Home Forums Gear Hunting Trucks and Four-Wheel Drives Travel Trailer Tire Replacement

We just returned from a camping trip and had a blow out. The trailer is a 16' Lance that goes maybe 4000 pounds loaded. The original tires are Towmax STR ST205/75R14's. I want overkill with the replacements not to exclude replacement 15" wheels. It is a single axle trailer. Suggestions?

Step up to an LT tire

This is the best 24” I have found.

https://www.amazon.com/Hankook-Vantra-RA18-195R14-106R/dp/B01G2C14U4

Probably need 15’s. What is your axle capacity?

"Trailer, or "ST", tires are considered a special category in the current global design standards of Tire and Rim. The major difference is that trailer tires are required to carry 10% more load than an equivalent P-metric size tire.

LT type tires are actually on a lower formula and would require a significant size or load change to meet the trailer load requirements.

In the design process, we evaluate what works best under trailer applications/conditions. We typically find that a narrower tread width and a shallower non-skid (tread depth) provides a better overall performance in a free rolling position. This is one case where wider is not better.

There are significant design differences with these tires and this explains why trailer tires are in a special
category. In addition, that is why we recommend using trailer designed or trailer specific tires in trailer towable applications.

Sincerely,

Steve McKay
Consumer Relations
Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company


TRAILER-TIRE CONSTRUCTION
Commonly encountered tires are P (passenger car), LT (light truck) and ST (special trailer). While each tire series shares basic construction methods, such as bias or radial belts, a bead, tread plies and so on, the details vary meaningfully among the three. Considerations in designing tires used on trailers include the need to carry heavy loads, the relative lack of cornering loads, long duty cycles (the tires can be expected to sit for a year; then rotate for days on end during long trips). Furthermore, because the design of most trailer suspensions dates back many decades, ST tires are designed for as soft a ride as possible so they don't transmit too much shock to the trailer and its contents.
Trailer-tire sidewall stiffness is a compromise between P and LT designs. The desire for stiffer sidewalls is still occasionally cited as the reason for choosing a bias-belted trailer tire. While passenger-car tires are nearly all radials these days, ST tires are still available in bias-belted construction. Radial trailer tires are superior in all respects to bias-belted tires except in sidewall stiffness. Reduced tire heat, lower rolling resistance and softer ride are among the benefits of radials, not to mention extended wear. On the road, ST tires share some characteristics of passenger-car tires, but are closer to the design of light-truck tires. Trailer tires typically employ heavier steel or poly-ester cords and somewhat lighter sidewall construction than light-truck
TRAILER-TIRE SAFETY
continued
tires, and trailer tires typically run lower air pressures than their truck counterparts. This gives ST tires good load-carrying capacity; but with the desired softer ride. ST tires also have the advantage of rubber compounds that are specifically designed to resist deterioration from the elements, including sunlight and ozone, during extended storage.



Now with all of that said HERCULES has been making trailer tires for the trucking industry for a very long time. Get yourself a set of HERCULES tire for your TT and rest easy.

I went to LT's on my utility trailer last year. They are much more sturdy and ran me a bit under $200 for the pair, installed. Factory trailer tires are typically junk and wear incredibly fast.

http://www.bbcboards.net/showthread.php?t=272471

Link has a chart with tire specs. Maxis makes a 205r14, but at 4K I think you need more tire than you can get in a 14”. And I’m guessing you have a #3500 axle.

ST tires are garbage. Euro commercial or LT tires are better. It’s like a conspiracy to sell China bombs.

Going up in wheel size is good, but, it does affect the braking efficiency.
I would stick to trailer tires, but look for a higher weight rating. Going to 15's will help with that.
The last thing you want is an LT that has nice deep tread.
You know how squishy new mud tires feel.
Squishy and wiggly aren't friendly in a trailer.

Truck tires on my trailer? Sure, I never use the product that is specifically engineered for the application.
After all, the advice I get from people I don't know on the internet has never let me down.

Check out Goodyear Endurance, E load rating, made in the USA.....for trailers.

Half of the population is dumber than average. Seems like the tire industry employs folks from the bottom half.

call these guys........

they know their schidt........

https://www.etrailer.com/dept-pg-Tires_and_Wheels.aspx

Thank you gentlemen. Good info.

or these guys.........

https://www.discounttiredirect.com/

Look at the Goodyear Endurance tires, they are USA made trailer tires. I put these on my travel trailer last year and do not regret buying 5 of them (replaced the spare too). For most of the sizes, they are up one load level. The speed rating is also much higher than other trailer tires. For the size that my trailer called out, they went from a load range C to a load range D. The speed rating went from 60 to 87 mph. I also run my near max cold, as they recommend.

After replacing the old tires, the trailer did not feel as soft behind the truck. The trailer was also less bouncy when we were in it.

I also put on a Tire Minder setup so that I can watch the tire pressures and temperatures while going down the road.

Last time I bought tires for my utility trailer, I went with radials. They still have most of the tread on them and they've gone farther than the previous bias tires when they wore out. They're cheaper in the long run.

Goodyear endurance. Do not get Goodyear marathon or any other Chinese tires. Stay with a ST tire.

Just put Goodyear Endurance on my camper. Got good recs from several folks. So far so good, but only 5k or so on them.

In total with my three trailers and each has a spare, I have 17 trailer tires. I don't put a lot of thought in it as most trailer tires blow from being old and UV damage . I think, mine are mostly Road Kings or some such name.I go to Discount Tire or Tire World and tell them to put trailer tires on, usually E load range.Most trailers sit more than they are on the road

Last year I put new tires on my pickup. The old ones had decent tread left on them so I found some used wheels with the right bolt pattern and put them on my horse trailer. It gets beat around the hills a lot and the tires should be good for several more years.

UV is a problem with trailer tires. A cheap set of wheel covers or a scrap of old plywood, especially on the sunny side where the trailer is parked, will greatly add to the life of the tires.

Goodyear Endurance is what I use.

My trailer sits in a fully enclosed garage. I am headed to Discount Tire tomorrow to pick up three Goodyear Endurance tires. Thanks again.