softroad & highway trailer tires: ST bias-ply vs radial, or LT tire for 14" wheel

[workingonit71]

softroad & highway trailer tires: ST bias-ply vs radial, or LT tire for 14" wheel

Just needing to mull over something; comments requested! After a year+ of no trips to the great outdoors (no, I wasn't jailed, just wore out), I'm starting to again prepare my squareback/teardrop for travel. The state of my back and knees has decided for me whether or not I try to go off-road, or stick to campgrounds and softroad venues with help nearby. I couldn't decide for all that time. Now, I'm just gonna make my gear easier to use, easier to pack up, and ready to go at anytime the urge hits me. But, I have to get on the road first.​

After my last excursion, I had an airborne event in my truck/trailer while returning home, and after limping home the final 150 miles at 55mph (slow for me), I put my trailer up on jacks for a full inspection. It had no faults, after launching into the air over a major pothole. My truck fared worse, with one tire tread starting to separate, two tires out-of-round, and one with a sidewall bubble. Those were E-range tires, with good tread, though 10 years old (I only was using the truck sporadically for the last 5 years). I replaced those with Cooper Discoverer RTX tires, but now it's time for the trailer tires. They still have good tread, don't lose air, but are 12 year-old Carlisle bias-plys with nail holes patched in both. I have always had good luck with Carlisle bias-ply ST tires (I still have a 21 year-old USA Trail as my car hauler spare), but have blown out or had tread separation on a mixture of other Chinese ST bias and radial tires over the years (the radials failed sooner, and more often, usually sidewalls) on my car hauler.

Enough background, now to the question: I'm positive I don't want to chance running on the survivor tires on my squareback (my next planned trip is 500+ miles), as they are questionable to me. I don't want to run P radials (as favored on the TnTTT forum), because of my distrust of the sidewall strength of radials on any trailer. I either want ST bias-ply tires again, or go bigger and more durable, with LT tires. Granted, I have had long-lasting tires of both types, but always feared blowouts on every trailer trip (common to all trailer operators, I think), but never had any problems with LT tires (10 ply safety margin). Other than the major truck tire disaster I mentioned, I had 300000 miles on LT tires, with just one flat. So, is it worth the extra money to get the 27X8.5R14LT tire for my trailer (I'll have to get three), or take a chance on new (probably Chinese-made) Carlisle ST205/75 D14 trailer tires (only need 2)?​

Price difference is $350 vs $175 (2 to 1). I will like the added height and looks (either a General Grabber AT2, or a Kumho Road Venture MT KL 71 - they are the only reasonable LT choices I can find for a 14" wheel) of an LT tire, but is it worth it for my future trailering plans? I'm retired and have to "justify" expenses to my bookkeeper/wife, after hiding them before. I'm leaning toward the LT Grabber. I think I know what I'll try, if only the tires will fit under my fenders and onto the trailer's 14x6 wheels.

 

[Vinman]

I have the 14" General AT's you are refering to on my Kamparoo and really like them. I had them balanced (seems to not be the norm on trailers) and they ride very smooth, there is very little bouncing even when hitting potholes or railroad tracks.
I also expect them to last much, much longer than than any similar sized trailer tire.

FWIW, they are almost exactly the same height and width as the 205/75R15 trailer tires on my cargo trailer.

 

[workingonit71]

clearances for proposed tire change

Thanks for your reply! You say they are about the same as the trailer tires on your cargo; is that width comparison for tread width or section width (or both)? I have some room under my fenders for height, but the inner fender may rub with too much section width, and the tread with may stick out from under the fender. I can extend the fender over the tire with a flare kit if the tread sticks out from under. I hate tire spray when following a trailer without fenders...I don't want to be the offender!

• plenty of room for wider section width
• no room for wider tire tread (unless I add a fender flare)

 

[Weeds]

You should try the Trailer Life website there are many trailer owners going with LT tires instead of trailer tires. This seems to be the trend no matter the size of the trailer.

 

[Vinman]

The tread width on the General's is 7" and the section is 7-3/4, the trailer tires are about 6-1/2" and 7-3/4" respectively.
If the 205's fit the Generals should fit with about the same clearances all around.

 

[Vinman]

You should try the Trailer Life website there are many trailer owners going with LT tires instead of trailer tires. This seems to be the trend no matter the size of the trailer.

I would rather run the cheapest LT tire than the best ST trailer tire.

 

[workingonit71]

choosing the LT tire

I would rather run the cheapest LT tire than the best ST trailer tire.

Thanks again for your measurements, Vinman. That should seal the deal for me. I forgot to mention, that I'm sure the LT tires have better uv-resistance, and will last longer than me (probably); that's another factor in favor for them. Now to sneak it past the wife.

You should try the Trailer Life website there are many trailer owners going with LT tires instead of trailer tires. This seems to be the trend no matter the size of the trailer.

Weeds- I've been researching this tire upgrade on various trailer forums for over a year. I even found some slightly used LT 14" tires locally, a year back, but hesitated due to indecision. I only made up my mind this week, to go camping again. But once I did, I'll now act upon it. I'll try to find that tire locally, but I'll get it one way or another. Countdown is on. Vinman-Is $100 about normal for the AT2?, what did you pay and where and when? if you don't mind. PM me if you want to.

 

[Vinman]

I bought mine in Canada last Summer for about $133.00 each, that should exchange to about $100 US for you.

 

[workingonit71]

ordered two tires; I am now committed to a course of action

I just ordered two General Tire Grabber AT2 27X8.50R14 LT tires from Amazon, @$106 each free shipping (Prime). Surprisingly, the wife didn't raise a fuss ?!? Of course, I logically laid out the reasoning for this action, and used technical and automotive BS jargon to dazzle/daze her...it seems to usually work. I only ordered two, and none for a spare, because I'm not sure if I can squeeze this tire into the spare-tire space (until I get one mounted, to try).

• Since the current spare I am using is actually the spare from her trailer, I'll have to get another bare wheel; so, I am now committed to a course of action, where one improvement/purchase leads to another and so on and so on. I'll have to be surreptitious, and sneak in more stuff, hidden within other purchases (she'll see the bill, but I'll show her only "selected" items; I learned this while building my cars/trucks in the past).

 

[workingonit71]

General Grabber AT2 (27X8.50R14LT) mounted & balanced on my trailer wheels

I just returned from my second tire shop today. Actually, went to two, and made a second trip back to the second shop. Let me explain. I don't like calling around to ask about services and pricing; usually, the person on the other end of the line doesn't care (presumes you'll end up going elsewhere), doesn't know, or just gives a figure that'll not be honored if you show up. So goes my experience, calling around. I would rather go to a shop/vendor, show them what I need done, and get a quote from them directly -they seldom dispute after that. I loaded up my tires (new and old) and extra wheel (to use for my spare-I'm giving my current spare back to my wife' trailer); and went to the first of several shops I planned to stop at until I got a deal I wanted. First stop (new, unknown to me), quoted me a good price, so I unloaded there. While back at my HHR Panel, I saw one of my tires and wheel fly up into the air, and before I could stop them, they did it again. Either they couldn't get the tire-changer to work right, or it was broken. I stopped them from a third try, and observed some superficial cuts in my new tire (non-critical), but dents and burrs in the wheel's bead area (both inside and out). I made the put my stuff back in my van, and I drove away. They had good prices, new shop, new equipment, no waiting, now no me. My second stop (after I drove past my usual independent tire shop-inexplicably closed during business hours) was a hole-in-the-wall that I knew of, but had never tried. The owner-operator gave me the same price as the other shop, seemed to know his stuff, and we proceeded to do the tire thing, He agreed with me that the cut tire was only superficially marred, and totally usable, but that the wheel needed repairs done to the bead area. I said I could fix it, if I had a file (I've fixed many such burrs over the years), but neither of us had a file (a shop without a file?). I loaded up my finished tires, left my un-mounted tire there, and returned 5 miles home, where I used file, dremel w/stone,and 150 grit to fix the damage (wet-sanding for smoothness). An hour later, I returned; he finished the job, I paid, and now I have a new go-to-shop for minor tire work ( I didn't want to go to a big chain-they don't want to mount non-ST tires on obviously trailer-specific wheels-. Tomorrow, I get to put the new tires on the trailer (a superficial eye-balling says I'll be 1.5" past the fender (these tires are square-shouldered; the old Carlisle bias-plies are rounded). Change one thing, change four more (an old dragracer maxim)....

 

[workingonit71]

square shoulder of new tires requires fender flares

...Tomorrow, I get to put the new tires on the trailer (a superficial eye-balling says I'll be 1.5" past the fender (these tires are square-shouldered; the old Carlisle bias-plies are rounded). Change one thing, change four more (an old dragracer maxim)....

Well, I didn't put the new tires on the trailer until today (rained all weekend), and I was right...they do stick out from under the fenders an 1.5". That probably won'be a problem in Texas, but I'll travel to Oklahoma next month, and being from Texas, they'll take a harsher look at my fender/tire coverage. Besides, I never have liked to follow (or pass) a trailer with uncovered tires, in a rainstorm, due to all the spray. In guess I'll try some lawn edging, first, just to get a look-see on what width and angle the fender flare should be set at. Then, I'll order some Pacer Flexy flare material from Low Range Off-road, if I need less length than a standard 58" kit (Amazon or Summit Racing). the only problem I see now, is how I can attach the flares to my fenders, since they are not flat edged, or vertical, but have a downward roll to them. I don't want to try to change or cut off the rolled edge, so we'll see. old tires shown in photos

• rolled fender edge
• section width sticking out; now tread will, too