tires

[chugsonja@msn.com]

Just bought a 3401RL and joined the redwood the group. I keep reading to get rid of the Westlake rated at 62 mph and buy Sailun rated 65 mph. Goodyear are also rated at 75 mph but only suggest 65 mph max. My question is nobody mentions Provider Taskmaster rated at 87 mph, seems would be a safer tire for highway speeds? They are all made in China. I have only brought the unit home from TX and haven't been on a trip yet. the Westlake's only have 4000 miles on them and I will be going to Florida in January. How important is the speed rating for the heat build up or are they just being careful? Do I need to drive 60 mph all the way to Florida? THANKS
chug

[XCMARK]

I don't ever suggest pulling any trailer as heavy as these are at or over 75mph. So I don't see any benefit of higher speed rated tires. The Sailun tires have proven to be a great durable tire you can trust to not have blow outs. I have Sailun tire and plan on 4-5 years max and chaining them out at the first sign of cracking in the tread. I have G rated GoodYears 614 on my equipment trailer and show signs of cracking at 5 years old.

[chugsonja@msn.com]

I agree, I am asking if a tire is rated at 87 mph is it not better than a tire rated at 62 or 65 mph? They are all rated 16 ply. I owned a Select Suite and had G614 on it and never thought about having tire blowout. I am heading to Florida in January and just asking about the Westlake tires speed rating of 62 mph. I cannot replace yet. Interstate driving speed limits are normally 70. What speed is safe with a tire rated for 62 or 65 mph ( heat build up )? THANKS

[atom ant]

62 mph would be a hard speed to hold - why take a chance? My G614s were rated at 75 mph and "sometimes" I got there but most the time not. At least I wasn't over-running there rating.

[Jim & Mary]

The big sticking point for me was...............what is the collateral damage warranty provided by Westlake and where to get a problem taken care of. I have never had a tire problem, knock knock, but many have reported on Goodyear paid for damage to the coach when one of their tires failed catastrophically. I don't think I've heard of that about Westlake. I know I paid a lot of money for the Goodyear 17.5's but the chance of having a tire problem I think is less, and if I do, they will stand behind their product.

[Garyl53]

My Westlakes on my ‘16 36RL w/7000 lb axles are rated for 75 mph and LR G. Are you sure they are only rated for 62 mph?

[chugsonja@msn.com]

My tire has a J for speed rating which is 62 mph and a 135 load index which is 4805#. The tires are 17.5 made in Thailand with 8000# axles. The rig is a 2017 redwood 3401RL. The tires only have about 4000 miles on them and I need to run them for awhile do I need to stay under 62 mph for my trip? I believe rv'ers should try to run close to speed limit but not to be dangerous. People don;t like us because many drive for gas mileage and impede traffic. Running 60 mph in a 80 mph in TX is a bit slow, prefer to run closer to 68 to 70 if possible but not if it would be a hazard for people around me for a tire failure. thanks chug

[chugsonja@msn.com]

My 2017 3401RL Westlake tire 17.5 H rated shows a speed rating of J with a load index of 135 made in Thailand. The chart shows J at 62 mph and 135 at #4805. Florida is a long way from CO. The tires have about 4000 miles on them. In TX the interstate is 80 mph and I think rv'ers should attempt to not impede traffic for gas mileage but do remain safe. This is why I like a cc dually for that additional safty I would like to run 68 or 70 mph but not if it is a hazard, a blowout in traffic is not a good thing for anyone.Thanks

[XCMARK]

I am certain that those westlake tires on other owners rigs are pulled at what ever speed they want. My feeling on RV tire ratings below 75mph is a way they can put a weight rating higher then it should be but drop the speed so it doenst build up heat. You bring up the Texas heat and I do agree if the road is 160* and the tire heats up 40* more on top of that your right at the danger zone. I would suggest getting a infared temp gun , you just aim the red dot at the surface and pull the trigger .I used it on bearing hubs also so you know if your about to have a failer. If your tire or hubs are hot there is a reason . You dont hear of westlake tires blowing out but no one tire brand has a perfect track record.

https://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Lase...s%2C152&sr=8-3

[atom ant]

Originally Posted by chugsonja@msn.com

I believe rv'ers should try to run close to speed limit but not to be dangerous. People don;t like us because many drive for gas mileage and impede traffic. Running 60 mph in a 80 mph in TX is a bit slow, prefer to run closer to 68 to 70 if possible but not if it would be a hazard for people around me for a tire failure.

I LIKE your attitude
I do get tired of the attitude of those retired who think the whole world needs to slow down to their speed because they now have the time, especially on two lane roads. Your rig should be equipped to to travel the road it is using without distracting or impeding the traffic flow.

[chugsonja@msn.com]

Hope i am not posting this again, having trouble- either me or computer???
Thanks Mark great idea, I actually have one somewhere. I bought for bearings and have not used it yet. Did not think about it for tires. Will us it on our trip to Disney ( our 50th)
Thanks Atom Ant I was beginning to think I was alone. I occasionally run with guys that drive for gas mileage and I think they are holding up traffic. I also try to them to spread out so people can pass. They think I am crazy. I think your right- OLD- thanks again chug

[travelin' texans]

Totally agree Brad!
My last truck the sweet spot was right at 1700 rpm which on flat ground was about 68 mph, I didn't feel like I was impeding traffic or driving recklessly & never had a blowout.
If you've ever towed across Texas on I-10 at 55-60 mph it feels like you could walk it faster, takes forever.

[piper guy]

Same as Danny. With our rig, 67 mph gives me better fuel mpg than 60-61 and I'm headed usually along with the flow of most of the trucks.

Just an FYI, the H Sailuns are rated higher than 62 mph. I believe 75, but can't find it right now. In any case, great tires along with the G114 Goodyears, just a big difference in cost.

[mhs4771]

I think it was the "G" Sailuns that had the 62 MPH rating.

[RWJSIM2003]

I run ours at about 67 MPH also good Cruising speed and not holding up anyone. I will push it to 70 MPH to get around Semi some times then back to 67.

[hoosierguy]

Well folks, I know many of you here will disagree with me on this topic. I am one of those who do not believe in pushing my luck with the tires on these RV's. I have run Goodyear G614 tires since the beginning on our 2012 Redwood 36RL. They have never been run at 75 mph. Occasionally, I have run them up to 68 to 70 mph. I generally try to run 60 to 62 mph in the right lane on open highway. Around metropolitan areas, I will run with traffic while keeping plenty of room between me and the vehicle in front.

In 27000 miles, I have had three close call incidents. The first two were the same morning while traveling through Atlanta, GA. One car pulled out in front of me and without disk brakes, I would have hit him/her at 30 mph. In the second case, another car tried to pass me on the left while concrete barriers were closing in on the left with no where for the car to go. I don't know how he kept from hitting the rear of our coach because I had to watch the traffic in front of me. (By the way, don't drive through or around Atlanta any more!)

The third incident occurred last fall while on my way to Florida. I was traveling at 55 to 60 mph about 4 or 5 car lengths behind a large tandem axle dump truck on I-75. Without warning, the truck suddenly seemed like it exploded in black smoke. In hindsight, what happened was a car stopped on the highway, at a backed up pull-off ramp to an adjoining highway below, dead in front of the truck. The truck driver locked up his brakes causing all of the smoke. If I had had been traveling faster than the 55 or 60 mph, the 4 or 5 car lengths, good tires and disk brakes, they would still be peeling me off the back of that truck. My son-in-law was traveling with me and he said, "I don't know how you got this rig stopped". Also fortunately, no one hit our rig from the rear.

When I am traveling, my goal is around 300 miles per day and at 60 mph I can start at 8:00 AM and stop by 3:30 PM, set up and enjoy my evening. I have never had a problem with driving at 60 mph on the interstates or any other US highway. On the interstates, I stay in the right lane and let the rest of world go by. The other advantage is that when you come to all of the construction zones, you don't have to change speed much if any because they are generally set to 55 mph!

[ennisbe]

Originally Posted by chugsonja@msn.com

Just bought a 3401RL and joined the redwood the group. I keep reading to get rid of the Westlake rated at 62 mph and buy Sailun rated 65 mph. Goodyear are also rated at 75 mph but only suggest 65 mph max. My question is nobody mentions Provider Taskmaster rated at 87 mph, seems would be a safer tire for highway speeds? They are all made in China. I have only brought the unit home from TX and haven't been on a trip yet. the Westlake's only have 4000 miles on them and I will be going to Florida in January. How important is the speed rating for the heat build up or are they just being careful? Do I need to drive 60 mph all the way to Florida? THANKS
chug

I have had a blow out with west lake J rated and immediately replaced them all with Continental tires. Redwood covered the damage done by the blowout. I have a tire monitoring system that showed no problem until the minute it went. Good tires are a necessity

[mhs4771]

Even good tires can explode. Had a 17.5 GY G114 "H" tire explode on the way to the Rally. No warning, running the same temp and pressure as the other three until "BOOM".

[Andrusjb61]

I’ve had 4 blow outs over the years with substantial damage each time. The sage advice of full timers has been to not run tires more than 3 years old. Checking pressure daily and replacing every three years has kept us blow out free.