What Type and Weight Rating of Trailer Tire to Use on 2012 Crusader 5th Wheel Trailer

Question:

I have a 2012 crusader 5th wheel trailer tires and trailer 1 year old date code on towmax st235/80r16 2011. This weekend 1 of the tires had a blowout. All of the experts including this website state the most common cause is underinflated tires. However that trailer has never left my house without 80PSI of nitrogen. Everyone I know with a 5th wheel trailer has had a blowout. There must be other reasons. Also I just learned from recent research and this website st tires are only rated for 65mph. That was a big surprise. There should be a sticker somewhere on the trailer or owners manuel stating you cannot drive the speed limit. I was looking at the higher load range f tires on this site.However if they will not allow me to drive 70 mph should i go with LT tires instead. Trailer has a dry weight of 12,347# and a loaded weight rating of 13,711#. What would you suggest.

asked by: Ronnie B

Expert Reply:

Based on your quoted Crusader trailer weight of 12,000+ pounds, I suspect you may have the Crusader model 360BHS with the optional 16-inch tires. I reviewed the online specifications for this trailer and there are no specifics offered as to whether light truck (LT) tires can be used in place of the special trailer (ST) type. I spoke to a technical representative at Prime Time Manufacturing but without specific trailer model information they were not able to comment.

A tire blowout can have one or multiple causes, including under-inflation, load in excess of rated capacity, or damage to the sidewall (from, for example, pinching a curb when making a turn).

You are correct that the ST tires we offer are rated for speeds up to 65 mph only, although typically they are tested at higher speeds. Special trailer tires are designed with a stiffer side wall than light truck tires. LT tires are designed to offer a smoother ride quality than ST tires and so are often specified by RV manufacturers.

For your 5th wheel I suggest a ST-type tire of higher load range F, such as the Kenda Karrier ST235/85R16 Radial Trailer Tire you reviewed, part # AM10501. These will provide additional margin for your total gross trailer weight, and will therefore run cooler than a lower-rated tire. Note that they too are rated for highway speeds up to 65 mph.

I have linked an article that covers some background on tire types that might be helpful.

expert reply by: Adam R