A travel trailer tire blowout can be devastating and scary, so using the right tires for your RV is critical to help avoid damage and lost vacation time.
Owners of travel trailers need to invest in the highest-quality trailer tires they can afford, so they can worry less about travel days and spend more time enjoying the ride.
To help clarify which tires for travel trailers or towable campers to purchase, we put together this guide to the best trailer tires to avoid blowouts.
Don’t risk your RV, your life, or the lives of others by installing the wrong travel trailer tires. Use the information below to stay safe during all your RVing adventures! If anything is to happen and a motorhome tire blowout occurs, keep these in mind.
Why You Need a Quality Trailer Tire
Trailer tires will give owners peace of mind that they’re keeping their towable camper, the possessions inside, their tow vehicle, and of course passengers, pets, and other people safe and avoid blowouts from occurring.
When a travel tire blowout happens at highway speeds pulling thousands of pounds of weight, it often leads to losing control of the trailer.
After reading hundreds of travel trailer tire reviews, we find quality trailer tires should provide:
- High Load Capacity
- Smoother ride
- Better gas mileage
- Durability/Long lifespan
The best camper tires will combine all of the above for reliable travel trailer tires that hold up to the rigors of RV trips and camping situations both on and off-road.
LOAD CAPACITY
The weight a tire can support while also spinning and encountering bumps and different road conditions is a top factor to look for when buying the best ones.
The load capacity rating needs to match your camper’s weight after you fully pack for a camping trip. Trailer tires should have a high ply rating, ensuring the tire’s structure remains intact on both the treads and sidewalls under extreme traveling, parking and weather conditions.
Quality trailer tires also dissipate heat better than cheaper tires. Hot tires quickly begin to weaken and become misshapen, leading to blowouts.
We find that many RVers overload their camper, putting undue stress on the tires. The 5 best trailer tires for you to buy to avoid blowouts are the ones with the highest load capacity that fits your camper rims.
SMOOTHER RIDE
We know from experience how much smoother and quieter a camper will roll down the road when the tire has a good design and is built with the best materials.
It’s easy to get used to the grating or whining sounds and thumping and bumping that your tires cause when you’ve been traveling for hundreds of miles.
Whenever we put on a fresh set of tires, the difference is immediately apparent. The ride is much quieter as there’s more cushion for the trailer that reduces creaking and the impacts of bumpy surfaces.
LOWER FUEL EXPENSES
Not many RVers think about how good tires can save money on fuel costs. Better tires will have a lower rolling resistance that reduces friction yet still provides all the traction you need to travel safely.
When the tires roll with less resistance over the road, it’s easier to pull the trailer and puts less strain on your truck or tow vehicle’s engine. The less power your engine needs, the less fuel it consumes.
DURABILITY
Quality trailer tires will be extra durable under heavy loads on all types of road conditions from snow, rain, mud, gravel, uneven pavement, and steep inclines.
Parking and leveling your trailer at campsites often involves using parking blocks to keep the camper even. Extra strength is necessary to prevent sidewall cracking, bubbling, or weakness.
The durability of tires also rests on their ability to withstand heat.
Exposure to extreme heat (which only multiplies as your tires spin while driving), harsh UV rays, and dust and dryness will damage poor-quality trailer tires and cause cracking or belt or tread separation that quickly leads to blowouts.
Great trailer tires use special rubber additives to resist the effects of excessive heat, weather, and ozone, so the tires last longer, and you save money by replacing them less.
What To Look For In a Travel Trailer Tire
You should expect a quality travel trailer tire to cost between $80-$300 per tire and last five to six years.
You also need to look at these factors:
Tire Type
Trailer tires come in two design types, radial or bias.
Radial tires have the plies run perpendicular across the tire and belts. Travel tire reviews show that radial tires provide better overall performance.
You should expect superior longevity, tire tread durability, and heat resistance in radial tires. This tire type is best for RVers who often travel, go long distances, or full-time.
Bias tire design places the plies at a 30-degree angle. The sidewalls are steeper than radial tires, which allows the tire to support a heavier load.
While cheaper to purchase, the downfall of bias tires is they have a short lifespan of around 12,000 miles versus the 40,000 miles of radial trailer tires.
Bias trailer tires are best for heavier travel trailers that you don’t take out camping as often.
Tire Pressure Rating
Tire pressure ratings need to match your trailer’s demands. Most trailer tires will be in the 70 to 90 psi range, and your camper’s manual should instruct you on what you require.
A properly inflated trailer tire is critical for safe performance and to prevent blowouts.
Trailer Tire Size
Never under or over-size the trailer tire you put on your camper. Always follow the recommendation of the RV manufacturer to support the weight and specifications of that particular model under full load capacity.
Understanding DOT Code Stamps
The last part of becoming knowledgeable about quality travel trailer tires is understanding all the numbers and letters stamped onto the sidewall.
The Department of Transportation (DOT) uses these codes to track tire manufacturing dates of various tire types.
The DOT also tests tires and won’t stamp tires that don’t meet their requirements for tires to remain intact after pressurizing them to 3x their rating or after sidewall puncture tests.
Always check the tire date of all new tires you put on your trailer. That “new” tire you think you’re buying may have been sitting in storage for a year or more.
Rubber tires begin deteriorating right off the production line, so the overall age of any tire is critical, even when not put on the road.
Some tire stores like to move out old stock, hoping you don’t know any better. Learn how to read tire code dates so the tires you buy are fresh.
Best RV Trailer Tires
Here are the best travel trailer tires from top manufacturers that can help avoid blowouts.
The best travel tires 225/75r15 in size, will work for most towable RVs that aren’t fifth-wheel campers, but there are many different sizes brands offered to fit your needs.
We also research trailer tire reviews to get feedback from customers about long-term performance to add to our overall rating choices.
1. Trailer King ST Radial Trailer Tire – 225/75R15 117L
- Center groove for consistent tracking & stability
- Enhanced shoulder design provides better heat dissipation resulting in longer tread life and even wear
- Nylon overlay construction on all sizes for superior strength and extreme durability in higher load applications
- Nationwide limited warranty
- Rims Not Included
Many of us with travel trailers swear by the Trailer King ST Radial Trailer Tire in any size and load range.
We like how durable the tire remains after thousands of miles, and the tread pattern helps keep the tire tracking smoother and straighter, so your trailer pulls with ease.
TOP FEATURES:
- Center grooves improve tracking
- Handles all weather extremes
- Can handle most load ranges
- Nylon overlay for extra strength
- Excellent heat dissipation
ST225 75r15 trailer tire reviews for Trailer King ST Radials are very high, with consistent comments about superior handling under full load, low wear after years of use, and reasonable cost that doesn’t blow the budget.
A good tip of advice a tire company told me was to always make sure you have an air compressor when using a camper. He said, “they come in handy more than you think.”
2. Goodyear Unisteel G614 RST Radial Tire – 235/85R16 126R
- Package Weight: 57.5 pounds
- Package Height: 9.3″
- Package Length: 31.8″
- Package Width: 31.8″
The Goodyear Unisteel G614 RST Radial Tire is one to check out if you own a large travel trailer or fifth-wheel that needs a tough tire to handle heavier camper weight.
We like how reliable these tires perform under more unusual camping situations like pulling your camper down uneven gravel or dirt roads for miles. The sidewalls don’t bulge or crack like lesser-quality tires would under these conditions.
TOP FEATURES:
- Commercial-grade quality and durability
- Tread design improves tracking and heat dissipation
- Supports heavier load ranges
- Even tread wear after thousands of miles
- Steel belted
- Excellent traction on all surfaces and conditions
Customer note the steel casing on these tires requires a high psi pressure for optimal performance, so ensure you don’t underinflate them. Not only are users impressed by the heavy-duty quality of the tire, but they also like the flat tread design that reduces tire bulging issues.
The tires are expensive but worth every cent to protect your family and your RV investment.
3. Carlisle 6H04561 Radial Trail HD Trailer Tire
The Carlisle Radial Trail HD is another of the 5 Trailer Tires to avoid blowouts from a company that has been around for nearly a century. The tire has a max load rating of 2,040 pounds.
The tire is best for lighter travel trailers but can handle mile after mile of long-haul camping trips like a champ. We love how affordable the tire is for being so durable.
TOP FEATURES:
- Unique tread design decreases uneven wear
- Technology in design resists scorching pavement damage
- High tensile strength against punctures
- Low rolling resistance
- 8-ply
- Excellent traction
Customer reviews rave about the smooth pull on any road surface and how stable the tire holds the trailer even under high winds. The performance after years of use remains high, with minor wear showing or loss of pressure.
4. Freestar M-108+ Trailer Radial Tire-ST225/75R15 117L
If RVing in hot climates like the arid Southwest is on your bucket list, the Freestar M-108+ Radial trailer tire should be one to check out. The tire is also great for low-use campers who take out their travel trailer only a few times a year.
The travel trailer tires st225 75r15 are suitable for lightweight trailers with 15-inch rims. We love how well the tire holds up to extreme heat conditions that would destroy lesser-quality tires.
TOP FEATURES:
- Deep tread increases traction under slippery conditions
- Designed to withstand high heat
- Affordable
- Even tread wear
Customers find the price easy on the wallet, but the tire has reliable handling when you don’t overtax them. Keep your camping weight load within range of the tire rating, and there should be no issues.
5. Gladiator 20575R15 Trailer Truck Tire
- inches brand new Gladiator 8 ply Trailer tires
- ST 8 PR 15 inch in 15″ 8 ply rating 15 “
- Load range G API Pegasus Achilles steel belted
- 2150/1870 SRW/DRW pounds per tire weight capacity.
The Gladiator is one of the 5 best RV trailer tires for light campers 22 feet long or less that can avoid blowouts. The wide, flat tread grips the road but lots of grooves lower the effects of road heat and disperse water during rainstorms.
We love how well the all-season tires hold up after seasons of long highway mileage. The treadwear remains even and the sidewalls strong, as long as you aren’t overloading the camper.
TOP FEATURES:
- Pegasus Achilles steel belted
- Three grooves for superior tracking and heat dissipation
- Heavy-duty construction
- 8-ply for longer life
- Excellent traction in all weather
Customer reviews rate this tire high for the affordable price point and reinforced steel-belted construction to ensure the camper has proper support.
Customer’s Choice Winner for Best Travel Tires 225/75r15
Our analysis of travel trailer tires ST225 75r15 reviews indicates that the best travel trailer tires are the Trailer King brand, followed closely by the Goodyear UniSteel.
Customers mention how well the tires look even after they age out and need replacement. The very few complaints of faulty construction, flats, or blowouts (often due to customers overloading the camper) make these two brands the most reliable travel trailer choices.
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Conclusion
Doing all you can to avoid camping downtime due to faulty or old tires is always a smart move.
Every successful camping trip literally relies on the 5 trailer tires and amenities you choose to avoid blowouts and flats. Even a basic tire blowout or flat can cause severe damage to your camper and require costly repairs.
Take the tools we provide above to buy the best trailer tires you can afford so they offer the sturdy base your camper requires to reach your camping destination safely!
"Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt."
-- John Muir
