Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
Jayco RV Owners Forum
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 09-29-2015, 04:43 PM   #1
Site Team
 
Crabman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Virginia`s Eastern Shore
Posts: 17,091
My conclusion on stock tires

After nearly 5 years on this forum and the many posts and threads on tire nightmares, including one of my own, I have come to the conclusion that soon after delivery of a new trailer we should change out the stock tires and be done with it. I would go with a quality reputable tire and go up at least one load range, that is if the rims would support the increase in PSI. It just seems hard to imagine having peace of mind with the thought of a possible blowout looming given the questionable quality and marginal weight ratings of the OEM tires so many RV manufacturers put on their units. Thoughts?
__________________
2017 Coachmen Catalina 283RKS
2018 Ford F250 Super Duty 6.2l CCSB
2010 Jayflight 28BHS (sold)
Crabman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-29-2015, 04:53 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
hoppers4's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Port Orchard
Posts: 2,064
Interesting that this may only pertain to trailers and not MHs. The two MHs I've bought from Jayco came with Michelins that I would consider a quality product. My last MH, a Winnebago came with Goodyears which I also consider to be a good product.
__________________
Don
hoppers4 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-29-2015, 04:59 PM   #3
Site Team
 
Crabman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Virginia`s Eastern Shore
Posts: 17,091
Quote:
Originally Posted by hoppers4 View Post
Interesting that this may only pertain to trailers and not MHs. The two MHs I've bought from Jayco came with Michelins that I would consider a quality product. My last MH, a Winnebago came with Goodyears which I also consider to be a good product.
Yes the motorhomes do not seem to have this problem, but that may be because the chassis is made by Ford, GM etc and they install quality tires like on their other trucks. And of course they are not ST trailer tires either but likely a high load range LT.
__________________
2017 Coachmen Catalina 283RKS
2018 Ford F250 Super Duty 6.2l CCSB
2010 Jayflight 28BHS (sold)
Crabman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-29-2015, 05:03 PM   #4
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 1,588
Here's my take on it. Are the stock tires lower quality? Yes. Would I buy the same tires when replacement time comes? No.

BUT. The current TowMax tires on my trailer so far have been fine. Maybe I'm just lucky, but there is no reason for me to get rid of them prematurely. As others have mentioned, signs of imminent failure have showed themselves after minimal use, and in that case, I would replace them. I watch my tires very closely for these reasons and will try to run them one more season until they are 4-5 years old, then replace.

If money wasn't an object then I would have all of them replaced immediately. But the reality of life is that there are a ton of other priorities and expenses that sometimes require you to just run with what you've got if it works.
__________________
2013 F-150 EcoBoost MaxTow, Roush tuned (415hp 506tq), lifted on 33s, R.A.S.
2013 Jay Flight 28BHS Elite (Equalizer 10K hitch)
SkyBound is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-29-2015, 05:18 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
robkelly's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Duxbury
Posts: 7,113
Quote:
Originally Posted by SkyBound View Post
Here's my take on it. Are the stock tires lower quality? Yes. Would I buy the same tires when replacement time comes? No.

BUT. The current TowMax tires on my trailer so far have been fine. Maybe I'm just lucky, but there is no reason for me to get rid of them prematurely. As others have mentioned, signs of imminent failure have showed themselves after minimal use, and in that case, I would replace them. I watch my tires very closely for these reasons and will try to run them one more season until they are 4-5 years old, then replace.

If money wasn't an object then I would have all of them replaced immediately. But the reality of life is that there are a ton of other priorities and expenses that sometimes require you to just run with what you've got if it works.
x2 That said though, for peace of mind I went with the Maxxis tire upgrade when ordering the new 5er.
__________________
Rob & Kelly, Bella & Brady (Miniature Schnauzers)
2022 Eagle HT 28.5RSTS
2017 RAM 3500 SRW CTD/AISIN CC LB
robkelly is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-29-2015, 05:22 PM   #6
Site Team
 
Crabman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Virginia`s Eastern Shore
Posts: 17,091
Quote:
Originally Posted by SkyBound View Post
Here's my take on it. Are the stock tires lower quality? Yes. Would I buy the same tires when replacement time comes? No.

BUT. The current TowMax tires on my trailer so far have been fine. Maybe I'm just lucky, but there is no reason for me to get rid of them prematurely. As others have mentioned, signs of imminent failure have showed themselves after minimal use, and in that case, I would replace them. I watch my tires very closely for these reasons and will try to run them one more season until they are 4-5 years old, then replace.

If money wasn't an object then I would have all of them replaced immediately. But the reality of life is that there are a ton of other priorities and expenses that sometimes require you to just run with what you've got if it works.
Thanks, you make good points. It is a hard concept to swallow, the fact that you would have to basically throw away new tires and spend more money right after purchasing a new trailer.
__________________
2017 Coachmen Catalina 283RKS
2018 Ford F250 Super Duty 6.2l CCSB
2010 Jayflight 28BHS (sold)
Crabman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-29-2015, 05:26 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Upperco, Md.
Posts: 807
I think Crabmans comment about moving up at least one load range is a key point. Any decent tire that is kept to it's maximum psi and is not near its load capacity will have a much better chance of survival for the 5 five years life span that is recommended by most tire vendors. Most trailers come from the manufacturer way to close to maximum load when it is delivered. I have two boat trailers and a flat bed hauler that have ST tires that has never had an issue with tires. I have had 3 different RV trailers and all three have had a tire issue before the 5 year mark. The common denominator has been in the weight that has been carried. My experience dictates getting those originals off before the 5 year mark and moving up to a heavier tire ply that has a lot more margin for weight.
Ela1948 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-29-2015, 05:29 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
1wayhighway's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Ortonville, MI
Posts: 123
I know 2 years isn't a lot but we've put 10000 miles on our current trailer tires and they look good. Having said that I keep a close eye on them and will install a better grade tire when the time comes.
__________________
2018 GMC 2500 Duramax
2014 White hawk 28DSBH
1wayhighway is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-29-2015, 05:31 PM   #9
Site Team
 
Crabman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Virginia`s Eastern Shore
Posts: 17,091
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ela1948 View Post
I think Crabmans comment about moving up at least one load range is a key point. Any decent tire that is kept to it's maximum psi and is not near its load capacity will have a much better chance of survival for the 5 five years life span that is recommended by most tire vendors. Most trailers come from the manufacturer way to close to maximum load when it is delivered. I have two boat trailers and a flat bed hauler that have ST tires that has never had an issue with tires. I have had 3 different RV trailers and all three have had a tire issue before the 5 year mark. The common denominator has been in the weight that has been carried. My experience dictates getting those originals off before the 5 year mark and moving up to a heavier tire ply that has a lot more margin for weight.
Agreed. And to make matters worse on many units the combined weight ratings of the tries do not add up to the GVWR of the trailer, because they assume X amount of pounds will be on the tongue, making the tires IMO even more marginal. I like to have more then enough instead of just enough, or worse.
__________________
2017 Coachmen Catalina 283RKS
2018 Ford F250 Super Duty 6.2l CCSB
2010 Jayflight 28BHS (sold)
Crabman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-29-2015, 05:33 PM   #10
Site Team
 
Crabman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Virginia`s Eastern Shore
Posts: 17,091
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1wayhighway View Post
I know 2 years isn't a lot but we've put 10000 miles on our current trailer tires and they look good. Having said that I keep a close eye on them and will install a better grade tire when the time comes.
Yes the point needs to be made that by no means do all these tires fail. Good discussion we have going here.
__________________
2017 Coachmen Catalina 283RKS
2018 Ford F250 Super Duty 6.2l CCSB
2010 Jayflight 28BHS (sold)
Crabman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-29-2015, 06:49 PM   #11
Senior Member
 
Larry G.'s Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Reno (home base) Winter Eloy, AZ
Posts: 988
Our Pinnacle was ordered but with no option for upgrade tires and came with GY Marathon E rated ST's.

Knew I was going to upgrade but ran with the E's for a little over a year mainly in the West and SW and we travel about 9 months of the year so miles do add up.

Although no problems felt it was time to do the upgrade and put on Sailun LT's G rated. Much more comfortable since the upgrade. Our rig on the road weighs close to 15,400# and immediately noticed a huge difference in how much better the rig pulls and rides with the Sailun G's.

Yes tires can be expensive but to help protect the higher investment of our 5th wheel it was an easy choice.

Safe travels.
__________________

2012 Pinnacle 36KPTS - Kitchen Pantry Triple Slide
Mor/Ryde suspension and pin box, Dual pane windows, Auto Leveling System, 2 A/C's, Sailun G's and more...
View photos

Our Trip Journal
Larry G. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-29-2015, 07:52 PM   #12
Senior Member
 
cariboocreek's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Alberta
Posts: 557
I agree with the original poster. Get rid of the crappy stock rubber and go on vacation with your only worry being where is the next ice cream stop. I changed out in less than a 1000 miles and went with the 17.5 inch upgrade. Expensive yes but a wasted vacation over a damaged fifth wheel due to a blow out is way more costly to me.

It's only money....
__________________
2024 GMC HD 3500 Duramax Ultimate Denali Dually
2024 Pinnacle 36FBTS, 24k B&W Companion
[SIGPIC]
cariboocreek is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-29-2015, 10:46 PM   #13
Senior Member
 
kjohn73's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: SE Sask.
Posts: 246
Our 197 was purchased new in 2012. The tires were toast after a couple of good trips. I took the trailer to a tire shop to have them replaced. The originals weren't even radials. We put on a size smaller radial. After a trip to Whitehorse and Yellowknife, they still look like new.
I can't say that I noticed any real difference in the way it handled with radials. I don't have a fancy hitch, but the little trailer never gives any static.

I agree that the trailers are delivered with the bare minimum for carrying capacity, because, as mentioned above, they are near capacity to start with. Most other "trailers" are empty and only deal with weight when "loaded".
__________________
2012 Jay Feather 197 w/pull-out
1997 GMC Sub 1500 4x4;
or 2015 Ford F150 4x4 SuperCrew EB
kjohn73 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-30-2015, 05:00 AM   #14
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: NC
Posts: 974
It's been like this in trailers for a long time now. As I have said (in full agreement with OP) the OEM tires are a method of getting the trailer out of the factory and should not be considered for actual use by human families.

Two weeks back we camped next to a new rig with one of it's fender trim pieces torn up. The guy was stuck in a construction zone when the tire blew up, he was thankful that he was not up to speed. He was forced to pull the flat about 5 miles in one lane traffic before pulling off the road.

Just factor in the cost of tires with any new rig and you will be fine. Personal choice is Maxxis with one upgrade in load range.
__________________
No man has a good enough memory to be a successful liar. Abraham Lincoln

2016 36FBTS Pinnacle
2016 F350, 6.7, 4x4, DRW, long bed
B & W Companion 5th wheel Hitch
eldermike is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-30-2015, 05:24 AM   #15
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Mid-Mi
Posts: 1,492
Quote:
Originally Posted by cariboocreek View Post
I agree with the original poster. Get rid of the crappy stock rubber and go on vacation with your only worry being "if the rig will fit in the" next ice cream stop.
Fixed! Lol

As I have mentioned in a couple other threads the exact reasons have been stated here why I will be swapping tires come spring. Going up one load rating for more "cushion", and higher speed rating for scan more "cushion".

Our stock tires exceed the gvwr by a little bit, but having the extra cushion all the way around will be nice....
__________________
Bubba J- '13 Chevy Silverado 2500HD LT CCSB 4x4 6.0

'16 Jay Flight 32 BHDS ELITE 32 BHDS MODS Reese DC HP

WDH SET UP. HOW A WDH WORKS. CAT SCALE HOW TO.
need-a-vacation is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-30-2015, 07:28 AM   #16
Senior Member
 
us71na's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: McKean, PA
Posts: 1,071
Our Skylark came with Goodyear Marathons. We put over 16,000 miles on them before we had a tread separation after four years. I replaced them with Goodyear Marathons. However, I will keep track of the mileage and replace them when they get 15,000 on them. Wheel well clearance is a problem on the skylark so going up in outside diameter is a problem. That leaves you with very few tire choices.
__________________
2011 Skylark 21FKV
us71na is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-30-2015, 07:43 AM   #17
Senior Member
 
Jagiven's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 9,740
I have to buy new tires before the next camping season. So I have started my research. I have had zero issues with my TowMax, knock on wood. If I do it will be my fault for not replacing them sooner than later due to weather checking.

I have a different thought on why stock tires have issues, and I may be totally wrong here. As we all know only some people have issues with the tires. Here is my thought as possibly why from observations. I travel a bit for work, and am on I-90 a fair amount. I see a LOT of new trailers in transport. Everything from PU to MH. I would say 30-40 percent of the TTs and 5vers are not setup correctly to be towed. By that most often, the unit is nose high by a lot. Which puts a lot more stress on the one set of tires. The worse I saw was a 5ver, that the front wheels had virtually no weight on them at all. I suspect people who have issues with factory stock tires are those trailers that are transported from the manufacture to the dealer with improper hitch arrangement. But that is just my 2 cents. I just wish I could verify my theory.
__________________

2012 Jayco X23B
2020 Ram Laramie 3500 SRW Air ride 50Gal fuel tank.
2007 Dodge Dakota Quad Cab (sold)
Equal-I-zer 4-Point Sway Control
Jagiven is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-30-2015, 08:05 AM   #18
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Missouri City, The Republic of Texas
Posts: 5,063
I believe our X23B came with TM's and we put around 8500 mi on them with zero problems. I did add a pressure monitor to my toy collection in response to threads like this and became a fanatic about tire pressure and my speed for the same reason.
The 5th also came with TM's and 2 of them failed in a 75 mile stretch last year with a 3rd ready to fail with about 7800 miles on them.
So I'm no fan of the TM tire.
Some folks just seem to have tire issues and others not at all.
The 23B was a light TT and the 5th is heavy so I suspect that's part of the equation.
After the failures we bought a set of G614's and I'm anticipating a long life from them. I also credit the pressure monitor with preventing damage to the 5th so IMHO everyone should have one.
__________________
Cheers,
T_

2013 F-350 CC SB 2WD 6.7PS
2013 Eagle Premier 351 RLTS
-SOLD- 2012 X23B
-SOLD- 2003 Ford Expedition 5.4, Bilstein shocks
RedHorse1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-30-2015, 08:11 AM   #19
Senior Member
 
Camper_bob's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: South Texas
Posts: 7,207
Quote:
Originally Posted by SkyBound View Post
Here's my take on it. Are the stock tires lower quality? Yes. Would I buy the same tires when replacement time comes? No.

BUT. The current TowMax tires on my trailer so far have been fine. Maybe I'm just lucky, but there is no reason for me to get rid of them prematurely. As others have mentioned, signs of imminent failure have showed themselves after minimal use, and in that case, I would replace them. I watch my tires very closely for these reasons and will try to run them one more season until they are 4-5 years old, then replace.

If money wasn't an object then I would have all of them replaced immediately. But the reality of life is that there are a ton of other priorities and expenses that sometimes require you to just run with what you've got if it works.
This is right where I am, and to an extent I agree with you.

In fact I wonder if my post was one of the instigators for Crabman creating this thread. My Towmax tires are in imminent failure mode. Luckily, and 100% because I'm an active member of this forum and have read about all the tire problems, I caught the problem before it became a SERIOUS problem on the side of the road. I watched those tires like a hawk for the last 2 years; constantly inspecting them and measuring them at every stop and staring at them in my mirrors going down the road. I was ALWAYS worrying about a blowout. Watching my neighbor repair damage caused to his 5er by a blowout didn't do much to ease my mind. Nor did DW who said "stop worrying about it, they wouldn't put them on there if they were unsafe". Or my dad who insisted that the tires were NOT the weak link for a loaded trailer, even though I KNOW they are.

I agree that I would like to get the most out of the factory tires that I can. Spending $5-600 outfitting a trailer right off the lot that should have been equipped properly from the beginning doesn't give me warm and fuzzies. But being brutally honest with myself, I know I will feel A LOT better when I can relax some and not constantly be thinking about my tires. Same thing with the truck for me; I upgraded my truck because I was on the margin, and while I have less money in my pocket for it, I have MUCH more comfort out on the road.

So now, my trailer is 2 years old, has one tire about to go, and I can no longer trust ANY of the current tires, so it's replacement time. I will most likely go with the recommended Maxxis M8008 tires in the original size, but one load range up, just as Crabman suggests. This will give me PLENTY of cushion for weight capacity. I will likely sleep better at night after the change out; albeit with a little less jangle in my pocket.
__________________

-2018 Greyhawk 29MV
-2020 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (JLU) (Primary Toad)
-1994 Jeep Wrangler YJ (Secondary Toad)
-2014 Jay Flight 28BHBE & Ram 2500 6.4L CC 4x4 (sold)
Camper_bob is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-30-2015, 08:56 AM   #20
Site Team
 
Crabman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Virginia`s Eastern Shore
Posts: 17,091
Yeah its not just what you hear on the forum, its what you hear from folks around you as well that lead me to believe this is a real issue. My FIL had a blowout on his fiver doing considerable damage and another inlaw relative had a interstate blowout on his less then 2 year old Innsbruck TT which also tore up the wheel well and floor, and this guy is super anal about maintainance. He was told his trailer had the cheapest tires you could buy installed by the factory.
__________________
2017 Coachmen Catalina 283RKS
2018 Ford F250 Super Duty 6.2l CCSB
2010 Jayflight 28BHS (sold)
Crabman is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Jayco, Inc. or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 08:41 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright 2002-2016 Social Knowledge, LLC All Rights Reserved.