Unimog
Eric
- Location
- Stansbury Park, UT
So we bought a new fifth wheel trailer last year and it is on the heavier side: 16.5k gvwr and 13.5k actual weight. It has dual 7k axles on it with load range E 16" tires. They are carrying about 6k on each axle.
Anyway, we towed it to Colorado Springs and St George last year without any problems, but we took it to Tucson last week and blew a tire out and another looks like it is getting ready to go - and it wasn't even over 90 degrees on any of this trip. I'm currently running Power King Towmax STR 235/80R16 trailer tires. Since my incidents I've learned these are pretty much junk, but it doesn't look like there are many good options out there. I've learned that although the trailer rated ST tires are rated high enough, they don't have nearly the safety margin that LT tires have on them. I'd like to just run good LT tires, which have a better safety margin, but it looks like I'd have to go to a giant tire that really wouldn't fit to get over 3500 lb rating. My rig isn't even close to rated weight, so I think it is reasonable to expect to get 7+ years of reliable service out of tires, assuming maintaining pressure and protecting them from the sun.
After some research, it looks like here are the two pretty clear options available as an upgrade:
1- Upgrade to Load Range F or G 16" tires. It looks like there are brands out there more reliable than the venerable 'Power King's I have. In order for this to be an option, I would need to verify that my current wheels are rated for higher than the 80 psi I am currently running or upgrade the wheels. I think F's run 90 psi and G's run 110.
2- Seems like the top end option is to upgrade to 17.5" commercial tires, like used on heavy truck low-boys etc. These are available in 215/75R17.5 load range H capable of 4800 lbs per wheel/tire. This would require upgrading to RV wheels that would bolt up to the 7k 8 lug axles (much smaller lugs than semi-truck wheels).
Any opinions or direct experience with this kind of thing?
Anyway, we towed it to Colorado Springs and St George last year without any problems, but we took it to Tucson last week and blew a tire out and another looks like it is getting ready to go - and it wasn't even over 90 degrees on any of this trip. I'm currently running Power King Towmax STR 235/80R16 trailer tires. Since my incidents I've learned these are pretty much junk, but it doesn't look like there are many good options out there. I've learned that although the trailer rated ST tires are rated high enough, they don't have nearly the safety margin that LT tires have on them. I'd like to just run good LT tires, which have a better safety margin, but it looks like I'd have to go to a giant tire that really wouldn't fit to get over 3500 lb rating. My rig isn't even close to rated weight, so I think it is reasonable to expect to get 7+ years of reliable service out of tires, assuming maintaining pressure and protecting them from the sun.
After some research, it looks like here are the two pretty clear options available as an upgrade:
1- Upgrade to Load Range F or G 16" tires. It looks like there are brands out there more reliable than the venerable 'Power King's I have. In order for this to be an option, I would need to verify that my current wheels are rated for higher than the 80 psi I am currently running or upgrade the wheels. I think F's run 90 psi and G's run 110.
2- Seems like the top end option is to upgrade to 17.5" commercial tires, like used on heavy truck low-boys etc. These are available in 215/75R17.5 load range H capable of 4800 lbs per wheel/tire. This would require upgrading to RV wheels that would bolt up to the 7k 8 lug axles (much smaller lugs than semi-truck wheels).
Any opinions or direct experience with this kind of thing?
