2023 boondock tires

Blueespy

Bayliss said:

Hi, @ChrisFix.  Sorry for the delayed reply.  I am way behind with my "forum" reading.

I decided to go with the Goodyear Endurance ST 225/75R15 tires.  I purchased them through Wal Mart because they had a better price ($124.00) than Goodyear would sell them to me, either online or at my local dealer.  The ordering process was very easy and I received tires that were manufactured in June 2023, so that was great!  I suppose the only downside is that the tread depth (8/32nds) is less than the Rainier tire, but if they wear better, that will not be an issue.  I have included a photo of the tread appearance for comparison.  Sorry for the sticker, but I failed to take a photo without it.

I had them mounted on the wheels on July 4th, so I have included a photo.  I will be leaving on a three month trip with them next week, so that will be the first test (about 8,000 miles.)  Although the Load "E" range does seem like overkill for a small trailer, I have the same load range (made by Michelin) on my Toyota Tundra and they have been great tires.  Initially, I have set the PSI at 50 (the max for the Endurance is 80 PSI, but I will never need it that high.)  Using Goodyear's chart, I could set the PSI much lower, but I will wait and see how the tires look with the truck and trailer loaded and ready to go before I make any adjustments.

I like the idea of having a tire with more plies, plus the Endurance includes Goodyear's proprietary "Durawall" technology and a nice inner liner, which appears pretty substantial (see second photo.)  The sidewall is rugged, so it is supposed to better resist cuts, tears and punctures, which should greatly help avoid getting a flat.....a big plus.  Ultimately, the fact that the Endurance tires have a good reputation and are made in the U.S.A. were the primary factors for going that route.  I think they look good on my trailer and the slightly smaller size doesn't appear to make much of a difference in appearance or trailer height.  Also, they will be easier to remove and reinstall in the future. 

I too liked the Rainier Apex and never had any issues with it, other than some loss of air pressure, but I resolved that with steel valve stems.  I still had quite a bit of tread on the tires after nearly 40,000 miles, but they were five years old (manufactured in 2018), so time to change them out.  I decided against the Trailrunner AT tires currently being used by nuCamp, because I prefer to stick with an "ST" tire rather than an "LT."  I figure that with the 50 PSI (or possibly lower), the ride will not be rough.  It was fine driving the 15 miles from the Goodyear shop to where I store my trailer, but the true test will be during my upcoming trip.

I hope this info helps.

Did the same.  The reliability and availability of the Goodyear for me made them the obvious choice over going with the standard Chinese Bomb nuCamp has decided to go back to.  For what it's worth, I purchased three as well as an aluminum rim so I now have a spare that is as road worthy as those on the road.  I moved the spare to the top of the fork as well; cause you know when you get a flat it's going to be at night, on the side of the highway, in a rain storm and the last thing I want to try and do is crawl under the trailer to get the spare.  I also added a Dewalt Impact wrench to quickly remove lug nuts. 

GatorEgg

Some Rv manufacturers are going with LT tires.  And since LT tires are constructed different from car tires some may be suitable for trailers as long as load range is within standards.  LT tires have a stronger sidewall construction which trailers require.

Blueespy

GatorEgg said:

Some Rv manufacturers are going with LT tires.  And since LT tires are constructed different from car tires some may be suitable for trailers as long as load range is within standards.  LT tires have a stronger sidewall construction which trailers require.

I was recently at an RV dealership looking at Air Streams (don't ask why) and every model I saw had LT tires.  Their Base Camp models were running the Goodyear Wranglers LT R16 I believe, so a size larger than what we run on our t@b.  I liked to the look of the 16" but no way would they fit the t@b.  Ended up going with the Goodyear Endurance.  I will look at the Goodyear Wranglers when these wear out but right now I'm confident the Goodyears will get us to Alaska and back safely.

Blueespy

Binghi said:

My Endurance 225’s are 15 inch tires, not 14”.
They fit on the OEM rims and are 225/75R15’s.

My mistake.  Just put two new Goodyear Endurance on.  I really like the Goodyear Wrangler and they come in a 235/75/R15.  While they are AT (and some google references state AT is like LT) I did see on a recent visit to an RV dealer that Air Stream is using exclusively LT tires and in fact the Goodyear Wranger on their Base Camp series.  I'm starting a 16k mile trip next month so we'll see how the Endurance hold up.  I'm confident they will do great and I'm leaning towards the Wranglers on my next tire purchase.

ColleenD2

@bayliss time for tires here on our 2019 boondock. I wanted to check in and see how the endurance have worked out for you. Thanks