# Trailer Tires



## FSUDrew99 (Feb 3, 2015)

Bought some Goodyear Marathons ST175/80R13 about 6 months ago. Been great and no issues. When I travel with the boat and trailer which that total weight on both tires has to be less than 1000 lb (<500 lb each) I run around 75-80 mph. Anyone jump up to a higher speed rated tire like the Taskmasters rated for 81 mph??

My mechanic and guy at the tire place said with that little weight on the tires I have now and keeping them properly inflated it won't be an issue to travel 75-80 mph.

Just throwing it out there.....


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Get another mechanic and remember that guys who work at tire stores like to sell tires.... Trailer tires are only rated to go 65 miles an hour. Drive any way you want, though - you're footing the bill one way or the other.

I tow 20,000 to 23,000 miles a year (for about 20 years now, give or take) and make a point of not going faster than 65 unless I'm passing or need to go a bit faster to avoid a bad bunch of drivers... With Flamingo roughly 94 miles from my house every booking down there has me on the road nearly four hours a day...


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## FSUDrew99 (Feb 3, 2015)

Well everyone's opinion was that halving such a light load of a boat and properly inflated tires it shouldn't be an issue. I keep them around 45 out of 50 Max psi. 

Just seeing if it was worth upgrading. I usually stay around the 70-75 mph mark at most honestly and touch it higher if I pass people.


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## jmrodandgun (Sep 20, 2013)

I'm pretty sure that industry standard ST tires is 65 mph. LT tires are often made in trailer sizes, but even then the juice is not worth the squeeze. 

I don't know how far you drive to the ramp, but lets just say you're 100 miles from driveway to water. If you can do 80 mph for long enough to bring up your average speed any significant amount (I *VERY* seriously doubt you can accomplish this) you would be lucky to save yourself 10 minutes. Even if you started out of your driveway like a rocket and did 80 mph without slowing down for 100 miles, you would save yourself a whole entire 16 minutes vs driving the rated speed of your trailer tiers.


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## Zhunter (Feb 19, 2014)

I typically drive 2 hours 45 minutes to my launch site, and I drive no faster than 75 mph on the way down (VERY early in the dark) and just drive with traffic on the way home. With traffic is sometimes faster than 75 mph. I keep my tires inflated to 50#'s, and I typically replace tires every other year. At $99 each it is a pretty cheap expense in the big scheme of things.


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## FSUDrew99 (Feb 3, 2015)

Zhunter said:


> I typically drive 2 hours 45 minutes to my launch site, and I drive no faster than 75 mph on the way down (VERY early in the dark) and just drive with traffic on the way home. With traffic is sometimes faster than 75 mph. I keep my tires inflated to 50#'s, and I typically replace tires every other year. At $99 each it is a pretty cheap expense in the big scheme of things.



I'm with you on that. I'm just gonna keep rolling with them.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Here's a thing or two I didn't talk about..... Like most I run steel belted radials - and have had more than my share of practice changing out flat tires (my first year guiding I popped five tires -and never got to change one in daylight....). I finally learned to put decent rubber up under my trailer and now get nearly 20,000 miles on a set (provided a road hazard doesn't jump up and bite me...). The thing is... with steel-belted radials at highway speeds you end up with a steel flail under your fender if you can't slow down quickly and get to the side of the road -- Yep, that means your shredded tire and what's left of that steel belt can wipe out all the running lights and their wiring in just a few seconds. I also know guys who've lost an entire fender from a blown radial - particularly at high speeds in heavy traffic where it may take a few seconds to even be able to slow down, change lanes, and get to the side of the roadway...

Since I'm a commercial operator I just take things as they come - and have more than once not only changed out a shredded tire - but made plans to replace running lights for that fender in a day or two... The faster you go the more damage that shredded radial is capable of doing... In all the years I've been towing boats, though, I've never lost a fender (came close last year after an encounter with a 'gator... and did eventually have to replace that fender..).

Like I've already said, each one of us will be the guy paying for the repairs - one way or the other... so you get to choose just how bad you want it to be...


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## FSUDrew99 (Feb 3, 2015)

Looking at the sidewalk and reading up more my tire it is actually rated for 75 mph with a speed rating "L". 

Shouldn't have even made this post... haha


View attachment 5888


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

I heed the gospel of Lemay. I have lost a fender and I was doing 65 on I-75. While heading north I was just cruising along and there was a car approaching on my left and as soon as his front bumper equaled the rear of my trailer the tire exploded and the fender just missed the windshield of the car approaching - just happened to be a state trooper. Bottom line is you jut don't know when it is going to blow.

On the speed thing. Why would you need to travel 80 mph? Do you know exactly when you are going to have to slam on the brakes for a road hazard or a deer in the road? Even though your tires might be rated for the speed, 80 is not a safe operating speed for a trailer.

If you want speed rating I understand Pirelli has some pretty high rates tires.


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## topnative2 (Feb 22, 2009)

Just a thought here ....is 70mph rated trailer tire really doing just 70mph when your truck is doing 70mph?


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## jmrodandgun (Sep 20, 2013)

topnative2 said:


> Just a thought here ....is 70mph rated trailer tire really doing just 70mph when your truck is doing 70mph?


A trailer trailer is screaming at 75 mile an hour. I bet it's spinning nearly twice as fast.


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## not2shabby (Sep 14, 2016)

Anybody use Hankook Optimo H724 tires on their trailer? $49 shipped right now from Amazon.


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## State fish rob (Jan 25, 2017)

I use radials when i can , always have them balanced radial or bias ply . Not about how fast you tow, its how safely can you stop. Nc state law is 55 mph w trailer. No one follows that one. Any of you guys’ states require a trailer inpection?


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## mro (Jan 24, 2018)

I've towed quite a bit over the years both private and commercial.
Something to consider.
Out here on the left coast if you get involved in an accident and your speeding at the time regardless of who caused it you are considered to be at the least partially at fault. Unless the law has changed, if your exceeding the speed limit by 15 mph your considered a "reckless driver". I don't think an insurance company even in Florida will help you out if your breaking the law. An accident could turn into a life changing event. Out here you have a blowout at 70 mph, tire shreds and causes an other driver to take evasive action and dies or cause a further accident and someone dies... you might wind up in a place where your wife will get to visit you on the other side of some steel bars.


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## State fish rob (Jan 25, 2017)

Come on man ,that’s like asking what weighs more ? a pound of rocks or a pound of feathers ,70 miles an hour is 70 miles an hour if it wasnt , the boat would pass you ,prolly on the rite


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## GullsGoneWild (Dec 16, 2014)

State fish rob said:


> Come on man ,that’s like asking what weighs more ? a pound of rocks or a pound of feathers ,70 miles an hour is 70 miles an hour if it wasnt , the boat would pass you ,prolly on the rite


Pound of feathers. You have to live with the weight of what you did to those poor birds, you sick f**k.


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## Steve_Mevers (Feb 8, 2013)

lemaymiami said:


> Here's a thing or two I didn't talk about..... Like most I run steel belted radials - and have had more than my share of practice changing out flat tires (my first year guiding I popped five tires -and never got to change one in daylight....). I finally learned to put decent rubber up under my trailer and now get nearly 20,000 miles on a set (provided a road hazard doesn't jump up and bite me...). The thing is... with steel-belted radials at highway speeds you end up with a steel flail under your fender if you can't slow down quickly and get to the side of the road -- Yep, that means your shredded tire and what's left of that steel belt can wipe out all the running lights and their wiring in just a few seconds. I also know guys who've lost an entire fender from a blown radial - particularly at high speeds in heavy traffic where it may take a few seconds to even be able to slow down, change lanes, and get to the side of the roadway...
> 
> Since I'm a commercial operator I just take things as they come - and have more than once not only changed out a shredded tire - but made plans to replace running lights for that fender in a day or two... The faster you go the more damage that shredded radial is capable of doing... In all the years I've been towing boats, though, I've never lost a fender (came close last year after an encounter with a 'gator... and did eventually have to replace that fender..).
> 
> Like I've already said, each one of us will be the guy paying for the repairs - one way or the other... so you get to choose just how bad you want it to be...


I am with Bob on this one, I have towed boats for thousands of miles and rarely tow over 65 mph. I run Maxxis 8008 radials and they are great tires. What kills tires is heat, and here in Florida we have plenty of that on the asphalt roads, and the faster you run (and if your air pressure is not right) you create more heat. I have seen trailer tires on RV's blowout and the tires blew right into the camper destroying kitchen cabinets causing thousands of dollars in damage. I do know of guys that run light truck tires on their trailers at hight speeds, but I think you have to run 15" or bigger tires to get LT tires to fit. I don't save any time by running 75 mph, maybe 10 minutes and it is a lot more stressful. To each their own, but I would rather be slow and steady and not have to change tires out on the side of the road.


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## Guest (Jan 10, 2019)

State fish rob said:


> Come on man ,that’s like asking what weighs more ? a pound of rocks or a pound of feathers ,70 miles an hour is 70 miles an hour if it wasnt , the boat would pass you ,prolly on the rite


No. It’s simple. Your tow vehicle has much larger diameter tires than your trailer. For each unit of distance (feet, miles etc) that your tow vehicle travels, your smaller trailer tire Has to spin at a much hire rpm to go the same distance. 

Two people running at 15mph for one mile. One is 6’5 one is 5’. How many more steps does the shorter runner with shorter stride have to take?


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## GG34 (May 2, 2014)

A tire going 70 is going 70 regardless of rpm to maintain. A tire rated for 70 is rated for whatever rpm required.


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## mro (Jan 24, 2018)

_No. It’s simple. Your tow vehicle has much larger diameter tires than your trailer. For each unit of distance (feet, miles etc) that your tow vehicle travels, your smaller trailer tire Has to spin at a much hire rpm to go the same distance. _
________

The rotational difference between your truck and trailer tires is easy to determine.
Measure the height of the tires, then multiply by 3.14.
My van tires (kinda worn) are about 27 inches high, trailer about 22 inches.

That makes the van tires 84.78 inches circumference, the trailer 69.08
84.78 \ 69.08 = 1.227 that means the tuck tire is 122.7 % taller than the trailer
Close enough to 20% that truck tire goes around 5 times and the trailer just over 6 times.
I've not calculated anything for decades
so I could have it wrong so...........


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## not2shabby (Sep 14, 2016)

I’m sorry I revived this old thread.


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## Guest (Jan 11, 2019)

GG34 said:


> A tire going 70 is going 70 regardless of rpm to maintain. A tire rated for 70 is rated for whatever rpm required.


I'm just saying that if you have a tire rates for 65 mph, and your truck is doing 80, with much larger tires, the stresses are much hire on the smaller circumference trailer tires. They are spinning way faster than your truck to go the same distance


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## GG34 (May 2, 2014)

Tarpon Nole said:


> I'm just saying that if you have a tire rates for 65 mph, and your truck is doing 80, with much larger tires, the stresses are much hire on the smaller circumference trailer tires. They are spinning way faster than your truck to go the same distance


Gotcha. My only point was that speed is the only measurements used in the rating. It assumes the appropriate rpm for that speed. You are right though, 80 is to much stress on the tire.


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## fishnpreacher (Jul 28, 2018)

So, what is the cause of most trailer tire blowouts? Is it heat buildup? Centrifugal force from spinning? Road debris? I don't trailer over 30 miles one way more than 3-4 times per year.


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## FlyBy (Jul 12, 2013)

fishnpreacher said:


> So, what is the cause of most trailer tire blowouts? Is it heat buildup? Centrifugal force from spinning? Road debris? I don't trailer over 30 miles one way more than 3-4 times per year.


Usually heat build-up from low pressure.


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## State fish rob (Jan 25, 2017)

GullsGoneWild said:


> Pound of feathers. You have to live with the weight of what you did to those poor birds, you sick f**k.


They were all tasty tasty. Grilled not fried

needed 97 to be exact, for a pound of feathers


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## State fish rob (Jan 25, 2017)

FlyBy said:


> Usually heat build-up from low pressure.


Trailer tires also dry rot faster. Make up of the rubber compound


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## State fish rob (Jan 25, 2017)

Tarpon Nole said:


> No. It’s simple. Your tow vehicle has much larger diameter tires than your trailer. For each unit of distance (feet, miles etc) that your tow vehicle travels, your smaller trailer tire Has to spin at a much hire rpm to go the same distance.
> 
> Two people running at 15mph for one mile. One is 6’5 one is 5’. How many more steps does the shorter runner with shorter stride have to take?


Dude id buy what you are selling ,IF , i drug the trailer to the ramp by hand. Besides I think that big dude Was taking baby steps. Anybody’s odometer come with an adjustment for tire sizes


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Jesus Christ people go fishing. 
Get some Michelin Z rated tires and don’t worry about how fast you pull your boat again. Trailer tires are ridiculous.


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