480-12 Bias tire to Radial? Overkill? Recommendations wanted

I think I maybe over-thinking my trailer. Maybe not.

Never gave tires much thought, Always replaced every 5 years and kept them on boards out of the grass. Also carried 2 spares and never used them. My old boat I'm pretty sure had Carlisle 480-12' B's. Rig was lite, about 800 Lbs.

New/old boat & trailer I estimate will be about 1,100 lbs with no more than 1,300 tops finished out. ( I will weight when finished) Current tires are Carlisle USA Trail 480-12 B also. So they're rated for 1,560 (780 ea).My issue is in researching spares, I read that these have a habit of blowing out. Wondering if I just got lucky with the lite rig before.

Also I read that Class C needs 90lbs tire pressure to deal with it's 980 per tire capacity. I had a hard time with 60 lbs but 90? Rough ride yes?

Is a Radial overkill for 1,300 lb setup? I only see one that's close on a Kendal S trail that's 1/2" bigger and 3/4 wider.

I really don't have much, if any, room on the width with my fenders. Anyone know of a Radial that's a direct replacement for a 480-12?

Recommendations. (Brands also)

1. Stick with 480 bias B since I'm perhaps 14% below capacity(And I read B's run cooler than c's)

2. Upgrade to C's

3. Go to Radials (find a match or deal with fenders)

FYI, I do take 7-10 hr trips and like to go 70ish when I can.

Re: 480-12 Bias tire to Radial? Overkill? Recommendations wanted

Go with #1. Radial trailer tires are too prone to failures, IMHO. I just bought a set of that very size from recstuff.com. (IBoats didnt carry that particular combo) Load Star is a highly recommended brand and they came as OEM on 2 of my trailers. They have given me good service. One of my trailers calls for LRB but it came from the factory with LRC. Rides too bumpy.

BTW, no ST trailer tires are rated for 70 mph - do so at your own risk.

Re: 480-12 Bias tire to Radial? Overkill? Recommendations wanted

Bias tires are antiquated old school technology.

The difference is the way the tires are constructed as well as the materials used. Bias ply tires have the plies (layers of rubberized nylon or polyester mesh) laid in at a 30 ? 45 degree angle to the centerline of the tire and in alternating directions. There are usually fiberglass belts added for strength.
In the Radial design, Polyester cords are laid in and overlapped at 90 degrees to the centerline of the tire and then steel mesh belts are added. The Radial design prevents the point of contact (where the rubber meets the road) from deforming, unlike the Bias Ply, which does deform under load.
There are a number of benefits to the Radial design for the trailer operator.
1) Softer, smoother, quieter ride
2) Improved fuel economy
3) Flat, wider footprint for better tire wear
4) Runs cooler than a bias ply, minimizing risk of a blowout on the highway
5) Longer tire life
6) Better tracking ? Improved sway control
The main benefit for the Bias-Ply design is that the sidewall is more rugged and bruise resistant, plus Bias-Ply tires are usually less expensive. This could be an important consideration in a trailer application because many trailers are used infrequently, minimizing some of the Radial?s benefits.

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Re: 480-12 Bias tire to Radial? Overkill? Recommendations wanted

dingbat said:

Bias tires are antiquated old school technology.

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Yup, For sure! If you're talking about an automobile its no contest. That's where your six talking points shine. But trailers are a different animal. ST radials are not made like P or LT radials. That's why they say right on them "not for passenger use".

In my little world I see radial STs fail all the time, but have yet to see a bias fail.

Re: 480-12 Bias tire to Radial? Overkill? Recommendations wanted

JimS123 said:

Yup, For sure! If you're talking about an automobile its no contest. That's where your six talking points shine. But trailers are a different animal. ST radials are not made like P or LT radials. That's why they say right on them "not for passenger use".

In my little world I see radial STs fail all the time, but have yet to see a bias fail.

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I've seen just the opposite. Bias - good for a few years before they rot or fail, radial - lasts like a truck tire.

Re: 480-12 Bias tire to Radial? Overkill? Recommendations wanted

About bias tires:

This is our 26' Chaparral the day we picked it up, sitting on then 8-year old Goodyear Workhorse 8.75 x 16.5 LT bias tires. The original owner drove this boat to Lake Powell & back around 5 or 6 times a year (650 miles round trip), so they had 25 to 30k miles on them. As you can see, they're not squished a bit by the weight. As for my towing experience, the boat tracks perfect and the tires run cooler than the tires on whatever I'm towing it with.

As for tight-turning a tandem axle trailer on hot dry asphalt, well-- have you watched what radial tires do? They look like they're almost ready to peel themselves off the rims sometimes! And I'm no tire expert, but it's my opinion that those hard scrub parking lot turns damage the sidewall cords and may be a cause of radial blowouts on trailers.

But these bias Goodyears? Those sidewalls don't hardly squirm a bit in a tight turn, the tires just slide. Funny thing is, I don't particularly LIKE Goodyear tires, but for a trailer tire, I have nothing but good to say about these.

Re: 480-12 Bias tire to Radial? Overkill? Recommendations wanted

JimS123 said:

Yup, For sure! If you're talking about an automobile its no contest. That's where your six talking points shine. But trailers are a different animal. ST radials are not made like P or LT radials. That's why they say right on them "not for passenger use".

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The points above apply to radial used in trailer service as well.

Lasts longer. Better performance. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

Re: 480-12 Bias tire to Radial? Overkill? Recommendations wanted

Frantically Relaxing said:

About bias tires:

This is our 26' Chaparral the day we picked it up, sitting on then 8-year old Goodyear Workhorse 8.75 x 16.5 LT bias tires.

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Re: 480-12 Bias tire to Radial? Overkill? Recommendations wanted

OK vote results are tied at 2-2. It appears with the reading I've done the results will continue to be even.

He's what I've learned.

1. A lot of complaints about both Bias and Radials in the past 5 years. Even from people that swore they took care of them. Pressure, storage, etc. However, China factor or general quality,, but something seems to be different.
2. It does appear Radials get used close to the max rate more often then Bias.
3. Most agree to Bias having stronger sidewalls.
4. And there is a lot of LT users out there very happy with their tires.

So I've made my choice of going with Radials based on these factors.

1. There is no consensus between using either one.
2. $100 more a tire is nothing compared to the money I'm dropping each month for two daughters in College.
3. Sidewalls being the weak point will be offset by rig being at least 35% under the tire max weight.
4. Last, all of the above are just an excuse,,, because the real reason is that I can get them with these much cooler looking spoke wheels in the 12" size

Too bad Iboats does not carry them. I really like their quick shipping.

Thanks for the feedback