Towmax (Blowmax)

[Desertsky]

I did some checking today and found that Towmax tires are made by TBC Brands under their Power King division. There are a few more under that brand as well:

Vanguard sold by Big O
Tow Star sold by Les Schwab
Trailer King from Amazon and Walmart
Towmax

Maybe the same:
Towmaster sold by Costco under the Greenball label

I have the Vanguard LRD on my trailer and except for one running low on air, the rear two have around 5000 miles and the front 2 around 3000 miles. The front look like new and the rear show some signs of wear. The are speed rated at M but I keep the speed below 70mph. I am going to the National Rally in June so I am getting a full new set of Carlysle tires pretty soon. Sams Club has great prices and warranty on them.

 

[Silverado23]

While the tow max tires have a bad reputation on the bigger 5th wheels, I had the them on my 2010 North trail for 6+ years and had no issues with them whatsoever. I kept them inflated and rarely ever had to add air to them yet checked them often. When I did have to add air it was usually only because I leaked air out checking the tires. The tires wore well and probably were ready to be replaced not because of sun or wear or other issue but only due to age. I had around 6,000-10,000 miles on the tires. Hearing about all of the issues of the tow max tires, I did inspect the tires frequently. For a Travel Trailer, The only reason not to use them again would be is that they are only speed rated to 65 MPH. There are others rated at higher speeds of 75 -80 that I would use first.

 

[NP_Chief]

When we took delivery of our rig earlier this year, it had two Towmax and two Carlisle tires on it. When I questioned the salesman about it, he told me that they replaced two of the Towmax due to dry rot. The two Towmax that were left on there were less than two years old. In fairness, I don't know how many miles they had on them but the tread still looked good. I figured they would be ok to make the 282 mile trip back home. WRONG... 125 miles in, had blow out on one of the Towmax. Put the spare on to make it back and promptly ordered two more Carlisle tires when we got back. It tracks and rides so much better now. Just my opinion.

 

[danemayer]

At this point, I think you'll only find Towmax tires on trailers that are a couple of years old and up for resale. I think it's been a few years since Heartland has put them on a new trailer.

 

[recumbent615]

Not directly related to the Towmax or tires - but last year I found Cracks in my aluminum Wheels and contacted the company the supplied them to Heartland in 2010 when my Cyclone was built. They still had them available but in conversations with the Rep there she told me that those wheels were only rated for 60mph - Totally new information to me! I decided to purchase Beefier Wheels that were the same size but were rated at 85mph! I for one did not realize that Wheels had a speed rating as well - I did not ask where it was marked - but the new wheels were nearly the same cost as the ones installed on the Rig when IT was purchased.

I guess it's another Question to ask when buying wheels

 

[runnin_n_gunnin]

I have towmax tires on my 5th wheel and was coming home this weekend and had a blowout on the passenger rear side at about 58 mph towing speed and was able to get off the road right away but the belting of the tire also came apart and the carnage of damage began causing the wheel skirt to come off and ripped off the aluminum skirting and damaged the stairs. I made sure the tires were properly inflated and also stopped and periodically checked tires which felt and looked ok. So what are fellow rver's using? I don't want this to happen again.

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[danemayer]

I have towmax tires on my 5th wheel and was coming home this weekend and had a blowout on the passenger rear side at about 58 mph towing speed and was able to get off the road right away but the belting of the tire also came apart and the carnage of damage began causing the wheel skirt to come off and ripped off the aluminum skirting and damaged the stairs. I made sure the tires were properly inflated and also stopped and periodically checked tires which felt and looked ok. So what are fellow rver's using? I don't want this to happen again.

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Hi runnin..

Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum. Sorry to hear about your blowout. If you have 16" rims rated for 3750 lbs or 110 psi, you should look into Sailun S637 tires. You can check for a stamp in the metal on the inside indicating the rating.

 

[jimpav]

I have towmax tires on my 5th wheel and was coming home this weekend and had a blowout on the passenger rear side at about 58 mph towing speed and was able to get off the road right away but the belting of the tire also came apart and the carnage of damage began causing the wheel skirt to come off and ripped off the aluminum skirting and damaged the stairs. I made sure the tires were properly inflated and also stopped and periodically checked tires which felt and looked ok. So what are fellow rver's using? I don't want this to happen again.

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Sorry also to hear of the blowout/damage, not a FUN THING!! I did not see mention of how old the tires were. as I didn't see what year trailer you have. Nevertheless, my new Elkridge has the infamous Trailer King, load range F, 12 ply tires on it from the factory. Hopefully, my wheels can handle the new tires as I haven't checked the ratings on them yet. I just hope the current ones last at least until I get to the National Rally, and get the new Sailuns at Tredit. Hope your insurance covers some of the damage......

 

[runnin_n_gunnin]

Sorry also to hear of the blowout/damage, not a FUN THING!! I did not see mention of how old the tires were. as I didn't see what year trailer you have. Nevertheless, my new Elkridge has the infamous Trailer King, load range F, 12 ply tires on it from the factory. Hopefully, my wheels can handle the new tires as I haven't checked the ratings on them yet. I just hope the current ones last at least until I get to the National Rally, and get the new Sailuns at Tredit. Hope your insurance covers some of the damage......

Thanks its a 2016 Sundance 267rl xlt, tires are about 3 1/2 years old. They looked fine, should of replaced them when the thought crossed my mind, too late now.

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[runnin_n_gunnin]

Hi runnin..

Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum. Sorry to hear about your blowout. If you have 16" rims rated for 3750 lbs or 110 psi, you should look into Sailun S637 tires. You can check for a stamp in the metal on the inside indicating the rating.

l believe they are 15" ST225 75r 15. Appreciate the info.

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[Lynn1130]

I did not see mention of how old the tires were

As most of us who have had Blowmax tires and had blowouts and damage can tell you age makes no difference.

A search of "TowMax" here will bring up page after page of stories about the tires including trying to work with the supplier for damages. I got a settlement out of them but few do. It is better to go through your insurance for damages. It will happen faster.

 

[jimpav]

As most of us who have had Blowmax tires and had blowouts and damage can tell you age makes no difference.

A search of "TowMax" here will bring up page after page of stories about the tires including trying to work with the supplier for damages. I got a settlement out of them but few do. It is better to go through your insurance for damages. It will happen faster.

My current new Trailer Kings have a total of 122 miles on them from Elkhart to dealer, then to my home. They have a DOT code of May 2018 on them, which makes them almost one year old as of this date. Scary to think that another 100 miles or so, and another month to the National Rally may not make it.......

 

[wdk450]

I did some checking today and found that Towmax tires are made by TBC Brands under their Power King division. There are a few more under that brand as well:

Vanguard sold by Big O
Tow Star sold by Les Schwab
Trailer King from Amazon and Walmart
Towmax

Maybe the same:
Towmaster sold by Costco under the Greenball label

I have the Vanguard LRD on my trailer and except for one running low on air, the rear two have around 5000 miles and the front 2 around 3000 miles. The front look like new and the rear show some signs of wear. The are speed rated at M but I keep the speed below 70mph. I am going to the National Rally in June so I am getting a full new set of Carlysle tires pretty soon. Sams Club has great prices and warranty on them.

Just a note about the poor warranty performance for TBC Brands and the Vanguard sold by Les Schwab Tires: Les Schwab has a long standing reputation of being the stand up guys in the tire business in the Western states. If the tire manufacturer doesn't deliver on their warranty, Les Schwab has a reputation of making matters right themselves. Les Schwab has a fleet of tire delivery semis that have the slogan "If we can't guarantee it, we won't sell it." on their rear doors.

Here is a short bio of this most interesting guy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Schwab

 

[gasman]

l believe they are 15" ST225 75r 15. Appreciate the info.

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If they are 15", I would consider the Goodyear Endurance tires. The last time I checked, Sailun didn't make a 15" tire. The Endurance has had a good track record.

 

[mlpeloquin]

l believe they are 15" ST225 75r 15. Appreciate the info.

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As most of us who have had Blowmax tires and had blowouts and damage can tell you age makes no difference.

A search of "TowMax" here will bring up page after page of stories about the tires including trying to work with the supplier for damages. I got a settlement out of them but few do. It is better to go through your insurance for damages. It will happen faster.

At our first rally in Reno, NV, watched a new Landmark come in with its side torn up. The brand new Landmark had the Towmax tires and less then 120 miles on them. That is when I asked about tires and what to change to. Just purchased the fifth wheel and new tires were a big expense, but the damage I saw I was not going to take a chance on garbage tires. Goodyear G614's were the recommended and I ordered five. Just changed them out last year for the Sailun tires. Great tires and I get one mile per gallon better than the Goodyear tires. This is based on a 9k mile cross country trip.

 

[Technorick]

Just picked up My new 2020 RG26 Toyhauler has Trailer King Tires. They have a May 2019 date code and only as many miles on them as it took to get them from Elkhart to Boston (800 miles) where the dealer was.

I tried to research the Trailer King tire manufacture country of origin but the manufacturer does not specially mention if they are made in the US, leading me to believe they are probably from China. I asked the sales guy at CW about these tires and he said they were a top rated tire. I don’t tent to take the sales guy for his word. I have a TPMS so I can watch the temps and pressure. My average trip is 559 miles each way to Virginia and back. And 1500 miles one way to Fargo in August and back. These aren’t short weekend trips. And although I have roadside assistance I’d rather not take a chance on an unknown to me tire brand.

Given I weigh the Toyhauler with the motorcycles and set the cold temp pressure correctly how long (miles) would you (trust) travel on the factory provided tires?

I’m inclined to upgrade to Goodyear tires in the spring just for piece of mind. I could use them as spares as my trailer did not come with a spare.

 

[danemayer]

Just picked up My new 2020 RG26 Toyhauler has Trailer King Tires. They have a May 2019 date code and only as many miles on them as it took to get them from Elkhart to Boston (800 miles) where the dealer was.

I tried to research the Trailer King tire manufacture country of origin but the manufacturer does not specially mention if they are made in the US, leading me to believe they are probably from China. I asked the sales guy at CW about these tires and he said they were a top rated tire. I don’t tent to take the sales guy for his word. I have a TPMS so I can watch the temps and pressure. My average trip is 559 miles each way to Virginia and back. And 1500 miles one way to Fargo in August and back. These aren’t short weekend trips. And although I have roadside assistance I’d rather not take a chance on an unknown to me tire brand.

Given I weigh the Toyhauler with the motorcycles and set the cold temp pressure correctly how long (miles) would you (trust) travel on the factory provided tires?

I’m inclined to upgrade to Goodyear tires in the spring just for piece of mind. I could use them as spares as my trailer did not come with a spare.

There's a DOT code on the tire that identifies the plant of manufacture. Lookup here.

 

[Flick]

Just picked up My new 2020 RG26 Toyhauler has Trailer King Tires. They have a May 2019 date code and only as many miles on them as it took to get them from Elkhart to Boston (800 miles) where the dealer was.
I tried to research the Trailer King tire manufacture country of origin but the manufacturer does not specially mention if they are made in the US, leading me to believe they are probably from China. I asked the sales guy at CW about these tires and he said they were a top rated tire. I don’t tent to take the sales guy for his word. I have a TPMS so I can watch the temps and pressure. My average trip is 559 miles each way to Virginia and back. And 1500 miles one way to Fargo in August and back. These aren’t short weekend trips. And although I have roadside assistance I’d rather not take a chance on an unknown to me tire brand.

Given I weigh the Toyhauler with the motorcycles and set the cold temp pressure correctly how long (miles) would you (trust) travel on the factory provided tires?

I’m inclined to upgrade to Goodyear tires in the spring just for piece of mind. I could use them as spares as my trailer did not come with a spare.

Your plan to remove the tires in the spring has merit. I’d follow thru. Sometimes you can pawn of the replacement tires to someone who needs tires on a trailer other than an rv. We use ours here on our farm on cattle trailers, etc. where tire failures don’t have the expensive repercussions.

 

[Technorick]

My tire Dot code is 1AD using the supplied charts translates to manufacturing location General Tire Co in Tennessee. However after looking up the brands General tire sells I found Trailer King and Towmax are in the same family. A GWVR 7500lb and dry weight 5200 trailer with 205 / 75 R14. D rated tires. Was a surprise as my tiny 13 ft cargo motorcycle trailer has 15s on it. I think although I trust the Tennessee mfg location I might replace with tires higher rated than D. A follow up call to Pioneer Cust service to see if I can put 15 inch tires on it. Perhaps at least a 10 ply E rated tire.

thanks for the insights.

 

[RickL]

My tire Dot code is 1AD using the supplied charts translates to manufacturing location General Tire Co in Tennessee. However after looking up the brands General tire sells I found Trailer King and Towmax are in the same family. A GWVR 7500lb and dry weight 5200 trailer with 205 / 75 R14. D rated tires. Was a surprise as my tiny 13 ft cargo motorcycle trailer has 15s on it. I think although I trust the Tennessee mfg location I might replace with tires higher rated than D. A follow up call to Pioneer Cust service to see if I can put 15 inch tires on it. Perhaps at least a 10 ply E rated tire.

thanks for the insights.

The first 2 digits indicate county of origin 1A is China Union Rubber Industries. TBC does NOT manufacture tires, but rather is a tire distributor. They “MAY” own the tire molds and then contract out to different manufacturing plants. Besides owning the molds, they will most of the time own the “brand”.

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