Question for those of you with flat bed/utility/light duty trailers:
What kind of tires do you buy when new ones are needed? Do you purchase trailer tires with a specific "load range" or just get passenger car tires?
I ask this because my tires will get weathered before I even close to the wear bars. Even with the tires covered from the sun, the brutaly dry heat here in AZ gets to the tires. I normaly just head down to the nearest shop with used tires and haggle for a set. Usually get OTD for under $45bucks mounted and balanced. Then I'm good for another 4-5 years.
Any input appreciated.

 

Do NOT get passenger car/LT tires. Get trailer tires. Trailer tires are built specifically for trailers. Passenger car and LT tires are built for vehicles. Stresses are completely different.

http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/inf...rTireFacts.dos

 

Wow... what a great link.
I hadn't see that one before.

 

Discount tire has a lot of good info on their site, including the how and why you can not use the full load rating for P series tires on a light truck application.

 

Good info Kingfish! Carlisle, Maxxis and Interco make some pretty good trailer tires.

 

Been running 14 inch radial tires on my 10ft steam cleaning trailer for 3 years ... Carrying around 2100lbs... No probs.. I always carry 2 spares ,, Because my cleaning equipment is rather expensive.. Dont want to leave it on the road ..

 

I bought Hercules Radial Trailer tires for my double PWC trailer. They are 13" and the gross weight on the trailer is just under 2,000#.
I paid about $170 total for all 3 (including spare) at a local Goodyear shop.
I think Discount tire was over $200 for the radials.
I have owned some form of PWC trailer since 1995. I love the radials. I think they ride 200% better than the Carlisle Bias Ply that come stock.
Good luck.

 

My friends and I haul trailers with atvs all over the southeast. I am a firm believer in buying trailer tires. I've seen many car/truck tires blow out while running down the road. I just replaced mine last month with a new Duro radial. Trailer tires aren't cheap, but I like knowing I have the right stuff when I'm hauling $10-15,000 worth of atvs on a weekend trip.
Rich

 

Trailers get trailer tires. Would you put trailer tires on your truck if they were cheaper?

 

I suggest there's a place for 'non-trailer tires' on trailers .... and Shane's may be one of those places ....

I've lived 'in the country' for 30+ years and tow:

> 8 ft utility (haul motorcycles, garden tractor, gasoline arc welder, appliances, stuff from Lowes, anything that needs moving and will fit on it)

> heavy 16 ft utility trailer (haul full loads of baled hay, haul a 6,000 lb tractor and use to haul lumber over 8 ft)

> 17 ft / 3500 lb "Casita" fiberglass RV

In the past I've owned a 2-horse trailer and a 2-horse with living quarters gooseneck (latter towed w/F-350 PS dually).

For the utility trailers I, and all the folks that ranch/live in my part of the country, get used or very cheap new P or LT tires for those trailers. The trailers are not used for long hauls, are not towed fast, are used ocassionally and spend a lot of time sitting. I've never had a tire "fail" or "come apart". Others have and the result is a mention when drinkin beer about what a PITA it was to change the tire on a hot as hell day - I've never heard a first-hand story about a lost load or a "trailer tragedy". And there's been a lot of beer drinking story tellin in over 30 years.

For my long-haul horse and RV trailers I use ST ("trailer") tires. I did have a 15" ST Marathon "come apart" on the Casita this year while moving 'fast' but had no problem slowing to the shoulder even though it is a single-axle trailer. The only damage (other than the tire) was a bent water heater access door due to tire shrapnel - no big wiff to straighten that flimsy piece.

Bottom line for me - the utilities get used but when they do the nature of the load tends to mean slower driving and short local hauls. Low miles so tires crack-up from sitting and never get 'worn out'. It just doesn't "pay" in any respect to buy expensive ST tires for those. If your use is different, your answer may be different, IMHO.

My RV's and horse trailers get ST tires because they get used for long trips on the highway and the risk to occupants is greater if a tire fails.

For me its just a normal risk/cost/benefit analysis aided by lots of shared empirical experience. We all do that a hundred times a day, the key is to consider realistically what your 'use habit' is and choose accordingly based on your own comfort.

Did you know that you need to drive your ST tires to full heat every month to keep releasing the UV inhibiting stuff they put in 'em (part of what makes an "ST" tire special)?

 

Apples & Oranges my friend!

Thanks for all the replies!

 

FWIW, I am working on an oversize, swept tail (the trailing edge sweeps up for ground clearance) Teardrop trailer project with a friend for his lifted Jeep. The Jeep and the trailer both have 35x12.50/17 BFG Mud Terrain TA KMs on them. This is done intentionally so that the trailer frame, and Jeep frame are both roughly the same height, again, ground clearance... This is NOT your typical setup, and might not be his best idea ever...

On the other end of the spectrum, his boat trailer has regular Hercules trailer tires on it.