Towmax by Power King – Facts

[DW_Gray]

My best MPG happens to be around 62-66.Also keeps RPM's below 2000 on the flats. I would drive that speed even if I had tries rated for 150 MPH.

I think there is a sweet spot for every tow vehicle that performs best efficiency. For me, I keep the RPM at 1,500 and maintain 58 MPH except for the steeper inclines.

I've wondered how often an ST tire has blown because in part it had exceeded the 65 MPH limit too many revolutions. Sure, every load rating has a built-in margin. But, for tires, how much is it? Although, I don't think a company would reveal that info. Otherwise, people will push the limits because they think they can. Maybe Tireman9 has more info on that.

 

[HornedToad]

Added note: Increasing tire PSI DOES NOT increase its load rating.

DW, Does running a tire below the max PSI decrease the load rating???

 

[DW_Gray]

DW, Does running a tire below the max PSI decrease the load rating???

Absolutely. Just read any tire inflation chart.

But I did modify my statement a bit to add clarity. The maximum load does not increase beyond its stated rating if the PSI is increased.

"Increasing tire PSI beyond the maximum load rating molded on the sidewall DOES NOT increase its load rating."




In the example above, the max. load is 3520 pounds at 85 PSI (cold). The load rating will never go above the 3520 pounds.

 

[jassson007]

Finally got rid of my towmax tires today and got 4 brand new G614's from Wingfoot. They said they have a hard time keeping them in stock in fact these have a 2014 date code on them. Got a good price for them too.


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[Cjackg]

Should I assume you didnt get any trade or value for the Towmax tires? Can you give us the price info?
Thanks!

 

[jassson007]

Should I assume you didnt get any trade or value for the Towmax tires? Can you give us the price info?
Thanks!

They asked if I wanted to keep them and thought about trying to sell them to a local tree cutter for his haul trailers but I said nah. I paid $1547 for them.


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[guyc66]

Towmax by Power King – Facts

DW, can you explain the difference between a typical ST tire with a speed rating of 65 MPH and the G614's by Goodyear which are listed as RST and have a speed rating of 75 MPH on their website? Just curious.....thanks!

 

[danemayer]

Re: Towmax by Power King – Facts

DW, can you explain the difference between a typical ST tire with a speed rating of 65 MPH and the G614's by Goodyear which are listed as RST and have a speed rating of 75 MPH on their website? Just curious.....thanks!

The RST designation fooled me too. It's not the same type of designation as ST or LT. It's a marketing designation that stands for something like "Regional Service Tire" (Regional versus Long Haul). Goodyear's documentation shows the G614 as having been designed for demanding trailer applications, but they've tested and certified it as an LT tire. That's why it carries the LT235/85R16 designation. Unlike most ST or LT tires, it's supposed to have steel belts that go from bead to bead, strengthening and protecting the sidewalls.

It's designed to shed heat up to 75mph whereas most ST tires are only designed to shed heat up to 65mph.

 

[scottyb]

Re: Towmax by Power King – Facts

The Michellin XPS Ribs have a Speed Rating Q (120 MPH). Not trying to sell them to anyone, but IMO this means there is a lot of safety margin when driving 65, plus the fact that they are rated as a LT tire which assumes they will be carrying passengers. Any ST tire rated for 65 mph will be running at or near it's maximum speed rating, guaranteed. Would you purchase a set of tires for you vehicle that were rated for 70 mph, and assume you will never drive faster than that?

 

[Miltp920]

We love our 2014 Cyclone 3100. Just got it last year. So far a couple hundred miles of local camping. Now this year we will travel a thousand miles. I am nervous after reading the Towmax threads. I do not have the Tire Pressure Monitoring System, but want to get it before we go this Spring. Which one does the job? How do they work? Do I understand correctly that Towmax, Power King warranties the tire for 2 years from purchase, without my adding on any extended warranty? My Cyclone is going to be about 14000-15000 loaded up. I think it is just under 12000 dry. With two axles, how does one know if the tires are properly rated for all that weight? We buy assuming that Heartland puts the right rated tire on the unit. I am assuming that most Heartland owners do not change their tires on brand new units.

 

[scottyb]

We love our 2014 Cyclone 3100. Just got it last year. So far a couple hundred miles of local camping. Now this year we will travel a thousand miles. I am nervous after reading the Towmax threads. I do not have the Tire Pressure Monitoring System, but want to get it before we go this Spring. Which one does the job? How do they work? Do I understand correctly that Towmax, Power King warranties the tire for 2 years from purchase, without my adding on any extended warranty? My Cyclone is going to be about 14000-15000 loaded up. I think it is just under 12000 dry. With two axles, how does one know if the tires are properly rated for all that weight? We buy assuming that Heartland puts the right rated tire on the unit. I am assuming that most Heartland owners do not change their tires on brand new units.

Do not assume anything. Read the reports and make the decision for yourself. There are no warning signs unless you get very lucky. It is a tuff pill to swallow, to have to spend that kind of money up front. Those of us that did, have never regretted it. Many who did not, wish they had. Sorry to be so down-trodden, but you are in the worst category with a two axle Cyclone.

 

[guyc66]

Re: Towmax by Power King – Facts

The RST designation fooled me too. It's not the same type of designation as ST or LT. It's a marketing designation that stands for something like "Regional Service Tire" (Regional versus Long Haul). Goodyear's documentation shows the G614 as having been designed for demanding trailer applications, but they've tested and certified it as an LT tire. That's why it carries the LT235/85R16 designation. Unlike most ST or LT tires, it's supposed to have steel belts that go from bead to bead, strengthening and protecting the sidewalls.

It's designed to shed heat up to 75mph whereas most ST tires are only designed to shed heat up to 65mph.

Thanks Dan.....that makes sense. I just wanted to be sure I wasn't damaging my tires if/when I tow my rig over 65 MPH. I don't make it a habit to go that fast, but sometimes when passing a much slower vehicle on the Interstate it may become a necessity since I don't have a whole lot of patience.

 

[danemayer]

Re: Towmax by Power King – Facts

Thanks Dan.....that makes sense. I just wanted to be sure I wasn't damaging my tires if/when I tow my rig over 65 MPH. I don't make it a habit to go that fast, but sometimes when passing a much slower vehicle on the Interstate it may become a necessity since I don't have a whole lot of patience.

Guy, keep in mind that the max speed rating assumes that none of the tires are carrying more than 3750 lbs and that they are inflated to 110psi at 70 degrees (F) when not in direct sun. Overloading or underinflating generates additional heat and if you're running at 75mph while overloaded or underinflated, you could damage the tire. Damage is cumulative, so the failure may not show up right away.

In theory none of your tires should be overloaded. But because weight is not evenly distributed, you could in practice have one tire carrying hundreds of pounds more than the others. That's why it's helpful to have the rig weighed with separate scales under each wheel. The first time we had our Landmark weighed, the rear off-door-side tire was carrying close to the limit. The others were well under.

Anyway, all that to say that driving at less than the max speed rating is a good idea because it leaves you a little margin to compensate for the other variables.

 

[DW_Gray]

Re: Towmax by Power King – Facts

#1: That's why it's helpful to have the rig weighed with separate scales under each wheel.

#2: Anyway, all that to say that driving at less than the max speed rating is a good idea because it leaves you a little margin to compensate for the other variables.

#1: Yes, absolutely weigh every tire position! Additionally, after consultation with Roger, (tireman9), FWS now gives this notice: "We at Fifth Wheel St. no longer recommend adjusting trailer tire inflation pressure below the maximum load PSI rating molded on the sidewall (and only if the wheel/rim is appropriately rated) regardless of the measured scaled weight of individual tire or axle positions for all multi-axle trailers."

#2: +1

 

[TravelTiger]

If your tires are "new" and you are wondering if it's worth changing, also remember the trailer was delivered to your dealer from Indiana, and I am pretty sure transport drivers don't care what the speed rating is...so damage may already be done.


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[DW_Gray]

If your tires are "new" and you are wondering if it's worth changing, also remember the trailer was delivered to your dealer from Indiana, and I am pretty sure transport drivers don't care what the speed rating is...so damage may already be done.
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Hmm... Here's an idea. What do you think about this?

RVIA, etc. implements a rule that all commercial RV tow drivers provide and install their own trailer tires during the trip to the dealer, etc. Upon arrival at the dealer, the dealer retrieves the new wheels/tires from inside the RV and installs them. The commercial driver gets his tires back to use for the next tow.

I can almost hear it now. The drivers and dealers will likely moan and grumble. But it should be a step in the right direction.

Just think about it. New cars are delivered on a trailer and the new tires never hit the road on the way to the dealer.

 

[tireman9]

I think there is a sweet spot for every tow vehicle that performs best efficiency. For me, I keep the RPM at 1,500 and maintain 58 MPH except for the steeper inclines.

I've wondered how often an ST tire has blown because in part it had exceeded the 65 MPH limit too many revolutions. Sure, every load rating has a built-in margin. But, for tires, how much is it? Although, I don't think a company would reveal that info. Otherwise, people will push the limits because they think they can. Maybe Tireman9 has more info on that.

This is like asking how many miles you can run your engine above Red-Line. Just too many variations. ALSO just because the tire has a "Red-Line" of 65 doesn't mean you can run 100% of the time at 64mph and get as good tire life as you would if you spent your time below 60 or 55. The standards for ST tires are about as old as the 55 mph Speed Limit and I am not aware of them being updated since then so I would consider 55 to be normal operating limit.

 

[tireman9]

Re: Towmax by Power King – Facts

Thanks Dan.....that makes sense. I just wanted to be sure I wasn't damaging my tires if/when I tow my rig over 65 MPH. I don't make it a habit to go that fast, but sometimes when passing a much slower vehicle on the Interstate it may become a necessity since I don't have a whole lot of patience.

Do you also only exceed engine Red-Line "sometimes" ? If so do you expect to get 100,000 miles on the engine?

 

[GrumpyOneandTwo]

Here's a question I wondered about. If I am doing 65 mph and my TV has 18" tires but my towed vehicle has 16" tires how fast are the towed vehicle tires going?

Mike

 

[tireman9]

We love our 2014 Cyclone 3100. Just got it last year. So far a couple hundred miles of local camping. Now this year we will travel a thousand miles. I am nervous after reading the Towmax threads. I do not have the Tire Pressure Monitoring System, but want to get it before we go this Spring. Which one does the job? How do they work? Do I understand correctly that Towmax, Power King warranties the tire for 2 years from purchase, without my adding on any extended warranty? My Cyclone is going to be about 14000-15000 loaded up. I think it is just under 12000 dry. With two axles, how does one know if the tires are properly rated for all that weight? We buy assuming that Heartland puts the right rated tire on the unit. I am assuming that most Heartland owners do not change their tires on brand new units.

Read your tire Placard to learn the MAX load for each axle. You MUST weigh each axle separately as you cannot assume a 50/50 split of the total load (or 33/33/33 for triple axle)
Read the info on the tire sidewall. It tells you the MAX load on each tire when inflated "COLD" (Ambient temperature & not in the sun & not driven on for 2 hours min). DO NOT ASSUME each axle has a 50/50 side to side split. 45/55 is not unusual. That is why you need to assume one end has 55% ot the total you measured on each axle.
You should ALWAYS inflate all tires to the Max shown on the tire and confirm the load capacity.

OR you can assume you have a perfect balance and Assume your pressure gauge is 100% accurate and assume you haven't loaded more "stuff" than Heartland thought you would carry the HOPE you don't have a slow leak and hope you don't have a tire failure.