Trailer Tires
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From: NH
Trailer Tires
I'm kind of curious here - maybe someone can help out. I have an 18 foot equipment hauler with a GVWR of 16,100lbs.
It has two axles, each rated for 7,000lbs
Each tire is load rated for 3520lbs
My simple math shows the axles can support 14k lbs and the combined 4 tires can support 14,080lbs. How does the trailer get a GVWR of 16,100lbs then? Is the assumption some weight is on the truck hitch, thereby freeing up some weight capacity? By my math, however, I'm 2100lbs light, which seems to be an awful lot of tongue weight.
On the subject of trailer tires, mine are "Arisun" 235x80x16 (E) on a Cam Superline trailer. I've never run Arisun before, my understanding is they are Chinese. Most things from China I classify as junk. Do these tires fall into that category? Can you even buy American made trailer tires anymore?
It has two axles, each rated for 7,000lbs
Each tire is load rated for 3520lbs
My simple math shows the axles can support 14k lbs and the combined 4 tires can support 14,080lbs. How does the trailer get a GVWR of 16,100lbs then? Is the assumption some weight is on the truck hitch, thereby freeing up some weight capacity? By my math, however, I'm 2100lbs light, which seems to be an awful lot of tongue weight.
On the subject of trailer tires, mine are "Arisun" 235x80x16 (E) on a Cam Superline trailer. I've never run Arisun before, my understanding is they are Chinese. Most things from China I classify as junk. Do these tires fall into that category? Can you even buy American made trailer tires anymore?
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From: Sioux Falls Area
2100 lbs is about 13% of the total 16,100 GVW. So that's a good average number to assume for tongue weight. so it looks like they are counting that in the GVWR of the trailer. Some do, some don't, just depends on the manufacturer.
not sure if this is a goose neck or a bumper trailer. 13% is on the heavy side for a bumper trailer and on the light side for a goose neck, but in the ballpark either way.
getting good tires for 7,000 lbs axles can be tough. if you go with trailer tires, you can get your load rating in a 10 ply tire (LR-E) with the 235/80(85)r16's. but if you want to go to a truck tire (LT rating), you'll need to go up to a 14 ply tire (LR-G) to find that kind of load rating.
having a LR-G tire on a trailer isn't the worst thing in the world, but it requires you to run 110 psi in the tires for maximum load. which means when the blow, they REALLY go bang.... kind of a catch 22. trailer tires aren't known to be as good as the LT's but the LT's have a downside too.
I don't know of any trailer tires currently being made in America. There may be some, but I don't know of them.
not sure if this is a goose neck or a bumper trailer. 13% is on the heavy side for a bumper trailer and on the light side for a goose neck, but in the ballpark either way.
getting good tires for 7,000 lbs axles can be tough. if you go with trailer tires, you can get your load rating in a 10 ply tire (LR-E) with the 235/80(85)r16's. but if you want to go to a truck tire (LT rating), you'll need to go up to a 14 ply tire (LR-G) to find that kind of load rating.
having a LR-G tire on a trailer isn't the worst thing in the world, but it requires you to run 110 psi in the tires for maximum load. which means when the blow, they REALLY go bang.... kind of a catch 22. trailer tires aren't known to be as good as the LT's but the LT's have a downside too.
I don't know of any trailer tires currently being made in America. There may be some, but I don't know of them.
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From: Home Base Nebraska
Pull trailers normally have 10% of it's weight on the hitch, you will need a class 5 hitch to pull that trailer at it's full gross weight plus a truck that can handle the kind of hitch weight.
The tires are marginal with no safety margin, I have no experience with that brand of tire.
Denny
The tires are marginal with no safety margin, I have no experience with that brand of tire.
Denny
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From: NH
Pull trailers normally have 10% of it's weight on the hitch, you will need a class 5 hitch to pull that trailer at it's full gross weight plus a truck that can handle the kind of hitch weight.
The tires are marginal with no safety margin, I have no experience with that brand of tire.
Denny
The tires are marginal with no safety margin, I have no experience with that brand of tire.
Denny
I probably won't be every loading it to quite full GVWR, but thanks everyone for the info.
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From: NH
And replace with what? Apparently, all trailer tires are Asian now, and 98% are Chinese. They are brand new, came on the trailer.
I did a little checking - it looks like Arisun is a big tire manufacturer, 10th largest in the world and the largest in China, mostly owned by the Chinese Gov. I'm sure they are garbage, but I don't put on a ton of miles hauling my equipment...mostly local hauls.
My other equipment trailer is a 2013 PJ; it also has Chinese tires on it but a different brand. I have quite a few miles on that trailer, tires seem to be OK so far.
I did a little checking - it looks like Arisun is a big tire manufacturer, 10th largest in the world and the largest in China, mostly owned by the Chinese Gov. I'm sure they are garbage, but I don't put on a ton of miles hauling my equipment...mostly local hauls.
My other equipment trailer is a 2013 PJ; it also has Chinese tires on it but a different brand. I have quite a few miles on that trailer, tires seem to be OK so far.
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From: Home Base Nebraska
I think most trailer tires that go are on RVs that get pulled a lot of hwy miles with as lot of heat buildup. On my work trailers they rotted off before they wore out. On my trencher trailer I went to nylon none radial tires and they lasted forever and were cheap but I'm sure they road like crap but the trencher didn't complain 
Denny
Denny
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From: Texas
Don't do like I did.....bought a new trailer once, and ASSUMED the tires were also new.......when I got the trailer home and started really examining things, I found old, half worn tires on it!!!!!!!!!!!! 
Needless to say, I was back at the dealer again the next day
....Yup, he fixed it, plus got a couple hundred bucks back!
So look close! Good luck
Needless to say, I was back at the dealer again the next day....Yup, he fixed it, plus got a couple hundred bucks back!So look close! Good luck
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Joined: Apr 2013
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From: NH
Don't do like I did.....bought a new trailer once, and ASSUMED the tires were also new.......when I got the trailer home and started really examining things, I found old, half worn tires on it!!!!!!!!!!!! Needless to say, I was back at the dealer again the next day....Yup, he fixed it, plus got a couple hundred bucks back!
So look close! Good luck
Needless to say, I was back at the dealer again the next day....Yup, he fixed it, plus got a couple hundred bucks back!So look close! Good luck
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Joined: Jul 2011
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From: On the Edge of the Desert
Just recently put Hercules Power STR tires on my flatbed. ST235/85R16. 12 ply, They run 95psi, and load rating is 3,960lbs (or something close to that). They seem to be decent tires, and they were cheap.
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