Recommended Replacement ST235/80R16 Tires for 5th-Wheel Trailer

Question:

I have a 37 foot 5th wheel with dry weight of 13,136 pounds. It has ST235/80R16 Goodyear tires e-rated. The 5th wheel is 2015 model and these tires came with camper. On my second longer trip over 400 miles I blew out 2 of these tires 2 separate occasions on same side of camper. Tore out the entire side of camper. I know all you can buy now is junk from camping distributors, but Im at least interested in extreamly good tires to keep me on the road as opposed to sitting on the side of the road waiting on repair truck. Plus Im not real interested in repairing the side of the camper or the hydrolic and water lines torn loose by flying rubber. I seen on a previous post you recomended part number AM10501 Would you also recommend the same for me, or is there something better? Like I told a tire shop one time when we had our motor home and had just put 6 Michlen tires on and had blown 3 of them within a year. If you dont have tires that wont blow out, dont pull my chain and say you do, So just a honest opinion is what Im interested in. Needless to say a little more money on tires is cheaper than $1500 in trailer repair. By the way-I usually set cruise control around 62 to 65 MPH

asked by: Sam R

Helpful Expert Reply:

Trailer tire failure is usually a result of excess heat, which can arise from a variety of potential causes.

The first important factor to always consider is the inflation of your trailer tires. A tire that is under or over-inflated will build up more internal heat. You should always make sure that all of the tires on your trailer are inflated to their maximum cold psi pressure as listed on the tire sidewall.

Next, you always want to make sure you are not overloading the tire with more weight than it is designed to handle. Selecting a trailer tire with a load range that offers some margin of error is a good idea, as it will prevent you from exceeding their capacity while also allowing them to run a bit cooler since they are under a lighter load than they are capable of supporting.

The last factor is to simply remain under the tire's speed rating at all times. Unless otherwise listed on the tire, trailer tires will have a maximum speed rating of 65 mph.

With all of this in mind, there is not a tire manufactured that is completely immune to failure. Adhering to these above guidelines and tips are the best way to help maintain and extend the life of the tires on your fifth wheel.

The Kenda Karrier ST235/85R16 Radial Trailer Tire # AM10501 referenced in your question is a really great tire that has a maximum load of 3,960 pounds at 110 psi. This load capacity should provide a nice margin of error considering it will be an upgrade from the Load Range E tires you currently have mounted. The tire also has an excellent maximum speed rating of 81 mph (speed rating M). Keep in mind that this 235/85R16 size has a slightly larger diameter (by around 0.7 inches) when compared to the 235/80R16 tires currently mounted on your fifth wheel trailer. You will just want to ensure that you have the necessary clearance for the larger tires on your fifth wheel. The tire does also come with a limited 2-year warranty. I have attached a short video demonstration on this tire for you to check out.

I have included a couple of additional articles on trailer tires and wheels that you might find helpful.