China Tires

[cliff918]

I have heard a lot about China tires and have had one blow out that caused over 4K damage to my 15 3910FB.
The tires had only about 2K on them and were at proper pressure and not overloaded.
I went after the tire manufacturer Crown Tire in China. After about 5 months of back and forth they settled with me for a little more than half the estimate from the Keystone dealer.
I want to mention the saving document in this case was the scale weight slip that I had gotten at the start of out trip.
It is well worth the time to pull across a public scale and get a printed slip of the weight of your rig, the tire manufacturer will always say that the rig was overloaded unless you can prove otherwise.
By the way repair was done by an independent repair facility at half the price quoted by the Keystone dealer. The savings paid for a new set of Carlisle's.

[bigskyjimmy]

That's good news coming out of a bad situation with the blow out damage But you replaced them with Carlisle's while good tires I did not know they made a G rated 14 ply tire and that is what these bigger newer Montana's have to have not E rated or you will be looking for another blow out Made in USA OR China IMO

[cliff918]

New style Carlisle's with higher weight and speed rating than the E rated China tires my 2015 came with, yes made in USA

[bigskyjimmy]

Good to know another option out there just do not see many people running them on the newer Bigger 5er's like Goodyear G614's and Saliun S637's

[mlh]

China tires $4000 damage. Not surprised but at least you knew enough to get them off. Some people don't and go right on buying China going to blow tires. I see campers at an exit just off I81 with blown tires. Sometimes you can tell them and sometimes they get mad. Oh well!
Lynwood

[CORattler]

Originally Posted by mlh

China tires $4000 damage. Not surprised but at least you knew enough to get them off. Some people don't and go right on buying China going to blow tires. I see campers at an exit just off I81 with blown tires. Sometimes you can tell them and sometimes they get mad. Oh well!
Lynwood

If they get mad, just smile and wish them safe travels

[mlh]

If you keep doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result you gotta be stupid so it's no need to talk to them. You just smile or LOL and forget it. Ain't my camper so I don't care.
Lynwood

[Dixie Flyer]

I bought a 2005 Wildcat which had Good Year Marathon tires on It. The first tire blew out on a trip to South Georgia when it was a year old. I put new Good Year Marathon tires on it in 2009 before a trip to New Mexico. On that trip I blew all four tires before I could get home. One tire the tread came off in Texas and knocked a hole in the bottom of the camper, snatched a wiring harness out of the wall and I had about twenty feet of wire hanging out of the camper and over four thousand dollars worth of damage.

Good Year made good on the damage and tire replacement. I wrote Forest River a letter explaining the problems I had with the tires on the camper because by now I had gone through three sets of tires in four years. I got a call from Forest river asking me for the serial number on the camper which I gave them. A few days later I got a call from Forest River advising me they were sending me a complete set of axles, news tires and wheels along with a Moreride suspension system at no charge. Asked what dealer to send then to as they were going to pay for the labor as well.

After the upgrade I never had a problem with tires or suspension system as long as I had the Wildcat. The Good Year tires were replaced with another brand of tire and were still on the camper when I sold it. When I bought the 2001 Montana Good Year Marathon tires were on it and after one year all four tires had to be replaced. Needless to say I had a fill of tires made on China that is when I went to the Good Year G614. Those tires stayed on it until I traded for a motorhome in 2015. The motorhome didn't work out for us so I sold it and bought the used 2015 Montana and the first thing that went was the China made tires.

I really can't say for certain that all China made tires are bad, neither can I say that all USA made tires are flawless. However I can say this. In my experience the made in the USA tires I have bought have had a better track record. Therefore as far as I am concerned I had rather run a tire on my camper that I have confidence in than to run a tire that has a big question mark hanging over it.

[fauch]

What size/Rating "China Tires" did you have?
This is more important than the fact that they were "China Tires"
I have been a pest on this since 2011.
We are missing the most important learning when our 'cause analysis' points straight to China Tires'.
I want to know TIRE LABEL INFO
Were these your tires? ST235/80R16E
These are 65 mph rated.3,520 lbs at 80 psi AT 65MPH.

15392 lbs is the GVWR on that trailer.
12,632 on wheels, 2760 on the hitch.
~3158 lbs/tire

[phillyg]

Fauch, I understand where you're coming from. But, while the tire you quoted is technically within the load spec'd by Keystone for the larger Montanas, those tires are clearly not up to the task based on anecdotal evidence from a variety of RV websites, and they are mostly Chinese tires.

Now, it may be true that some posters' complaints might be unfair because they really didn't maintain the tire pressure correctly, or drove in excess of 65mph, or damaged a tire hitting something, I still tend to believe the cheap Chinese tires used by many RV mfgrs. are of inferior quality based on anecdotal evidence.

[fauch]

Originally Posted by phillyg

Fauch, I understand where you're coming from. But, while the tire you quoted is technically within the load spec'd by Keystone for the larger Montanas, those tires are clearly not up to the task based on anecdotal evidence from a variety of RV websites, and they are mostly Chinese tires.

Now, it may be true that some posters' complaints might be unfair because they really didn't maintain the tire pressure correctly, or drove in excess of 65mph, or damaged a tire hitting something, I still tend to believe the cheap Chinese tires used by many RV mfgrs. are of inferior quality based on anecdotal evidence.

I would never have that tire on my trailer. I personally have never had anything other than LT tires on my trailer. The 'buffer' as some call it, that lies in that range between reasonable traveling speed and 106mph (load/speed rating for my LTs) is where the safety factor is. The information on the sidewall of that tire that worries me, is not 'made in China', it is the load/speed rating.

The tire that I quoted is the tire that Keystone installed on that trailer when new.

I would bet my last cigar that almost all of these trailers have been towed from Indiana to the dealer at 75+ mph. The centrifugal effect of speed on a tire does not necessarily cause immediate failure.

I'll trade my USA made ST tires for your China LT tires all day long.
the tires above:
ST235/80R16E vs
LT235/85R16E

[bigred715]

Keystone knew about the Chinese tires a long time ago. Good Year Marathon made in China. They could have changed to another brand, upped the price by about $1000 or less and we would have paid the increased price of the 5th wheel anyway. Thousands of dollars saved by the owners and a lot of good will towards Keystone.

[mlh]

For those who think they these China bomb tires I what you need I say good luck I wish you well.
Lynwood

[moc5er]

Originally Posted by mlh

For those who think they these China bomb tires I what you need I say good luck I wish you well.
Lynwood

Your reply makes no sense please correct it.

[fauch]

AGAIN
Just changing to another brand would not do it for me. Unless that other brand was NOT a trailer tire. I don't care where it was made.

ST235/80R16E vs
LT235/85R16E

[Golfmedik]

A new E rated tire is now on the market. It is the new Goodyear Endurance line of tires that are all American made and they have up to an "N" speed rating.

[fauch]

'N' speed rating on the GY Endurance is 2830 lbs @87 mph. A long way from 3042 lbs at 106mph. Another ST E rated tire. NOT an LT E rated tire.


T225/75R15
117/112N E
Trailer Use Only
None 2,830 lbs.

[Buckeye83]

Originally Posted by fauch

'N' speed rating on the GY Endurance is 2830 lbs @87 mph. A long way from 3042 lbs at 106mph. Another ST E rated tire. NOT an LT E rated tire.


T225/75R15
117/112N E
Trailer Use Only
None 2,830 lbs.

After speaking with a couple of GY engineers and corporate sales we have decided to try the new GY endurance tires over the GY G614. The 235/80/16 tires are rated at 3420 pounds at 80 psi. This is the direct replacement for our HC and well within our scaled weights. The 235/85/16 tires are rated at 3638 at 80 psi which may be suitable for the Montana. They both carry the N speed rating.

They get mounted tomorrow...

[fauch]

Ya bunch of hard-headed 'fous' (look that one up in the French-English dictionary)

The entire tire performance on a trailer is in the Speed to Weight Rating

CHINA, 'E', be dammed! I want a tire that gives me required weight capacity at high speeds. LT tires on a trailer is the only way to go.
I know personal opinions are like .....
But i also have a lot of data, history and info....

[PSFORD99]

Originally Posted by fauch

Ya bunch of hard-headed 'couyons' (look that one up in the French-English dictionary)

The entire tire performance on a trailer is in the Speed to Weight Rating

CHINA, 'E', be dammed! I want a tire that gives me required weight capacity at high speeds. LT tires on a trailer is the only way to go.
I know personal opinions are like .....
But i also have a lot of data, history and info....

Totally disagree, there is not an E rated LT tire in a 235/80 0r 85/16 with the NEEDED weight rating for these heavier Montana fifth wheels with 7K axles. 6k axles ,and the older lighter Montana fifth wheels, many are running a LT E rated tire, but NOT on 7K axles .

3042 is usually the weight rating for the E rated LT tires , won't get it done on 7K axles. These fifth wheels need G rate 14ply tires on them, they are coming from the factory now with G rated Sailun S637, and by the way its a ST tire made in China. Arguably the best G rated tire on the market.