Reasons Trailer Tires Fail and Will Increasing Load Capacity/Size Help Prevent It

Question:

I have a 42 1/2 ft 5th wheel toy hauler with the capacity of 16000 lbs dry weight and 18000 lbs fully loaded. At the present time I have 235x80x16 tires on it and have had 3 blowouts even after ensuring the air pressure was 80 lbs as stated on the tire. My toy hauler is triple axle and I want to change out all 6 tires including the spare. I wanted to know if I should continue using the 235x80x16 load rated E or can I switch over to 235x85x16 load F. I just want the best tire for my application, I just dont know which tire would work best.

asked by: Craig H

Helpful Expert Reply:

Tire failure is usually caused by a few things. It can be from overloading the trailer, improper tire inflation, and/or exceeding the speed rating for the tire.

You should verify that the tire capacity you have for you trailer is adequate for how much your trailer weighs.

The pressure run in the tires makes a big difference in longevity too. ST tires should be ran with the full pressure rating stated on the side of the tire (like you said you have done), for full load capacity and longevity of the tire. If lower pressures are ran the tire will heat faster and hotter and fail prematurely.

Special trailer tires are usually rated to operate at a maximum speed of 65 mph. If you exceed 65 mph, heat could build up in the tire and cause it to break down and fail. If a tire is rated to run at a higher speed, this information should be listed on the trailer's sidewall.

Going to a slightly larger trailer tire size with a higher Load Range will certainly help. You would just have about .3 of an inch less of fender clearance on the trailer. Most likely that wouldn't be an issue but I figure I would mention it just in case. The part # AM10501 that you referenced would work well.

expert reply by: Jameson C