Tire Experience

[whutfles]

I have a 2010 Montana Mountaineer with Goodyear ST23580R-16 10-ply tires. I replaced all 4 tires in 2012 after 1 threw the cap, then blew the tire 1 mile later and did $3800 damage to the trailer. I then lined the axles and installed a Tire Tracker Monitor system. The monitors saved me on our trip home from Texas last month with 2 valve stems leaking and one tire that lost all of it's air by the time I could slow after the alarm sounded after a cable broke in the cap of the tire and is protruding 1 inch out of the tire with a big bubble on the inside of the tire. So the Goodyears are comming off.

A local independent tire store wants to sell me Linglong 14 ply ST23585R-16 tires. 4010 lb weight, 110 lb pressure and I believe they are 75 mph rated. My trailer is only 13,850 GVW so probably only run 90 lbs pressure. My rims are good for 3750 lbs and 110 lbs.

Has anybody had any experience running Linglong tires? Dealer says he can sell me other tires but that this is his best tire. Says he's sold over 300 of these tires in the past 2 years and not one has come back. I want to believe him but appreciate any feecdback.

Thanks,
Bill Hutfles
2012 Dodge Ram 3500 DRW

[jcurtis934]

Haven't heard of them, so can't provide any useful info to you. Besides, I am in the camp of no chinese tire is a good tire...maybe ten years from now. Personal decision to stick with chinese tires/st tires or jump to lt or commercial trailer tires. I felt better going with load range h tires/wheels. John

[steelpony5555]

Isn't so much the Chinese part as it's the ST part...... ST tires no matter who makes them have no business on a trailer that heavy. They are a fine tire for anything below 9000 lbs but on a heavy 5th wheel it is just asking for problems. you are borderline for LT tires or just go with the G614's. They probably won't be much more then what that dealer is trying to sell you. I mean do you really want a tire called Linglong Dingdongs on a trailer that costs as much as yours?????? Invest now to avoid another $3800...if you had done it years ago you would not have paid to repair your trailer...

[DQDick]

They apparently sell very good high performance tires, but as far as I can tell no one is reviewing their trailer tires.

[Hooker]

quote:Originally posted by jcurtis934

...Haven't heard of them, so can't provide any useful info to you. Besides, I am in the camp of no chinese tire is a good tire...maybe ten years from now... John

Exactly.

[1retired06]

If you have Goodyear ST tires, bet they are Marathons.

[MikenAngie]

G614'a go on my Montana Friday morning..........

[jlb27537]

We are on a camping trip with friends. They were looking at my tires. Did you put new tires on? Yes, 2 years ago. They look new. Nope, got about 12K miles on them. What kind are they? Bridgestone Duravis R250. Weight 59lbs each with a speed rating of 101mph. You got 12K miles on those? Yup. I got to look at those.

My '14 3150RL loaded for the winter weighs close to 14,500 lbs with 3,200-3,400 lbs on the pin.

I have yet to have to add air in 2 years of use. My TST 507 monitors show a 15 psi increase in 100 degree air. On a cool spring day lightly loaded will increase about 8-10psi.

No way am I running a China tire, I don't care what the dealer says.

[whutfles]

Yes, my current tires are Marathons. As-far-as made in China v.s. Mexico v.s. US, I trusted Goodyear and Montana that the Goodyear tires it was equipped with at manufacture were intended for it and the best fit. That's why I replaced them with the same tire when one blew at 2 yrs old and the others started to wear unevenly. Now after aligning the axles and 2 yrs later they are failing again I'm not trusting Goodyear and Montana. I'm reading plenty of blogs about G614's throwing the cap and their solution is to change to an H rated LT 215/75R-17.5 4800 lb 125 psi tire which requires new rims. When the higher rated tire blows or throws a cap, it's probably going to do more damage than the lower rated one. If I hadn't been running monitors on my valve stems, I would have thought 3 tires failed on our trip home this year instead of 2 valve stem problems and 1 bad tire. My camper sits under a roof thru the summer with slight use, then we drive 1100 miles in Dec and return 1100 miles in Apr. We used to have a Starcraft Folddown - 2000 lb GVW small trailer that would sit all year until June then we'd take it on a 3-wk vacation as far as we could go. We would always throw a tire cap or 2 in the first 600 miles. I'm thinking these tires can't take the sittin and form a flat spot that eventually gives way to speed. And I don't drive over 65 mph. My experience says get them off and replaced every 2 years. And if I'm going to do that, why replace them with more expensive tires and rims from a company (Goodyear) that hasn't served me well to date?

[waynemoore]

I agree with jib27537 about the Bridgstones. I put them on 3 days after I took delivery on my rig a bit less then a year ago. I have about 3000 miles on them. This fall we have a 8000 plus mile trip planed and will not have to think about tire problems. That said I very seldom drive over 65 mph and do keep an eye on the tps system. For me tires and brakes are the most important items. When one has as much money tyed up in these rigs as we do don't be cheep with the tires and brakes. JMHO

[BB_TX]

My 2007 and a friend's 2008 both came with Mission (Chinese) tires. With all the bad reports on Missions I replaced them with Michelin XPS Ribs after one year. 7 years and about 19,000 miles later they still look new, never a low tire, and lose about 2-3 lbs air per year. Air in spring and good til next year. Thinking of replacing with same only because of age.

Friend ran his Missions for 2 years with no problem, but decided to replace because of reputation. Bought Goodyear Marathons thinking since they were Goodyear they must be US made. Wrong. He was not happy when I showed him "Made in China" on the sidewall. He had 3 blowouts in 2 years.

I would certainly not skimp on tires due to increased possibility of damages, not to mention inconvenience of being down on the side of the highway.

[whutfles]

Yes, my current tires are Marathons. As-far-as made in China v.s. Mexico v.s. US, I trusted Goodyear and Montana that the Goodyear tires it was equipped with at manufacture were intended for it and the best fit. That's why I replaced them with the same tire when one blew at 2 yrs old and the others started to wear unevenly. Now after aligning the axles and 2 yrs later they are failing again I'm not trusting Goodyear and Montana. I'm reading plenty of blogs about G614's throwing the cap and their solution is to change to an H rated LT 215/75R-17.5 4800 lb 125 psi tire which requires new rims. When the higher rated tire blows or throws a cap, it's probably going to do more damage than the lower rated one. If I hadn't been running monitors on my valve stems, I would have thought 3 tires failed on our trip home this year instead of 2 valve stem problems and 1 bad tire. My camper sits under a roof thru the summer with slight use, then we drive 1100 miles in Dec and return 1100 miles in Apr. We used to have a Starcraft Folddown - 2000 lb GVW small trailer that would sit all year until June then we'd take it on a 3-wk vacation as far as we could go. We would always throw a tire cap or 2 in the first 600 miles. I'm thinking these tires can't take the sittin and form a flat spot that eventually gives way to speed. And I don't drive over 65 mph. My experience says get them off and replaced every 2 years. And if I'm going to do that, why replace them with more expensive tires and rims from a company (Goodyear) that hasn't served me well to date?

[Golferdave]

Hi guys: I was a believer in Goodyear. Why would Keystone put bad tires on our rig ? We have a 2013 Montana 3800RE with Goodyear Marathon (ChinaBomb) ST235/80R16. Last, November, on our way South to AZ I notice a bubble on the side of a tire. Replaced it before trouble. Today, April 22, headed North to Canada on Highway 95, South of Hawthorne we had a blowout, right back tire. AAA came and put on spare. 90 miles later, now without a spare, another blowout, this time left back tire. Same Tow company, $ 640 bill for new tire, and mounting service and mileage.
All my tire only have less than 15,000 miles. 2 tires today were both tread separation. Luckily no damage just a hell of a lot of expense and anxiety. Tomorrow looking for new tires but there is little choice in Hawthorne, Nevada. Why did I not listen to Montana owners and replace with G614s earlier. DUMB.

[twindman]

My old 2980 Montana (2006) weighed in at around 11,800. I hauled it around 45,000 miles on Michlein tires. The heaviest Mountaineer from 2010 was only 500 lb heavier than mine, so I would think LT tires would work for you. Also, on some downhills on the interstates, you creep up to 70-75 pretty easily, so the higher speeds seem good to me.

[whutfles]

GolferDave - Hope you find tires. The sad thing is you're probably going to end up with 2 tires of a brand you don't want. Too bad you aren't closer, I'd give you 4 of mine.

I hear what you guys are saying about the Bridgstone R250's but I just think their weight rating is too low - 3042 lbs v.s. 3420 on the Marithons I currently have.

The G614's would be a good fit for me as I could use my existing rims. Just wish I hadn't read about thrown caps on them like has happened on mine. Has anybody switched to the G114's - H rated tire 4805 lbs @ 125 psi 75mph speed rated, 215/75R 17.5? The tires are only about $75 more than the G614's. The rims would be the expense. Is this overkill? Not sure of the additional weight of this tire and rim. As-long-as it fits, and I think it would, is there a point where a tire and rim rated this much higher would be a miss-match on my rig? I'm thinking if I switched to G614's and 2 yrs later had trouble with them also, then I'd be spending again, whereas the heavy G114's are just slightly more now. I'm thinking 2 years down the road I'm probably going to have trouble with whatever I buy.

The one issue I will have to address if I change to a heavier tire is my spare tire hanger. I noticed the other day while removing my spare that the thin piece of angle iron that the cable device that the spare hangs from is bent down about 2 inches. The 2 pieces of 1" angle iron going from frame to frame even have a downward sway to them. Probably going to remove the entire spare hanger and replace with heavier angle iron and then remount the cable device. That will add additional weight. I don't know why anyone would ever trade in an RV after they get finished replacing all of the parts that should have been built heavier.

Thanks for your input sofar.

Bill Hutfles

[JandC]

Bill, you keep going back to reading about "thrown caps on G614's" and thinking you will be no better off. There are several folks on other forums that tried Goodyear G614 tires 9 or 10 years ago and had some issues with them, I agree. But G614's have been really good quality for several years and many on this forum run them without issues.

As a traveling full timer I have had G614's on two Montana models and never lost air and never had a tire issue.

[jlb27537]

Bill, You need to take into consideration a LT tire (Light Truck) and a ST tire (Special Trailer) are tested differently.

A R250 LT tire has a reserve rating and is speed rated for it's load @ 101 mph.

A Marathon ST tire has no reserve rating and is speed limited to 65 mph.

Apples vs oranges.

Weigh your rig, get the axle weights, and then decide. If your loaded axle weights are 12K or less a QUALITY LT tire will work. Not some cheep LT from somewhere.

A R250 (LT) (101mph) and a G614 (ST) (75mph) both weigh 59lbs. I doubt your Mountaineer needs a G rated tire.

Jim

[Tom S.]

quote:Originally posted by twindman

My old 2980 Montana (2006) weighed in at around 11,800. I hauled it around 45,000 miles on Michlein tires. The heaviest Mountaineer from 2010 was only 500 lb heavier than mine, so I would think LT tires would work for you. Also, on some downhills on the interstates, you creep up to 70-75 pretty easily, so the higher speeds seem good to me.

Without knowing the weight at each axle, this is dangerous thinking. While the whole unit may be within the rating of LT tires, one or more axles could be considerably under the rating while one is considerably over. Our unit is living proof of this.

[whutfles]

GolferDave - Hope you find tires. The sad thing is you're probably going to end up with 2 tires of a brand you don't want. Too bad you aren't closer, I'd give you 4 of mine.

I hear what you guys are saying about the Bridgstone R250's but I just think their weight rating is too low - 3042 lbs v.s. 3420 on the Marithons I currently have.

The G614's would be a good fit for me as I could use my existing rims. Just wish I hadn't read about thrown caps on them like has happened on mine. Has anybody switched to the G114's - H rated tire 4805 lbs @ 125 psi 75mph speed rated, 215/75R 17.5? The tires are only about $75 more than the G614's. The rims would be the expense. Is this overkill? Not sure of the additional weight of this tire and rim. As-long-as it fits, and I think it would, is there a point where a tire and rim rated this much higher would be a miss-match on my rig? I'm thinking if I switched to G614's and 2 yrs later had trouble with them also, then I'd be spending again, whereas the heavy G114's are just slightly more now. I'm thinking 2 years down the road I'm probably going to have trouble with whatever I buy.

The one issue I will have to address if I change to a heavier tire is my spare tire hanger. I noticed the other day while removing my spare that the thin piece of angle iron that the cable device that the spare hangs from is bent down about 2 inches. The 2 pieces of 1" angle iron going from frame to frame even have a downward sway to them. Probably going to remove the entire spare hanger and replace with heavier angle iron and then remount the cable device. That will add additional weight. I don't know why anyone would ever trade in an RV after they get finished replacing all of the parts that should have been built heavier.

Thanks for your input sofar.

Bill Hutfles

[whutfles]

JIB-You referred to a G614 as an ST tire? I've read an awful lot of discussion about whether it's an ST or LTand trying to get Goodyear to reply. Yet a lot of sites list it as an LT.

Since I had the problems returning this year, I weighed it at a small-town grain elevator in Nebraska before we got home and before unloading anything with 3/4 of a tank of fuel similar to when we had problems..
Truck and RV Pin - 12,600 lbs
Front Truck - 5250 lbs
Rear Truck - 7350 lbs - (calculated)
Truck and RV - 23,400 lbs
Both RV axles - 10,800 lbs
Rear RV axle - 6350 lbs
Front RV axle - 4450 lbs (calculated)
Truck without RV - 9200 (weighed last year empty without hitch)
Truck contents, extra passenger and RV hitch - 425 lbs (estimated)
Total Truck without RV - 9625 lbs
RV Pin weight - 2975 lbs (calculated)
Total RV weight (pin-calculated plus rear axles weighed) - 13,775 lbs

The scale was a 100 year old Fairbanks Morse which the old man was pretty proud of as it had just passed State inspection. I had weighed this camper with my previous Chevy truck 2 years ago when I was having tire problems at Flying J truck stop and they could not weigh an individual axle if it wasn't at least 6 feet on the scale, so I couldn't drop one axle off and have the other axle just on the scale. I told the old man at the elevator of this and he said drop one off and I'll weigh the other. So I don't know how accurate his rear axle weight is. And my trailer springs have the equalizer Trail-air shock thing connecting the 2 leafs so don't know how this transfers weight to the rear axle when the front drops off and maybe down off the scale. Although we like to run 1/3 to 1/2 tank (30-40 gal) of fresh water for flushing, etc., as we go down the road. It's hard to measure 1/2 tank since the guages are 1/3, 2/3, full instead of 1/4 1/2 etc. I have a bolt-on receiver hitch on the rear bumper which has a bike rack insert with 2 bicycles and a 10" PVC bolted to the rear bumper which contains my sewer hose. Also, when we switched to the 2012 Dodge 3500, Dodge made the bed sides about 1 3/4" taller than previous models so I had a Pin-box clearance issue. I went to the Montana dealer where I purchased it and he did not have a fix but suggested I drop the pin box to the next-last highest hole which raised the front a couple of inches. I now have plenty of clearance, looks level but is a couple of inches high in the front.

If this isn't airing your dirty laundry, I don't know what is?

Bill Hutfles