also no room for larger 16" wheels/tires.
On a recent trip I stumbled upon a NTB tire store and got some Commodore trailer tires (I think they're available from Big-O tires as well). They're 225/75/15 load E tires. Since all the trailer tires I had before didn't have much printed on them, it was interesting to see they have a speed rating and it's an L for 75mph. Since most other trailer tires are supposed to be only 65mph, maybe this could mean they're slightly better quality? It could be just a bias since I've already put money down, but the rubber just sort of looks nicer than other chinese tires, more of a fine texture like truck tire rubber.

Yes, they're still made in China but they seem to be lasting well so far. I know it's sad to consider around 1000 miles with no problems an accomplishment, but it is for me with the tire trouble I've had in the past.[laugh]

If I remember correctly, we have those one one of our older equipment trailers, its a double axle car trailer converted to an open topped box trailer. Not sure how old they are but they look good.

FWIW,, ST tires are mostly junk. There are exceptions, few.
LT tires seem to hold up better. You may look at 16" tires and a lower profile tire. Go as large as your wheel wells aill allow.

You didn't say how much you need to carry on those tires but have a look at these, there's a LT235/75/R15 Oops forgot the link[laugh]. http://www.multimiletires.com/tires/...ication=SUV-LT

I have Commodore 14" ST tires on my tandem axle boat trailer. Actually got them as partial warranty for a crappy set of de-laminating GY Marathons, so beggars couldn't be choosers.
Have put a bunch of miles on them, about 6000lb total weight, couple cross country road trips, loaded down heavier than 6k I'm sure, torsion axles so very weight bias sensitive.
They have been great so far. Did not use the trailer this year since the boat is down in WA, but 3 solid years of use. I'd reccomend them.
FWIW, Kumho makes a stout trailer tire, the Kumho 857. It's the only D rated 14" tire. Not sure what they offer in 15" rim, but the 14s are spectacular. Have beat the tar out of a couple pairs of those with no tire issues.

Most ST tire brands.....and I say that lightly.....will last as long as they're used frequently and not sitting months on end between uses.

Just an update on the Commodore tires I once had so much hope for when starting this thread. After a couple thousand miles, you guessed it, one has come apart. Despite my optimism, I should have listened to many of the members here and known they were typical ST tires.:(

I have a new hope, though. The Goodyear Cargo G26 tire comes in 15" and has a 2400 pound capacity. I think it's the tire some of the Sprinter trucks come with. It's a little hard to find but this looks like the next thing I'll try.

I don't run ST (Slow Trailer) tires on anything. Per the advice of my tire man, I run decent auto or LT tires, depending on the weight. They ride a bit softer, and don't overheat and de-laminate if I get impatient and tow the rig "briskly" as my truck can easily do.

Got automotive 14's on the boat trailer. Been on 4 years without trouble, hauled all over the country. About to be replaced at less than 5/32 tread left.

After a few blowouts with chinacrap ST tires I finally talked my buddy into into buying Maxxis M8008 225/75/15 E rated tires for his TT. He said it was like night and day with the Maxxis tires.

I've heard a few times that the Maxxis tires are better but I've had bad luck with those as well. I do everything I can to make the tires last - check the inflation often, keep them out of the sun, jack up the trailer and take all the weight off the tires when it's going to sit for more than a couple days, etc.

This is why I've spent so much time trying to get a 15" non-ST tire and the Goodyear Cargo is all I've found with enough load capacity. Unless anyone knows of a low profile 16" truck tire (less than about 28" in diameter) with a good load capacity, that is.

This isn't making me feel very good. Having had seven Carlisles delaminate, the next seven of them blow (well most of them), I ended up with Tow Masters. They have about 500-1000 miles on them, but my trailer's been mostly sitting for the past 2-1/2 years. I can see one is already developing cracks in the tread. I was going to put the Maxxis tires on them, since right now it's the most cost-effective thing I can do. I just can't stomach the price of going up to 16's... and they'll (barely) fit. As it is I have to have a friend cut out some supports and move them over a few inches so that when there is wheel travel (what little there is on a trailer) they don't contact those supports.

Here's a question... if I went to 16" LT tires, is it safe enough to use some of the lower-priced tires? Since I need seven of them, it gets expensive fast. Here's a list of what Tire JRack shows:

Kumho Road Venture KL51 $125 ea. I've always had good luck with Kumho tires on cars.

General Grabber HTS $129 ea.

Yokohama Geolander G053 $132 ea.

Hankook Dynapro RH12 $133 ea.

Dunlop Rover $145 ea.

'Course up at the top of the list are the vaulted Michelin XPS Ribs that are $295 each.. Gack.

Rob

I run 225/75R15 E. Ten ply radials on all my trailers maxed out 80psi on pressure, even on the lighter trailers they would get hot. Stopped by an RV dealer one day and asked them what they recomended for my 5th wheel. Don't recall the brand they said as they have all been worn out or dry rotted and changed out.

But they said run the ten ply and fill them up with nitrogen, they run cooler that way less likely to over heat, and the nitrogen won't lose as much pressure as air when the trailer sits over time.

ALL tires get hot on the freeway. But how hot is going to be determined by their design, their condition, the ambient weather, the load they're carrying, axle alignment, wheel type, bearing lubrication, brake drag, and how fast you drive. Tires can get in the 125* range and be well within their normal running temperatures. Filling your tires with 95% Nitrogen instead of the normal 80% Nitrogen in everyday air is going to do nothing to help with that. I cant stress enough how much tire pressure monitoring systems are well worth the money.

in for the follow.
i just want to keep tabs on this thread.

i've blown out one of my 15" Hi-run?'s it seems every other long road trip. They have PLENTY of tread left when they go, and the only way i know one goes on my enclosed 24' is that my EGT's and boost climb out of 'normal'.

A friend suggest and swears by power kings for years. Has anyone else had luck with them?

My tires are a load range C which is probably the biggest culprit, and im going to chew out my local trailer shop that keeps feeding me them.

Google any brand you find. Something like, "power king tire reviews" and read about 'em. EVERY brand I've done that to has come back with tons of complaints about blow-outs. Basically, all trailer tires suck. The ONLY ones that appear to not suck are US-made Goodyear Marathons, which I don't think exist anymore.

I finally gave up and ordered a set of 16" steel wheels for my 5er last week. I did the research and for me, the best tire appears to be a 225/75-16 Bridgestone Duravis R500HD, $174 each at TireRack. I'll have my local America's Tire install them. Seven of the **** things are gonna be expensive... but at least they'll last.

Rob