Quackrstackr said:
Brine, have you tried your local tire dealers?
Most every tire shop in town here carries unmounted trailer tires. Even our Wal Mart carries them.
Yes. The issue is the 13" Rim and I only want the tire.
My list is as follows:
Goodyear - No but could order the Marathon in my size for $89.99 + mount/balance
Kauffman - No but could order the Carlisle in my size for $79.99 + mount/balance
NTB - No and did not want to order
Walmart - No (they have a tire/wheel combo) and their computer said that tire was no longer available.
Northern Tool - $65 tire or $95 combo
PECO Trailer company $85 per tire
Internet - Yes, but I don't want to pay shipping for 3 tires.
I think I've decided to buy (3) passenger tires from Discount Tire at $15 ea + $1 x 3 environmental fee = $48 + tax and I have a friend that will mount and balance them for free. I just can't see spending $80 - $100 on a tire that may get 2000 miles a year put on it, to haul around a 16ft jon boat for on average 35 mile each way trips.
I tried my best to source trailer tires either bias or radial locally, and they either want $100 each whether it was just the tire or the tire/wheel combo.
After speaking with a friend who is in the business (the guy who is going to mount them) I get the feeling that tire companies want nothing to do with trailer tires because they are nothing but a liability. He did offer a few points tho....
1. If you store your boat outside, make sure to cover the tires from direct sunlight. Wheel covers or homemade etc...
2. If you're going to store the boat for 3 or more months without moving the trailer, put the trailer on jacks to avoid developing flat spots on the tires (which evidently heat faster on the road and cause blowouts) I suspect the weight of your rig would also play into this.
3. Make sure to keep the tire pressure at it's maximum PSI
4. Choose a tire with the largest diameter your trailer/boat will allow to reduce heat on revolutions.
He is a 20yr mechanic, not a "tire" guy, but routinely mounts/balances them at a car dealership and also has a boat/trailer. I told him what I was going to do, and he agreed that it was the right decision seeing how I wasn't going to spend $250 + on tires. He did say that if I was pulling a bigger boat and making longer trips that he would invest in the ST tires.
