Tire Recommendation?

[Mike and Carol]

34 minutes ago, jd1923 said:

Lastly, I'm wondering why Mike @Mike and Carol and Bill @rideandfly are both choosing to move to ST tires? What criteria makes you prefer ST tires? 

I haven’t made a decision, yet.  I just said I’m thinking about it.  No specific reason, just thought I’d be exploring all possibilities next time.  I think I still have a couple years on my current Coopers.  Mike

[rideandfly]

37 minutes ago, jd1923 said:

Lastly, I'm wondering why Mike @Mike and Carol and Bill @rideandfly are both choosing to move to ST tires? What criteria makes you prefer ST tires? 

John,

I keep our Ollie on pavement most of the time except when a campground has dirt roads. To be honest I was thinking about refinishing the original 16" ION trailer wheels or replacing them with new 15" Sendel trailer wheels. I already have one 15" Sendel trailer wheel with a Goodyear Endurance ST225/75R/15 for the spare tire since the full size 16" LT225/75R/16 tire/wheel will not fit in the original spare tire housing, believe the Oliver spare tire housing was made larger during 2016 or 2017. I would lose about 1/2" trailer ground clearance by moving to the 15" tire/wheel using the same 15" Goodyear ST tires Oliver currently uses.

Just a thought for now. I have another Ollie project in front of wheels/tires for next year.

Here's the original spare with 16" wheel and passenger tire (not LT) that would fit in the spare tire housing on the left. The new 15" Goodyear ST tire and Sendel wheel is on the right that fits the original spare tire housing.

[jd1923]

35 minutes ago, rideandfly said:

The new 15" Goodyear ST tire and Sendel wheel is on the right that fits the original spare tire housing.

The new wheel looks great! It actually has a simple, cleaner look.

If quality and weight rating is equal, buying 4 is likely lower cost and longer life vs. refinishing.

Having 5 like wheels is a certain advantage vs. a temp spare that we must change twice. The 1/2” drop matters not on paved roads. Lower center of gravity another benefit. Thanks 

[rideandfly]

23 minutes ago, jd1923 said:

The new wheel looks great! It actually has a simple, cleaner look.

If quality and weight rating is equal, buying 4 is likely lower cost and longer life vs. refinishing.

Having 5 like wheels is a certain advantage vs. a temp spare that we must change twice. The 1/2” drop matters not on paved roads. Lower center of gravity another benefit. Thanks 

Agree, guessing the new 15" wheels may be about the same cost as refinishing and I like the idea of having  a spare tire/wheel that matches the tire/wheels mounted on Ollie.

[jd1923]

48 minutes ago, rideandfly said:

Agree, guessing the new 15" wheels may be about the same cost as refinishing and I like the idea of having  a spare tire/wheel that matches the tire/wheels mounted on Ollie.

And you can likely get $100 used on the old set locally, or maybe an Oliver owner needs one?

[rideandfly]

54 minutes ago, jd1923 said:

And you can likely get $100 used on the old set locally, or maybe an Oliver owner needs one?

Good thought, I could the sell the old set.

I only run 40PSI @ 5100lb ready to camp weight with the ION wheels that came on our Ollie. Another piece of interesting information is it looks like the maximum pressure for these particular wheels, 60PSI. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited Tuesday at 08:43 PM by rideandfly

[jd1923]

1 hour ago, rideandfly said:

Another piece of interesting information is it looks like the maximum pressure for these particular wheels, 60PSI.

Do they also print a weight rating? The OEM wheels are rated for 80 PSI, but 60 is all you need with margin. The OEM wheels are weight rated, don’t remember exactly, but the 4 added to 11K+, so with D52, Alcan springs on Load E tires and OEM wheels, it’s only Oliver frame capacity keeping these from being actual (not legal) 10K GTWR! I would hope the frame is also over-engineered!

If it were me (not me, since our wheels living in the dry SW are very nice after 10 years), I’d buy these on Tire Rack, choose tires, have them mounted and Hunter Road Force balanced, shipped as a unit, 2-year hazard protection and shipping included!

Then nothing easier than changing a ready-mounted wheel on an Oliver!

https://www.tirerack.com/wheels/brands/sendel-towable

Edited Tuesday at 10:31 PM by jd1923

[Mike and Carol]

5 hours ago, rideandfly said:

…believe the Oliver spare tire housing was made larger during 2016 or 2017.

It wasn’t changed in 2016, we have the smaller spare.

[rideandfly]

2 hours ago, jd1923 said:

Do they also print a weight rating? The OEM wheels are rated for 80 PSI, but 60 is all you need with margin. The OEM wheels are weight rated, don’t remember exactly

Only thing I can find on the wheel is maximum pressure, not capacity. It’s probably in the operators manual.

We have put many miles on these wheels, but for full disclosure, if we replace them and someone wants them, I have to post the maximum pressure.
 

It’s going to be next year before I start on the wheel/tire project. Actually have two more Ollie projects before the wheel/tire project, I know it's easy to replace wheels/tires, but it's also according to $ available for AFE (authority for expenditure) projects, that's what we called them on the Railroad. 🙂

 

 

Edited yesterday at 12:37 AM by rideandfly

[John Dorrer]

On 6/9/2024 at 12:16 PM, csevel said:

The time is long overdue to replace my '17 ILOVHER tires.   I haven't traveled more than 2500 miles in the last year and have put this off long enough.  I have the original discontinued Michelins LTX MS2s in the 225/75/16 size.  I will not be buying new wheels so what are my options?  I know I put Goodyear Endurance STs on my Casita but I don' think they come in a 16s.  Thank you in advance for any help and recommendations!

They come in 16's

[DanielBoondock]

For reference the specs on my new 2026

• Goodyear Endurance
• ST225/75 15(E)
• 65 PSI cold press
• Cargo limit 1630 lbs

Measured 60 PSI after a 4k trip, probably was 65 from the factory. Will check the spare, expecting 65 there. 

FWIW I’m not a fan of lowering pressure except for low speed offroad traction. At freeway speeds it just heats up and stresses the tire, it’s the suspensions job to absorb shock. The tires job is to provide traction and to a minor degree filter road surface tooth (high sidewalls biggest component of this).

If the suspension performance isn’t up to your expectations then that should be addressed with springs and shocks. And before doing anything it should be measured before and after, on the leaf spring thread I discuss a simple way to do it with your phone.

Finally, the tire has a sidewall warning “TIRE FAILURE DUE TO UNDERINFLATION …”

Anyhow, to each his own, I won’t criticize anybody’s ride. From the drivers seat it rode fine from the factory so I’ll keep it at 65 psi. 

[Geronimo John]

On 1/20/2026 at 6:14 PM, Wayfinder said:

Here are some inflation and load examples for Elite II travel trailers (four tires):

Thank you for the visual presentation of tire pressures by the major tiret companies.  

We all should know our trailer tire loads and the tongue weights.  Only the trailer tire weights should be used with your charts.   For our OE2, with a total weight of 6,000 pounds and a tongue weight of say 600 pounds my four tires are carrying just 5400 pounds.  That's 1350 pounds each.

Of note in your charts not one of the mfg's have a weight/pressure anywhere close to what most of us are loading.  Common practice therefore is to use the MFG minimum recommend tire pressure, either 35 or 40 PSI depending.

I know we are all tire experts.  Or are we?  I run michelin's and the listed minimum for their chart is 40.  Why is anybody running 50+ any more?  I guess they are special and have more experience than the tire manufacturers.  Or not.

GJ

[Geronimo John]

19 hours ago, jd1923 said:

Do they also print a weight rating? The OEM wheels are rated for 80 PSI, but 60 is all you need with margin.

60 PSI?  Sure if they like to un-necessarily pound your trailer frame and  contents.  Oh and more recent, the not so good pounding to the battery box. 

I had to tell Cray Horse to mind his own business when he wanted me to mention what the spring selection can do in addition to the above.  Oh my when will he learn....

[Geronimo John]

18 hours ago, rideandfly said:

but it's also according to $ available for AFE (authority for expenditure) projects,

Spot on!  I suspect most of us have the AFE concern as well.

You sure made me smile on that one!

GJ

[jd1923]

33 minutes ago, Geronimo John said:

60 PSI?  Sure if they like to un-necessarily pound your trailer frame and  contents.

Please read again. This is the MAX PSI rating of the wheel. Margin being that he runs 40 PSI in the Oliver!

[rideandfly]

19 minutes ago, jd1923 said:

Please read again. This is the MAX PSI rating of the wheel. Margin being that he runs 40 PSI in the Oliver!

Yep, I have been running 40PSI for a year or two. Believe my original wheels rated for a maximum of 60PSI are rare.

[DanielBoondock]

I’m curious why people are worried about ‘beating’ their trailer? For these  tires I’m reading Airstream forums where they’re running at least up in the 50’s-60’s with no issue, and those things can and will grind rivets out. The Ollie is a brick, the fiberglass is rock solid and non flexing, there’s no moving parts or dissimilar glued/screwed/riveted panels or parts like in conventional  or Airstream. Also in those what can happen is the cabinets can loosen because they’re screwed in, but ours are part of the structure, and actually providing structure. This is all without talking about the frame, who has a two part steel/thick aluminum frame? Nobody I can think of. 

I guess I just don’t see the motivation to provide further cushioning, for the one trailer on the market that doesn’t need it, in exchange for greater wear and risk. Not trying to convince anybody but I’m just not seeing any reason for it. 

[Wayfinder]

Well I think we have exhausted talk of tire pressures. Just put 45 to 55 psi in each tire and go camping and stop reading forums about tire pressures. HEHE 
 

Dropping mic now. LOL

[Wayfinder]

@DanielBoondock to me it’s not about the trailer itself. It’s about all the components inside, especially the electronics. 

[DanielBoondock]

16 minutes ago, Wayfinder said:

@DanielBoondock to me it’s not about the trailer itself. It’s about all the components inside, especially the electronics. 

OK, but these OEM’s do vibrational test. At my day job where it’s a measurement device (not for RV’s) we do vibrational test and specification, there are stringent procedures for this, and often companies pay dedicated test houses. Let’s look at the Xantrex specifically as the most expensive and sensitive, according to search it conforms to UL 458. UL standards are very stringent, on the Lithionics batteries, to get UL they had to have two BMS’s in case one failed - that’s nuts

Quote

Key Aspects of UL 458 Vibration Requirements

• Target Applications: Inverters and converters intended for installation in recreational vehicles (RVs), trucks, and boats.
• Performance Requirements: The standard requires that the unit continues to operate safely without damage to its internal components or housing after being subjected to transport simulation vibrations.
• Component Reliability: The testing ensures that components such as transformers and capacitors, which may be susceptible to fatigue, are adequately supported and mounted.
• Mounting Integrity: The unit's enclosure and mounting methods must withstand continuous vibration while in operation without becoming loose or failing.
• Marine Supplement (SA): Specific, often more stringent, requirements are outlined in Supplement SA for marine-specific products to handle increased humidity and maritime vibration environments.

 

No need to dig into the standard but there’s simply no way that a Oliver, with our upgraded suspension, with the build quality we all extoll, will destroy this thing at 50+ psi. I mean why are we all upgrading leaf springs and Dexter EZ-Flex if we have to air down. 

Make it make sense …