craze1cars
Lieutenant Commander
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2004
- Messages
- 1,822
All the not-so-long-ago battles regarding these trailer tires got me a little interested. As someone who never really gave a flying patootie about brand names, I surveyed my fleet of trailers, as well as my fathers fleet, to see what kind of tires they actually have, expecting to see a bunch of Goodyears and Carlisles. I was genuinely surprised to find such diversity (I had to go back to the truck to get paper & pen to take notes!):<br /> <br />My boat # 1: Goodyear<br />My boat # 1 spare: Carlisle<br />My boat # 2: Nanco<br />My snowmobile trailer: Load Rite<br />My snowmobile trailer spare: Dico<br />My car hauler: BF Goodrich<br />Dad's boat # 1: Innova<br />Dad's boat # 2: BF Goodrich<br />Dad's boat # 2 spare: Firestone (very old)<br />Dad's boat # 3: Cooper<br />Dad's snowmobile trailer: Carlisle<br />Dad's snowmobile trailer #2: Titan<br /><br />Number of blowouts between the two of us in the past 30+ years of towing: ONE. We both remember it clearly as we were on a trip together and Dad was miserable with the flu, we were in a blizzard at night, we broke the lug wrench, and a wonderful old man in the middle of UP Michigan came to our rescue with a loaner wrench. That was on a snowmobile trailer, sometime in the mid 70's. I have no idea what brand that tire was or why it failed. Though at almost 70 years old Dad's travelling days are now starting to slow, we both have towed a LOT...many LONG trips per year at interstate speeds between Colorado, Wyoming, Tennessee, Michigan, Minnesota, and everywhere in-between, and we are both VERY careful about preventative maintenance and proper loading. I also rotate my tires once a year (run the spare so it doesn't just sit there and rot), so my spare tires are on the ground as often as the running tires and I know for a fact they're good. Dad doesn't do this (thus the antique Firestone on one trailer).<br /><br />If you are always aware of tire pressure, bearing maintenance, proper storage, load weights, and do regular inspections, I strongly feel that ANY brand of trailer tire is perfectly fine.<br /><br />But if a particular brand still scares you because of a few possibly legitimate failures (plus all the additional bandwagon brand bashers,) every single one of the above brands is still available (except maybe the Firestone...not sure), and every single tire in our fleet is marked ST. Just do an internet search and you'll find them all for sale somewhere.<br /><br />You do have options!
. It is about 2 years old, has never touched the ground, has been maintained at proper pressure and even had a cover over it. It just self-destructed while suspended on the spare mount. I am thankful that I never had to use this thing (probably because I have Marathons). I now join the ranks of the Carlisle bashers!<br /><br />
