Tire suggestions Teton fiver

[rickeieio]

Steve said: This is going to be my "trainer" fifth wheel, I want to be safe but, going to 17.5 wheels and tires seem redundant.

 

Used trailer wheels and tires aren't worth a lot. You might consider buying the 17.5 set now, and switch them to whatever you buy next. Keep the current wheels for the next guy.

[GlennWest]

One that old they may not even bring orginal. I would crawl under and look at it.

[Steve from SoCal]

One that old they may not even bring orginal. I would crawl under and look at it.

I bought it from the original owners; they did not change the axles, in fact this is about as original an older fifth wheel as I have seen. It is in pretty good shape for its age, the owners took good care of it. The haven't used it in a couple of years, they stopped camping.

[GlennWest]

Sorry, I was not talking it down. It is a very nice quality unit that I would be proud to own if I didn't already. I cannot read the specs, too fussy. 6k axles are smaller in physical size. Looking at them will verify what they are. But even at 6k you will have 18k axle rating which is plenty. XPS tires will give you that also. I really don't see need in 17.5. We will never see 18k on our axles. 16Kish is unlikely. We have less than 15k. That is a good safety margin. XPS are somewhat taller which helped my situation leveling towing.

[Steve from SoCal]

If you look at the brochure at the bottom it says individual pages, these are clear and can be expanded. The trailer is in Penn and I am in Kansas, I am relying on pictures and comments from the owner and his son. They are knowledgeable about the trailer, they did service it themselves and towed with a Kodiak. The axles may be bigger or they may be 6K, either way you are correct that they should be OK for the trailer. I agree that good 16" tires should be more than capable for this trailer.

 

Once I get it fixed up I plan on taking a trip out to my house in California for a shake down run. I am not going to bring it here myself, my DOT number is inactive and I don't want to pay registration and insurance for a single trip in my truck. It shouldn't much more than the cost of travel there back to have brought here.

[GlennWest]

ok. Appears you have 6k axles with 7k hubs/brakes. Notice on the Royal 2.5 brakes where Prestige is 2.0 brakes. Teton were known for this. Mine has 7k axles with 8k hubs/brakes. Greatly improves braking.

[Jack Mayer]

Personally, what I would put on that rig, given what you have said, is Michelin XPS RIBs. These have a Q speed rating (99 mph).

 

I've used them on trailers your size with very good luck. If you look at the forums you will find very few issues with these tires. They do cost a little more than the "cheapest out there", but in this case I think you get what you pay for.

[Steve from SoCal]

I agree Jack,

 

You and Glenn along with several others all recommend the XPS; now, where do I find a good price for them? It looks like they are roughly double the price of the Marathons.

[Jack Mayer]

I last bought mine at Sam's Club. But that was some time ago. They ARE expensive.

[GlennWest]

Got mine at Discount Tire. Yes, they are expensive. They are quality commercial tires

[Broncohauler]

I went through this last year and you should be able to dig up the thread.

I know a lot of people are throwing a lot of different numbers and prices at you and it can get a little confusing.

I had a very hard time stomaching why I needed to spend the money on 17.5 tires when I could spend a third as much on 15 or 16 inch tires.

 

What I would strongly suggest and what I did was go to my local truck tire dealer not discount tire or anything like that.

Ask them to pull out their best 15 and 16 inch trailer tire. Then asked them to pull out a 17.5 trailer tire.

Put the three Tires side -by-side and you'll be completely shocked at what the difference is.

You will find the 15 and 16 inch tire sidewall very thin and flimsy you also find there's not much tread on the tire and it also is very soft.

 

Now look at the 17.5 tire and you'll notice the sidewall is almost 3 times as thick and there is almost 3 times as much tread and much firmer also helping reduce in the possibility of getting a flat.

Think of it as walking across the gravel in your socks or a very thin pair of sandals versus walking across the same rocks with a good strong pair of heavy soul boots.

Putting your hands on these three different tires I guarantee will help you make a decision one way or another it sure became a no-brainer for me.

 

I completely understand not wanting to spend the money I did not either but I also feel it's a waste to buy six tires just to go 1300 miles.

If you decide you do want to do the 17.5 tires and wheels I along with many others can point you in the right direction for the best pricing and they can be shipped directly to where your trailer is that's what I did mounted and balanced ready to go.

Charlie

[GlennWest]

We are not recommending cheap ST tires. XPS are heavy steel carcass tires.

[MrSeas]

Another alternative may be the BF Goodrich Commercial TA 2. Not as heavy or expensive as the "Ribs" but they are a good LT tire for your weight. On my second set and I also have 6k axles. Last time I weighted my trailer loaded I had roughly 2800 lbs on my heaviest tire position. They run smooth and cool on my trailer.

As always ...your mileage may vary....

[Dennis M]

Regarding over inflation, this is from the Michelin RV Tire Guide:

 

THE IMPORTANCE OF TIRE PRESSURE

The most important factor in maintaining the life of

MICHELIN® RV tires is making sure they are always

properly inflated. Incorrect pressure for the weight

of the vehicle is dangerous and could cause things like

premature wear, tire damage, or a harsher ride.

An underinflated or overloaded tire will build up more

heat that could go beyond the endurance limits of the

rubber and radial cords. This could cause sudden tire

failure. Underinflation will also cause poor handling,

faster and/or irregular tire wear, and can decrease fuel

economy.

Overinflation, on the other hand, will reduce the tire’s

contact area with the road, which reduces traction,

braking ability, and handling. A tire that’s overinflated

for the weight it’s carrying is more prone to a harsh ride,

uneven tire wear, and impact damage.

Bottom line the correct inflation is the CORRECT inflation, regardless of what the 'tire guy" says. More is not better!

I'm running 8 (yes 8 tires, duals on two axles) XPS Ribs at 65 psi on a fiver that weighs 18k.

[Steve from SoCal]

In looking at tires I ran across a Sampson GL285T 14 ply trailer tire for a remarkable price, they are Chinese but, I seem to recall somebody here uses them?

[GlennWest]

Need different rims. Rims are likely rated for 85psi. G rated tires are 110 psi. Again I would not run anything but commercial steel carcass LT tires

[Steve from SoCal]

Glenn,

 

The Samson tires are commercial and they are steel, the only pressure number I saw was 95 PSI. Could these run on the lower pressure wheels at 80PSI? They are rated to carry 3960 at 95, the wheels on the trailer are rated at 85 IIRC.

[GlennWest]

Your Teton will be heavy. I would want full pressure. Never heard of G tires at that low a pressure. Not saying they are not though. It is your money but I would and did go with XPS Rib. Your Teton is a very nice home and many parts on it are not advailable anymore. I wouldn't take a chance on an unproven tire. Tire failure normally damage unit.