Trailer tires - do I need trailer specific tires?

Tire experts or other smart people are trailer specific tires required?

I am getting close to purchasing new tires for my 17 ft dual axle enclosed cargo trailer. I am converting the trailer to a camper so I will not have anywhere close to its rated weight capacity. Discount tire said I should probably go with tires specifically for a trailer. What is different about these tires and are they really needed.

I have 205/75/15 stock tires on it, but thought about going to 235/75/15's. I really like the Michelin Defenders but it seems like the Goodyear Endurance are the only premium, brand tire made for trailers and in the stock size.

 

Yes, it is definitely a good idea to use ST trailer tires. They have stronger sidewalls that are designed to handle the weight of a trailer. Regular passenger car tires have softer side walls that flex more. ST tires stiffer side walls can also help reduce trailer sway. Carlisle makes a good ST trailer tire also.

 

YES ! ST tires are a must. Definitely a safety issue. I have been forced to run a car tire in a pinch to get home and the tread had already separated from the tire carcass in a 350 mile trip.

 

Get a st radial, far superior to bias imo

 

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

 

When I bought my trailer last year the original owner still had the factory tires on it. They were all cracked and weathered and should of been replaced years ago.
I am getting 5 of these for my trailer

$119+ Hankook Kinergy ST Tires

Hankook Kinergy ST | 205/75R15 (tirerack.com)

 

How much does your trailer weigh?

 

I know nothing about trailer tires, but I'd say buy the best you can get.
Driving for a living I've seen many a travel trailer vacation ruined by a tire exploding on the highway..
Many of them causing damage to the trailer.

 

Rollin on goodyear marathon ST.
Trailer weight of just over 3 tons

 

trailer weighs 4300 lbs dry

 

Once loaded up you may be very close to max load on these tires. My TT is 4,000 empty and 6080 gross. I run 4 Goodyear Endurance at 63 PSI. These can handle guite a bit more weight.

$195+ Goodyear Endurance Tires

https://m.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Goodyear&tireModel=Endurance&partnum=175NR4END

 

Looking at buying a used trailer with Goodyear Endurance tires on it. Any idea if those are good and how long they should last? They look a little bald to me but maybe that's just how trailer tires look?

 

When I bought my new camper I set an appointment for the next weekend to have the china bombs replaced with GoodYear Endurance 4 trailer tires mounted and balanced 650.00 bucks. There is a company that makes an 11 ply trailer tire, can't remember the name. I also use the TYMATE monitoring TPMS shows pressure and temperature.

-Jason

 

I think the Tymate system is the one I use too. Works for me.

 

Short, very specific answer to your question, OP:


YES.

 

Automotive tires are better in just about every way. They have better belts, they are rounder, they balance better and they last longer. If you can get away with it, I would run them. However, you will find that for the size a trailer tire has a much higher load rating. You will quickly see that you can't get the same load rating in a 15" automotive tire that you can out of a trailer tire. By a big margin.

It is the load rating that drives trailer tires to having stiffer sidewalls and more belts.

Trailer tires are probably your only option.

Goodyear Endurance tires are made here in the USA. They have a great warranty and IMO are the best on the market right now. The Marathon was a great tire till they moved their operations to China. Goodyear appears to have learned and recently started making trailer tires in the US again.

 

They seem to be one of the better tires out there. I noticed my Goodyears when new didn't have near the tread depth I'm used to seeing on car or truck tires. Somewhere on the webz there's probably an actual tread depth number listed.
Mine were not balanced when new. Many aren't. Hope to yank all four of mine and get them balanced while I check wheel bearings. Opinions are mixed whether balancing is even needed but it can't hurt, can it?

 

Goodyear Endurance

 

I have these on my TT. Time will tell how they hold up.

Carlisle Radial Trail HD

$92 Carlisle Radial Trail HD Trailer Tire-ST205/75R15 107M 8-ply

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IHIMKFE

 

Those are great tires. I bought a set before we went out west. Put about 7,000 on a set.

The Goodyears are better. I have those now and between the warranty and the fact that they are made in the US would make them my choice.

 

I had looked into these before for the truck. Unfortunately they don't make any for 1996-2010 Chevy/GMCs 3/4 or 1 tons.

Looks like a full line up for trailers.

 

I emailed them.

Response:

 

i am running these on my trailer to in a 205/75R14 D range. So far so good.

 

Watch the speed ratings on the tires. Many ST tires are only rated for 65 mph but others can be 81 or more mph.

I am not condoning towing at 81 mph, but its good to make sure you have the overhead. I often tow at 70 mph and so I specifically bought 81 mph rated tires

 

Yes. ST tires are the right tire for your needs.

I pulled the OEM 205/75-15 Chinese tires off my TT after pulling it just a few times. Tires were LR-D with 65 PSI max. Things always looked a little low, even at max pressure. Wobbled all over the road…. Went to LR-E Goodyear Endurance 225/75-15 at 80 PSI and couldn’t believe the difference it made.
I also installed a Tire Minder I-10 TPMS system and have been quite happy with all it provides.


Don’t try to cheap out on trailer tires. It rarely works in your favor.

 

That is what I run on my dual axle boat trailer. Trailer tires don't have a real deep tread even when new. 2 rules of trailer tires that I follow are run at max PSI and replace at 5 to 6 years regardless of the amount of tread. P rated tires are OK on a light utility trailer only. I have one that I use for my ATV and it has P rated tires on it with no problems.