Trailer tires

I'm sure this subject has been beat to death, recommendations (brand) for ST 2057515 trailer tires for 18' open. bias or radial included

Some will disagree, but I never put trailer tires on anything, they are junk. I put the same size 10 ply light truck tires on all my trailers open and enclosed. I have never had a LT tire fail. I have had plenty trailer tires blow out.

What's your LT tire recommendations?

For trailer tires 15" and below Maxxis is the only brand to buy. Maxxis are made in Thailand, which I suppose is one step above China. Mounted them myself and was impressed with the build quality and minimal weight required to balance (yes I balance trailer tires).
I own 3 trailers, two with twin axle and 1 with single. All have this brand now. Have owned other brands, including Goodyear Marathon (when they were made in USA) and had a blowout in middle of nowhere North Dakota. No garbage brands for me now. They also track much better than any other brand I have owned.
There is a place on e-bay that sells them for a good price (Simpletire if I recall) and they are a reasonable build date when you get them. Not some tire that has been sitting in a warehouse for 2 years.
Have heard mixed results on using LT tires and durability with sidewall over time.
If 16" and above, Michellen's are the kings.

The Goodyear Marathon is going the same way as the do-do bird.
In its place is the Goodyear Endurance 20575R15 load range D (8 Ply)
Product # 724861519.
A new tread design help tire to remain cool while towing heavy loads.
A big improvement over the old Marathon with beefier sidewall construction.
Better inner liners minimizes air loss in trailer applications because of 100% halobutyl rubber.
Hope this helps

hi gold, you might want to look into LT215-75-15 D or E's. much more availability from all tire companys. 1/8 inch or 1/4 difference. my 2012 20 foot trailer had st225-75-15D and those were taken off after 30 days and upgraded to LT235-75-15D. they fit ,work and ride better than original. and more tire brand choices for LT 235 for me. ronnie

It is illegal in some states to run anything but a tire that is rated for a trailer. If you like rolling the dice, LT tires are fine but you better check with the rules in your state first.

And from what I have heard, check your insurance too. Similar to if you were overweight, they may not cover an accident.

Go on any travel trailer forum and look at the tire posts. Many discussions. And you will see the affinity to Maxxis over any other brand trailer tire for 15" and under.

Thank-you for your recommendation, I just bought a set of 4.

Sounds liked you made your choice. Hopefully better the these made in USA Marathons. I bet the new models are made in China.
So glad it blew after I crossed the Rockies and not during.
Just under 5 years old and proper tire pressure since I use TPMS.

"And from what I have heard, check your insurance too. Similar to if you were overweight, they may not cover an accident."

I'm pretty sure our resident Moparts Insurance member/mod will dispute any moment, and we will be in complete agreement.

The original question was about brand. Another key point is specs. I run and would suggest 8 ply rated radials. A little hard to find in this size but available. Run 8 ply rated and max inflation pressure or even 5 psi more if running fast and heavy.

This has served me well with trailer tires recommended by my local shop (which are probably Chinese). I have run mine fast and heavy in hot weather w/o problem.

I could be wrong on the insurance point, but recall the never ending ST vs LT debate for years on the forums. All sorts of stories, some might be embellished.

I do recommend the 8 ply but you can't run full psi unless your rims can handle and your valve stem. Stapmed on trailer rims is the max rated psi. And a regular passenger car valve stem is 50 psi. I use clamp in valve stems rated for 65 psi.

And it does appear the Goodyear Endurance is made in USA which is nice. Just hope they have a better track record. I will stick with the proven maxxis for now.

I've owned three different enclosed trailers, two 10,000 GVW and one 7,000 Lbs. GVW, I've had tire troubles with all of them with trailer rated C,D, and E rated tires
Age seems to play a lot more in how long they last versus how much tread is on them
I'm getting ready to replace all four of the tires on my current 10,000 Lbs. Pace 24 ft. Shadow, I have weighed it numerous times with my old pump gas Duster in it going to the races and it was always between 8200 and 8600 Lbs. on the axles, right at 500 Lbs. additional weight on the truck rear axle as well as removing 200 to 400 Lbs. off of the front truck axle This is not uncommon on bumper pull trailers I've heard
I bought four Maxis ST225x75Rx15 10 ply rated tires, I'm hoping they work better than all the other E rated trailer tires I've used on this trailer
I had two E rated trailer tires blow the top of the tread off on the same trip coming back from Woodburn drag strip several summers ago, one on the 5 freeway between Woodburn and Salem and the other one happened after changing the first one in Salem, not sure when it failed as I didn't know it had failed until I got home That was a good thing, not having it blow all the way out, looking back now

I had many issues with Carlisle and Marathons, now I have the New Goodyear Endurance - no issues yet! KOW! I was told they are made in the states.

From my experiences, if you got near 5 years on trailer tires, you did good. I pretty much end up getting new ones every 3 years, if they last that long.

What exactly did you hear, and from whom? And how did they know this?

Uh oh, more questions than answers, watch out for the black Suburbans...

It's totally incorrect information, but I wanted to offer an explanation as to why what he was specifically told, and by whom, was incorrect.

If you have LT tires on a trailer in PA, it won’t pass inspection

Plus you will get ticketed if you are pulled over in PA and they see the LT tires, other states also.

That’s important information. I would have to think trailers are easy pickin’s for DOT. It’s not like a person pulling one is inconspicuous. Can they just pull you over and check the trailer equipment or does there have to be a reason first?
It is important we all pull safely for everybody’s sake.

No reason needed...Only suspicion...And believe me if you do get pulled over you'll be getting more than a tire violation to make it worth their time...They always find something else...

Truck tires are better than trailer tires. It seems stoopid that the law would bust you for having better tires on your trailer.

YOU exist,thats reason enough.

It was on a trailer forum many years back that one owner got in a accident caused by a blowout, which damaged trailer and tow vehicle and was using incorrect tires based on the tire label on the trailer. I can't recall if in the end they settled, but I know he was harassed by the insurance company for not having the tire spec listed by the manufacturer and I believe the DOT for the state he was in.

As I followed up with, I could be wrong on the above, as this was one of he many stories in the many heated threads they have on these forums about tires. Much like "which oil is best" on the car forums. The topic is covered regularly and opinions vary.

Interesting & helpful thread. My open trailer's had Michelins on it forever, 14" to keep the trailer low, definitely not trailer tires but originally for small RVs. Been through several states and never a look-see from any authority.
They've been bulletproof, even carrying 4500 lbs.
I've been very lucky, as even though the trailer leads a very pampered life (heated garage, never out unless working), the tires are (gulp) from the late '90s. Two years ago I took it to NorCal & back on a banzai run.
I've cheated disaster long enough, so even though the tires still look mint, it's not going anywhere until it gets new rubber.

LT tires explained and they can be used on trailers IF used as designated below. Notice the size of the tire though.

LT = If a tire size begins with "LT," it signifies the tire is a "Light Truck-metric" size that was designed to be used on vehicles that are capable of carrying heavy cargo or towing large trailers. This includes medium and heavy-duty (typically 3/4- and 1-ton load capacity) pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles and full-size vans. Tires branded with the "LT" designation are the "little brothers" of 18-wheel tractor-trailer tires and are designed to provide substantial reserve capacity to accept the additional stresses of carrying heavy cargo.
7.50R16LT 112/107Q, 8.75R16.5LT 104/100Q or 31x10.50R15LT 109Q

LT = If a tire ends with "LT," it signifies the tire is either an earlier "Numeric", "Wide Base" or "Flotation" Light Truck size designed to be used on vehicles that are capable of carrying heavy cargo and towing trailers (Numeric sizes), use 16.5-inch diameter rims (Wide Base sizes) or are wider, over sized tires designed to help the vehicle drive on top of loose dirt or sandy surfaces (Flotation sizes). This includes light, medium and heavy duty (typically 1/2-, 3/4 and 1-ton load capacity) pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. Tires branded with the "LT" at the end of their size designation are also the "little brothers" of 18-wheel tractor-trailer tires and are designed to provide substantial reserve capacity to accept the additional stresses of carrying heavy cargo.
195/70R15C 104/102R

Thanks for the explanation. I'd be willing to bet that on that forum, much like on Moparts, 95% of what is posted regarding insurance is wrong, and what's worse, the incorrect info is usually posted as a statement of absolute fact. Your post was the rare exception.

I had many issues with Carlisle and Marathons, now I have the New Goodyear Endurance - no issues yet! KOW! I was told they are made in the states.

I just spent 20 minutes trying to find the exact PA law prohibiting LT tires on trailers. And I can't find one. This was the passage concerning trailers and there is no mention of trailer rating required. If you follow the references, there is no mention of trailer rating requirements either.

http://www.dot.state.pa.us/Public/DVSPub...SubchapterG.pdf

I have yet to hear anything bad about these tires, however they have not been out a real long time.

I am pretty sure if you get them from Discount Tire you can get the same optional warranty that is available on car and truck tires.

this is why, when there "may" be questions arising from an anticipated "stop", a copy of the exact "law in question", plus any applicable references, should be carried at all times. you may, however, be cited for other infractions "just because". [and there is ALWAYS something......]

And made in USA

That says vehicles towing trailers, not trailers, BTW.

Anything without a UTQG, is a gamble on an enclosed trailer. (You'll be amazed how many LT and ST tires don't have ANY declared specifications). If they sit, bite the bullet, and replace every 3 years. I got this from a racer that tows ALOT. Load range G, and 17's are the ultimate $olution.

and I read it this way - to include trailers like in tractor trailers so.

Tires branded with the "LT" at the end of their size designation are also the "little brothers" of 18-wheel tractor-trailer tires and are designed to provide substantial reserve capacity to accept the additional stresses of carrying heavy cargo.

Agree, four years max on trailer tires no matter how good they look.

I agree with the tire change interval. I have had so many friends have trailer tire failures in recent years.
Not the proper way, but I change out one tire every year. Every 4 years they will have all been replaced. I haven't had a tire failure yet with my trailers in 15 years of doing this.
I have to mention this though. I had a 1976 holiday trailer in the early 2000's. The tires looked like they were original G78's, and they were pretty much bald. I took that trailer down many gravel roads. I even had an axle break at the leaf spring, where the tire was leaning into the frame for a few miles. NEVER had a tire failure.
Just a testament of the quality of tires these days or perhaps I was just lucky?

Thanks for the question and answers. Gonna go get four Endurance’s before camping season.