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I've had a great run with the Michelin XTAs on my Mobile Suites. Five years and they still have lots of tread. But, alas, I want to replace before heading to Alaska in 2017. They are 215/75R/17.5 and I am looking at replacing with the Sailun 235/75R/17.5. Those Sailun's get good reviews, have a load capacity of 6k# and are about half the price of the Michelins. I'm wondering if there is any potential problem with change from a 215mm tire to a 235mm tire width. It looks like I have about two inches between the current 215s and the shocks so there appears to be extra room. I've also got plenty of space between tires (triple axle) for higher diameter.
Has anyone made a change like this or does anyone see a problem doing that?
The Sailun tire may fit but I would never use them. Specs aside for the China made tires, I would go to Goodyear G114's which are not made in China.
The Goodyear G114's also have a 75 MPH rating. The reason I would not continue to use the Michelin is that it has only a 62 MPH rating and that rating is only at 120 PSI. The Goodyear G114 75 MPH rating is at any recommended (by Goodyear) air pressure as appropriate for the load. I have Michelin's on my vehicles but not not on my trailers due to this speed limitation. 62 is just too low to have any headroom, IMO. The G114 tire weight rating has plenty of headroom for your rig.
(BTW, DRV went to G114's from the Michelin for this reason. I know as I asked them about it when I toured the factory.)
I am not fan of Goodyear G614 G tires and consider them to be a totally inferior product based on a lot of experience with them. The point is my view is not based on being a Goodyear "fan boy" but pertains to a specific product - not brand. The G114 H tire is the superior choice if safety is the primary concern which it should be. The G114 is also very expensive. There is a reason for that.
Trust you three will enjoy the trip to Alaska very much. I know you will.
Thanks Bill. The Sailun's are actually a pretty good tire in spite of their origin. They are the only Chinese made tire that I know of that meets ISO standards.
I'm more concerned with making sure they will fit my existing rims...which I think they will.
Those G114s are steep at $600/ea. Sailun's are $150-$250 ea depending on where you buy them.
Not sure what your experience with GY G614's was for you to assess them as a "totally inferior product", but I use them as an upgrade from my OEM E rated Trailer King tires. I weigh a bit over 15,000 GVW, (3,200 pin weight) and for that weight 5th wheel, the GY G614 is a superior tire ... it is also speed (S) rated to 75 MPH. If you had a bad experience with them, you might have been running them too close to their max weight rating (3,750 lbs @ 110 psi). My axles are rated at 7,000 lbs (3,500 per corner) and my heaviest corner is a little over 3,200 lbs. For my rig and weights, I think the GY G614 is a great choice. Sure, if I was heavier, the H rated G114 might be the right tire, but I'm not. Just out of curiosity, what load range G tire do you recommend over the GY G614?
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Ron and Janice
2016 Ford F350, King Ranch, DRW, 4x4, CC, 6.7 PS Diesel, remote control air lift system
2017 Durango Gold 381REF, Lambright furniture, MCD shades, morRYDE IS, 8K Disc brakes, GY G114 LR H Tires, 27,320 lbs CGVW
Thanks Bill. The Sailun's are actually a pretty good tire in spite of their origin. They are the only Chinese made tire that I know of that meets ISO standards.
I'm more concerned with making sure they will fit my existing rims...which I think they will.
Those G114s are steep at $600/ea. Sailun's are $150-$250 ea depending on where you buy them.
Just a quick comment to the "meets ISO standards". Doing so does not mean anything with regard to performance or product quality. It refers to DOCUMENTED MANUFACTURING PROCESSES THAT CAN BE AUDITED. it is a paper trail that proves you make something the same way every time. It does not imply that what you do is "good" ... only that it is repeatable. Most companies use this to suggest quality, which is a misrepresentation of what the ISO standards are about. What ISO standards DO allow for is to correct a manufacturing process that is found to be defective (because, in theory all similarly made products would have the same defect). Think ... TAKATA AIR BAGS ... they are an ISO rated manufacturer and all their air bags have the same defect. Just for the record.
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Ron and Janice
2016 Ford F350, King Ranch, DRW, 4x4, CC, 6.7 PS Diesel, remote control air lift system
2017 Durango Gold 381REF, Lambright furniture, MCD shades, morRYDE IS, 8K Disc brakes, GY G114 LR H Tires, 27,320 lbs CGVW
Yes, Trailer Tire and Wheel has consistently good pricing and I've had excellent service from them.
I feel the dollar cost is worth it based now on traveling some of the worst roads Canada has to offer where the robustness of the tire payed off. Not so much for others traveling with me. Having two total Nev-R-Lub failures where the hubs locked up the tires never blew in spite of the fact of grinding the almost 1" of tread down to the steel belts. No loss of air in the tires both times. I've also got 3 times the mileage out of them I've got from the "G" tires. So, in the long run they tend to pay for themselves.
I've just had too many experiences personally and seen on other's rigs where I was very glad I replaced the G614's as well as the consistency I've seen from that particular product.
I understand the fit question but because I knew you and your family just wanted to comment.
Not sure what your experience with GY G614's was for you to assess them as a "totally inferior product", but I use them as an upgrade from my OEM E rated Trailer King tires. I weigh a bit over 15,000 GVW, (3,200 pin weight) and for that weight 5th wheel, the GY G614 is a superior tire ... it is also speed (S) rated to 75 MPH. If you had a bad experience with them, you might have been running them too close to their max weight rating (3,750 lbs @ 110 psi). My axles are rated at 7,000 lbs (3,500 per corner) and my heaviest corner is a little over 3,200 lbs. For my rig and weights, I think the GY G614 is a great choice. Sure, if I was heavier, the H rated G114 might be the right tire, but I'm not. Just out of curiosity, what load range G tire do you recommend over the GY G614?
Ron:
First, if one can't run a tire to its ratings then the tire isn't rated correctly. That said, I know my trailer(s) weights and the G614s were not at their rated limits of which I am well aware. But like others, including H & L - we replaced the factory supplied "G" tires before they could do damage once I discovered the issues with those tires. It was and is a safety thing. Indeed, I put G114 "H" tires on a trailer that had 7,000lb axles and weighted some 15,500# when I did it. Ride quality was not and is not an issue. Seldom is at proper recommended inflation.
I've seen too many G614's blow out and the resulting damage to the rig. For one thing the sidewalls don't have the thickness or strength required regardless of the "standards." That's where the blowouts typically occur and trailer service vs. truck service are two entirely different applications due to the side load stress in trailer service. Not to mention G114 tires last much longer due to having so much more rubber thickness when new.
To your question: Actually, I have no recommendation for a G "RV grade" tire assuming one is going to travel almost regardless of he weight numbers. If little travel, probably doesn't matter quite as much. But Kyle and family do travel, have a big trailer which is their home and are going on a trip that warrants an upgraded product and that is what Kyle is researching. China manufactured tires have a bad reputation and for good reason. The G114's are commercial grade tires and that's simply a superior tire and its not made in China. (At least the ones I bought about a year ago were still US made.) But they are expensive which I quickly acknowledge.
Normally I don't get into these discussions anymore but I know Kyle and his family and so it becomes a bit more personal so I comment.
Make sure when you compare spec's you are also looking at rim widths. The 235 may be measured and spec'd at a different rim width. Not only will this affect the OD of the tire but also the width AND its carrying capacity.
As a side note, the 17.5 inch is really a tire size built primarily for car hauler, low boy, and other trailer applications. Smaller OD but heavier carrying capacity. As stated they are a commercial application that can and are utilized in lighter applications such as RV's. Here is one note that you need to keep in mind, not too sure you shouldn't use them because of this just something to file in the back of your memory bank. In my 35+ years in the tire industry there were two periods this size tire went on critical backorder. This means you could be the biggest of the big and you weren't going to get tires. I know in 2004 we couldn't supply Michelins largest user of this size tire and Goodyear and Bridgestone had no stock either. Again not saying don't use them, just keep your ear to the ground and pre plan if the economy starts picking up.
The G614 is for a 16" rim. You were recommending a 17.5" rim tire ... I completely agreed with your comments to your friend, until you brought up the G614 thing. I am sure the G614 was never a consideration because it's a lower rated tire than they currently have, and it doesn't fit their wheels. It was so unrelated to the topic and discussion line that the criticism seemed out of place. The reason I bought the GY G614 was because of the recommendations of many on this website ... Howard in particular. I guess everyone is entitled to their opinion.
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Ron and Janice
2016 Ford F350, King Ranch, DRW, 4x4, CC, 6.7 PS Diesel, remote control air lift system
2017 Durango Gold 381REF, Lambright furniture, MCD shades, morRYDE IS, 8K Disc brakes, GY G114 LR H Tires, 27,320 lbs CGVW
Bill, you've made a good case for the G114. I'm going to reconsider my options and will likely go that route now. The simpletire price is pretty hard to pass up for that tire.
Rickl, thanks and yes the Michelins were spec'd for 6.75 rim width. The Sailun 235/75/17.5 are also spec'd for 6.75 rim width (at least that's what the Sailun rep told me). I already have 17.5" rims so I'm not looking to change that part.
Not sure what your experience with GY G614's was for you to assess them as a "totally inferior product", but I use them as an upgrade from my OEM E rated Trailer King tires. I weigh a bit over 15,000 GVW, (3,200 pin weight) and for that weight 5th wheel, the GY G614 is a superior tire ... it is also speed (S) rated to 75 MPH. If you had a bad experience with them, you might have been running them too close to their max weight rating (3,750 lbs @ 110 psi). My axles are rated at 7,000 lbs (3,500 per corner) and my heaviest corner is a little over 3,200 lbs. For my rig and weights, I think the GY G614 is a great choice. Sure, if I was heavier, the H rated G114 might be the right tire, but I'm not. Just out of curiosity, what load range G tire do you recommend over the GY G614?
Ron:
First, if one can't run a tire to its ratings then the tire isn't rated correctly. That said, I know my trailer(s) weights and the G614s were not at their rated limits of which I am well aware. But like others, including H & L - we replaced the factory supplied "G" tires before they could do damage once I discovered the issues with those tires. It was and is a safety thing. Indeed, I put G114 "H" tires on a trailer that had 7,000lb axles and weighted some 15,500# when I did it. Ride quality was not and is not an issue. Seldom is at proper recommended inflation.
I've seen too many G614's blow out and the resulting damage to the rig. For one thing the sidewalls don't have the thickness or strength required regardless of the "standards." That's where the blowouts typically occur and trailer service vs. truck service are two entirely different applications due to the side load stress in trailer service. Not to mention G114 tires last much longer due to having so much more rubber thickness when new.
To your question: Actually, I have no recommendation for a G "RV grade" tire assuming one is going to travel almost regardless of he weight numbers. If little travel, probably doesn't matter quite as much. But Kyle and family do travel, have a big trailer which is their home and are going on a trip that warrants an upgraded product and that is what Kyle is researching. China manufactured tires have a bad reputation and for good reason. The G114's are commercial grade tires and that's simply a superior tire and its not made in China. (At least the ones I bought about a year ago were still US made.) But they are expensive which I quickly acknowledge.
Normally I don't get into these discussions anymore but I know Kyle and his family and so it becomes a bit more personal so I comment.
Didn't ask for an "RV grade" rated tire .. I asked for your recommended better load range G tire than the GY G614 ... which is an LT tire. I would be happy to buy any tire that is load range G that is better than the GY G614.
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Ron and Janice
2016 Ford F350, King Ranch, DRW, 4x4, CC, 6.7 PS Diesel, remote control air lift system
2017 Durango Gold 381REF, Lambright furniture, MCD shades, morRYDE IS, 8K Disc brakes, GY G114 LR H Tires, 27,320 lbs CGVW
Didn't ask for an "RV grade" rated tire .. I asked for your recommended better load range G tire than the GY G614 ... which is an LT tire. I would be happy to buy any tire that is load range G that is better than the GY G614.
Ron:
Your quite correct. Sorry, I didn't answer your specific question. I don't know of a "G" rated tire to recommend for most 5th wheel trailers, such are in use by most on this forum, which will be traveling any significant amount of time. I generally only make comments about items about which I have specific knowledge or experience.
I had ZERO issues with the original GY "G" tires on my 07.5 MS with tires dated June 07. I sold them along with the spare and wheels for $1,000 on CL with the spare never seeing the ground. The RV weighed 18-19K so the tires were running at their upper ratings. The tries had at least 40K with lots of hot weather travel.
Prior to that date GY "G" tires were having issues but they DID take care of damages no question. My Dad's 96 HH Premier had 3 blowouts but after 07 has had ZERO issues with MANY thousands of miles.
I changed to GY "H" tires on the MS and of course had no issues. I also went from GY "E" to GY "G" on 02 Avion ran those for many thousands of miles over 4 years.
So to say the GY "G" is not a good tire a little detail should be mentioned.
My previous DRV was a 2006 Mobile Suites. Came with the GY G614s and yes we had tire separation. Goodyear paid for both tire failures and damage to DRV. We replaced all with same new dated tires and had zero problems with them. Do believe it was a bad run of tires but the damage was done. On the G114s, I have read of only one failure. Very good track record.
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2003 Teton Grand Freedon 2006 Mobile Suites 32TK3 SOLD 2006 Freightliner Century 120 with Detroit 14L singled, ultrashift, hauling a 2016 Smart Passion
My previous DRV was a 2006 Mobile Suites. Came with the GY G614s and yes we had tire separation. Goodyear paid for both tire failures and damage to DRV. We replaced all with same new dated tires and had zero problems with them. Do believe it was a bad run of tires but the damage was done. On the G114s, I have read of only one failure. Very good track record.
I have seen pics of two GY "H" tires with the center of the tread missing but the two outer ribs were still intact. Air pressure not effected! I think they are nearly indestructible. I will be giving mine a workout since I have 17,500# sitting on my 4 RV tires. Around 12K on them and so far good.
My previous DRV was a 2006 Mobile Suites. Came with the GY G614s and yes we had tire separation. Goodyear paid for both tire failures and damage to DRV. We replaced all with same new dated tires and had zero problems with them. Do believe it was a bad run of tires but the damage was done. On the G114s, I have read of only one failure. Very good track record.
I have seen pics of two GY "H" tires with the center of the tread missing but the two outer ribs were still intact. Air pressure not effected! I think they are nearly indestructible. I will be giving mine a workout since I have 17,500# sitting on my 4 RV tires. Around 12K on them and so far good.
I can easily echo the "nearly indestructible" comment about the G114 "H" tires from experience. I've had three occurrences where the tires, through no fault of their own failure, have had the tread taken off down to the steel belts. Zero loss of air and zero damage to the trailer by the tires. I have 42,777 logged miles on this set and still plenty of measured tread remaining. My original "G" tires were shot at 16,394 miles on our previous, much lighter trailer.
I have owned the Sailun S637 16" "G" Rated Tire on a previous 5th Wheel. The total weight of that 5th Wheel was around 15,600 Lbs. with a 3,700 lb. Pin Weight. Yes the Sailun Tires preformed great cross country for a number of years and many miles.
My current Redwood 5th Wheel came with Goodyear G614 tires, the trailer weighted in at 16,800 lbs. with a light pin weight of only 3,000 lbs. due to the fact it is a front living floorplan which are known to be light on the pin. I ran the Goodyear G614 Tires for two years of trouble free service and many miles but they did start to show a lot of wear.
Due to the fact live in my Redwood and I move about every two weeks year round in my 5er, I decided this past summer to upgrade the suspension, tires and pin box. I bought the 4 Goodyear 17.5 G114's with rims for about 2k, then went up to Indiana and had MoRyde install their Independent Suspension, upgrading from standard 7K axles to the MoRyde IS 8K axles. While at the MoRyde facility I decided to go ahead and change out my Trail Air Tri Glide Pin Box to the MoRyde Pin Box. My Trail Air Tri Glide Pin Box failed during the 2nd year of service and Redwood / Lippert replaced it under warranty but I was just uncomfortable with the Tri Glide and did not want another failure on the side of the road in the backwoods of Alabama.
I really like my Redwood and my Front Living floorplan and the comfort it provides for me, now hopefully I will have many miles of trouble free service and no worries.
-- Edited by Rob_Fla on Tuesday 1st of November 2016 07:37:46 PM
Robert, I think I'll be following you on that path when it's "tire time". My G614's have about 4,500 miles on them and look good. When they wear out, or time out, I'll make the switch. I've heard enough testimony to convince me that the G114's are a tire that should be in my future.
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Ron and Janice
2016 Ford F350, King Ranch, DRW, 4x4, CC, 6.7 PS Diesel, remote control air lift system
2017 Durango Gold 381REF, Lambright furniture, MCD shades, morRYDE IS, 8K Disc brakes, GY G114 LR H Tires, 27,320 lbs CGVW
I have read many glowing reports on both the Maxxis and the Sailuns. Our wheels are only 16" (we're a little over 13K loaded) and we installed the Sailun load range Gs last spring followed by the MOR/ryde independent suspension and disc brakes late this summer. It's like having a whole new rig and we couldn't be happier. We've put about 3,000 miles on the tires so far and can't tell that there's been any wear at all.
Rob
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2012 F350 DRW Lariat 6.7
PullRite OE 18K, Demco Glide Ride pinbox
2020 Solitude 310GK-R, MORryde IS, disc brakes, solar, DP windows
"Has anyone made a change like this or does anyone see a problem doing that?"
Not yet but considering.
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Winnebago TT 2101DS & 2020 Silverado LTZ Z71. 300 watts WindyNation solar w/MPPT, 2 Trojan T-125s. TALL flag pole. Prefer USFS, COE, BLM, USF&WS, NPS, TVA, state/county camps. 14 year Army vet-11B40 then 11A - old MOS 1542 & 1560.
"Those G114s are steep at $600/ea. Sailun's are $150-$250 ea depending on where you buy them."
Can't put a price on safety.... upgraded to the G114's through "tiresandwheels", and have never looked back. Those tires are the foundation of YOUR HOME. You spent good hard earned $$$$$ on your home, why would you go the cheaper way on the foundation???? My next investment is the Mor/ryde IS hoping for this Spring.
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06 GMC 3500 SLT Duramax, Allison.
09 Montana 3665re
Safe travels to all, Take each day as a gift for that is truly what it is.
"Those G114s are steep at $600/ea. Sailun's are $150-$250 ea depending on where you buy them."
Can't put a price on safety.... upgraded to the G114's through "tiresandwheels", and have never looked back. Those tires are the foundation of YOUR HOME. You spent good hard earned $$$$$ on your home, why would you go the cheaper way on the foundation???? My next investment is the Mor/ryde IS hoping for this Spring.
FWIW as might be helpful, a bit of "return on investment" data beyond the safety factor as pertains to the cost of the G114 commercial grade tires. We have just short of 44,000 logged miles on our current set of G114 tires. Checking the tread depth on the "worst" tire - all were within 1/32nd inch - it still was only 40% worn and by worn I mean still allowing 6/32" as the "change them" point. The 6/32" was recommended to me by Trailer Tire and Wheel as "still perfectly safe" but time to think about changing. At 6/32" the concern was not a blow out but road gripping for braking action. (Scott, the owner of Trailer Tire and Wheel, told me he'd personally have no concern about going to Alaska on 6/32" - FWIW.)
The overall financial data point to be considered, IMO beyond the safety factor of these tires, is just how long they will last. Longer term readers of the Forum know Linda and I do travel quite a bit. Those who do not travel a lot could likely never replace the G114 tires due to wear but due to "aging out." Howard and Linda did that at 7 years, as I recall as an example, 7 years being the general "aged out" point. So one might want to do the math and consider if spending the extra dollars for safety might also be a good return on investment as to the life span of the G114 tire. Review the specifications. The tread depth on these tires when new is very deep - 16/32" by specification. Check the price at Trailer Tire and Wheel in addition to a local dealer. One might find a better price point. Many on the Forum have.
I'm just providing data. Other tires may wear and be "just as good." But I'm confident in these having used them for 10 years with outstanding mileage results - and no blowouts. These commercial grade tires are worth the money to us. Our opinion.
