How to search for tires?

[K3WE]

I don't want this to be a tire bashing thread, ALTHOUGH, I may have purchased my last ever TRAILER tire. :M

This is for a utility trailer (not a camper).

As I've searched around, I find the search engines lacking because NOT EVERYTHING is width, aspect, diameter...especially when it comes to 15-17" rims.

There's a bunch of passenger car tires, and a bunch of light truck tires, but no way to filter out the wrong load ranges.

Also, I could care less about the width and aspect ratio- pretty much anything will work for my application. I want to find a cheaper, load range E LT tire.

I'll probably just drop by a couple of stores, but with all of our modern computing power, it's not that bizzare of a search to ask for Load Range E 16 and get a list, rather than going one by one AND having to double check where they sneak in P (or even lighter tires with no designation.

/rant. 🙂

[cummins2014]

MFL wrote:
At the risk of seeming to agree with the NMed, I have purchased many new trailers of all types, 4 being RVs, and none of them came OEM with tires/wheels balanced. If I did replace tires (rarely), before buying another new trailer, I did not have them balanced. My reason...same thought as JIMNLiN back on page two.

I see friends posting here, that are somewhat adamant about balancing trailer wheels. That's OK, I'm not saying you shouldn't! However, for those willing to look back at Jim's reply on page 2 of this thread, I agree with him, concerning actual need.

I am anal about vehicle tire, and especially high performance motorcycle tires being balanced.

Jerry

Jerry , here is how I look at it . I am at the tire shop , I don't take the RV to them just the tires , and wheels to be replaced .Why not just balance them when they mount them ? It's sure not going to hurt anything . They charge for mounting ,and balancing , not sure it's going to be any cheaper just for mounting .

[MFL]

At the risk of seeming to agree with the NMed, I have purchased many new trailers of all types, 4 being RVs, and none of them came OEM with tires/wheels balanced. If I did replace tires (rarely), before buying another new trailer, I did not have them balanced. My reason...same thought as JIMNLiN back on page two.

I see friends posting here, that are somewhat adamant about balancing trailer wheels. That's OK, I'm not saying you shouldn't! However, for those willing to look back at Jim's reply on page 2 of this thread, I agree with him, concerning actual need.

I am anal about vehicle tire, and especially high performance motorcycle tires being balanced.

Jerry

[Grit_dog]

^Last couple posts are great info for someone who may have this question and willing to listen/has common sense.
And that “should” be the point of this forum. Good info and help.

But to those that are unreceptive and unwavering and uninformed and well, sometimes just mean, lol…..you do you it’s all good.
The disagreement with a particular member is finished on this, so let’s don’t wind him up again.

[bucky]

Hey Nam go read the September 2023 issue of RV Magazine. Specifically the bottom of page 40 tech section.
The last sentence under the heading "Shock absorbers for trailers" reads

"There are some other mods available if you're still not satisfied, and be sure TO HAVE YOUR TRAILER TIRES BALANCED for the same reasons your tow rig's tires are balanced."

[ford_truck_guy]

why NOT balance RV tires?? They are round, spin and can be out of balance... And heck, MOST places just include it in the cost and don't discount if balancing isn't done anyway ??

So, from someone who IS NOT a tire specialist , why balance car/truck tires and NOT RV tires.... Real answers please, not just " my shop told me"

Ive been RV'ing since the early 80's and have always balanced my RV tires, why?? Why Not? what harm will it do?

[cummins2014]

PA12DRVR wrote:
Did the OP ever respond after the 1st post? Couldn't entirely blame him if he didn't.

FWIW, having driven trailers of one sort or the other since '74....I don't balance the tires on the boat trailer (2 trips per year) or the sno-go trailer (dozens of trips but less than 50 miles each trip), but on the "utility" flatbed (w 16" rims), tires get checked for unusual wear at least once a year and are balanced if any issues show up...without unusual wear, they're balanced every 2 years or so.

FWIW, what the shop says does or doesn't need to be done is just one data point: if my experience or the experience of others whom I trust indicates otherwise, that indication often turns out to be an alternate data point to which I'll give more weight.

I’ve always balanced my travel or fifth wheel trailers , but never my utility trailers , nor have I had any issues not balancing them . They’ve never gotten a great amount of miles, the tires usually age out before anything , although my little 10’ flatbed to haul my inflatable pontoon boat gets a fair amount of mileage behind the fifth wheel, and back and forth to the lakes .

[PA12DRVR]

Did the OP ever respond after the 1st post? Couldn't entirely blame him if he didn't.

FWIW, having driven trailers of one sort or the other since '74....I don't balance the tires on the boat trailer (2 trips per year) or the sno-go trailer (dozens of trips but less than 50 miles each trip), but on the "utility" flatbed (w 16" rims), tires get checked for unusual wear at least once a year and are balanced if any issues show up...without unusual wear, they're balanced every 2 years or so.

FWIW, what the shop says does or doesn't need to be done is just one data point: if my experience or the experience of others whom I trust indicates otherwise, that indication often turns out to be an alternate data point to which I'll give more weight.

[fj12ryder]

joebedford wrote:
I really don't like these personal attacks. I'm going to report this thread to the moderator.

Yeah, flaming used to be something that wasn't tolerated, now, it seems there's not an issue with personal attacks. The increasingly vitriolic attacks serve no purpose, but are completely uncontrolled. Seems like some people can't post without directly attacking the person they disagree with. Maybe they need to move them all to "Around the Campfire", that'll get 'em shut down pretty quickly. 🙂

[joebedford]

I really don't like these personal attacks. I'm going to report this thread to the moderator.

[shelbyfv]

NamMedevac 70 wrote:
You are really stupid with poor reading comprehension. The tire shops always recommended truck tire balancing and same shops said no need for TT tire balancing. You are anal about this like the loser troll Dirtdog. I feel sorry for both of you trolls and your low IQs.
Maybe you just don't understand plain English. Maybe a slow learner in school and always. No more replies to you loser trolls.

Cheers from the hot spot.

Prunes and/or metamucil, fix you right up.:W

[bucky]

I'm sure the mods are getting a kick out of the banter.
However Grit is talking about tires and Medic is talking about Grit.

[Grit_dog]

^Ha!
$20 says you can’t resist replying again, and with another outburst….lol.

It’s a sure sign of ignorance when one defends their position so vehemently with basically zero qualitative justification.

[NamMedevac_70]

You are really stupid with poor reading comprehension. The tire shops always recommended truck tire balancing and same shops said no need for TT tire balancing. You are anal about this like the loser troll Dirtdog. I feel sorry for both of you trolls and your low IQs.

Maybe you just don't understand plain English. Maybe a slow learner in school and always. No more replies to you loser trolls.

Cheers from the hot spot.

[Grit_dog]

Yeah sorry about the obsessive….lol.
It’s not about anyone who is confident in their belief that they shouldn’t balance trailer tires. It’s about the next poor unassuming feller who comes on here looking for info because Les Schwabs tells him it shouldn’t be done. (They argued with me and almost refused to do it once. Which is strange given their policy to upcharge and sell as much work as possible whether needed or not.)

And this guy got his china bomb trailer tires at a shop that even if they balanced them, would just slap 4oz of weight on one spot, and or not scrape off the old stickey weights and for sure not rotate the tire on the rim to try to get closer to zero if it showed an excessive amount of weight needed.

Then without those of us providing correct info, that feller gets bad intel and things it’s good cause no one else said otherwise.

I don’t care what anyone here or anywhere does with their trailers if they have convictions about them, right or wrong. Especially those who have provided no feel that they may somehow be well qualified in what they speak, nor willing to listen.

Good day!