Major wheel and tire upgrade (need your opinions)

[BC1of38]

Hi All.

I have recently taken delivery of my new Big Country 3450ts.
Like many of us here, I do not do things half way and piece of mind is priceless to me. This is not a question of $$$, I am looking for direction from the wheel and tire pros here, this is not a size and capacity debate, nor a debate on "are china tires any good". They may last for ever but I will never know.

My unit came with power king tow max on it (I have read many posts on them, some people happy, some not with tow max tires) I do not have an opinion on them as they have made the trip from the dealer's yard to my shop, where they will soon take up residence in a corner of the building.

Option one. Replace all four with Goodyear G614's on factory wheels. (they are rated for the needed psi)

Pros. Better ratings, more users happy with them, feel good aspect when towing. Attractive and easy upgrade in terms of price, should be head and shoulders above tow max tires.

Cons. Posts here on blowouts, some users not happy, I have not been impressed with certain GY truck tires.

Option two. Replace all four wheels with hi cap 17.5 inch wheels and Michelin or Sumitomo commercial medium duty tires.

Pros. Best rated capacity, many, many years of use, look good, Almost care free towing (in terms of obsessing over tire issues), no sidewall flex.

Cons. Shipping will be crazy to Ontario Canada, I will have to spend a weekend driving to pick them up. No real other cons

I realize that option 2 is maybe overkill, but I enjoy rv'ing so much, the thought of down time changing a tire, waiting on a replacement and potential damage to my trailer is worth the dollars.

What I am looking for from the tire gurus here is some real world experience and opinions.

I would love to hear from GY G614 users and 17.5 inch wheel/tire users.

I don't know, maybe the commercial tires are so stiff they would be hard on the. Frame, etc?

The 3450ts has 7k 8 lug axles and a listed dry weight of 11 950
Also running a Mor Ryde pin box (helps soak up some shocks and jolts)

Thanks everybody!

 

[lwmcguir]

We have had G614's since they came on the market many years ago. Very good luck and haven't blown one out yet on many different trailers. ( we run them until the tread is completely gone) (not on Campers though) We have 17.5's on the heavy trailers >20K and have had very good luck as well. If money isn't the drawback then 17.5's are the way to go. The odds of one unraveling and taking out the bottom/side of the coach are very slim. I have blown out every other tire made or it seems like it anyway but they were all 10 ply so we don't run anything that light on a trailer of any type where it is unhandy to change or a tread loss might cause major damage. We are changing to 17.5's on the Augusta next month. Going with the all steel Goodyear.

 

[BC1of38]

Thank you for the info. Very helpful to hear your experiences and take with both.

 

[SJH]

Far from an expert but...the 3450TS has a GVWR of 15,000. The 4 614's @ 3750 each can support that 15,000. Weighing our rig loaded and ready to camp at the local CAT scales showed 10,340 lbs on the trailer axles. The 614 seems to me to be adequate for the 3450TS. Although we do not have that many miles on our rig yet, I have no issues with the tires to date. A close friend with a similar weight Alpenlite swears by the 614,s and he puts several thousand miles on yearly including traveling in Alaska.

Reading your post it seems you have pretty much made up your own mind listing no "cons" to the 17.5 option. Go with the 17.5's!

Best Wishes!

 

[BC1of38]

Far from an expert but...the 3450TS has a GVWR of 15,000. The 4 614's @ 3750 each can support that 15,000. Weighing our rig loaded and ready to camp at the local CAT scales showed 10,340 lbs on the trailer axles. The 614 seems to me to be adequate for the 3450TS. Although we do not have that many miles on our rig yet, I have no issues with the tires to date. A close friend with a similar weight Alpenlite swears by the 614,s and he puts several thousand miles on yearly including traveling in Alaska.

Reading your post it seems you have pretty much made up your own mind listing no "cons" to the 17.5 option. Go with the 17.5's!

Best Wishes!

Yes, I tend to sell myself the most expensive options! (that is also what I do for a living).

I agree on all your numbers and math too. I just love when things are over engineered, making that item one less thing to worry about.

Looking forward to more great feedback.

Whatever I do, I will post info and pictures when it is done.

Thanks.

 

[porthole]

Went with 17.5's last year with GY 114's. I needed wheels anyway. Don't really know if I would have gone with the 614's had my wheels been up to the task. But since they were not the cost was going to be the same. Actually I think it was about $20 a tire less for the 114's.

Excellent service and a fare price from http://www.trailertiresandwheels.com/site/1284278/page/910782

My tires here:
//heartlandowners.org/showthread.php/11365-And-so-it-begins?p=137656&viewfull=1#post137656

 

[Wharton]

We have had G614s on our trailers and their predecessors for many years(10-12+) without any blowouts or tread seperation. We have had 0 problems with them. We replace the tires every 5-6 years. Tread is still good but age makes us worry. Also use a TPMS as another peace of mind feature.

 

[BC1of38]

Thanks for all the feedback. I am going to do the 17.5 inch upgrade and be done with it. Doing it through trailer tires and wheels in Edon Ohio. Picked out some nice aluminum wheels and still deciding between Good Year G114's and Sumitomo, any one have direct feedback on either brand? (thanks Porthole for your feedback on the 114's).

My experience is like Porthole's, after doing all the math, the 17.5 inch option (wheels AND tires) are only $500 more than adding 4 Good Year G614's (tires only 235/80R16) to the factory rims. Couple that with a partial trade on my current wheels and tires against the new ones and I was looking at almost even money. NO BRAINER! Still baffles me why tires and most vehicle items are way more $$$ in Canada compared to the USA.

I will be making the trip to Edon in June to get the install done. Shipping wasn't as bad as I thought it would be but I would still have brokerage and taxes to deal with. Going to Ohio is easier as I am timing it with the Nascar race in Brooklyn Michigan. On top of that they have agreed to take my wheels in on partial trade.

Once I get back I will put up some pictures of the process.

Thanks again for the responses, I will soon be rolling over overkill tires and wheels!

 

[BullWhipBob]

Only have 6000 miles on my tires (factory Tow Max) Had a large bubble on inside. A truck driver told me he saw something unusual when pulling into the truck stop. I replaced the tire with the spare and then is when I saw unusual tire wear. I run 80 lbs and the out sites of the tire were worn and the center looked brand new. no cupping and on one tire the inside looked worn. when I put my shocks in the left side the tires were much closer than the right. apparently the alighnment if off. I have not hit any bad holes and I have not turned 90degs. Probably 45deg but I am carefull any suggestions

 

[porthole]

I will be making the trip to Edon in June to get the install done.

Thanks again for the responses, I will soon be rolling over overkill tires and wheels!

I think you will be happy with the service you receive. Scott the owner, really went out of his way to help me.

 

[BC1of38]

I think you will be happy with the service you receive. Scott the owner, really went out of his way to help me.

Thanks Porthole, I will update with my experience once they are installed.

 

[RSIG]

I changed the tires on my 09 Bighorn 3670 last spring to G614's and in August left on a 9100 mile trip through out the Southwest states. Most days were in the mid 90's. Checked tire pressure daily and had no problems. Ordered a new 3455 in January and optioned the Good Year G614's. If you purchase any tire with a higher rating your trailer will take a beating.

 

[BC1of38]

I changed the tires on my 09 Bighorn 3670 last spring to G614's and in August left on a 9100 mile trip through out the Southwest states. Most days were in the mid 90's. Checked tire pressure daily and had no problems. Ordered a new 3455 in January and optioned the Good Year G614's. If you purchase any tire with a higher rating your trailer will take a beating.

Time will tell. I have been told by tire "experts" (the company that does our highway tractors, loaders, backhoes and dump trucks and who sell both 614's and 114's) that for my requirements running a commercial tire like the Good Year 114 at 90-95 psi will give me a better ride, much longer life and more load carrying capacity than a non commercial Good Year 614 running at its all out max psi of 110.

www.goodyear.com/truck/pdf/edb_loads.pdf

Page 11 on the above link


This was also echoed by Scott at Edon Ohio (17.5 inch wheel supplier) where I am purchasing my new set up.

 

[caissiel]

I have the FREESTAR G rated on my BC and very satisfied with their performance so far. They are regrooveble and designed for Front of trucks and trailers and the cost is similar to the GY G's. I have bought the TPMS for truck and trailer tires and its been great on the last trip to and from Florida. I just press the button and can observe the pressure of each tire without using a gauge.

 

[porthole]

Time will tell. I have been told by tire "experts" (the company that does our highway tractors, loaders, backhoes and dump trucks and who sell both 614's and 114's) that for my requirements running a commercial tire like the Good Year 114 at 90-95 psi will give me a better ride, much longer life and more load carrying capacity than a non commercial Good Year 614 running at its all out max psi of 110.

My research last year led me to the same conclusion.

 

[lwmcguir]

We have been doing this for years and there is no comparison when you really put a trailer through the paces. Buy the most tire you can afford.

 

[JohnDar]

I have the FREESTAR G rated on my BC and very satisfied with their performance so far. They are regrooveble and designed for Front of trucks and trailers and the cost is similar to the GY G's. I have bought the TPMS for truck and trailer tires and its been great on the last trip to and from Florida. I just press the button and can observe the pressure of each tire without using a gauge.

My 3670 came with Freestar G's on it, too. They don't have a lot of miles on them, but they still look good and hold pressure well. I just added the TST system on them. And I don't recall reading much, if any, bad reports on them. When it's time to replace them, I'll probably go with the 614's on the factory wheels.

 

[57chevyconvt]

Tow Max tires were installed on my BH RE 3410 from the factory. After about 4k miles, two of the tires went bad due to tread separation, lucky no blow-outs before discovering the tire problem. I quickly changed to the GY G614 for all 5 tires. I am very pleased with the upgrade. Costly but piece of mind and safety is of utmost
importance to me and mine, in addition to the folks traveling around my rig. The steel spare rim is only rated for 90 psig which is okay for weight requirement for the BH RE 3410.

 

[BC1of38]

Just under a month until I go see Scott in Edon Ohio, cannot wait!

One question for anyone following this thread.

Goodyear OR Sumitomo tires?

Thanks all!

 

[TXBobcat]

If your going to change rims and tires I would go with 17.5 rims and Michelin tires. They have a diameter that is the same as a Michelin 16" Rib but can handle the weight. Sorry, I am a Michelin fan on all my vehicles. I have never been disappointed yet.

FWIW
BC