I AM FIXING TO REPLACE THE TIRES ON MY BASS BOAT AND I WAS WONDERING IF ANYONE USES JUST REGULAR TIRES ON THEIR BOATS, NOT SPECIALTY TRAILER TIRES. IS THERE THAT BIG OF A DIFFERENCE, MY BOAT IS ONLY A 18FT JAVELIN SO IT DOESNT WEIGH A LOT SO THATS WHY I WAS THINKING OF GOING WITH REGUALR TIRES INSTEAD OF TRAILER TIRES TO SAVE A FEW BUCKS. LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS THINK.

Being stuck on the side of the road carries a larger price tag for me than the cost of good trailer tires.

If that is not a big deal to you, then you can go with cheap ply biased tires. No steel belted.

I don't know if this is true, I once had tire specialist tell me steel belts should not be used on boat trailers that set under water. Belts can rust if tire damage occurs. I never asked anyone if thats a true statement.

I use Discount tires for the boat, I use what they recommend, and they have always verified the tire with trailer rating plate, that works for me. Plus theres enough Discounts across Tx.

Matt

Trailer tires are a thicker ply ,will hold up under the pressure,for the times you have to jackknife in turning or backing.I would recommend the stronger sidewall.

not to highjack the post, but coming home from texoma I got a flat tire, and bent one of the wheels. So now I am in the market for new wheels and tires, where would you guys send me to shop for them?

Guess I need to stop driving in the rain then - huh.

It is all in the load rating. BassCat has used Firestone Firehawks and Cooper Cobra's in the last few years and have had better luck than with the Marathons. But again I cannot stress the load rating enough, that is where you get in trouble with the sidewall strength. The boat will be bouncy and roll more in corners.

The tires for trailers are designed differently then automobile tires, trailer tires are designed to withstand force from the bouncing motion from the weight of the trailer and boat. They are reinforced to make them last longer from this kinda of treatment.


Automobile tires are designed to withstand more force on the side walls, giving it more flexibility to handle corners and things like that.

I would suggest putting trailer tires back on it. It will save you money in the long run. I would hate to hear a story about you going to tourney but couldnt make it because of a blow-out.

Spend a little extra money and get some good trialer tires. It will be worth it...

I had nothing but "bad luck" with the Marathons, had blow-outs on two Marathons, replaced them again with Marathons, on my way to Falcon, had a blow-out on on of the "new" Marathon's--
I now have B.F.Goodrich tire on all four wheels--

I run a transportation department for a large school district and we have dozens of trailers. I promise that the information you seeing about the load rating is the most important item concerning trailer tires. Always go with at least the minimum recommended load rating for your trailer and with my boat I go one rating up just for the peace of mind. There are a lot of rough roads out there going to boat ramps.

Goodyear Marathons.

Go to Southwest wheel Toll Free: 1-800-866-3336 - Local: 214-631-0200
Southwest Wheel 8740 John W Carpenter Frwy. Dallas, TX 75247.

Bought my trailer spare there. Galvanized rim and new trailer tire mounted while I waited about 75.00. These guys seemed to be very knowledgeable.

I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND CARLISLE TRAILER TIRES, I SPENT THREE YEARS CONSTNTLY REPLACING TIRES, THEY ALWAYS REPLACED THEM AT A LOW PRORATED PRICE BUT THE TIME LOST WAS NOT WORTH IT, I NOW RUN MARATHONS WITH NOT A PROBLEM YET, NOT TO SAY I WONT HAVE ONE TOMORROW BUT SO FAR MUCH BETTER THAN BEFORE.

Go with a light truck tire. I have been using them for 20 plus years now!!!

Hook Em
Will discount work on the tires on the trailer or do you have to take them off?
Guns Up!!!!

Buy a trailer rated tire...don't chance your safety (or mine) to a car tire...there are usually not that much more.

Also, Discount sells a Maxum or Maxxis tire, I had good luck with them.

After getting a trailer tire the SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT thing is keeping 50psi in there, anything else they will wear unevenly...

Also, if you read on the goodyear marathon site, trailer tires are not designed to last until the tread wears away, like car tires. Every 3-5 years (depending on where it is stored, sunlight breaks them down) they need to be replaced, even if the tread is brand new looking. I know, I know, they are trying to sell tires, but take it into consideration.

Funny this subject came up on the BassCat owner's board yesterday and here is their response:

http://basscatowners.yuku.com/topic/2610

It is all in the load rating just keep that in mind and if you do no ones safety is a concern.

I would take the advise of those responders who say buy trailer tires, of the proper load rating.

I had bad luck with Marathons (now made in China) and very bad luck with Carlisles. (Blowouts-Separations-blowouts) And I keep them inflated.

Last set I bought was Towmasters, about a year ago. Still o.k.
(made in Canada).

I will not trust tires made in China!

For Forkduc- Discount will work on them on the trailer - they also have or can order the Marathons - just replaced two that they ordered and got in about 2 days. Seems like it was about $200 +/- for tires mounted and balanced.

buy a trailer tire.also get the road hazard replacement.

Those are what I have and have not had any issues. Recommended by the guy at Discount tire a few years back.

So who has the best price for trailer tires?Wal-mart has Carsile for 89.00.

What size do you need?

You get what you pay for.

I buy the best I can afford. One less thing to worry about.

st205-75-14.I have Goodyear Marathons now.

I have had great luck with the Tow Master II tires, which are six ply and run at 50 psi. I get them at Select tire for $43 plus about $20 shipping. Here is website.

http://www.selecttire.com/

definally go w/ a trailer tire I prefer redials load rating to match or surpass the ones that came on the trailer.good luck

Trailer tire stand up better. Therefore when going around curves or sudden swerves the trailer will track better. The last thing you want is to have a trailer start swaping ends. Take this from my past experience with car type tires.

GoodYear Suxs......

I heard and have experience too many of them blowing out or blowing out the tread.

For years, I always used radials on the boat trailer. Recently, I switched to trailer tires after an unbelievable fiasco on the side of the road involving a spinning lug bolt. The one thing I've noticed in the change is that the trailer tires seem a little "stiff" when first leaving on a trip, maybe the first five miles or so. They cause a small amount of vibration in my truck. I went back and had them re-balanced and that helped. They are six ply. After they sort of "warm up" they run fine. Overall, trailers should have trailer tires.

I worked for a boat trailer company for many years (also a long time ago). The tires used then were special trailer bias ply,with some being radials.On the tire failures that could be determined most were from exceeding the tire capacity, and a few were from low tire pressure. Usually true tire failures then and now can't be determined because of the destruction of the tire. I can't remember much use of auto tires on trailers because there was little cost difference.
On a percentage basis,I think that there is less tire failures today than in past years. With todays communications you hear about the relatively few failures compared to the thousands of no problems.

It is my opinion that tires specifically made for a use should be used and you get what you pay for.

BTM

buy a trailer tire for sure ! I have tryed alot of brands and they all are pretty good as long as you make sure air pressure is correct before every trip! The only tire i had problems with was the Goodyear Marathons.

I have bought tires for my boat and my camper from Select Tire . com and got the best price even after shipping. They have a big selection to chose from.

+1

Here is what you need to know. Every tire has a maximum load rating at X psi. A ST215/15 Marathon has a rating of 1870 pounds at 50 psi. This calculates to 37.4 pounds at 1 psi. This means at 40 psi it is rated for 1496 pounds. Trailer tires (ST) have a higher load rating than passenger tires (P) of the same size.

Everyone should know what their boat and trailer weighs with fuel and equipment. Most truck stops or any place that sells stone can weigh it for about $10. Most single axle trailers have a load rating of 2800-3500 lbs and tandeum trailers 6000-7000 lbs. The tire rating should match the trailer rating. My boat and trailer loaded weighs 4200 lbs and is on a 6000 lb rated tandeum trailer. Four Marathons at 40 psi have a total rating of 6000 lbs. Therefore I can run 40 psi getting a smoother ride than running 50 psi and safely carry the 4200 lb load.

Most single axle trailers have 205/14 tires. This is from memory but a ST205 has a max rating around 1700 lbs and a P205 has a max rating of 1300 lbs. Combining the two the ST tires is 3400 lbs and the P rated is 2600 lbs. If the total weight of the boat and trailer does not exceed 2600 lbs then you can run the P rated tires. There are alot of fiberglass boats on single axle trailers that exceed the tire and trailer ratings when loaded with fuel and equipment.

Look at the trailer rating on the trailer MFG plate, look at the max load and PSI on the tires, and get your boat and trailer weighed. Knowing exactly what you have is a good thing.

Radial tires is the only way to go because they will make the trailer handle better and not sway like bias tires. Spending an extra $50 to $100 for good tires is worth every penny when you have been on the side of the road with a blowout.

I use Carlisle on my trailer with great luck. I pull my boat EVERY weekend and have not had any problems with them. I usually put Load Range D on my trailer, that is a bit over kill for my Lowe, but they have held up good over the last two years.

My trailer, my buddies trailer, another buddies trailer, and yet another buddies trailer all came with Carlisles on them---ALL of them suffered from the same thing--the inside--and only the inside tread wore away until replaced or a blowout occured. I replaced mine with what they sold me at NTB--no more problems.

Goodyear Marathons. Any Michelin tire that might be compareable. If they make a trailer tire. If your boat is not stored inside, invest in some tire covers like they make for RV's. The sun is one of the worst enemies of tires, not in use.

Where can I get boat and trailer weighed......I have an 84 17-10'Ranger...150 merc .......trailer tires are 14' rated for 1750 max.......I think im ok but would like to know for sure ..any thoughts

Hit a truck stop. They will probably look at you funny but weigh it for a few bucks.

So where does one get cheap bias trailer tires in the Houston area? I usually pay about $50 at a co-op but that's not convenient anymore. I don't know or care about the brands of tires on any of my trailers anymore, as long as they're bias. They have much less of a habit of blowing up. Double the life for half the price.

i used to run Carlisle's and would only get one to two trips to South Padre out of them, i switched to Marathons and i am getting ready to take my 5th trip south on them. i always keep the recommended tire pressure when going on long trips and so far the Marathons have been much better...

I currently have Carlisle's on my trailer and they are wearing on the outside like they don't have enough air in them, but I run them at the max 50psi. I was thinking of putting a pair of radials on the ground and keeping my best Carlisle for a spare, but I have been told not to put a bias ply tire on the same axial as a radial. What is the affect? Should I worry about it since it will only be used as a spare?

Has anyone tried the trailer tires from Academy? I believe they are made by Tow Master. Thinking about getting these myself.

Will trailer tires be marked somehow?? Got 2 new tires for my trailer from a friend at Firestone but not sure if they are trailer or car.

st prefix indicates trailer tire call southwest wheel in dallas

So it would be ST195/75.....instead of P195/75.....

Would I be better off getting Goodyears or Carlisles?? Mixed reviews here on these two brands.

absoultly p is passenger car i run goodyear marathon

Anyone know how good Greenball tires are?? Discount carries them. Also found them at selecttire.com. It is cheaper to buy them and have them shipped to my house than to buy them locally. I think they are around $80 each at DT. Select tire has them for $43 each plus shipping. About $200 for 3 shipped. At DT they would be considerably more.

try southwest wheel they sell reasonably priced trailer tires

Just one other thought to this after reading about how important running the 50psi is...
If you have been running 40 psi for some time and decide that now its time to bump them up to 50 for a long trip be prepared for a roadside assistance...
Just FYI
I Now will keep that at 50..from new.

Anyone?

I have two old auto tires on my boat trailer from the previous owner which have both thrown tread. I need to replace them with trailer tires but the auto tire does not match up in size to any trailer tires. The tires on there now are 185/70/13. What size trailer tire is the equivalent to that? Looks like I will be buying from selecttire.com as none of the local places could help me with the 13" trailer tires. Any help is appreciated.

I have had to replace 7 Goodyear Marathon tires in the past year. I have 3 boat trailers and a travel trailer. Every one blew out sitting in the driveway and not moving. Even the spare tire on the trawvel trailer blew out. If these go bad I will never buy another Goodyear product and would suggest every one do the same. Could use suggestions on a good tire brand.

I have a Champion on a tandem axel trailer. It had Carlisle Tires and 2 blew out and 1 seperated. I now have 2 Maratons and 2 supercargo's. I will see which goes first! Now I have to repair both fenders and repaint. Thats a drag.............

I've been running regular car tires to haul my Ranger around for years. No problems, no flats. I'm running steel belted radials. Trailer tires or car tires both are succeptible to flats. Only difference I saw is that my radials tend to allow my trailer to bounce a little down the road as apposed to a stiffer ride. My Ranger doesn't seem to mind as long as I get her to the water.

Trailer tires are designed for intermittant use with long periods sitting in one place. They are designed to not develop flat spots from sitting.

Car tires if left sitting under load for long periods will get a flatspot in them, and will cause addition wear, as well as additional bouncing type stresses.

Go with trailer tires, the extra 15/20 per tire is well worth it.