Best Trailer Tires for a Heartland Bighorn 3610 RE

Question:

I own a Heartland Bighorn 3610RE 5th wheel trailer and have had nothing but tire problems....mainly sidewalls blowing. I was ready to buy a set of tires in my size, ST235/80R16, but read I should bump them up to the ST235/85R16 as they handle more weight. Well, another curve ball and a rep from Heartland suggested Westlake tires.....never heard of them but understand they are made in China....not sure I am comfortable with that...although it looks like you recommend these quite often. Several questions..should I stay with Es or go with Gs?? The Westlake ST235/85R 16 is a G rated tire, almost have myself talked into those....but theres that China thing again. If I do go with the Gs can I mount them on my stock aluminum rims....think I can but know I need to use steel valve stems. I appreciate your time and expertise...Ive bought several items from you guys, recommended you to my RV friends, and will continue to do so. Thanks.

asked by: Robert S

Expert Reply:

For starters, Westlake does make a great trailer tire and we use them often. Even though they are not made in the USA, they are made to USA specifications and have held up well. Goodyear is the only USA made tire that we have but they are only offered in very limited sizes and none in the 16 inch size.

In regard to choosing between the 235/80-16 and the 235/85-16, I recommend you stick with the same size that was equipped on the trailer from the OEM. Therefore, I recommend the Taskmaster Provider in the ST235/80R16 size. This radial Trailer Tire part # TTWTRTM2358016E is what you want.

The most common misconception about trailer tires is that they blow out because they don't meet the weight capacity of the trailer which can be the case but is rarely the issue. There are an abundance of issues that cause tire blow outs such as exceeding the speed rating, not filling to the correct psi, road hazards, etc. I looked up your Heartland Bighorn 3610 RE and it has a gross vehicle weight rating of 12,770 lbs. The Taskmaster Provider ST235/80R16 Radial Trailer Tire part # TTWTRTM2358016E will have a total weight capacity of 14,080 lbs (3,520 lbs x 4). The vehicle will carry around 15-20% of the trailer's weight therefore the tires really only carry around 10,000 which is not even close to capacity. The Taskmaster Providers also have an 81-mph speed rating so you can eliminate one potential cause for blow outs here as well.

In order to give you some more peace of mind, I recommend you take a look at the TireMinder i10 TPMS for RVs and Trailers w/ Signal Booster - 4 Tire Sensors Item # TM89FR which in addition to monitoring tire pressure will also monitor tire temperatures. The tire actually blows because of heat buildup that is cause by one of the above issues so now you can more closely monitor when the potential for a blow out is high.

expert reply by: Conner L