Trailer Tires for a 2012 Heartland Bighorn 3610 5th Wheel Trailer with ST235/80-16 Tires

Question:

I purchased this 5th wheel RV new in January 2013. Ive taken it on several short camping trips but have a total of less than 1500 miles on the trailer tires Power King TowMax ST235/80R16 - LR E. In May of this year we experienced our first blowout about 65 miles into the trip. Replaced that tire, sent it back to the distributor and they determined it was a road hazard issue. Now in June I took a longer trip of about 300 miles. No problems on the way there but when coming back we had two blowouts on these same tires about 30 miles apart. Ive since taken all the Towmax tires off and put on Carlise trailer tires of the same size. I always make sure I have 80 psi in the tires before leaving on a trip or returning and I stay at 65 mph. I still dont trust that Ive got the right tires, can you offer any suggestions as to why Ive had this problem and how to resolve it with possibly better tires?

asked by: Don D

Expert Reply:

Usually when a trailer or RV is blowing tires it is because they are not properly inflated. You mentioned inflating the tires to 80 psi. If that is the maximum pressure indicated on the tires then that is not likely the issue. If the tires require a higher or lower pressure make sure to reach that figure.

It is possible that the tire size used on the trailer is either barely enough for the weight of the trailer or not enough. The sudden shock of a bump could cause a failure in that situation.

Going with a higher capacity tire would help. The highest capacity tire we carry is going to be # AM10501 which is rated for 3,960 pounds at 110 psi. If you use this tire you will need to make sure that it will fit (you will need 3/8 inches or more above the existing tires). You will also need to check the wheels to make sure they are rated for the same psi or more.

If the wheels are not rated high enough (the capacity would either by stamped into the back of the wheel or on a stick on the wheel) then you would need to also replace the wheels. We have tire and wheel combo # AM35099 with an 8 on 6-1/2 bolt pattern rated for 3,960 pounds at 95 psi for both the wheel and tire.

Carlisle makes a good tire so I wouldn't be worried about the quality. If you want to go to a higher capacity though you may want to consider the options I have listed above.

expert reply by: Michael H