Running E rated now and am overloading them. The axle's are rated at more than the tires so I'm looking for higher rated tires. Suggestions? I don't want to replace the wheels and they are rated with the axle. Don't know what the assembler was thinking when he put E's on this trailer. Thanks in advance
Our current 5th wheel is running the LT235/85R-16G Goodyear Unisteel G614 RST. These are an all-steel construction trailer-specific radial with a G load rating - 3750 lbs @ 110 PSIG. They run as cool as the LT235/85R-16E Michelin XPS Ribs I had on my previous 5th wheel. The downside - your wheels should be G-rated for 110 PSIG and 3750 lbs to use these tires at their full rated capacity. Rusty
we just ordered 10 of these for our 2 trailers. We get them install next Tuesday. Thanks for the information Rusty.
I was real lucky, found 4 238/85-16 F's on E-bay for $385 to my door. That was a steel and at 3450lbs each are fine for my 14K trailer.
Hope this isn't too far off topic, but...when does it make sense to go to the next higher load range? How close to limits should you run the tires? My two-axle boat trailer has a GVWR of 10k, and each tire is rated for 2540 pounds at 65 PSI. I run them at 65. The actual trailer/boat weight is probably just over 9k, haven't weighed it yet.
I'm upgrading because I've lost a tire on one of my trailers due to overheating. It was at max age so we were going to replace them all anyway, now we don't have to worry about the capacity. The old tires were 3100lbs ea and the trailer weighed 14-15k, thats on 4 tires plus the pin. In my opinion this was a mistake by the manufacturer, 7000lbs axles and 6200lbs of tires. Now we'll have more tire than axle.
I hate to say this, but it has been common practice to have a 14,000# trailer with Load range E tires. (3042#) Load range E tires are about $80 each, Load G's run about $230 That alone adds $600 to the cost of the trailer. It is not "right" but, most people shop price first, and if you have to compete with the "other builders" who are putting E's on his trailer, you have to compete. Beginning in Sept of 2005, The Fed Gov. has required Trailer builders to place a sticker on each trailer specifiying which tire size and rating the trailer must have. With this new law, it looks like many builders are going to Load Range G tires, but Bias, not radial.
