Tire help needed

[Cavi123]

Ok so after talking to my dealer today I am even more confused. We bought a brand new x17z in July we went on 6 trips putting about 500 miles on the trailer. As we prepare for our 1400 mile trip to the fort I have been doing some checking and I feel my tires are not the right ones for my rig. My factory delivered weight with propane is 3047lbs. they say my trailer has a 3500lbs. max. weight. A full tank of water adds about 240lbs. This leaves me with +\- 200 for cargo. When I check my tires they are rated on single axle like ours for 1610lbs. So this means I have tires rated for 3220lbs. on a 3500lbs axle. When I questioned the dealer his answer was this.... 3200lbs. on the tires 10% tongue weight there's your 3500 capacity so nothing to worry about. Sorry for all the numbers but I hope you guys can help me should I press for a better answer? should I go directly to jayco? Bite the bullet and upgrade rims and tires? We bought this HTT with hopes of traveling long trips now I am fearful that we are driving a time bomb.
Thanks everyone in advance

[Cdash]

I'm not going to say it's right, but the numbers work for the max vehicle weight. They get it to the max number of the trailer and don't worry about tires matching springs matching axles.

I doubt you'll get anywhere with the dealer. Even if you do, you'll still get the cheapest thing they can find, and you probably don't want them.

I'd look to see if you can find tires with a higher rating and put them on. Shouldn't need to worry about wheels. Those should have a capacity higher than what you need, but I think would be stamped on the back.

[SmokerBill]

That's how they fit tires to trailers, by cutting it as close as they possibly can. The dealer was pretty much telling you how it is. Just for peace of mind, it would be a good idea to go ahead and upgrade your tires to a size with greater capacity. For instance if you have load range "C" tires, buy a pair of load range "D" tires, which would have greater carrying capacity. Just make sure your rims are designed to handle the higher pressure the upgraded tires require. And it's best to run the max pressure printed on the tire sidewall, even if it's more than the trailer sticker recommends.

[Grumpy]

That's exactly how the axle/tire weight carrying capacity is calculated. The tongue/hitch weight is subtracted from the total.

Not saying it is right, but that is how it's done.

[Jagiven]

You should have 12 to 15 percent of the load on the tongue, so not all the weight is on the tires.

They do not put the best tires on any brand camper.

I have the same tires as yours and have probably 10K miles on them. I do have to replace them this spring. They tend to weather check, before wearing the tread off.

If it was me I would use them for a while, and upgrade to 14" rims and up size to a D rated tire. By the way it is hard to find higher rated tires for 13" rims. I found one, and now cannot locate it.

I also would not haul a lot of water. It adds a lot of weight. I would determine where water is located near my destination. Fill the tank there, if you want filtered water buy a Rv filter, or make a nice one out of hardware store components.

[Crabman]

Many of us have pondered this equation where the weight rating of the tires does not equal the GVWR of the trailer due to the assumption that X amount of lbs will be on the tongue. I for one think the tires/axles weight rating should at minimum equal GVWR and better yet exceed it for a margin of safety. So after experiencing a blowout I upgraded to Maxxis ST tires and went up a load range as others suggested.

[TxTwoSome]

When I had the single axle trailer I thought the same thing so before I left on my long trip last year I put higher load range tires. It was good piece of mind for me.

Now I purchased a new a double axle trailer and I feel a little better about the cheapo's for a little while longer.

Maybe get a few miles on them before swapping them out.

But I know I will swap them out also just a matter of how soon.

[Jagiven]

Originally Posted by TxTwoSome

When I had the single axle trailer I thought the same thing so before I left on my long trip last year I put higher load range tires. It was good piece of mind for me.

Now I purchased a new a double axle trailer and I feel a little better about the cheapo's for a little while longer.

Maybe get a few miles on them before swapping them out.

But I know I will swap them out also just a matter of how soon.

What scares me on double axle trailers you have to death the tires, if I recall correctly by 20 percent.

[norty1]

Originally Posted by Jagiven

What scares me on double axle trailers you have to death the tires, if I recall correctly by 20 percent.

Say what?

[Tunce the traveler]

Originally Posted by norty1

Say what?

X2

[SmokerBill]

Originally Posted by Jagiven

What scares me on double axle trailers you have to death the tires, if I recall correctly by 20 percent.

Do you mean "de-rate" the tires by 20%? I never heard that. But I've read that if you use LT tires, they need to be de-rated by a certain percentage.

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by SmokerBill

Do you mean "de-rate" the tires by 20%? I never heard that. But I've read that if you use LT tires, they need to be de-rated by a certain percentage.

I think he means "de-rate". And it's actually 10%. On the tire it's stamped as "dual configuration"; Example from a TowMax LR D 15" tire "Max load single: 2540 lbs; Max load dual: 2200 lbs", which to my mind is not "tandem".

I've never seen a really clear answer on that. I understand that for a dual configuration where the tires are side by side, they are de-rated, allegedly because of "road crown" or some other such thing, but what reason could they have for de-rating a tire in a tandem configuration?

No matter what, if you're spending the entire 1400 miles worrying about your tires, I can tell you from experience it'll be worth it to drop the money and replace them. There are enough things to worry about on a journey that long without adding tires into the mix. The dealer is unlikely to help you out here because technically, the tires are adequate, and you probably don't want the tires he has anyway. But it wouldn't hurt to ask. IMO you should look for a good brand of tire (I like Maxxis) and go up in load carrying capacity.

[norty1]

The de-rated capacity is when the duel tires are on the same axle, as in a dually.
The load carrying capacity is not de-rated on a tandem axle rig.

Exerpt from Michelin rv tire guide pg 20:
In the load and inflation tables, SINGLE means an axle with one tire mounted on each end, while DUAL means an axle with two tires mounted on each end. In an RV application, the loads indicated represent the total weight of an axle end. When one axle end weighs more than the other, use the heaviest of the two end weights to determine the unique tire pressure for all tires on the axle. The maximum cold pressure for each axle may vary, depending on their weights. These tables are applicable for all RV axles, whether or not they are power-driven.

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When using LT tires on a trailer they LCC is de-rated. Usually it's best to consult the mfg's charts for exact amount.

[jsims]

I just double checked my tires on my 2016 x17z and the dealer (or Jayco) put on ST 205/75R14 with a max load of 1760. They seem to handle really well on the road. I also have the aluminum rims as well, so not sure if that makes a difference.

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by norty1

The de-rated capacity is when the duel tires are on the same axle, as in a dually.
The load carrying capacity is not de-rated on a tandem axle rig.

Exerpt from Michelin rv tire guide pg 20:
In the load and inflation tables, SINGLE means an axle with one tire mounted on each end, while DUAL means an axle with two tires mounted on each end. In an RV application, the loads indicated represent the total weight of an axle end. When one axle end weighs more than the other, use the heaviest of the two end weights to determine the unique tire pressure for all tires on the axle. The maximum cold pressure for each axle may vary, depending on their weights. These tables are applicable for all RV axles, whether or not they are power-driven.

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When using LT tires on a trailer they LCC is de-rated. Usually it's best to consult the mfg's charts for exact amount.

So there ya go. Dual and Tandem are different, and no de-rated capacity for tandem config. I'm glad to have some confirmation on that.

[SkyBound]

Does anyone know if Maxxis tires are available in Canada/Ontario?

[Jagiven]

Autocorrect on my tablet comes up with some unique word choices. I have learned I have to reread things sometimes twice, as I do not always notice the auto corrects. I like writing on my computer as it will underline any questionable words in red or blue. It at least flags me of a potential error, and not change it without my permission.

So what happened I did not add the hyphen, and it changed “derate” to “death”; So death = de-rate;

The reason that concerns me about tandem axles is that you have to de-rate the tires and axles by 11 percent due to the uneven load conditions each wheel experiences as you roll down the road, due to such things such as the crown in the road, pot holes, pulling through driveways. I did not know this information until a few months ago while starting researching tire options for my htt.

Goodyear has it noted on their website, but does not state the derate amount. Most of the tire vendors note the two ratings on their tire charts, I had to figure out the percentage. I also spoke with Dexter (axle manufacture) about it too, and they confirmed the de-rating.

I found the similar info regarding LTs also.

Weighing your RV - Goodyear RV

[Jagiven]

Originally Posted by norty1

The de-rated capacity is when the duel tires are on the same axle, as in a dually.
The load carrying capacity is not de-rated on a tandem axle rig.

Exerpt from Michelin rv tire guide pg 20:
In the load and inflation tables, SINGLE means an axle with one tire mounted on each end, while DUAL means an axle with two tires mounted on each end. In an RV application, the loads indicated represent the total weight of an axle end. When one axle end weighs more than the other, use the heaviest of the two end weights to determine the unique tire pressure for all tires on the axle. The maximum cold pressure for each axle may vary, depending on their weights. These tables are applicable for all RV axles, whether or not they are power-driven.

-------------------------------------------------------------
When using LT tires on a trailer they LCC is de-rated. Usually it's best to consult the mfg's charts for exact amount.

Norty1, while researching tire options, I found references that you have to de-rate the tires and axles for a tandem operation too, not just for dually configuration.

[Crabman]

Originally Posted by Jagiven

Autocorrect on my tablet comes up with some unique word choices. I have learned I have to reread things sometimes twice, as I do not always notice the auto corrects. I like writing on my computer as it will underline any questionable words in red or blue. It at least flags me of a potential error, and not change it without my permission.

So what happened I did not add the hyphen, and it changed “derate” to “death”; So death = de-rate;

The reason that concerns me about tandem axles is that you have to de-rate the tires and axles by 11 percent due to the uneven load conditions each wheel experiences as you roll down the road, due to such things such as the crown in the road, pot holes, pulling through driveways. I did not know this information until a few months ago while starting researching tire options for my htt.

Goodyear has it noted on their website, but does not state the derate amount. Most of the tire vendors note the two ratings on their tire charts, I had to figure out the percentage. I also spoke with Dexter (axle manufacture) about it too, and they confirmed the de-rating.

I found the similar info regarding LTs also.

Weighing your RV - Goodyear RV

That`s OK. Some of these cheap ST tires suffer a 100% death 20% into their expected life.

[Cavi123]

Thanks for all the responses very helpful. If I decide to upgrade to another tire is it a big deal to go from a 24" diameter to a 26"? That seems to be the difference between my 175/80r13 and the 205/75r14