Which Brand of Trailer Tires are best?

[Troll]

I have been told that in Europe it is the law that all tires are to be replaced when they become 8 years old. I understand that similar legislation has been proposed in the United States, but with a 10 year limit.

My 2002 170 bass was manufactured in 2001 and therefore the tires are now somewhere between 8 and 10 years old. The DOT code says they were manufactured in the 51st week of 2000.


Even though there are no noticible cracks on the sidewalls and there is plenty of tread, a tire failure on a boat trailer can do a lot of damage.

My E-Z Loader trailer came factory equiped with GoodYear Marithon Trailer Tires in size ST 175/80R13 and I have not had any problems with these tires. However, I have read some reviews about the current Good Year Marithon tires and it seems that they have been made in China for about the last year. While the older reviews for Marithons made in the US or Canada are great for this size of tire, the reviews for the Marithon tires manufactured in China are not favorable. In fact, several trailer manufacturers have posted comments that they discontinued the use of GoodYear Marithon tires on their new trailers and switched to Trail America brand tires. It is unknown if this was done for cost savings or performance.

I know that there are several brands of trailer tires made in China such as Carlisle, LoadStar, Trail America, Nanco, Duro, Greenball and others. Has anyone had any experiences (good or bad) with these or other brands of trailer tires? Also, any problems with the Marithons made in China?

Thanks

 

[boostjunkie1]

The Goodyears are your best bet for your application. Just make sure that your total weight is supported by the rating of the tire plus 20%. I went to a 16" rim and Goodyear tire from the stock 15" because I was right at my weight capacity.

 

[Harper]

I'd sure stick with the Marathons or Carlisles....in searching the web, I find the Trail America tires have a pretty bad rep.....

 

[Troll]

Two years ago I made an inquiry as to the use of trailer tires from China. It was recommended that I stay with the Goodyear Marathon ST trailer tires. I attempted to find some in the 175/80R13 size and while I found them listed, they were always on "back order". Since my existing Marathons were close to 10 years old and had lots of tread, I still didn't want any problems, I purchased 3 Trail America tires. Two for the ground and one for the spare. During this two year period I probably towed my trailer a total of 2500 miles, max.

While getting my boat ready for fishing last month, I noticed that the tread on one of the Trail America tires was totally worn away on the edges and the other tire was almost as bad. The tread in the middle of the tires was also badly worn for so few miles. I called the importer for Trail America and was first asked how old the tires were. When I said 2 years, I was told there was only a one year warranty. I asked if this fast of tread wear was highly unusual and was told that it could happen, the man I talked to was not surprised. I was also told that several different plants in China made these tires and that they were no longer the importer of Trail America Tires. Out of a precaution, I took my boat and trailer to a front-end shop to have the alignment checked. Everything was just fine.

After reading many on-line reviews for trailer tires, I discovered that keeping these tires at the maximum air pressure, or even 5 pounds above that, is critical for tire wear and tire safety. To me, this means that even though my size of tire is rated at a maximum load capacity of 1360 pounds, the tires probably won't perform well at that maximum load. One reviewer said to never exceed 80% of the maximum load. The cost to change over to 14 inch rims and tires would be quite a bit and I do not know if a 205/75R14 tire would fit within my fenders as the diameter is 2" larger. Thankfully I discovered that Goodyear and only a couple of other manufactures make a 185/80R13 trailer tire. The maximum load capacity of this size is 1480 pounds. Since the cost difference between these two different sizes of 13 inch tires is only $8, I felt it was a cheap way to gain a 120 pound maximum load capacity per tire, which is 240 pounds for the whole trailer. This larger tire has a diameter of only .7" greater so there is no problem with fender clearance. On the down side, the Marathons, like every other trailer tire, are made in China. I should note that my local tire store had to order these tires and one was made in mid 2010 and the other in mid 2011. If anyone has purchased Goodyear Marathons that have been constructed later and come from the USA or Canada, please let us know.

I also noticed that the Goodyear Marathons have a tread depth of 9/32" while the Trail America's have only 8/32".

The Goodyear Marathons were definitely more expensive ($257 total of 2 tires, mounted, balancing, disposal and shipping) but I if I get 8 to 10 years of use from them, that will make the cost per year much cheaper than the Trail America tires.

 

[Push&Pull]

but if I get 8 to 10 years of use from them, that will make the cost per year much cheaper than the Trail America tires.

Wow, 8-10 years. Mine blow out right in the driveway at about 3. Guess the climate down here makes a big difference.

 

[Troll]

When your boat and trailer are parked at your house, do you cover your tires? I do and it seems to really help.

 

[Push&Pull]

No I do not cover the tires. I'm too lazy to go to that much effort and I'm sure the sun has the most to do with the rapid deterioration.

 

[Troll]

In 2012 I purchased a set of Goodyear Marithon Trailer tires which were 1 size larger than the OEM (185 x13 vs 175 x 13 Radials) . These tires were made in China. Earlier this month the tread and steel belt separated from the rest of the tire (which did not deflate) and in so doing there was substantial damage to my fender. The sales person at Americas Tire told me that Marithon Tires are no longer being sold. My only choice of a premium trailer tire was from Maxxis which is made in Thailand. Each tire cost a little over $100 by the time they were mounted and balanced. I understand that 6 years on a trailer tire is about the norm.

 

[Harper]

Having used both the Carlisle and Goodyear Marathons, seven years after my earlier post in his thread, I find that the Carlisles held up much better than the Goodyears. I also had a tread separate on one of my Goodyears and it messed up my fender a bit, too. So it just happened that it was time to replace my tires and I've gone with all Carlisle Radial trail HD in the 185-80/13 size. They're E1 load rated. Made in China, but I don't think you're likely to find any made in USA any time soon.

And yes, dry rot becomes a factor at about six years, so all tires should be replaced around that time.

 

[Troll]

The only tire in 185 x 13 R were the Maxxis, but there were several tires with names I did not recognize in the 175 x 13 R size. I asked about buying Carlisle tires in the 175 x 13 R and they were no longer being sold at America's Tire Co. Pretty bad when selection is so limited.

 

[Harper]

I just went on Discount Tire's website, typed in a location of ZIP 93725, Fresno area, and it took me to America's Tire website, same company as Discount TIre. On their website, searched for 185/80R13 and found the same tires I just bought, the Carlisle Radial trail HD at $68 each. Says there are none in stock at the Shaw Ave store or any other nearby store, but also says "usually available in 3-5 days." That's the same thing I encountered here in Texas. Same thing with the 175/80-13s, for $66 each. I ordered the tires online, made my reservation, and the store had them within 2 days. No longer being sold sounds like a crock to me. I think you should press a little harder.