Tires for trailer

[Dino]

I need some tire advise.
I want to replace all four tires on my boat trailer and would like any advise as to what people have had good experience with.
The boat will be hauled 1600 miles each way.
The trailer is duel axle with Titan ST 205175D14
on it now. It hauls a Z25.
Thanks Dino

[Dredgeking]

i used to use ST tires, but now use radial tires. they seem to ride a bit better.

[BUIZILLA]

Dino, I just bought 4 C-rated Titans last week from WalMart. $80 each mounted and balanced. I understand they are cheaper this week..

West Marine has the galvanized rim and 205-75-14C tire combo on sale this week too.

Jim

[Greg K]

I've been happy with Carlisle's for all of our trailers that we've replaced tires on.
Not knowing the total weight of the boat and trailer, make sure you get a C-ply load rating. That tire size comes in a lighter load capacity (B-ply) and you don't want them on there.
If you can and can fit 15 inch wheels and tires on the trailer, you can get D-ply which will have greater load capacity.

[Forrest]

I have three boat trailers. The one under the Magnum has four ST225/75D15 Carlisle bias ply tires. The other two which have 16 and 18 Donzis on them run ST205/75R15 Goodyear Marathon trailer radials that are "C" load rated. The Goodyears run cool to the touch even after miles of towing on hot Florida roads, but on the other hand, the Carlisle bias ply tires under the Magnum get so hot when towing in the summer, that you can't even put your hand on them for more than a few seconds. The Carlisle's are very stable on the road, but I'm sure that one is going to blow one day since they get so hot. I think before I decide to tow this rig any further than the local boat ramp, I'll switch to the Goodyear Marathon radials in the same size and load rating, and install Kodiak disc brakes (http://www.kodiaktrailer.com/redswish/disc_brakes.htm). Also, Tire Rack (http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Goodyear&tireModel=Marathon+Radial&vehicleSearch=false&partnum=275R5MAR8&fromCompare1=yes) has a deal on Marathons right now. On the other hand, the first set of Goodyear Marathons that I ever bought for a trailer both blew out on the same trip. They both looked like new but they were about six years old at the time.

[BUIZILLA]

If you buy the Marathon radials, look on one side of the side wall for the letter S inside a small circle. It is ONLY on ONE side. If it isn't there, Goodyear has a MANDATORY recall on them. You have to push the issue, but you WILL get free tires..
Also, one sidewall of the blackwall, on the S stamped tires, will have a middle protrusion rib like a whitewall, one side won't...the rib side faces OUT.
They are okay for light loads, but anything over 80% rated weight on a given tire is a GUARANTEED explosion, at some point.

Personally, I absolutely HATE those marathon tires.

J

[Ranman]

I will look at my Marathons based on B's comment, but I have to differ. I have thousands of miles on my Marathons and I think they're great. Granted I pull an 18 Donzi on a tandem trailer so I'm spoiled. I tow effortlessly at 80MPH all the time. She just hums along back there mile after mile. :D :D :D


Checking to see if my F-150 is rated to tow an 18 Classic...

[BUIZILLA]

Ran, the next time Poodle comes to my office, I'll have him snap a pic of a BRAND NEW Marathon, S stamped, that didn't make it two weeks on an UNLOADED trailer...
I have 3 different friends of mine, whom have ALL exploded Marathon's within the past 2 weekends alone on Pace car haulers..

J

[Rootsy]

Dammit Jim! you are NOT giving me a warm fuzzy here! :( the 16 sits on a pair of C rating 205 75 R 14 Marathons... brand new last summer after i had too many issues with other tires, right RANMAN :rolleyes: ... i even have a spare now! :D

so far they run very nicely. lets hope it stays that way... i have 2800 sitting on the axle and 300 on the tongue according to the ole scale at the truck stop.

Bias Ply tires pretty much always run hot (least every single one i've ever had)... it is the nature of the tire construction... Radials run cool.

[Hotboat]

I have had good experience with Marathon radials. I love the way they pull.

[smoothie]

I know this is no laughing matter,but it has to be the blistering heat you sunshine state guys have down there,especially if the tire blows up sitting in the parking lot :D Up north everything is well preserved in cold storage 9 months out of the year....It sounds like my next set of tires is Carlisle radials.

[mattyboy]

I have the bias ply Carlisles, tehy have been good tires, and I'm more spoiled than Ranman, I tow my 16 on a tandem trailer with the wife's windstar, don't even know it's back there! but I think my boat is a little more aerodynamic then Randy's without the windshield wink :D remember air pressure is very important.

Matt

[Forrest]

Uh boy, :( I have eight Marathons to check on for the S. eek!

Does anyone make a decent radial trailer tire?

[Greg K]

Forrest, Carlisle also makes a radial trailer tire. You can find all the Carlisle tires HERE (http://www.carlisletire.com/trailer.pdf)

[BigGrizzly]

I use Marithos on my trailers. The old ones were rated at 35PSi and the later ones were at 50 PSI also the max load on the old ones were less.

[Dino]

Buizilla
I just found 4 Carlisle's ST 205/75/D14 at Wal-mart
for $277 installed and with tax.
I think I will go with them.
Are all these tires radials?
Thanks for all your help.
Dino

[Greg K]

Dino,

Check the ply rating, make sure they are C-ply. They are not all radials. The radials will have a R instead of the D in the size.

[BUIZILLA]

Dino, going by the Carlisle chart posted herein, you need stock# 519311 or the C rated tires. $277 M&B&T, is a purty good deal for 4. I just bought (5) 225-75D-15 8 ply's for my 20' open car trailer and it was $440 M&B&T for 5 at Walmart.
The strange thing is, according to the Carlisle chart, the 6 ply's weigh LESS than the 4 ply's, so maybe the chart is a typo error? or the stock number is wrong?, so read the sidewall info yourself before buying them make SURE it is a Load Range C tire.
What is your spare?

J

[Forrest]

Thanks Scott, and stop by for lots of free beer and eats, but I think I'll keep the bias-plys Carlisle on the Rolls under the Magnum since I don't plan to do much towing past the local ramp in the near future. Also, after checking for the "circle S" on four of my Marathons (two of which are spares) came up zilch! The two Marathons under the 16 Donzi (ST215/75R14) don't have the raised middle protrusion rib, but the two spares (ST205/75R14) for the 18 trailer do have middle protrusion rib but I could't find the "S" on them. The trailer for the 18 with Marathon tires is at the other house, so I haven't had a chance to check it yet.

[Dino]

Budzilla
Spare???? Spare?????
OOPS.. Thats a good Idea
Dino

[smoothie]

Somewhere I have a pic of a couple Marathon mongo HD tires on one of or compressors that just exploded sitting in the yard..

Carlisle radials.. BTW, if they don't have ST on them, they aint trailer tires..


I still chuckle when I read this one.

[MOP]

I ran the marathons on only one long trip 1,100 miles at :checkered , after one 200+ no stop leg I did the temp test and they were cool they towed great. Pehaps the southern contingency has problems due to the heat!