Trailer tires

[Crab Island Cruiser]

What trailer tires are you guys using for saltwater? Radial or biased?

I rarely tow at hwy speeds, but I may go to the Keys again in the next couple of years.

My trailer is a 2019 Magic Tilt galvanized with 20.5x8x10 radial tires on it. I was thinking of ditching my fenders and going with a taller biased tire.

My boat is a 2019 Sylvan tritoon Mirage 8522 LES with a 200 Yamaha on the back.

[Motor7]

If it were mine.....Goodyear Endurance trailer tires. Oem trailer tires from boat mfg's are low....low bid.

[riplipper]

I run 13" load range D radials. I get them mounted on Galv rims from e-trailer.
I am not brand loyal and get about 4 years out of them. Dual axil trailer.
I trailer a LOT of miles every year all over Florida. Guessing about 3k+ miles a year.
I ALWAYS carry two spares for long trips. When one goes, it strains the other and then it fails.

[curtiscapk]

Love these I got from PS.

https://www.pontoonstuff.com/collection ... adial-tire

[Steiner]

Take it for what it's worth which probably ain't much but in my limited experience coming from expensive trailers with cheap ass tires:

I don't know if you can get a non-child labor produced trailer tire without upsizing to 14" or 15". My trailer came with 12" E rated radial (1550 lbs) five year warrantied tires that were Tommy Boy specials: "Of course there's a guarantee 'cause they know all they sold you was a guaranteed piece o' shit." One completely seperated fifteen minutes after leaving the house running 55mph brand new and one on the opposite side opposite axle also was seperating and an inch taller than the others when I pulled them all off after getting home. What's crazy is the dealership put the wrong set of wheels on it when I bought it and I towed it home over an hour at 75mph with bias ply overloaded tires that DIDN'T explode. The manufacuturer gave me $40 apiece for them which tells you what they think of them. I bought Carlisles to replace them since it was at least the most familiar name you could get a 12" tire in even though they are made in C'hina too. Now we pay to rent a storage spot at the lake a few miles from our camper instead of doing the 150 mile round trip tow every other weekend and I just pull it home in the winter.

Measure between your tires now to see how much room you've got because you also have to consider that along with height if you have to remove the fenders and/or fender brackets.

Be sure to verify the speed rating. Some are only rated to 65mph and I think those 10" tires may be. Get the highest speed rating you can. A taller tire will slow down the wheel speed which is always good since that can help reduce heat on the tire and the bearings. Axles/hubs for 10" wheels might come with smaller bearings already than what larger ones have so you can sometimes still be in a hole.

Carry a battery powered inlfator like a DeWalt or Worx or something and keep them checked every time you use the trailer.

Like was mentioned, carry two spares. Those little drive on trailer tire changing ramps are cheap too, I have one stowed on the boat.

Find a CAT scale near you. You can go by with your boat/trailer and weigh all three axles, then unhook the trailer and check your tow vehicle to see what your tongue weight comes out to and your trailer weight. My boat is the same size class as yours but is HEAVY....I think 2700lbs dry with no motor, 5000lbs as built with the trailer. I'm barely inside the max GVWR of my trailer.

I've got a friend that recently bought an old 25' Voyager(I think?) center console aluminum floor fishing tritoon with an old Yamaha 225 two stroke mainly because it was cheap and he needed a trailer for his other trioon he rents out that he bought without a trailer. He got it and a trailer for $9k so he considered that with what trailers are selling for he basically got the boat for $6k and he's selling his Sea Pro anyway so he can fish off it. Turned out the trailer was for a pontoon not a tritoon with no middle bunks installed and had those fat little 10" tires on it....he pulled it home 80mph from another state. I told him he was lucky as hell.

BTW, that old two stroke econmy is measured in gallons per mile. Jesus it drinks gas. He found a used 150 four stroke and is supposed to be getting it swapped out soon.