Most People Don't Know This About Trailer Tires
2022 ж. 6 Мау.
2 157 349 Рет қаралды
Harbor Freight Folding Trailer Spare Tires. How much tire pressure do you need, and do you need a spare tire when towing? In this video, I discuss why 6 ply trailer tires need to be inflated to a much higher PSI than car tires.
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Martin Klem / The Demon's Smile
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I borrowed a friend's trailer for a long trip to the Southwest- my first experience with the trailer, a 700 lb load, towed with my small cargo van. It was a well built small utility trailer sold by Blaine's and better than the Harbor Freight brand- rated to 1500lbs gvw. My main concern was for stability on the highway before starting out, and the tires needed airing up (from from 25 to 75lbs--- a bit shy of their max of 90). It did well, even at 70mph. After 1,500 miles, I had the bearings lubed- the mechanic only 'filled' them, rather than flushing them with new grease as they should have been. After a fellow traveler emphasized the care of bearings (he would never travel about 60mph), I flushed them myself. All went well, but I was lucky to have not had either bearing or tire issues on the 6000 mile trip. I often ran around 70mph. In hindsight, a spare would have been a good insurance policy.
That’s cool to hear
You should always carry a spare tire. I do this always as sometimes it's hard to find a spare that fits.
It is illegal to run a trailer in most states without a spare.
@@everettcalhoun8197 Not true you just made that up. Some cars come without spare tires (Mini Cooper and Corvette to name a few) and I bought 2 new trailers in the last few years and a spare is an option.
@@thedocisin3204 It was what I have always been told by people who I thought knew the law, old truck drivers. When I researched it after I posted it and I found out that there is no such law. Thanks for posting this.
I'm a truck driver. Can't even begin to count how may trailers I see sitting on the side of the road by itself because of a flat tire. I have 2 boats a camper and a utility/atv trailer. All have spares, jacks and lug wreches. You will NOT see one of my trailers sitting there waiting for someone to steal because of a flat. Never pull a trailer without a spare. Unless you are behind in your boat payments but up to date on your insurance.
I run my 5x8 utility trailer everywhere without a spare. I figure I’ll drag it to the nearest store on the rim if need be. I also eyeball the tire. If it’s squishy it needs some air. I’ve also WAY overloaded it with rocks and gravel a few times. Hasn’t let me down yet!
Greetings from the O-H-I-O Porters. 🇺🇸 Every trailer should have a spare! I’ve owned my trailer for over 8 years now & I pull it year round. I make sure that I have at least 1 spare for each trailer. You may not ever need 2 spares, but it did happen to me once. Each tire size is different on the pressure required. I usually check it when cold & make sure it’s at the max. I just replaced both tires/wheels this year due to the old ones being dry rotted. I can replace the old tires & then use them for my spares now. Good stuff! 🥰😎✌️
I might add, even a tire that will not hold air but a day or two (slow leaker) makes a good spare if you have a good 12 volt powered mini air compressor on board.
@@chucknoob7041 good for you. I hope when your overloaded trailer has a catastrophic failure all the other folks on the road don’t get hurt.
@@corydriver7634 Oh, they stay WAY back, as they should!
This guy just showed more concern for his trailer tires than half my city’s people combined for ALL their vehicle tires. Mad props as we used to say in 2019.
ya 2 locks too so must be a bad area theves
The sticker is pretty clear "the weight of CARGO should never exceed 1720 lbs". This does not include the weight of the trailer. Trucks are tagged with "Gross" (the weight of the truck and cargo) and "Tare" (the empty weight of the truck). The difference being the weight of the cargo.
Yeah, that was obvious. Why wouldn't he be able to understand that?
Thanks for clearing that up for me.
True! I have a slightly larger trailer and it has a similar tag for a cargo weight of 2380 lbs. I also have a car hauler that only states the gross weight. I had to weigh it myself to determine the net weight. Same with my 24 ft enclosed trailer. The factories know the weights, too bad they don’t just show the net weight only. I have seen many trailers overloaded in my career as law enforcement as everyone doing so took the weight in the tags as the cargo weight. This mistake was mad even though the tag was as obvious as the one in the video. Ya gotta read and comprehend what the tag says and not make assumptions. At least his assumption in this case means he wouldn’t have overloaded the trailer. I also believe he said it wrong to get people like us to comment!!😂😂
He’s not too smart he shops at harbor freight the home of use once and throw away tools
@@robertdigby4504 - He’s pretty damn smart shopping there for trailer tires of this type as they are the least expensive for similar or the same quality.
After my third scary blowout - two of which happened on crowded, multi-lane interstates in a big cities - I started using only Goodyear radial trailer tires. That started 15 years ago, and I have never regretted it. They were called Marathons, but now they have been replaced by the Endurance model, and I have used both without incident. Sure, they are much more expensive, but you really do get what you pay for. The Goodyears have never failed catastrophically, and they always wear evenly. They last at least twice as long as any Chinese tire too - radial or otherwise.
Number one tip from me is to avoid using Chinese tires. I am a fleet mechanic. Our fleet has many trailers. Boat and utility. We have had bad luck with belts seperating in Chinese made tires. We put a new Chinese tire on the spare tire rack and about a month later the belts seperated on it. It had never been on the ground. Also had Hercules brand tires go bad and come apart on a full size Ford van. Spend a bit more and get tires from a company you are familiar with.
May I ask how you identify a Chinese tire? Thanks!
Paying extra for better is more worth it for tires than any other product i know of.
I had a smaller trailer and went to a major tire dealer in my area and they wanted $350 per tire to replace the Chinese tires. I put it off and then Covid hit and they were closed, Harbor Freight was and still is constantly sold out (Chinese tires) and only option was online. Sold the trailer and now have an awesome trailer built in the US and the tires are American made and are a POV tire. We now have two spares (US made as well) and can safely hit the camping areas that are maddening with worry anyway...most remote reservoir in the state and a rock infested dirt road of 75 miles one way...NOT a problem sans the Chinese tires :)
@@TAllyn-qr3io Friend, Not disagreeing here but how do you know they were Chinese tires?? How are such identified?? Thanks!!
@@dixiewishbone5582 very easy to tell...the tire says "MADE IN CHINA"
Great info and video! I had two Wells Cargo 5x8 enclosed trailers, the first one was crushed by a 60' pine tree in an upstate NY microburst. I bought the same thing again and had no problems with tires until I felt they needed replaced and I purchased them from a small outfit where they had apparently been on the shelf for a few years. We used to travel up and down the East Coast 1200-1500 miles at a pop. I always monitored and maintained 50 PSI which was the speck for said tires. Pulling out of Valdosta GA had a sudden blowout in one of the tires. Put on my spare and continued on but this seemed to start a trend of future blowouts!
Tires have a 10 year shelf life (opt for no more than 5 so you can get uses out of it). Always inspect the date code on the tire before you buy last four digits on the DOT number are the week and year of manufacture. Had a guy recently buy some tires off ebay from 2008, tires were so rotten they could not even seat on the bead.
Good video. FWIW, I have numerous trailers with many miles. I often tailor the pressure to loads, only using the max/near-max PSI for heavy loads and extended high speed/high temp travel, but reducing by as much as 50% for light loads. This gives better ride and more uniform wear across the tread. That said, you’re definitely right, too soft = blowout. Better for most people to fault on the side of max recommended pressure, but for the motorist covering real miles in a variety of conditions, a few minutes of adjustment is worthwhile.
Nick general statement people with horses , I haul all types of equipment horses etc match the pressures to your load imo You’ll get better life from tires from not over/under inflation also perhaps purchase a tread depth indicator there relatively inexpensive.
@@nigelcraig3949 Some people like to horse around with roadside repairs
If I'm driving my trailer long distances, I replace both tires at the same time
I totally do the same thing. I think it is safer for people with less experience to error on the side of being at or near the max PSI and sacrifice some tread wear and comfort. Also many of these people won't know how to change a flat tire nor think to bring the right tools along to do so. Well said sir. I'm surprised these people are trailering without spares. For a single axle I bring 1 spare and for a tandem axle I bring two spare tires. Yes, I've had two flat tires in one 3 hour trip. I also try not to run a tire that is older than 5 years old. They seem to loose integrity after that.
First thing I do is replace bias with radial tires never had an issue ps live in Nevada desert 100+ in summer
Tread should be close to flat at the contact patch to maximize lateral grip and for even tread wear. Max inflation pressure is only for max loading. Adjust pressure for the load. By running pressure to high, you are heating up just the middle of the tread which can cause tread separation at highway speeds.
Tread will never be flat on a traditional bias trailer tire
@@F239141 I know. That’s why I said “close to flat.”
@@F239141 One can check to see if close to flat by running through a water patch and looking at the patten. Running max PSI will wear out the canter of the tire then the cords leaning to a not just a flat but a blow out! I pull a motorcycle popup running about 24-28 PSI not the 65 max PSI as the is only about 450 LBS max weight.
This is true. Running the MAX trailer tire pressure when you are not running the MAX load weight only gives a rough ride and increased tire wear. John is right when he says "adjust pressure for the load". Doing it may take a little more effort, but it has its advantages.
That is not so. What he is saying in this video he is correct. I can guarantee you that all these times you've seen people on the side of the road with a blowout wasn't because the ran too much air psi. I build trailers and I also drive a 22 wheeler log truck/trailer combo weighing in on average 135,000lb not 80K but 135K average per load with an empty wt of 42K so think of that next time before you just out in front of one or break check them. Anyway my tires says 120Psi they get 130 in them my chevy dully gets 80 like it calls for and yes it rides like a log wagon with 80 compared to 60 but with 60 that tire will never see the life and run well after steel is more than showing like I have had they will have long since blown out with at least quarter tread left the sidewalls are designed to run the psi that is on the tire at min and that Max is for inflation on mounting its the equivalent of lawyer talk in the language. Run what you want to run this is America and speaking of lawyer language you rarely see a trailer that has its wt label like that they should have a MAX GVWR and little trailers like that is 2K so at a cargo of 1700 plus lbs that is going to put it over in less I'm badly wrong in thinking that thing is under 300lb empty and if it is since I don't see it made of aluminum to be that light it can't handle 1700lbs . long rant here but good video
I could not agree with you more.....I just blew the bejesus out of my trailer tire. I even put the carnage in a recent video. Today I dismounted what was left of the tire, it looked more like Marti Gras beads or fringe lace than a tire. Your theory was my flaw, I let the air pressure go down into the 40s and 30s. My loads are sometimes light and my trailers only weight #330. Tires without air will hold them up. Great video! tHanks
The amount of sidewall flex depends on the trailer's load, so it's fine to run less than 80 psi if you're not a max weight. At less than max weight, use lower pressure for better tire life, less bouncing, and a bigger contact patch with the road.
The important part of this is to consult a pressure/load chart and be at or above the recommended pressure for the load. For daily runabout trips, I normally use full pressure (max psi from the tirewall). This causes excess wear in the center of the tire, but maximizes safety for a load of unknown weight. For a longer trip, I hit a scale, lookup the load in a tire/pressure chart, adjust the pressures, and write the numbers down. If I run the same load again, I use the same pressures. That said: As far as I know, bias ply tires should always be used at full pressure. Very little is gained by lowering tire pressure. Before I swapped to radials, I ran max sidewall psi all the time, and never had a tire problem. The Radials ride sooo much better and have much more traction (gauged by brake voltage required to lock up an empty trailer), but the wear pattern is more sensitive to the relationship between tire pressure and load.
Thanks for pointing that out. I was about to inquire the same thing. My logic, "Driving an empty trailer without fear of load bearing, ''should'' wouldn't it equalize the crown to the outer portion.'
* The more tread area that comes in contact with the pavement, the more wear you'll have on your tire. Lower tire pressure for your vehicle will give you a softer ride, but will wear out your tires faster. Firestone found that out about 30 years ago, if my memory is correct.
@@charlessmith4242 Over inflation and under inflation both reduce tire life. Correct tire pressure will wear evenly across the surface of a tire, maximizing life of the tire. Incorrect tire pressure will cause a bald stripe - usually in the center (too high) or the edges (too low) - that forces you to dispose of the tire prematurely. Underinflation will also lead to tire failure, so I err on the side of over inflation (up to the tire max pressure) when I don't have the data to determine correct pressure. My trailer tires normally get old and rotted before they run out of tread - or get murdered by a hub failing - so it's no loss.
Goodyear endurances are among the few if not only usa made ST tires. Ive had several tires nearly identical to yours there. Twice ive had them get deformed and developed a large bulge in the sidewall. Both times were shortly after inflating them to max psi and taking a long trip. People often say that but as mentioned above that is INCORRECT. It is very important to inflate them accordingly to the weight if the trailer.
I’m new to trailering. 14.6k lbs on my main trailer, I would hate to have a tire failure. I KZheadd the heck out of trailer tires and best procedures. I also talked to a couple of local trailer dealers/shops. They agree with you, low tire pressure causes excess heat, heat is the number one cause of failure. I run mine at 8O psi - I had no idea trailer tires require so much pressure. Each time I stopped to fuel I did a walk about which included touching each bearing hub and tire tread to check for excess heat. I found out one interesting thing: we were coming through Kansas, there was a substantial cross wind, the tires on the lee side were notably hotter than the tires on the windward side. Thank you for your video!
From a Service Center's perspective. Awesome Video! The Date Code on the tire is everything. You will almost never (you are the exception) wear out a tire before it fails. Trailer (RV, Cargo, etc) tires sit for long periods of time unused. Moisture dry rots the tires from the inside, causing them to "unpeel". Check the date code on your tires. There is a burned in oval stamp. 2422 means that the tire was made in the 24th week of 2022. Max usage is 5 years for "quality" tires. Cheap tires only last about 3-4 years. Your are absolutely correct that the tire should always be run at Max PSI. Don't outthink the manufacturer. Every time you tow, make sure that your tires are fully inflated. Great Video. Keep making them. Don't forget to hand pack your bearings each spring. Takes less than an hour per axle.
Hi, thanks for sharing such a detailed response. I plan to replace both tires before my next big trip. The spare in this video is already a year old, so I plan to just get two new ones for the axle, and keep the spare on the side.
This is especially important on older tires. As the tires age, they will flex less. Well, they flex the same but they will crack easier. And I can tell you that when you run a tire low on pressure, you can put your hand on the tire after 15 miles and feel that it is heating up. That heat will weaken the rubber's bond to belts under the tread.
A tire will catch on fire if you don't pay attention to them. If you are caring for them and check them periodically and carry a spare tire you should be OK. If you neglect them you'll regret that small oversight. Been there done that. I currently have 6 trailers of various types from boat trailers to a 31 foot Holiday Alumilite travel trailer . The TT is a great trailer as it also has a 12 foot slide of the dining and living room.
I’m here in Australia and I don’t understand miles like you guys in America. I run 40psi in all my trailers and I have to be honest your tyre pressure is so far out. You never run the maximum as your wrecking your tyres. You must have all tread width in contact with the road surface. I have been running current tyres on a 1200kg camper trailer at 40psi and I have currently have put 120,000kms on my tyres with very good results. Even tread wear, minimal tread loss and still have about 80,000kms maybe more left before I need to replace the tyres and mind you we have temperatures over here up to 50 degrees so road heat would be 80+ degrees and I’ve never had a blow out or puncture in any of my tyres.
Agree. My trailer, a 6x4 box trailer runs 185/60 x 13 Pirelli High performance P6000 tyres. I run 30 psi, fully balanced. Done about 20K Kms, and still only 50% worn. USA seems weird. Well, they are weird.
Very good sense.
I just said the same thing in comment section
I agree. Over inflation creates problems of lateral stability. May not notice on a dry road but in slick coditions that trailer can conne around to meet you in a panic stop. If you have brakes on your trailer, overinflation will reduce grip to the road and increase stopping disrance.
No idea what metric stuff means.
I don't have that issue because my trailer tires and vehicle tires are the same tires. 80PSI does seem high at first glance, but that is a very small tire as well. Good information. Seems those small tires wear really fast as well.
It’s easy to adjust your tire pressure for the load you plan on hauling. I have worked on all types of trailers for over 40 years
Most tire manufacturers have inflation charts to tell you how much air pressure to put in the tire based on load. Your treat wear pattern indicates you are running too high air pressure. If you want to maximize your tire wear, find the applicable inflation chart and weigh your trailer. If the manufacturer doesn't provide that info, you can use chalk and a clean level parking lot. Paint a chalk line abut an inch thick across the tire tread and drive around the parking lot a little. You can tell by how the chalk wears off if your tire pressure is too high or too low. I used this method to dial in tire pressure on the rears of my pickup. Door sticker said 80psi, but empty I should have been running 55psi. I got 20k extra miles out of those tires.
Even easier use the information you have and this formula: Tire Weight / Tire Pressure = Load Capacity Pounds per PSI Ex: For the tire in this video => 1050 max tire load / max 80 psi = 13.125 Lbs load per PSI
My brother who was in charge of the maintenance for a major airline (yes, they own cars too) discovered that rotating the tires cost more money. He recommends just changing the front (front wheel drive vehicles) when they are wore out, and says the rear tires can last more than twice, maybe three times longer. They did a study on the entire fleet, where half were rotated and the other half were not. Saves not only rubber, but labor cost too.
@@gregpeterman1102 Yeah I don't rotate my tires either.
I vary my inflation pressure based on load. The trailer also rides better when the tires are properly inflated. Too hard and the ride is too bouncy.
@@gregpeterman1102 Of course doing rotations usually cost more but theres more to it. On some front engine rwd vehicles the tires can wear out pretty evenly. On fwd rears probably last twice as long. The whole point is trying to have even tire wear/tread as they age, more important on full time 4wds where the manufacturer has a tolerance for variation(ex all tires same brand model size, max variation 2/32 tread), how sensitive the different 4wd systems are to this is probably best known by dealer techs and specialty shops, i do tires on all cars so have no idea. On some full time 4wd systems they can be damaged by miss-matched tires/possibly too much tread variation. Also more important if driving in rain/snow. Its always safer/better to have even tread or more tread on the rears because when driving in rain/snow, oversteer from rears hydroplaning is much harder to control than some understeer. Same reason understeer is built into most cars. On cars without adaeqate alignment adjustments, rotating can sometimes extend life if theres uneven wear on one or more corners.
I think it's also worth mentioning to keep the wheel bearings serviced. You figure the trailer tire being smaller diameter than the tow vehicle is going to run many more RPMs. I think when you see a trailer broke down on the side of the road, they look like they have one of two problems, a blowout or their wheel bearings burned up. I think it would well be worth on longer trips not only care a spare tire but also carry a spare set of bearings and seal. In fact carry a hub already packed with grease and new bearings then that way the old one can be popped off and the new one on. I've had to remove many burnt on or I should say welded on bearing races on the spindle. Then shine up the spindle with abrasive cloth. And if you don't want to take up the space of carrying a new hub with bearings make yourself up a spare tire carrier for the trailer tire and use the hub to hold the wheel.
That is one of the best ideas out here. I have an old trailer with a small boat on it and nothing's been done with either (been sitting) for the past 8 years. Before it goes anywhere, the tires are coming off and the bearings are getting cleaned and re-greased. I sure don't want any problems at 65 mph on I-83. Oh, yeah, I'm also going to put on a new set of LED trailer lights. Not even gonna' try messing with the old ones.
@@yepiratesworkshop7997 Yep, old boat trailer lights are like miniature Christmas lights, best to buy new ones.
No one greases there bearings. Get buddy hubs
@@nicolec7290 Doesn't matter. People still have to use the zerk fittings... I've had to cut off burned up bearings with trailers that had buddy bearings as well as Accu lube spindles. Having buddy bearings is not a free ride because you still got to grease the bearings. In my original post I did not say by what means to grease the bearings now did I ? If you have buddy bearings on your axle hubs, good for you. You get a brownie point. However, you still have to shoot grease into the bearings. Hence "grease the bearings".
@@bobber5534 .... bearing buddies or a grease gun are your friend when you have a small trailer.
Thanks for this information. I have the same trailer and it is over 20 years old with original tires and a spare I bought at the same time. Note to self: Replace all three tomorrow. This is the trailer that the deck folds and the tongue folds so that you can store it in a small space. Paid about $225 new and it came as a box of a gazillion parts and I didn't own a power screwdriver at the time. :(
Yea I road my 7×16 a bit before getting a spare. Like to keep the tires clean and put tire shine on them to keep from drying out.✌️
Many people drive way to fast when pulling trailers also. And during the hotter months, they blow out even more frequently.
I’ve never understood why they can’t make a trailer tire that can go a decent speed like 60 is way to slow it’s almost impossible to find a trailer tire rated for 85
I have made a couple of cross country trips with my utility trailer. I keep the pressure between 45 and 50 psi. I check the temp of the tires at each stop. Hot tires means not enough air. My tires are the same size as found on golf carts.
If you have something like a pop up camper, it's not a bad idea to take the tires off and bring them inside for the winter, and don't leave them directly on concrete. This way, the tire isn't under load in one spot and also enduring extremely cold weather. While the tires are off, I like to spray the axle and wheel area with Fluid Film as an anti-rust measure. That stuff does work.
There is so much more to the story. My cargo van ran the same tires my Honda ran. Regardless of the fact there was well over a thousand pounds difference in the two rigs, not counting loads, tire shop employees just dump the standard 34 PSI into the tires. Jump to trailers and a lot can be learned from those who pull them back and forth between warm and cooler states. Many trailers come with ST tires that are rated for high pressure. HOWEVER, those tires are, also, meant to be kept under 60 mph. Many pulling camp trailers swap out their special duty (ST) stock tires for light duty truck (LT's) tires. On my van, I switched to true 6 ply tires. They are rated for 45 PSI, and will take far more load than will "4 ply rating" tires. Even at that pressure. Of course, you note a difference in the ride (rougher), as the plies increase. But you, also, note the lack of sidewall flex reduces sway caused by side winds too. Tread wear is a big deal. As noted, more wear in the center indicates over inflation. More on the outside means dangerous under inflation. Under inflation can be easy to do, if you go by the ridiculous stickers on the door of your rig. For example, many called for about 28 PSI, when tires should have been running at least 34.
I bought 13" rims and use automobile tires on my trailer. I used the load inflation tables to determine the appropriate tire pressure. Because I'm using tires much larger than necessary for the load I can run them at lower pressures. The tires provide a softer ride for my load. These automobile tires are also rated for higher speed than many trailer tires. Also, I'll easily get at least 30,000 miles on these tires before they need replacement.
@@insertnamehere313 I run automotive tyres on by boat trailer. My little sailboat only weighs 300 pounds and the trailer is about 500, so the 13" automotive tyres are actually overkill. On the upside it makes for a much smoother ride for my 60 year old sailboat.
The problem with your idea and many people have the same idea is that even the best trailer has some amount of sway in it which is hard on the sidewalls of a tire. Automobile tires have softer more flexible sidewalls than trailer tires which means it's gonna Breakdown the sidewalls sooner. That's another reason why trailer tires have SO much air pressure. More air pressure equals less flexing in the sidewalls. More flexibility in sidewalls equals more probability of sway which causes tire separation which causes you headaches 😩. Therefore your theory of car tires getting you better mileage life is just not true at all. Hopes this info helps
@@davidstill754 Gimme a break. The 155/80R13 radial tires that I use on my trailer are load rated at 963 lbs on a trailer with a gross weight of 1,000 lbs. The trailer tires that came with it were only speed rated for 50 MPH. The speed rating on my passenger car tires is much higher. I've never seen any issue with tread wear. The only time there was tread separation was when my sisters's idiot friend failed to look at the pressure rating on tire sidewall and just pumped the tires up to 50 lbs. I typically run the tires at 20 PSI, which the inflation charts show is more than sufficient for the maximum load that I can carry.
@@PierceThirlen2 good luck with that. You do realize trailer tires come with different speed ratings. Cheap trailer tires and expensive trailer tires. Not that hard to figure out which tire has the higher rating. If your pulling a trailer with a gross weight of 800lbs and only 20psi in your tires your a fool
@@davidstill754 Agree, there is a reason trailer tires are for trailers. The folks that deal in the trailer business, thousands of trailers over decades and decades, say trailer tires for trailers. I’ll side with them in this case.
I always carry a spare! Also I suggest you get a cheap trailer jack, so you don't have to kill your back getting the trailer high enough to hook to the ball. I find ones with the wheel on them especially handy for light trailers like yours, because it allows you to move em a bit without having to hook em to a vehicle.
I've never ran any of my tires on any of my equipment at the recommended maximum pressure. Light duty stuff around 50psi, then depending on the intended load to more added pressure. Under inflated tires generate head which breaks down the side wall fiber. Over inflation seams to stress the tire more and they seem to dry rott faster, sitting in the dirt for long periods seems to promote dry rott faster. Heavy braking is rough on the side walls even worse under a load. The manufacturer side wall load rating is the extreme duty rating. My semi trailer has speed rated tires under maximum load to not exceed 55mph. It's a 90,000 gvw trailer and I never haul anything that heavy so at half that weight I usually run 60 to 65 mph and haven't had any issues. The old timers used to say above 60 mph under a load start to create tire heat. They were correct. I've lost several tires at maxim load over 60mph. Pre trip your equipment before and post trip it after. It's better to catch things in a safe haven than on the side of the highway
I SAW A TIRE GOING BY ITSELF ON THE HIGHWAY AND IT WAS FLYING...,MY WIFE AND HER NEW BOYFRIEND THINK I WAS JUST TRYING TO GET THEM AWAY FROM EACH OTHER BUT I KNOW WHAT I SAW...THAT THING WAS REALLY MOVING...,BY ITSELF!
You also need to have the wheels balanced to increase tire life. Learned this on my first boat trailer.
These are (old technology) conventional Bias Ply tires, 5.30 x12 are built in 3 load ratings B , C and D, it is very important to select the correct load range for the application , he has not even mentioned this . Also the Modern replacement for this tire is the 145R12 ( metric , steel belted radial ) which offers much longer tread wear life, if tread wear is a concern the radial would be a much better choice .
Radials on a trailer after 7 years will fly apart. They just will not last for a long peroid.
Your partly right the determining factor is the hardness of the rubber compound ,the harder the rubber the longer the tire life,a tire rep ,gave me a good tip ,use your finger nail as a guide ,the easier you can push your nail into the rubber the shorter the life, soft rubber will stick to the road great but wear poorly,more like a racing slick.
@@thecollectoronthecorner7061 I run nothing but car radials on my 2 bike hauling trailers. A flat bed and an enclosed 6x10. Trailer tires are old school bias ply tires that aren't D.O.T. rated for anything and don't last like a good DOT tire. Trailer tires are the biggest scam in the USA. And no tires being worked at max pressures and loads will last much beyond 6 or 7 years.
I got one of those trailers too. Another aspect you need to be aware of is the speed rating on those tires. The stock tires are rated at a MAXIMUM 55 mph. I don’t know about you but I typically go faster than that. I would purchase tires generously overrated for the speed that you travel at. Especially for those long trips on the highway.
You are correct about speed ratings, higher speed rated tires are available but cost more. I got a pair from discount tires that are rated at 90 mph
Probably the most overlooked but important information on trailer tires. The time to find out how important is usually during a trip through 80 mph country when the tread shreds everything around it…spend the extra $$ and get higher speed rated tires..they’re worth the peace of mind, especially on RV trailers where the shredding is the floors and cabinets
The Trail Goat. Slow down. So that was you that passed me.
@@jneusbaum3697 Gotta go, gotta go, gotta go. Places to go. Things to do. People see. Time is money. Zoom Zoom 🏎
I did research on the tires when I bought my trailer: the 1195-lb, 4-lug trailer (mine) uses Load Range B tires (no bueno on freeway) with a max speed of 62 mph; the 1720-lb, 5-lug trailer uses Load Range C tires with a max speed rating of 81 mph. If a person has the 4-lug trailer, update to C. I did. And I capped my speed to 60 mph, checked tires & monitored axle temps at every stop...zero problems.
According to the owner's manual, the payload (cargo only) capacity is 1720 lbs. Does not include the weight of the trailer (276 lbs). The total gross weight of the trailer and payload is 1996 lbs. If you add flooring and side rails, the payload capacity is reduced by the weight of the flooring and rails. Carry a spare? Subtract that weight from the payload capacity.
90% of the people buying this trailer are not paying attention to that data plate and pesky numbers lol. and carry a spare????
Those harbor freight trailers can't carry the advertised load capacity most I'd put on one would be 500 lbs any more than that and your just asking for the tongue to break
@@GeorgiaRidgerunner I have the same Harbor Freight trailer, and i have 2 foot tall sides on it. I can't tell you how many times I've overloaded that thing, and I only recently had a blowout because the fender bracket rubs the sidewall at full suspension compression. They are FAR more durable than they are rated for. Don't knock them without trying them.
@@evanwebber9981 your bragging about overloading a chincy trailer in a public forum jesus christ man think before you post as far as harbor freight trailers go naw theyre shit i know it you know it so lets not make them out to be something great
Ridiculous comment. Fear mongering. The fact is that legal load capacity is always rated less than ‘actual’, tested capacity, for reasons of safety. Common Georgiaridgerunner, get it right. @@GeorgiaRidgerunner
Interesting video. Ya, bias ply trailer tires are not meant to flex their sidewalls like radials and they generate heat and blow out if not inflated high enough. I had the same trailer and used it to haul 2 dirt bikes and gear. It was a fun project. A few things I learned along the way if one buys a Harbor Freight trailer like this: When you first put it together, take the time to disassemble the hubs and clean them. It is common for the hubs on these to have metal "swarf" in them. This is a cheap made in China trailer, so that is not surprising. Grease them up and it is good to go. The hubs come with handy zerk fittings. The metal fenders are heavy and over time vibration through their mounts will begin cracking the thin frame of the trailer. I replaced the metal fenders with some lightweight plastic ones. As I mentioned, I used the trailer to haul dirt bikes so it saw some rough dirt roads which set those metal fenders to flappin! I replaced the OEM Chinese trailer tires, which ride like bricks when inflated properly, with 145/80 R12 radial trailer tires, the radial tires are rated for higher speeds and rode much smoother. Even if you don't replace the OEM tires, do have them balanced. The tires are small and come unbalanced. This helps greatly when towing at high speeds. Ya, we are not supposed to go over 55 with these trailers, but that ain't happening 😆 I towed my HF trailer with 2 bikes and gear all over the Western US, it never had a problem because I took good care of it's hard working wheel bearings and stopped those heavy metal fenders from destroying it's frame. Here is a link to suitable radial trailer tires. www.amazon.com/2-Pack-Trailer-Radial-ST145-Range/dp/B01L0P3YKQ/ref=sr_1_1?c=ts&keywords=Trailer+Tires&qid=1682521891&refinements=p_n_feature_five_browse-bin%3A6131676011&s=automotive&sr=1-1&ts_id=404866011
That's why I use steel belted passenger tires on my 16" trailer tires. I also run 10psi below rated psi on them because I value my expensive Hobie Kayaks I haul on the trailer. Helps traversing a sandy beach too, in fact I may even let a bit more air out when I'm on the beach. Informative video for ST tires and general folk that don't trailer much, thank you.
I got the Big boy tires on my straight axle utility.. and if I have it up to specs... she bouncy!
Goodyear Tire Company says to inflate trailer tires to the maximum pressure as stamped on sidewall to cut down sidewall flex and sway which is what overheats tires and causes failure.
You are 💯 correct . Sidewall flex causes heat.
We tow a motorcycle specific, clamshell style trailer, behind our old Harley Electra Glide. The tires on the trailer are 4x8s with a maximum of 80 psi. The trailer weighs, no bs, 125 lbs with a 200 lb cargo capacity, I run 22-25 psi in the tires. I still experience more tire wear at the crown, but not excessive and the trailer tows awesome, so be it. You're right, after towing around Oregon, Washington, California, without a spare, I'm pushing it.
I got 4 boat trailer mounted tires at TSC, Tractor Supply Company, which has a huge selection of sizes. Bass Pro had only a few. I also got new bearings mounted in new lug-hubs which changed out in 15 minutes each.
The biggest problem with tyres blowing is age, tyres should be replaced every 6 years no matter what tread depth they have, if they are wearing in the middle you have way to much pressure in them
6 years? What? Hell no.. depends on the tire but i spent 200$+ per tire on my truck, tires lasted the life of the truck, 200k miles and 15 years.. still had tread on em and no rot. Think each of em had at least 5 or 6 plugs in em but they still got me through all the mud and whatnot.. damn rims rusted away before the tires even started to show wear.. ended up getting hit by a minivan head on doing 80 mph when she drove into oncoming traffic.. about killed me but all 4 tires were still good.. broke the front two off but were still 35psi.. they were some bfg kto4 at’s though.. which iscalmost the best tire out..
This is very true, tires blowing because of age. Tires on an RV, they recommend changing them out every 6 years no matter what the tread. The tires age out before the tread wears out. I feel that it's not worth having a blowout which can cause major damage. Also watch out for the speed rating, if they are ST tires, they are tested and rated at by the DOT at 65MPH.
@@Z-Ack 200,000 miles on a set of BFG ATs and still good to go? That happens when you drive them exclusively around in Fantasyland. NO tire is gonna go 200,000 miles and not be worn down to wheel.
@@BrianRRenfro ya thee longest i've had a tire go was a set of Michelins on my silverado about 10 years ago and i only got 95k out of them before i deemed them unsafe to drive on, sure they still held air but they were 6 years old and were around 1-2mm of tread left so i decided to replace them the BFG that he's talking about were a great offroad tire but i found they wore out to fast on road
@@Z-Ack how the tire LOOKS or how much wear it has nothing to do with the age of the tire. Rubber rots over time, even if it looks good on the outside it can be rotten on the inside. When rubber ages it gets brittle. Brittle rubber is much more likely to fall apart. You can get away with running tires longer that reccomend if you take care of them and they do not sit too much but it is not a good idea to go much longer than reccomend before replacing them.
Last January I picked up a 20ft flatbed with tandem axles. I made a point to purchase 2 spares simply because I have never had just a single flat on a tandem trailer. I don't know if it's bad luck but it happened twice before.
I work at a tire shop. And if you are going to put a lot of weight on the trailer. We recommend putting 75 psi. The reason is when your tire is hot the pressure increases. And if your tire is already at 80psi then it is above that it should have. But if you put it at 75psi then you have some leeway to account for the temperature. And it is not as low to cause harm to your side walls....
Thank you, this is important knowledge that I need. My utility trailer was stolen last Thanksgiving, and I'm hopefully replacing it with a new one in April. Also discovered that insurance companies often require an additional policy for trailers, it's not covered under the normal homeowners insurance.
I’d consider buying two new tires and using the old ones as the spare. Or getting new tires for existing rims and having the new spare. You are correct on adequate pressure. I usually ran minimum of 60 and up to maximum when large loads. Having a pump with you and adjusting might seem time consuming, but having a blowout is way worse.
✈️👍 Great comment I certainly agree with you. 📖🇺🇸
Bad Idea Nick. If a tire is not worth running on your vehicle anymore it certainly is not suitable for a spare. Don't be a penny pincher, buy two new tires and a new spare.
@@drats1279 If you change tires early, the tires removed would still be safe until they are 8 years old.
@@drats1279 I agree too. If the spare tire has checks and cracks in it, it won’t be long (about 1,000 miles max OR LESS on cracked tires-I know this firsthand due to a blowout of 1 cracked tire after having drove it that much. After I got the trailer home, the other 3 tires got replaced and I had a spare tire as well
That's what I do. I've been lucky in that I've never had a tire failure besides a slow leak in 21 years of trailer ownership. If I do need to use the spare and it's old, I'll treat it like a temp donut, get a new pair (on my single-axle trailer) ASAP and save the better roller as the new spare. If I put enough miles on it to rotate tires, I'd get three at a time and rotate, but with limited use, I would have already wasted three spares with zero miles on them.
5 lug wheel come in four patterns. One could purchash a spare to find out later it does fit on the lugs. Its always good to be sure before along trip. 5 lug can measure 4.5, 4.75, 5 and 5.5 inch
those 12inch 5 lug wheels all use a 4.5 inch. but yeah do watch out for pattern in the bigger wheels
Trailer 5 lugs are 5x4.5" 99% of the time. Industry standard.
I agree 100% with the tire pressure. The cargo rating is just for the cargo, the GVWR is both cargo and trailer combined.
I Always carry 2 spare tires...better than leaving the trailer with all your stuff on the side of the road...I have a 2 ton bottle Jack that works well. I welded a piece of 1 1/4" pipe to the bottom of the frame behind the wheel, that is where the top of the bottle jack goes so it doesn't slip...works great. I also welded 1/2 chain (cut links in half) pieces to the top of the rails, that way I have convenient places to tie down with hook straps. On one trailer I added a loading ramp with garage door spring so getting it up/down is easier. The trick is to have at least 2 heavy duty hinges, I got hinges where the pivot pin can be removed in case I want to haul anything without the ramp.
I have had two small cargo trailers with that size/style tire. I definitely do not run the tires at 80 PSI at all times. They only need that pressure when heavily loaded. Match the PSI to the load. When empty, I run them at 20 PSI with zero issues. I have done this on a 1300 mile road trip at freeway speeds (70-ish behind my small truck) with no high heat issues and no blowouts. That lower pressure smooths the ride of the empty trailer, and actually eliminates trailer sway. It also wears the tires evenly. If you are wearing the center of the tire that quickly, your tires are overinflated. I have worn out several sets of trailer tires over the years, and with proper inflation, they wear evenly and get well over 10K miles without issue. The sidewall pressure is MAXIMUM. Not necessarily what you want to run full time. I see the same thing with cars and trucks. The pressure on the tire sidewall is not necessarily what you need to run on your vehicle or trailer.
I have been a boater all my life. I have never run more than 35 psi in my 12" tires. I have only replaced tires once. Not for tread wear, but weather exposure. 30+ years. Tubeless tires will start losing air, slowly. I just replaced one. I would put air in it about once a month, but just decided to replace. I asked my tire guy about just putting tube in it, he didn't recommend. He said rusty rims can puncture tubes at highway speeds over time.
I agree 100 %
20 P.S.I....... COMICAL......JUST BE QUIET.....
@@jonrajsl291 If that is for me, do you have any actual experience with this, or are you just theorizing?
@@corey6393 HERES MY EXPERIENCE.. TIRE SHOP FOR 7 YEARS, HOT SHOT HAULING ALL 48 STATES FOR LAST 35 YEARS..... OWNED AT LEAST 20 TO 25 TRAILERS IN THAT TIME, FROM SMALL CARGO TO 38 FOOT CAR HAULERS... 20 P.S.I. EVEN AT NO LOAD WILL CREATE TOO MUCH TREAD AND SIDEWALL HEAT..... LOOK ALL OVER THE HIGHWAYS... TREAD PIECES FROM BLOWN CARCASSES..... TOO MUCH HEAT FROM LOW PRESSURE..... 35 YEARS OF HAULING EVERYTHING FROM PINGPONG TABLES TO SEMI TRACTORS AND HEAVY EQUIPMENT..... YEAH, IM A ROOKIE....
My father had a 1963 Dodge pickup that he used for work and he traveled all around the southeast with it. He loaded the truck way beyond it's maximum rated load capacity almost on a daily basis. He would pump the tires up to twice what the manufacturer's maximum rated tire pressure was and seldom had any tire issues. We had a pile of damaged wheels in the yard because the factory wheels would eventually split from the pressure. He finally started constructing his own customized wheels that would withstand the pressures adequately. He gave me that old truck with 360,000 miles on it and I drove it to 430,000 miles before I sold it to a roofing contractor. The slant 6 engine was never gone through while we had it but he did put several clutches in it and a couple of exhaust manifolds and water pumps on the engine. I wish I still had that truck because I would turn it into a bad ass street mod.
Slant 6's were put into forklifts, combines, cars and many things. Those engines outlasted the machine they were put in. Run forever!
Tires these days won't handle that cause they're all made in China now.
Uncle Tony had a video featuring Slant 6 and the pistons look like they came out of a diesel. The rods were huge and the end caps about 3” in diameter ... my neighbor has a 65 Valiant 2 door with a Slant 6 and Factory 4 on the floor - but he won’t ever part with it ...
He's talking about trailer tires 🤤
The Dodge slant six was a very durable engine, I had a couple of vehicles that had them in the past and never had a problem with them. Wish they still made them now.
Good information here thanks... My experience with trailer tires is that having lots of miles on them is almost never the reason they explode or wear out. They die simply from unuse sitting around. If you do not put some sort treatment on them reguraly and cover them thoroughly, keeping it out of the sun they will blow out on your first trip.. That would be true also for spare tire hanging on the back of your jeep or older crv without a hard cover
Glad I watched your video. I have the same Harbor Freight trailer, I've always carried a spare but didn't realize the running PSI was so high and have been hauling loads of around 1350 lbs @ 35 psi. Oooops!
As a manager at Harbor Freight this is super informative. I wish all my customers would watch this when buying trailers and trailer tires! Also, even though this is “my” product. You thought me stuff I did not actually know. Thank you for this!
I really appreciate you sharing your thoughts. Glad you liked the video.
PLEASE tell your customers to disassemble the hubs and clean out that garbage chinese grease. It is NOT bearing grease .
Who knew HF sold Carlisle Tires.
It's unbelieveable to me to think that anyone would purchase a trailer and tow it more than 5 miles from home and not have a spare. That being said your advice about the tire pressures seems spot on and good for others to know. Thanks for sharing.
I've towed trailers a lot and never had a flat or blow-out, sometimes towing them on 2,000 mile plus trips. Better to have a spare but if you check your tires and make sure they're in good shape ahead of time chances are you will not have issues.
Yes indeed. State law to have a spare in wi
I towed from SC to CA, then to TX and LA without a spare. All I did was check the pressure. The tires are still good after more than 7 years. Now I have a spare and still haven't used it. Lucky, I guess.
@@fishinguyI don't believe it
Usually when towing any distance, every stop or gas fillup I will touch the hubs on the trailer to see if there is any significant heat in them. But I also try to pull the hubs and regrease them every couple of years (trailer only really does 1-2 long trips per year). Some friends bought some used jet-skiis while on vacation at the beach. They also of course bought the trailers to get them home. I took a quick look and the tires were all dry rotted and there was seagrass and seaweed in all of the hubs. We spent the rest of the day hunting down replacement tires and hubs. Since I always travel with tools, it was just parts cost. The trailers made it home, but my friends got exactly what they paid for... Jet Skiis that had been sorely abused by several years of tourists. I think they only ever managed to get one to run.
MY COUSIN KARL, YOU KNOW, THE GUY WHO HAS ONE EYE THAT LOOKS AT YOU SIDEWAYS,...TOLD US THAT WHEN YOU SEE A BUBBLE START RISING ON THE SIDE WALL THAT MEANS THAT YOU ARE CLOSE TO HAVING ENOUGH AIR IN YOUR TIRE...
Just halfway through your video, here, and am hearing some solid advice. I went ahead and put better wheels-N-tires on my little trailer. Just be sure the tire you choose has a load rating that meets or exceeds the trailer's originals, or the matches the load rating of the tire spec'd on the trailer data plate as seen here. I'm using a 15" version of the 17" all-terrain radial I've fitted to my pickup.
The tire pressure must be adjusted to the actual load. The tire diameter must match the distance being hauled. The longer the distance the greater the diameter of the tire and wheel bearing. Always use ST tires. The older the tires the fewer the miles. If your trailer has brakes, jack up the trailer and test rotation force by hand if it has been stored for many days, week, months, years. If hauling long distance regularly check pressure and temperature - more often at the start of the trip. If you are planning a long trip at maximum load you should pull all the wheels and check bearings, axles, spindles, brakes, lugs, springs and wheel alignment. The load capacity of a new trailer is different than a twenty year old trailer. Cracked sidewalls should not be used on public roads. Excess resistance to swing at the trailer hitch affects the tire wear and temperature.
Okay Captain copy and paste.👌
Forget about the tires, wheelbearings are the most neglected item on the small utility trailers. You have to grease them. And grease is not grease. You have to actually get high temperature wheel bearing grease. There is a difference. Some grease is made for extreme pressure and hardly any speed. Wheel bearing grease is designed to lubricate bearings that are traveling very fast how fast? if you were doing 60 miles an hour pulling a trailer with these tiny wheels. These tiny wheels are speeding along at two or three times the speed of your truck/car wheels. They have to rotate two maybe three times to the one rotation of your truck wheel.. Grease those bearings with the correct grease
Well Said!
"if you were doing 60 miles an hour pulling a trailer with these tiny wheels. These tiny wheels are speeding along at two or three times the speed of your truck/car wheels. They have to rotate two maybe three times to the one rotation of your truck wheel.." The way you presented that is so over-simplified that it can be downright wrong, depending on the details. You were talking about wheel bearings, and determining bearing speed is more complicated than just knowing tire RPM. The speed of bearing rotation is determined just as much by the diameter of the bearing itself as it is by the diameter of the tire. And what really matters is the linear speed of the rollers on their races, so don't focus on RPM. RPM and bearing speed are not the same, and they are not necessarily related (though they can be, depending what other factors are changed or not changed. Making the tire diameter larger will reduce bearing speed, but making the bearing larger will increase it. And since larger tires are normally used with larger hubs that have larger bearings, it's actually completely possible for the bearings on a trailer with larger tires to run at the same speed as the bearings on another trailer that has smaller tires that are spinning faster. As a hypothetical example, at a given road speed, the linear speed of the bearings in their races will be the same for any tire of any size -- *IF* the ratio of bearing diameter to tire diameter is the same. Thus, a much bigger tire spinning on a hub with a bearing that is larger in the same proportion, the linear bearing speed will be unchanged. Because larger tires are usually mounted on larger hubs with larger bearings, the difference in bearing speed between large tires and small tires will typically not be as great as you assumed when you wrote what you did. Actually, it gets even more complicated, because the diameters of the rollers has a big effect on what the maximum linear speed along the races can be. But the most important point is that you can't only compare tire diameters when figuring out what the speed of a bearing is. You MUST consider the combination of tire diameter and bearing diameter. And it turns out, the type of lube is not such a big deal - and I got this straight from the mouth of a mechanical engineer who works in the design of bearings. That's why so many modern trailer bearings (mostly in heavy-duty applications but also lighter ones) are able to use oil instead of grease, and that's without there being ANY design change of the bearings at all. The main thing is that the lube is actually in the hub - often not the case on old neglected trailers on which the seals have gone bad, allowing grease to escape and/or water to get in. It turns out, according to what that enginneer told me, that lighter lubricants work better in bearings with higher speeds. Really high-speed bearings use oil instead of grease, and hyper-speed bearings are lubricated with a sprayed oil mist. But in the world of wheel bearings, either grease (virtually any kind) or oil are fine, with the choice mostly being whatever is easiest (for example, the wheel bearings in a full-floating drive axle are the same design as the bearings in a non-driven wheel, but the drive-axle bearings are lubricated with oil because there's already oil in the axle housing and using oil instead of grease simplifies the mechanical design and cuts the number of seals that are needed in half). And finally, I don't want anyone to think smaller tires on trailers are just fine just because the wheel bearings are "happy". The tires themselves have speed limits, and the speed limits on small tires (like those on 8" wheels) are usually pretty restrictive, like 55 mph. (edited for clarity and to fix one mistake)
Agreed when I got my trailer I swapped out the bearings and seals and put one of those bearing savers on that you pump up with a grease gun and it holds the grease in there and after a year I see there about a quarter of the way empty again pretty good sign to me that if you don't pay attention to your bearing grease for your two you could really be in trouble.
I’ve always ran about 45 lbs on my utility trailer. Never had an issue but will rethink my pressures. That being said tread wear is usually not an indicator of “wear” on this tires. Especially on the China made tires. They don’t hold up well in sunlight and side wall cracking can be an issue. I have replaced mine every 5-6 years due to the cracking and save an old one for a spare.
Same
No! don't rethink you're 100% right, 80Lbs /80 Psi / 5,5 Bar is completely over inflating, if a tyre runs down in the middle, its a perfect tell tale that your tyres are over inflated. I've never had a blow out in 40 years, and I've NEVER EVER gone over 40Lbs / 40Psi / 2,7 Bar. You drive your car on 2,4 - 2,6 Bar Max, those tyres pull away, brake, Turn etc. 5,5 Bar is absolutely Crazy. ( that's like a rock ).
Don't inflate them to the maximum pressure. Use the chalk test outlined in several other comments if you have to. The pressure you need will vary depending on how heavy the load is. Ideally you want the entire tread to make even contact with the ground. The tread wearing in the center in this video is an indication that the tire pressure is too high.
This may already have been mentioned but the DOT date code is the first thing I check even on new tires. Sometimes they sit in a warehouse and get old. I won't run them past 5 years. Date code is 4 numbers, first two are the year, second two are the week. 1924 would be the 24th week of 2019. I also run full pressure and stay below the max speed rating. I have learn all this the hard way. Be safe
Another thing to keep in mind is the speed rating of those tires. Some harbor freight tires and many small diameter trailer tires are only rated for 55mph
Exactly! I think I've heard that many trailer tires aren't rated for over 65 miles an hour. That's a big problem too!
If my memory is right I think the only 12-inch trailer tires that can go 65 are the radial model
@@randymcgiveron3268 by b bo by v
@@randymcgiveron3268 carlisle ST145/12 LRE = good for 108MPH only $77.
Why buy cheap tires to begin with. I bought a brand new cargo trailer and put 4 brand new Goodyears on it. I sold the new tires on the trailer that I took off and sold them for 100 dollars. My new tires cost a hundred each and balanced.
Greetings from the O-H-I-O Porters. 🇺🇸 Every trailer should have a spare! I’ve owned my trailer for over 8 years now & I pull it year round. I make sure that I have at least 1 spare, but I prefer 2 spares. I blew 2 tires once so that’s why I prefer 2 spares. I’ve learned from my mistakes. I never pull a trailer, even locally, without a spare handy. Each tire size is different on the pressure required. I usually check it when cold & make sure it’s at the max. I just replaced both tires/wheels this year due to the old ones being dry rotted. I can replace the old tires & then use them for my spares now. I find it better to do my greasing, tire check, light check in the summertime, but a vehicle inspection each time I pull it. I’ve learned that it’s easier to prevent most issues when at home than it is to take chances on breaking down out on the road. It’s less stressful that way! Thanks for the pressure reminder! We don’t always think about that. 🥰🤩✌️
Got to love that depth mic! Great info about tire pressure. Most people absolutely don't know. Personally, I would be scared to buy a trailer from HF. Much less take take one with 12" tires cross country.
The best way to know that you aren’t overloading your trailer tires is to load the trailer and drive it to a CAT scale. The scale has separate platforms for the tow vehicle front wheels, rear wheels and the trailer wheels. That way you will know exactly how much weight is on your trailer tires and you can look up a weight/inflation chart to see how much you need to inflate the tires. I always add about 20% margin in case I have one load that is pretty heavy.
Yes scaling the truck and trailer axle loads is the safe way. Heck few people even know tongue weight, for around 100 dollars you can buy a tongue weight scale, and tongue weight is most important weight to know towing any trailer. I load my trailer until tongue weight comes up to 10 per cent of trailer GVW Which on my utility trailer is 700 pound, 7,000 gvw on my flat bed equipment trailer is 1400 pound 14,000 gvw. On my lawn mower trailer i just make sure it has more weight on front. At 1400 tongue weight my one ton truck rear axle is almost maxed out.
More pressure in any tire simply makes it last longer..If the tire doesn't get as hot it last longer for every reason you can think of..Heat is the biggest killer of tires..More pressure means less heat..Just don't over inflate..Great video..!!!
Right, same with motorcycles. lower inflation may seem to hold the road better but it really doesn't. that is why you add air with passenger. most people that normally ride with a passenger like a wife or OL just leave it that way and that's ok. It's not going to hurt anything.
Some ST trailer tires are speed rated. Before going interstate speeds you probably should check to make sure your tires are rated for those speeds. And, it's a good idea to have your tires balanced, it makes it easier on the trailer and your tires.
I recognize that as the folding trailer they sell. If you look closer at the axle you’ll find a label that says “ not rated for highway use “. A new axle was required for mine since I intended to use it on the highway. I upgraded to 2500 lb axle from tractor supply but the Chinese axle on the trailer had spring mounts 3/4” narrower than the American axle. Had to weld 3/4” angle to both sides of the frame to accommodate. Now it’s highway safe but it no longer folds
I had zero issues. This was after updating tires from Load Range B to Load Rance C...and cleaning out the supplied axle grease & repacking with Valvoline Red. Cap speed at 60...no worries. Two 1,900-mile trips later...zero issues. Also, I cap my load limit to 80% of rated.
@@GearJamminSalmon I didn’t mention that I upgraded the wheels and tires as well. Now I’m closing it in with walls and roof to make it a dedicated trailer for my cannon
I use 12" steel belted car tires on my HF trailer. Huge improvement and they last forever.
Car tires and not the same as trailer tires
It is also a good idea to check the tire manufacture date. Tires can dry rot, even if the tread still appears to be good.
Actually, this is what I thought he was going to mention. I learned 2 very important things about trailer tires recently. The inflation pressure on the sidewall is what you need to keep them inflated at. I know this goes against EVERYTHING we've ever heard about tires, but this is what my research told me. The other thing is that you can't go by what a tire looks like (as he did mention), because the damage inside is what will take you down when you least expect it. There is a DOT date embossed on the sidewall near the tire size that should be adhered to. It is kind of like the "best by" date on food, only more serious. It doesn't matter if you only have 1,000 miles on your tires - replace them if they are past that date. It's your choice, but I do not like to play Russian roulette when I'm on the road.
@@jackswiatek6145 This is what happened with my Brother in Law. He bought a 1970's era trailer. He restored it, and got it ready for the first trip out. The tires appeared to be fine with lots of tread on them. He found out different once he got several miles away, and one of the tires blew.
@@kmath50 I recently had to do wheel bearing maintenance on my small cargo trailer which I have had 30 years, very low usage) and my camper. I only did this once B4 a few years ago while working for an equipment rental company. Last year my cargo trailer was making noise so this year I decided I had to do it. Beside, I have owned my camper 5 years and never did anything to those either and I fugured the cargo trailer would give me a good refresher. The cargo trailer bearings were really bad on the inside races but replacement went okay. The Camper was much better tho there was some discoloration on the inside races. Glad I did them and the Camper got new tires based on the DOT codes.
Ran my tires close to max PSI but when I travelled into 114 degree heat they expanded and I blew out two of them just a few miles from each other. From that day forward I always carried two spares, Jack and lug wrench.
Also the tire brand makes a big difference in how many miles you can get out of the tire.If your are concern on tire heating up, take a IR temp gun with you on a road trip and measure the heat on the trailer and use your car/truck temps as a comparison assuming your car/trucks tires are properly inflated. I run my Truck tires 19.5" at 90/80psi and my trailers are at 85 psi
One of my pet peeves is this obsession tire shops have with 35psi. Very few tires call for that low of a pressure anymore. I will generally run mine 5-10 under max, whatever that is for that tire. It never fails, though, when my vehicles come out of the shop, they've aired them back down to 35.
35 PSI is/was just a "happy medium" for most vehicles equipped with P-metric tires (trucks included) for decades. Don't take it so personally.
@@brendabowman622 most tire shops set the tire pressure to the manufacters recamondation on the drivers side door or pillar.which is also there best ride comfort setting, but not the best setting for tire life,firestone got into that with ford explores in the 90s ,with blowouts causing crashes,the firestone tires were being set at 30 psi. causing sidewall heating ,ie blowouts,all because of ford trying to apiese upset customers for hard riding trucks and broncos.so firestone got a bad name for tires because ford was too cheap to install lighter riding springs and shocks.I GOT MANY RECALLED TIRES FROM A DEALER and ran them on my farm wagons over double overloading them with loads i was hauling ,no blow outs ever when run at 60 psi .
@@davemcewen9991 -- *_"most tire shops set the tire pressure to the manufacters recamondation on the drivers side door or pillar"_* [sic] Yeah, what do I know. I only owned a retail tire and repair shop for 24 years.
@@brendabowman622 So if I buy tires that state of the sidewall 44psi max and the vehicle came with other tires when new from factory, and the car doorjam states inflate tires to 35psi then which one do I beleave? I would set it at 40 psi myself to allow for highway heat... the car sticker can not account for all the different tire specs... Is this logic good or am I off track?
@@commonsenseguy8189 -- When the vehicle manufacturer recommends 35 PSI it's for general handling characteristics and "comfort." 40 PSI _might_ give you a _slightly_ harsher ride, but otherwise it _shouldn't_ cause a problem.
I've carried a spare tire on my trailer since I bought the trailer years ago.
Good info. I never knew about 80 lbs of pressure but it would reduce flexing of the sidewall. I'm questioning such a tiny tire for long trips but it was successful for you.
Your video just showed something that all owners of the 4-lug, 1195-lb little-brother trailer need to know: their tires are Class B, rated for a max of 62 mph...not a good thing HF did for us. I updated to Class C (the ones you have), right off, allows for 81 mph max...and are stronger. This paid off for the hideous 800-mile (I counted 'em all, nothing else to do when driving it, LOL!) stretch of Interstate 80 between Evanston, WY and Lincoln, NE (WY is worse!). If you've driven it, you know the potholes can be hell. Class Cs are the only way to go on these trailers. Thanks!
50 psi is ideal balance for treadwear and longevity
@Simple man Not if the tire sidewall and trailer load plates say differently! Those sidewall and load plates state those psi numbers because that’s what safety professionals and tire manufacturers have tested to provide the customer with the best possible outcomes while using their products!!! You do you boo, but stay the hell away from me!
Yep I guess it all depends on what you are hauling in it because if its wearing his center down more than the outsides then it is definitely overinflated.
Yeah, you can fill them up to 80. If I do that with my jon boat everything will be so stiff the boat will bounce 2-feet off the road going over a modest bump. The outboard motor rubber mounts will break in short order and then I will have to fix that. All things in moderation. I usually end up at about 45 pounds air pressure. The boat still bounces a little, but the side walls of the tires don't flex. When I stop and feel the heat in the tires it isn't bad, an indication the tires are not over-flexing. They are also not wearing out quickly in the centers either, although they are wearing there more than out on the edges. I get your message, but my boat and motor don't weigh anything near 1720 pounds. Therefore, I don't think I need to thrash my outboard motor rubber motor mounts with 80 pounds tire air pressure.
I’m no expert, but most folks around here dismount the motor for transport. Not much give in a trailer suspension. 😊
@@nickdeagle3271 Take the motor off the boat!!!!? It weighs about 125lbs. I'm not going to take it off my boat and then try to put it back on again at the boat ramp.....
u need to put on lighter springs , they are cheaper than boat motor repairs an not to hard to change out
@@rsmith3033 I've never seen them galvanized. That's not a bad idea, but I'm in Florida and there's lots of salt water............
have you considered removing one leaf from your spring stack ? my jon boat prob. weighs 85# ? so i know what u meen when i see it “FLY” down tha road ?
Yup. I am getting towards the end of building my 4x8 folding trailer with many mods. Their only good for in town. 45mph. Mine. 80mph and the open road. Manly because of what you said. Tires. I didn't know until I bought the trailer. Yet. These small trailers are amazing. What you can do with them are endless.
From David Wilson 50 years ago, I built a 5 foot by 8 foot (inside) open utility trailer , utilizing a bolted aluminum frame and a purchased (hammer blow brand) drop center 3500 pound rated axle with leaf springs. I placed the axle centered fore and aft on the box. I did this because my tow vehicle at the time was a Chevy Corvair and I wanted not to place much weight on the already rear end heavy tow vehicle. The axle had a label on it saying "THIS SIDE TO THE FRONT" , although the axle had no obvious front or rear, it appeared symmetrical. A few years after the original build, I removed the axle to sandblast it and put a good paint job on it. While the axle was off the trailer, I checked and repacked the bearings, and also measured its wheel alignment/geometry carefully. It had positive camber on each wheel, and it had TOE IN !!! (about 1/4"). Hence the "this side to the front" label. I have towed it with two dirt bikes in it at 80 m.p.h. with the Corvair and it is completely stable. Tongue weight is only about 50 lbs. Empty weight about 700 lbs. My Conclusion: heavy tongue weight is not necessary for stability, but PROPER WHEEL ALIGNMENT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY !!!! The trailer has two boat trailer galvanized 14" wheels with load range C 50 psi tires on it now. The original 14" car rims with 35 psi car tires were clearly not heavy duty enough because with a heavy load (firewood) they would spit off their hubcaps. Your trailer tens to fish tail ? Check your wheel alignment !!
Proper tongue weight (around 10%) is essential. The faster you go the more effect it has. Towing with a corvair I don’t image you tow above 60mph. Also the corvair has the rear engine weight that stabilized the car from swaying.
@Off Grid Adventure If your trailer tires have 7,000 miles of usage already, you’re wasting time buying one spare!! You should buy replacement tires as well as at least one spare!
I would buy 2 new tires and keep the old ones as spares.
Hey...good of you to keep mindful of what trailers will and won't accomplish. In regards to the weight rating ...I believe the the gross (gvwr) is the entire vehicle and cargo capacity. There is some weight taken up by the tow vehicle, but...it's nest to not exceed these limits, especially when hauling long distance. For a trailer, a two hour one way haul is considered long.
Interesting! We bought a used 5x8 utility trailer about 4 years ago and it came with plain old black 14" steel wheels with old, dry rotted tires of some kind. They look like old pickup truck tires or something, I can't even read the make of the tires on the sidewall they're so old and worn but about a year ago I found a good deal on 4 almost new, never mounted 14" white steel wagon style wheels similar to yours with 4 like new Karrier Load Star tires. The maximum psi on these tires is 60. I just recently mounted and balanced them with a couple of Harbor Freight tire tools/irons and balanced them with a static bubble balancer that I ordered from Amazon. These tires look more like a regular car tire as far as the tread pattern goes, not so much like a smaller trailer tire would look, but I think they have a stiffer sidewall compared to a car tire because they were a PITA to mount with a couple tire tools, they didn't want to stretch at all. I've never tried to hand mount 14" car tires so I don't really have a way to compare how much difference mounting them would be but I'm betting car tires would be easier. I have 2 more tires to mount and balance and one of them will be the spare tire and the other I'll probably sell but I'm relieved to have finally gotten these newer wheels and tires on the trailer and not have to worry as much about them. Every time I wanted to use the trailer with those old wheels and tires I'd have to air them up which was another PITA. So far I've only used it for short didtances here around town, I'd have never trusted the old tires to take any distance but now I can. 👍
This is why I switched my harbor freight trailer to radials almost immediately. The contact patch is flatter and they track much straighter. I keep one of the originals as a spare in case I end up on the side of the road.
I inflate my tires 10 to 20 lbs under the max pressure because it wears the tires more evenly and gives a little better handling capability.
me 2
Well since I run my trailers at or near max load capacity most every time I loaded them, I pump them up to max inflation.
Maybe it's just me, but I would have purchased two new tires and kept the best of the old ones as a spare. I actually have a spare tire for my 5x10 utility trailer used to haul stuff. Years ago the original tires were cracking and I purchased 3 new tires, and 1 size up from the originals. One is kept in a dark corner of the garage (the spare) and the others are getting old now, so maybe time for two new ones.
yes, it's not worth the risk of a flat on the road
You're right; he pointed out that the old tires are actually worn out (two adjacent wear bars showing) and then he did exactly nothing to correct the problem. Hopefully he'll take the hint and buy at least one more new tire. Better yet, he should consider upgrading the tires (and a few other things) on his trailer, as this guy did: kzhead.info/sun/hK2ukb5unaaOdWg/bejne.html
I have had my exact trailer for two years now.Have had no problems.Before I take it out again I will demount the tires and visually inspect them. Yes I did run them at 80psi for the 4000 miles I have on them.
Gotta love the old Honda 300 fourtrax. Those were such solid and reliable bikes
Max tire pressure on a light or unloaded trailer will cause it to bounce all over the road, and also cause the center of the tire to wear prematurely like yours did. Instead adjust the tire pressure according to the load you are putting on them. 25-30 psi for an unloaded trailer is just fine, and working up from there. A good way to test is to run through a puddle and see the tire footprint left on the road. Also ALWAYS come back and touch the tires and the bearings at every stop to check for unwanted heat building up due to underinflated tires or dry bearings, and to check your hitch, the chains (which should always be crossed under the hitch to form a catch basket) and your load.
The tag says, 'Maximum CARGO', not trailer and cargo. They never mean to include vehicle weight when describing load of trailer or truck. A 2-ton truck can haul 2 tons.
It is amazing to me to see so many trailers on the side of the road with flat tires. If I had no scruples a jack, two different size ball hitches and a few different size spare tires I could have a fleet of trailers. Some with boats, snowmobiles and many other loads. It only takes a small bit of time to inspect your equipment. The upside is someone (not me) will see your property as a target of opportunity.
And most of these trailers come with 55 mph tires yet fly down the road at 80 and not even inflated to rated psi. I watched a video years ago that did a tire test. 55 rated under load at 80 mph VS a higher rated tire. The deformation was insane. You will always have that 1 guy that does whatever because nothing ever happened yet so keep doing it.
It looks like someone has been using your treadwear gauge to hold a popsickle.
First thing I do with a new trailer is swap tires for radials. Much better!
Excellent video. Totally enjoyed watching it. I learned from it. Cheers.
Just Subscribed. I prefer a bias ply tire on a trailer. When you make a sharp turn on a heavy loaded tandem axle trailer your dragging the tires sideways. radials get over on the thin weak sidewall. and radial tires after a few years the steel belts start slipping and they fail. You will see failed radials with plenty of tread. The Bias Ply will still be holding air when the cord is showing. I drove trucks for more than 40 years. You get out and walk around about every hour. Feel the tires and hubs. A tire or bearing beginning to fail will get much hotter than the others. We have bias ply tires over twenty years old that are still in service.
Trailer tires are very different from car and truck tires. However where I live a large portion of the trailers are homemade. These typically have car tires. I am thinking about a small lightweight trailer I made about 25 years ago and still use. I made the axle using spindles from a 1974 Chevrolet truck. I also use original style wheels and used truck tires. The trailer is small and lightweight. I usually run the tires at about 15 psi. At that pressure the radial tires seem to ride better and still flex less than they would have at full pressure on a full sized pickup. Car tires actually work great on a trailer but the other way around is a bad idea.
I would agree but its illeagle to run car or truck tires on a trailer were i live,people need To be aware of that,you will get fined BY MTO if caught and insurance is void if theres an accident.
Buy another new one, put them both on the trailer and keep the ones on the trailer for spares. Mount one on the trailer and keep the other in the garage.
So did u ever figure out if max weight is with trailer or just cargo ontop of trailer?
So I got the the same trailer from harbor freight, I'm hearing that I cant go over 45mph? Is that true? Its the basic 5.30.12 load range C. Thanks
The tires air pressure all depends on the load weight carried, I've have a 1994( 5 X7) heavy duty tilt utility trailer, I brought the trailer new. I adjust the air pressure to load, example a 700 Lbs tractor vs 2000 Lbs of firewood(1face cord ) or topsoil, the trailer is rated 2200 Lbs and has heavy duty leaf springs, a small weight load at maximum air pressure, the trailer is bouncy, which gets old rather quickly
Do not exceed the Trailer’s maximum payload capacity of 1,720 lb. (evenly distributed) in manual
40 years ago I took a Utility trailer to a Sawmill 1600 # Trailer Loaded 2000 pounds of Lumber . only need to go a mile got a flat 1/8 mile . ok swap the spare go a 1/2 mile the other tire went boom . I dragged it 1/8 mile ripped the Tongue off in my yard . Lesson Learned Never over load a small trailer reason they tell you Max load on the Tongue . It was Rule Dirt road
You have read and checked the manufacturer ratings for the tires, however I haven’t been able see where you have found the manufacturer specs for the rims. Most of the trailer rims I have seen in the 10 to 14” sizes have a maximum pressure of 45 or 50 psi. Heavier ones from 15 to 16” many times are rated for 80 psi. An over inflated rim can at risk of cracking. Yes I have seen it in person.
You are so right considering your trailer weighs as well