SusieQ
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Post by SusieQ on Dec 13, 2013 11:20:27 GMT -8
I thought it might be beneficial to have a thread dedicated to general tire info a place to post preferences and reviews from personal experiences. Did you know that tires are like washing machines? One manufacturer makes many brands, like Kenmore, Whirlpool, and Maytag appliances are all made by the same co. (they have interchangeable parts). Tires may have a brand name and be the exact same tire as another brand. I'm on a quest to find a certain tire I really like. But first some general info. Nomad referenced a tire site tirerack.com which has really good tire info. I found this site before I brought my trailer when I was searching for the correct size tire. Tire series names have changed over the decades, so if you want to figure out what size tire is on your trailer, or are curious to how old it is, or it has different letters and numbers from modern tire series, check here: www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/45_conversionchart.htmlThe original specs for my Shasta said 3.50 x 13 which converts to P175/80/R13. The person I bought it from said the tires on it were an F series ( I never saw them) if so, wrong size and probably from the70's. If you're curious as to what the numbers and letters 175/80/R13 stand for, check here: www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=46P - Metric size (most common now, refer to conversion chart in first link) 175 - section size in mm 80 - tire's sidewall height from rim to tread (series, aspect, ratio) higher number, taller sidewall (80% of section size) R - Radial ( D is bias ply) 13 - inches of tire and wheel diameter matched together But how wide is the tire, you ask? Depends on the wheel width, find info in the diagram link below. Same info with a cross section diagram: www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=7Oops, I almost forgot, Trailers need TRAILER TIRES. They come in bias ply or radial. They may be designated as ST (I think that's "Special Tire") but all will say on them FOR TRAILER USE ONLY. And you Old Timers, please correct me if I'm wrong!! |
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SusieQ
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Post by SusieQ on Dec 13, 2013 11:53:30 GMT -8
Now, with the mathematics out of the way, back to washing machines..... or the quest for my perfect tire. I can't tell you for sure which brands or names are made by the same manufacturer (like washing machines) but I wanted to replace my tow vehicle tires with the same all weather tires I had (not the dealer factory tires, either) but I wanted to buy them from a different place to make my road hazard warranty more convenient while traveling. I was leery of the word "equivalent" and in this instance the brand was the same, just a different name on the tire. And sure enough, it is the same tire and has served me just as well. Don't be fooled by tread patterns, either. I'm pretty sure they all come from the same place and could be on any tire. The smartest thing to do, check the specs. Cheaper might not be the same tire and it might be with a different name. Another thing about trailer tires - they don't come with a mileage warranty like car tires, ie, 30,000 miles. My tip: Check the load index when comparing specs, they can differ. Load index info: www.discounttire.com/dtcs/infoLoadIndex.dosAccording to www.discounttire.com/dtcs/infoTrailerTireFacts.dos : "Mileage - Trailer tires are not designed to wear out.The life of a trailer tire is limited by time and duty cycles.The mileage expectation of a trailer tire is 5,000 to 12,000 miles." The above mentioned article also says that tires should be replaced every 3 to 4 years, regardless of wear. Deciphering sidewall info on tires: www.discounttire.com/dtcs/infoSidewall.do |
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Post by kto17 on Dec 13, 2013 18:54:30 GMT -8
I posted some info on the board about this somewhere. I had a great experience with Diamondback Tires.
dbtires.com
They custom make whitewall tires in about any size you want. AND they can make trailer rated. They are a little more than standard whitewall car tires. I think they can make radial or bias ply, not sure. Mine are radial, which my understanding is they bulge more than bias ply between the rim the tread.
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Dec 13, 2013 19:14:12 GMT -8
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Ten
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Post by Ten on Dec 13, 2013 19:40:57 GMT -8
Good to put it out there though. There are always new questions, and you cleared up something for me...
I thought "ST" stood for " 'Spensive Tires" !
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SusieQ
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Post by SusieQ on Dec 13, 2013 22:08:38 GMT -8
I posted some info on the board about this somewhere. I had a great experience with Diamondback Tires. dbtires.com They custom make whitewall tires in about any size you want. AND they can make trailer rated. They are a little more than standard whitewall car tires. I think they can make radial or bias ply, not sure. Mine are radial, which my understanding is they bulge more than bias ply between the rim the tread. Kto, I read your posts, thanks. Out of the three I'm considering, one is made by Diamondback under the name "Triangle"... Cheap tire, not the whitewall. www.huskytire.com/tire-products/01-Diamondback-Triangle.html I've found them but not much info on them other than a few rv forum reviews I have Road Rider ST's on my current trailer with over 12,000 miles... closer to 15,000. They have been GREAT! They are radials and have surpassed the life of friends with bias ply on the same trailer. Apparently, they've been discontinued but I think I've found their equivalent. If anyone has Goodyear Marathons, please tell me what you think about them. I can order them locally. Twice as much as the lesser known or unknown brands but I have to have peace of mind with my tires. 10. You comedian, you! ST - It's actually something more like "Service Tire" or "Service Trailer Tire" one of the technical things that doesn't matter as long as you know it's a trailer tire. |
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SusieQ
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Post by SusieQ on Dec 13, 2013 22:38:23 GMT -8
Thanks, that's probably the only section I haven't read, yet. I searched for tires and only two posts came up, KTO's and another about tires not fitting. |
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txoil
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Post by txoil on Dec 14, 2013 3:35:58 GMT -8
I posted some info on the board about this somewhere. I had a great experience with Diamondback Tires. dbtires.com They custom make whitewall tires in about any size you want. AND they can make trailer rated. They are a little more than standard whitewall car tires. I think they can make radial or bias ply, not sure. Mine are radial, which my understanding is they bulge more than bias ply between the rim the tread. Diamondback is a great company to do business with! Excellent customer service, great product and they are a family owned and run business. By the way, look for Tallulah Belle to be featured in Diamondback's 2014 catalog and website! |
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Nomad95336
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Post by Nomad95336 on Dec 18, 2013 2:58:28 GMT -8
Another thing about trailer tires - they don't come with a mileage warranty like car tires, ie, 30,000 miles. My tip: Check the load index when comparing specs, they can differ. Load index info: www.discounttire.com/dtcs/infoLoadIndex.dosAccording to www.discounttire.com/dtcs/infoTrailerTireFacts.dos : "Mileage - Trailer tires are not designed to wear out.The life of a trailer tire is limited by time and duty cycles.The mileage expectation of a trailer tire is 5,000 to 12,000 miles." The above mentioned article also says that tires should be replaced every 3 to 4 years, regardless of wear. Deciphering sidewall info on tires: www.discounttire.com/dtcs/infoSidewall.do Yep, great info on TireRack, esp the Sidewall info. One quick look at a tire and you can tell when and where it was manufactured. Useful when buying "discount" tires from ebay, online, etc that might be older than you think, esp since trailer tire wear is sometimes hard to determine. |
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Nomad95336
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Post by Nomad95336 on Dec 18, 2013 3:23:40 GMT -8
I posted some info on the board about this somewhere. I had a great experience with Diamondback Tires. dbtires.com They custom make whitewall tires in about any size you want. AND they can make trailer rated. They are a little more than standard whitewall car tires. I think they can make radial or bias ply, not sure. Mine are radial, which my understanding is they bulge more than bias ply between the rim the tread. Diamondback is a great company to do business with! Excellent customer service, great product and they are a family owned and run business. By the way, look for Tallulah Belle to be featured in Diamondback's 2014 catalog and website! Congrats on the honors, TxOil!! It's nice to hang out with celebrities! Can ya get a Nomad brother a discount? LOL Back to SuzieQ's point re: Washing Machines The same whitewalls (GT Radial Maxmiler ST) @ $214ea can be had in Blackwall for only $71ea same tire w/o the frills They both look the same on a real, real dark night. Anyone try using extra CoolWhite rubberized roofing goop on their sidewalls for homemade WWW? |
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txoil
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Post by txoil on Dec 18, 2013 9:37:23 GMT -8
Nomad. I tried using a white rubber paint on the sidewalls. It went on smoothly and looked pretty good. For about a week. Then it began turning brown and by the second week it was UPS truck brown. Seems that there are oils in the tire rubber that leach into the white paint and stain it. After this I decided that legitimate white wall tires were the way to go.
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Post by kto17 on Dec 18, 2013 12:41:15 GMT -8
That would be a REEAALLY DARK night. We're talking pitch black don't lock the door cause you can't find the keyhole dark! I'm not sure I want to camp there!  Here is a dark night at my campsite in The Backyard Campground. "We got full hookups when nobodys looking, just use that tree!" Oh how the neighbors love me! And yes thats a huge fire extenguisher blocking the view of the tire. We never camp without three!  |
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Nomad95336
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Post by Nomad95336 on Dec 19, 2013 0:35:54 GMT -8
Heck, if I'm gonna shell out that much money, them tires getter Glow-in-the-Dark!! LOL
3 fire extinguishers? Any chance you have them labeled "Breakfast", "Lunch", and "Dinner"?
I LOVE BBQ!!
SWEET Rivi, BTW!!!!
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