Trailer Tires Keep Blowing On a 14,000 Pound 5th Wheel Trailer

Question:

I have blown out 4 tires in the last 1,500 miles on my fifth wheel. We had 4 Rated E 80 PSI maximum at cold SST225/75R15 that were 2 years old filled to 70 PSI, recommended by tire shop. We lost 3 of those 4, we know 2 of those were blown out on the side walls. The other lost all tread and probablyblew out first not on sidewall. My trailer is 14,000 #s I replaced all with brand new Goodyear Rated D 65 PSI tires all that was available on the road filled to 60 PSI maximum and blew one of those. Not sure what happened on this one as there was nothing left but about 3 inches on either side of rim. What should we do here? cant trust driving lengthy miles at this point.

asked by: Craig

Expert Reply:

Trailer tires should always, always, always be inflated to the maximum psi as indicated on the tire. If they are under inflated it will cause them to generate excessive heat and fail. Trailer tires are built with a thicker sidewall compared to passenger vehicle tires. If under inflated, that thicker sidewall can generate excessive heat.

Another possible issue that can lead to tire failure is overloading. That, combined with under inflated tires can lead to catastrophic failure.

Radial tires run cooler so I recommend using # AM10303. It is rated for 2,830 pounds at 80 psi. But if your 5th wheel only has 2 axles, these tires would not be rated high enough for a 14,000 pound trailer. If it is a triple axle though then they would be. I have included a link to the right to our help article on trailer tires for you.

expert reply by: Michael H