New Trailer Tires

[mrxlh]

Well after a blowout on the way to Sturgis (less than an hour into the trip, grrrrr) on the camper, (lucky enough just superficial damage to the tailer) I finally get the camper back 2 weeks ago from the shop. I was set on replacing the ST tires with LT tires, brand/size was the only decision left. I went with the Bridgestone Duravis R250's. Taking it out this weekend to go quadding, so we will see how it pulls down the interstate. 7 tires was less than 2k, which when you figure the cost to repair the blowout damage was $1500 makes changing the China Bomb ST tires a very lucrative proposal.

If anyone is planning on buying an RV in the future, make sure you either get LT tires put on it before you leave the lot with it, upgrade to 17.5 rims, or if you stay with 16" rims make sure they are 100 psi rated.

 

[nobodyspecial]

Would it be worth putting something heavy duty on a camper, like a G range trailer tire? They would probably last for a very long time.

Would there be any negatives to something like that? Poor ride?

 

[Fellro]

To get the 100 psi rated mentioned, you have to go to G. They definitely will last a long time, that is what came on my sister's horse trailer. It rode well, but had torsion tube suspension. There is much discussion about LT vs Trailer rated as well. The sidewall loading is supposed to be the difference, as well as UV tolerance.

 

[mrxlh]

Would it be worth putting something heavy duty on a camper, like a G range trailer tire? They would probably last for a very long time.

Would there be any negatives to something like that? Poor ride?

The issue with G rated tires in 16" size is the fact that it is still an ST and made in China.

The ultimate solution is to go the 17.5 rims where your tire selection gets vastly greater.

However for those who are comfortable with stepping down from 3500 lb rated tires to 3042 lb rated tires on 6K axles, which my trailer has. Bridgestone Duravis or Michelin XPS ribs are your only choice in 16" with 80 PSI rims.

 

[mrxlh]

As far as ride, wet bolt kits with torq flex rubbers make anything ride nice.

The whole controversy ST/LT don't add up in my book.

A 245/75/16 Bridgestone Duravis weighs 57 LBS.
A 235/80/16 Powerking Towmax weighs 37 LBS.

There is a similar comparison in weights with the Michelin XPS rib as well. The conclusion is that the commercial highway tires have more steel in them as well as a much better rubber compound. Fulltime RVers have reported as much as 5-7 years of life out of a set of commercial tires vs. the average 2-3 years before blowouts start occurring on the china ST tires.