My Carlisle tire nightmare

[Winnie]

So the wife, kids, and I are pulling the boat from KS to N. MN for a couple weeks vacation. At about 9:30pm just south of Mason City, IA all **** broke loose and I quickly surmised the right tire on my single axle trailer had blown. Luckily we were only about 100 yds from an off ramp, so I quickly pulled off to survey the damage. The tire, an infamous Carlisle, which I have since learned is a piece of crap, looked like it had run over a land mine. At least a quarter of it was completely gone! To make matters worse the lightning to the immediate west was lighting up the sky like the 4th of July and the wind was starting to whip up. I grabbed the jack out of the truck, took off the spare tire, and proceeded to jack up the trailer only to find the jack didn't go high enough to get on the spare. I remembered I had a piece of 2x4 in my spare prop box and after a few attempts finally got the tire changed and back on the road. Within three minutes we were in heavy rain and pea sized hail. We pulled off in Mason City at a truck stop and checked the tire. It needed air and I tightened the lug nuts some more. The rain subsided while we were stopped and against my wife's urging I decided to get back on the road. Luckily I didn't have to so much as turn on the windshield wipers again.

I got a new tire in Grand Rapids (Acheson's are good people). On the way back home today the trailer started to pull rough south of Des Moines and I noticed in the mirror that the driver's side tire was very low. I pulled off within a few miles and pulled at a gas station to look for some air. When I got out of the truck and looked at the tire I saw the half the width of the tread for about one third of of the circumference of the tire was gone completely! It was the other original Carlisle. I pulled off to the side and changed the tire. Thank God I had that piece of 2x4 with me. Any recommendations on what type of tires I should buy to replace the remaining Carlisle? The new tire I got to replace the first blow out is a private brand Akuret ST by Del-Nat tires. Anyone know anything about these?

Guess it was Carlisle's fault you did not have the right jack? It was their fault there was a storm coming?

Many facts missing from your story.... how old are these tires? Were they inflated correctly? Was your trailer overloaded,like many do on vacation, hauling everything but the kitchen sink in their boat trailer?
How fast were you going? (ST class tires are only speed rated to 65mph.) Maybe you did run over something? Road hazards are COMMON !

I have used Carlisle for years on many trailers,many thousands of miles,never a problem.

Biggest issue Carlisle REALLY had was the ones they had vended out from GOODYEAR !

[Shellback]

I imagine it was a radial tire. I've had a number of different brand radial tires fail. I stick with bias ply tires now, as I've never had a complete failure with one.

[yarcraft91]

How old were the Carlyles, what size and load range, what inflation pressure did you maintain, how heavy is your rig?

All relevant in knowing what you should buy as replacements.

[Hot Runr Guy]

Winnie,
from your postings, you've got an Alumacraft Dominator 175 Sport w/a 130 E-TEC? Before you go tire shopping, I'd get that rig to a scale and have it weighed, I'll bet it's heavier than you think.
If you do need more load capacity/tire, the "D"-rated Kumho 857 might be worth considering. http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....del=Radial+857

HRG

[fireboat]

Carlisle tires are JUNK! I wouldn't put them on a lawnmower. I'm 61 and had boats and trailers all my life and I have never had problems with any other brand like I've had with Carlisle's. I had 3 brand new ones blow or separate within 3 months. Cost me 2 fenders and 1 rim. My current trailer is going on it's 4th summer and the tires still look like new, that's because their NOT Carlisle's.

[Jimmy Jig]

Well IF those Carlisle tires arn't greatlly improved get ready for a rash of blow-outs! I see Lund and Shorland'r trailers are coming with Carlisle tires for the last year or so..

[jalichty@bresnan.net]

My Crestliner trailer has Carlisle tires on it as well. Just had to change out all four of the four-year old Carlisle tires on my fifth-wheel and will never knowingly buy a Carlisle again. The original tires on my fifth-wheel lasted 13 or 14 years and these Carlisles only lasted about four. As soon as the boat trailer tires need changing you can be sure they won't be replaced with Carlisles, very unhappy with them.

[yarcraft91]

Originally Posted by Hot Runr Guy

Winnie,
from your postings, you've got an Alumacraft Dominator 175 Sport w/a 130 E-TEC? Before you go tire shopping, I'd get that rig to a scale and have it weighed, I'll bet it's heavier than you think.
If you do need more load capacity/tire, the "D"-rated Kumho 857 might be worth considering. http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....del=Radial+857

HRG

I'll have to consider those when I replace my current load range C Marathons. Looks like I can drop down one tire size and pick up 200 lb/tire load capacity. One question, though. The Goodyear site says that I should make certain my wheels are rated for the higher pressure and load limit.
http://www.goodyearrvtires.com/wheels-rating.aspx

I've never looked at a wheel for a pressure and load rating.

[Hot Runr Guy]

Originally Posted by yarcraft91

I'll have to consider those when I replace my current load range C Marathons. Looks like I can drop down one tire size and pick up 200 lb/tire load capacity. One question, though. The Goodyear site says that I should make certain my wheels are rated for the higher pressure and load limit.
http://www.goodyearrvtires.com/wheels-rating.aspx

I've never looked at a wheel for a pressure and load rating.

Yar,
When I had my latest set of "C" Marathons mounted, the shop asked me what pressure I intended to run in them. When I responded 60-65psi, they installed "high-pressure" valve stems (see the metal shank) in my 1-piece aluminum wheels. I have no idea how to find high-pressure trailer wheels.
http://recstuff.com/TR-600-High-Pres...o-100-PSI.aspx

HRG