I have a little 750kg trailer I bought last year. It has 'Security' branded 145/80-13 tyres made in china. They say 'for trailer use only' on the sides.
So I'm planning a road trip back to blighty with it to collect a few things and my motorbike (200kg). I'd hate to upset Ling, but I'm under the impression that (most) chinese tyres are rubbish.
For peace of mind, do you think I'd be better off swapping them out for some proper car tyres of a similar size?
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why bother? its only a 750kg trailer.Your not gonna be hurtling it round bends, or putting it under any strain.
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>> 'for trailer use only' on the sides
They should be OK for trailers, but not for your car. Your trailer doesn't have driven wheels or brakes and get thrown around so much.
>> under the impression that (most) chinese tyres are rubbish.
Why?
>> do you think I'd be better off swapping them out for some proper car tyres
When they need changing, I might - I doubt there's much of a cost difference, and it might be easier to get car tyres (quite possibly made in China!).
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General wisdom says that trailer tyres don't need to be anything special. Roadholding, braking distance, ride comfort, wear resistance, noise etc. are important for car tyres but not for a trailer. So as long as the load rating is correct, a budget tyre should be OK. Trailer tyres hardly ever wear out but problems come when they get way beyond their shelf life and start to crack up. Careful caravanners will ditch a pair of hardly used tyres every 6 years or so.
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you are doing 1000 miles
the tyres it seems are deigned for trips to the tip of 5 miles
tyres get warm the further they go
they might even have a speed rating if for trailer use only?
you are already unsure of their suitability
why not buy some proper 145x13 reinforced tyres and have done with it
by the way 750kg is dammed heavy
(there was a thread last week of a tyre exploding in a bmw this may have been because the tread delaminated from the casing and this is what could well happen on a trailer loaded up on a long trip, of course im not saying it will happen as i dont know how old your trailer is or the tyres but is a worthy consideration)
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Whilst I would be tempted to change - do you have a spare wheel? The likelihood of a puncture probably far exceeds that of a spectacular blow out!
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I think you'll find many car tyres are Chinese, mine certainly are, because they seem to be the only manufacturer in the size I wanted.
You can only tell where a tyre was made by referring the DOT code to a look-up list:
www.carbibles.com/tyremanufacturercodes.html
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I think BB's suggestion makes sense, proper tyres cheap as chips from the usual online sites in this size, be a royal pigs ear if one of these unheard of thingies goes bang and sends clumps of steel wires flapping everywhere and causes an upset.
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They're rated at 415kg each, according to the sidewall. But as I don't currently have a spare, but have 2 spare wheels that I was going to use for winter tyres, I may as well get 2 new ones of a known reputable brand, and use one of the chinese for a spare.
Is there anything special about these trailer tyres, or will regular car ones with sufficient load rating be ok?
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Chinese trailer tyres - swap out? - Zero
