Westlake Tires?

[TheNescios]

Looking for feedback on the factory Westlake tires on our 3740 bunkhouse and any recommendations others may have on other brands.
We're getting ready for our first multi-state trip of over 1,000 miles and it seems like the Westlakes have had a number of issues from what I've read on the forum and been able to Google.
Either they fall apart right away or last - but you just don't know how they're going to perform.

This is going to probably go as well as advice on whether to buy a SRW vs DRW tow vehicle and what advertised vs actual weights are on axles, hitches, etc. are..... but I HAD to ask?
Seriously - last thing I want to deal with is a tire issue on a trip so feedback is welcomed.
Chris

[Giesis]

Looking for feedback on the factory Westlake tires on our 3740 bunkhouse and any recommendations others may have on other brands.
We're getting ready for our first multi-state trip of over 1,000 miles and it seems like the Westlakes have had a number of issues from what I've read on the forum and been able to Google.
Either they fall apart right away or last - but you just don't know how they're going to perform.

Chis,

Most of the issues with Westlake tires seems to be with their E rated tires. Some people have used them for years with no problem. I didn't want to take that chance so I upgraded to GY Endurance tires. Night and day difference. To me it was worth the $650. Peace of mine.

[TheNescios]

Good info - ours are a Load Rated G 14 ply tire from information on the casing..... but I'm still hesitant to trust them.
Goodyear tires get good reviews and I'm familiar with the brand, but the Carlisle brand seems to get good reviews as well but I don't know the brand,
If only there was a clear easy choice?

Blown tire isn't a huge issue normally, but looking at the damage they do to an RV has me wanting to be proactive to minimize the risk of dealing with the mess they cause!

[Giesis]

Good info - ours are a Load Rated G 14 ply tire from information on the casing..... but I'm still hesitant to trust them.
Goodyear tires get good reviews and I'm familiar with the brand, but the Carlisle brand seems to get good reviews as well but I don't know the brand,
If only there was a clear easy choice?

Blown tire isn't a huge issue normally, but looking at the damage they do to an RV has me wanting to be proactive to minimize the risk of dealing with the mess they cause!

Yeah I have heard nothing but good things about Carlisle. You can also look into Sailun tires. For me GY was available the same day. I was leaving the next day so waiting was not an option.

[Guest]

Looking for feedback on the factory Westlake tires on our 3740 bunkhouse and any recommendations others may have on other brands.
We're getting ready for our first multi-state trip of over 1,000 miles and it seems like the Westlakes have had a number of issues from what I've read on the forum and been able to Google.
Either they fall apart right away or last - but you just don't know how they're going to perform.

This is going to probably go as well as advice on whether to buy a SRW vs DRW tow vehicle and what advertised vs actual weights are on axles, hitches, etc. are..... but I HAD to ask?
Seriously - last thing I want to deal with is a tire issue on a trip so feedback is welcomed.
Chris

I dumped the Westlake D rated tires and sold them after 2000 miles of use. Purchased E rated GY Endurance and use their inflation chart based on load. I have peace of mind in towing with a tire that is not inflated to its maximum sidewall pressures which aids in the tires puncture resistance. Also I've not see a single case where the Endurance sheds its tread where the casing remains fully inflated. This has been a common occurrence on the Westlakes where the flailing rubber causes excessive damage. The GY tires are made in the US as well.

Jim

[Cate&Rob]

A “tire wars” discussion . . . how unusual, LOL!

I am one of the ones who ran the original Westlake E tires for two seasons and about 10,000 miles with no problems. Then I went to Maxxis (Endurance were not in the market yet) and have three seasons and 15,000 miles (so far) on these with no problems.

Despite discussions on RV forums (a small percentage of RV owners) Westlake supplies the OE tires for the vast majority of towable RVs and has data that “statistically” their failure rate is as good as or better than other tire manufacturers. Who should we believe ?? Certainly if another brand of tires gives you “peace of mind”, the expense of replacing brand new tires is probably worth it. There is always a good market for slightly used trailer tires.

A related story . . . I have a cargo trailer that had 10 year old Carlisle D tires. Cracked sidewalks but still holding air. Off to my regular tire guy to replace these . . . only to learn that they were having so many problems with Carlisle that they switched to a new trailer tire supplier which was working out much better . . . Westlake! So, I actually bought new Westlake tires for my cargo trailer (two years in and working well so far)

Rob

[TheNescios]

Some early morning searching on the internet turned up the information below on the differences between the tires that I'm finding.

Brand	Model	Size			Rated Load	Speed	Max PSI	Made
Goodyear	Endurance	235/80R16			3420	87	80	USA
Carlisle		235/80R16			3520	75	80	??
Powerking	Towmax Vanguard	235/80R16			3860	87	100	Thailand
Westlake		235/80R16			4080	75	110	China

From going across the scales several times while figuring out the best way to load ourselves up to stay within the truck & RV ratings and balanced out for a reasonable ride, I know the max we've been so far is 3145 lbs per tire on the trailer.
I'm not a tire expert, but it makes sense to me that a tire inflated to 80 psi is not going to be as rigid as a tire inflated to 100 or 110 psi so should have a better ride and potentially be able to flex a little better when a road hazard is encountered.
Would think a higher speed rated tire is built to withstand the centrifugal forces on a tire better as the faster you spin something the more it wants to pull apart.

Or maybe I should just reduce the tire pressure on the Westlakes that are on our RV and see how things go?
The max is what they list but that doesn't mean they have to be inflated to that all the time - certainly don't run the truck tires at max inflation all the time.
We're carrying about 78% of the tires rated capacity, 95 psi would be 85% of the max psi and as long as the tire didn't start to run warm or wear funny there shouldn't be an issue is my opinion?
Chris

[howson]

Or maybe I should just reduce the tire pressure on the Westlakes that are on our RV and see how things go?
The max is what they list but that doesn't mean they have to be inflated to that all the time - certainly don't run the truck tires at max inflation all the time.

Exactly what I'm doing on the Sailun S637s I installed on my 315RLTS, Chris. The Sailun's max is 110psi, but I don't need that much load-carrying capacity. Per Sailun's chart I am running them at 80psi, effectively turning them into "E" rated tires. Full story here: https://gdrvowners.com/forum/operati...talled-315rlts

Of note: I've 2,200 miles on the Sailuns so far. I don't notice (from the truck) a difference in the towing experience from the Goodyears (that were good tires--an alignment issue caused their early wear). Anecdotal at best, but there's a definitely a difference between the Sailun (a 14-ply tire) vs the Westlake or Goodyear (10-ply tires). Just the look and feel when handling them makes it obvious. (I have two Goodyears as my spares.)

But tire threads are to RV forums what oil threads are on motorcycle forums--everyone has an opinion based on their experience or personal preference. I read a lot of Grand Design-related posts on multiple platforms (though usually only participate here). Based on what I've read there's not a chance I'd put Westlake tires on my RV. YMMV.

[bertschb]

I replaced the E rated Westlake tires that came on our 2016 Reflection (when it was new) with Goodyear G614 but chose to keep the G rated Westlakes that came on our Solitude 310GK. The G rated Westlake tires actually have an excellent reputation.

Having said that, when I replace these factory Westlake tires, I'll get Sailun S637 in the 235/85R16 size. They have a load index rating of 132 (4,409lbs). Sailun S637 tires are the go-to replacement tire for many RV'ers.

[TheNescios]

Bit of an update.... and sharing the engineering side of my brain that over analyzes things at time..... below is the information I've been able to collect from the internet while sitting here with my leg elevated after orthoscopic knee surgery yesterday.

More I think about replacing the Westlake tires on our RV, (235/80R16 G Rated 14 ply) and look at the product information, more I'm wondering if changing to a 235/85R16 tire might be a better way to go.
Rated Load, Speed Rating, Max PSI, Tread Depth are what I'm comparing from the analytical side...... the hard part is figuring out how reliable the tires are?
Of course, none of them have it exactly like I'd like to see if I was able to pick exactly the specs I want, but the Powerking Towmax in a 235/85R16 comes close.
Don't know much about the brand though, anyone have experience with them?
Thank you all for feedback!
Chris

Brand	Model	Size	LI/SR	Load Range	Ply	Rated Load	Speed	Max PSI	Made	Diameter	Width	Rim	T Depth	Each	4	Retailer
235/80R16
Goodyear	Endurance	235/80R16	123/119N	E	10	3420	87	80	USA	30.80	9.30	6.50	8.32	$ 166.00	$ 664.00	Discount Tire
Sailun	637T	235/80R16	129/125L	Not Shown	14	4080	75	110	??	30.80	9.30	6.50	10.32	$ 158.99	$ 635.96	Big O Tire
Carlisle	Radial Trail HD	235/80R16	Not Shown	E	10	3520	75	80	??	30.80	9.00	6.00	10.32	$ 123.00	$ 492.00	Discount Tire
Powerking	Towmax Vanguard	235/80R16	124/120N	E	10	3520	87	80	Thailand	30.80	9.30	6.50	8.32	$ 109.99	$ 439.96	Tirerack
Powerking	Towmax Vanguard	235/80R16	127/122N	F	12	3860	87	100	Thailand	30.80	9.30	6.50	8.32	$ 118.99	$ 475.96	Tirerack
Westlake	Radial Trailer Tire	235/80R16	Not Shown	G	14	4080	75	110	China	30.80	9.30	6.50	11.32	$ 191.65	$ 766.60	Etrailer
235/85R16
Goodyear	Endurance	235/85R16	125/121N	E	10	3640	87	80	USA	31.70	9.30	6.50	8.32	$ 191.00	$ 764.00	Discount Tire
Sailun	637T	235/85R16	132/127L	Not Shown	14	4400	75	110	??	31.70	9.30	6.50	12.32	$ 151.99	$ 607.96	Big O Tire
Carlisle	Radial Trail HD	235/85R16	Not Shown	E	10	3640	75	80	??	31.73	9.30	6.00	12.32	$ 134.00	$ 536.00	Discount Tire
Carlisle	Radial Trail HD	235/85R16	Not Shown	F	12	3960	75	95	??	31.73	9.30	6.00	12.32		$ -	Not Found
Powerking	Towmax Vanguard	235/85R16	125/121N	E	10	3640	87	80	Thailand	31.70	9.30	6.50	8.32	$ 117.99	$ 471.96	Tirerack
Powerking	Towmax Vanguard	235/85R16	128/124N	F	12	3960	87	95	Thailand	31.70	9.30	6.50	8.32	$ 125.99	$ 503.96	Tirerack
Westlake	Radial Trailer Tire	235/85R16	Not Shown	G	14	4400	75	110	China	31.70	9.30	6.50	13.32	$ 289.14	$ 1,156.56	Etrailer

[TheNescios]

Well, scratch the Powerking tires - found several detrimental reviews of them and even something regarding a class action lawsuit several years ago.
From what I'm seeing, Goodyear, Sailun, and Carlisle are the front runners.
Or maybe I'll reduce the air pressure on the Westlakes and see how we do on this drive?
Why couldn't this be easy???
Chris

[Cate&Rob]

TheNescios
Hi Chris,

Great chart! . . . Your "engineer" side is definitely showing (and fits in just fine around here)

I know nothing about Powerking tires, but a lawsuit from several years ago is not necessarily an indicator of current production quality. (We all drive trucks that have been subject to law suits in past years.) Manufacturers that stay in business learn from their mistakes. Every tire has a "manufacturing location" code on the sidewall. Unfortunately, this is not unique to any name brand and can't be looked up before seeing the actual tire, because every major tire manufacturer builds tires in many different countries. Many folks equate country of manufacture with quality . . . with the US being on the top of the quality list . . .and yet, all agree that Sailun tires are top quality.

Rob

[bertschb]

...From what I'm seeing, Goodyear, Sailun, and Carlisle are the front runners.

I can save you a lot of research Chris - get the Sailun S637 and be done with it! Search for failures for this tire and you'll see why.

[TheNescios]

Appreciate the feedback!
Have to admit, I'm leaning towards the Sailun brand.
Especially when I look at the specs for the 235/85R16 which adds .90" of overall tire height which translates to .45" (7/16") at the top and there's plenty of clearance for the minimal height add.
4400 lb. load rating and 12/32" tread depth is at the top end of what's offered, 14 ply should be good and I'm good with knowing the tire isn't rated for more than 75 mph - would prefer to avoid being on someone's YouTube video so tend to stay in the 65 mph range most of the time.
Chris

[cruzin]

I dumped the Westlake D rated tires and sold them after 2000 miles of use. Purchased E rated GY Endurance and use their inflation chart based on load. I have peace of mind in towing with a tire that is not inflated to its maximum sidewall pressures which aids in the tires puncture resistance. Also I've not see a single case where the Endurance sheds its tread where the casing remains fully inflated. This has been a common occurrence on the Westlakes where the flailing rubber causes excessive damage. The GY tires are made in the US as well.

Jim

Hello Jim,
I assume you have the 225/75/r15e tires? A 2017 2600rb has a gvwr of 6995 lbs. For 4 tires that would be about 1750 lbs per tire. According to goodyears chart, inflation would be 35 psi. If this is correct, I would think the tires would be very under inflated. Please correct me if I'm wrong. I'm still trying to understand this stuff.

Thank you,
Chuck