Light utility trailer tires and speed

[thejax]

Hey Guys!  New to the forum.

I have CDL so I am familiar with towing and regulations but I have always driven and towed company/client owned property where it was their responsibility on maintenance.

I recently purchased a very light open utility trailer that has never been registered.  It is a single axle steel trailer and has a 7x10 wood floor and a 2" ball coupler.  It also has Carlisle 5.30-12 tires.

The trailer has never been titled or registered because it was built by an independent trailer company (one of those trailer welding type shops) and then purchased by a farmer who used it on their farm.  Its been recently redone with a new floor and the tires are 4 years old.

To get it registered in the state I will be storing it in is pretty simple and they will assign a VIN.  I went to the truck stop scales yesterday and had it weighed.  I actually requested a re-weigh to make sure.  Scale says the trailer weighs roughly 440 lbs.

I want to use this trailer to carry a 600 lb UTV (like mini Polaris Rzr).  I am looking to replace the tires with Kenda Karrier S-Trail 145/R12 because I want a radial tire as I will be traveling out west with this trailer, loaded, and I feel a radial would be better than bias ply.


So now here to my question.  My question is, this is a very light trailer and even loading it to 600 lbs would be very minimal to a 1200 lb load rating tire as I would have barely over 1000 lbs at the axle with the trailer and load.  Should I still worried about exceeding 65 mph under these conditions?  I usually cruise at 72 mph in 65/70 zones.  What are your recommendations on tire inflation?  Would you recommend different tires for this application?  Could I use 155/80R12 passenger tires with a load rating of 950 lbs instead being the light weight?


By the way, my tow vehicle is a well maintained late 90's V6 sedan that is rated for a 3500 lb towing capacity with a 3500 lb Class 2 hitch and 2" ball.  Brand new tires all the way around.

 

[56safari]

Welcome!  You didn't mention the weight for the trailers axle.  If it's not listed on your paper work, just measure the axle diameter,  1.5 inch=1,000 lbs, 1.75 inch=2,000.  Assuming you have a 2,000 lb or heavier rated axle, you should be be good for your proposed load.

I can only speak from experience with a small trailer riding on 12 inch tires loaded to about 1,100 lbs.  I was hauling a motorcycle.  Cruised at around 70 mph(give or take a few) in hot weather without any issues with tire temp, sway or tracking. Used the trailer for nearly 7 years on the same tires before selling it.  Tires never showed signs of damage or sidewall cracking.  Hope the info helps.

 

[Ex-Calif]

I have a buddy who tows 3 dirtbikes on those tires ~1400-1500# total load. He is a speed demon and routinely cruises 75.  Never had an issue on the tires.

I have similar concerns about the axles. I passed on a lot of light utility trailers that had like 1" square tube axles. It's just me but I wanted axles that looked like axles.

 

[thejax]

Welcome!  You didn't mention the weight for the trailers axle.  If it's not listed on your paper work, just measure the axle diameter,  1.5 inch=1,000 lbs, 1.75 inch=2,000.  Assuming you have a 2,000 lb or heavier rated axle, you should be be good for your proposed load.

I can only speak from experience with a small trailer riding on 12 inch tires loaded to about 1,100 lbs.  I was hauling a motorcycle.  Cruised at around 70 mph(give or take a few) in hot weather without any issues with tire temp, sway or tracking. Used the trailer for nearly 7 years on the same tires before selling it.  Tires never showed signs of damage or sidewall cracking.  Hope the info helps.

Haha I was pretty detailed oriented there but I didn't mention the axle rating because I don't know.  The place that installed my trailer hitch is in Amish country and all they do is trailer related stuff such as manufacturing, repairs, lighting, inspection, etc.  The even reinforced the hitch a little.  So I will be bringing the trailer to them for a full inspection to see if it needs any work and to get clarification on the axle rating.  The previous owner told me he replaced the axle about 18 months ago and it rides pretty smooth on the way home.

I have read extensively in the forum before joining about trailers and tires and speed.  Mostly everyone commenting has a rv type trailer, which is much heavier than mine, and were worried about driving too fast and blow outs.  I just felt with the low weight and the load range of the tires and trailer, I should be good at 72 for long distance on the radials.  From what I heard about the Carlisle tires I currently have, I am thinking not a good idea for long distance.

 

[lynnmor]

Since you made the decision to over-speed  the tires, just let us know how you make out.

 

[aguablanco]

I run Carlisles on my utility trailer and my TT. With the UT on I generally travel the speed limit plus a couple mph. The TT rarely gets over 65 mph. I have never had a tire related issue with them on either trailer. They are both rated, I believe, for 81 mph. After having some axle related issues on the TT I changed over to heavy duty 3500#  units. They are a much larger diameter and yet are rated at 3500# each. The point is that size alone doesn't always indicate a weight rating. Good luck and have fun.
RichH

 

[blw2]

I know nothing of the speed rating of those little trailer tires, but I've seen tons of them on the highway over the years tooling down the road at high speed.
Regardless of their rating, I've always felt those small diameter wheels were really only fit for short around town hauls.  I'd want much larger wheels for lower RPM for long haul road trips

 

[darsben]

First make sure they are 65mph tires as 55 mph is also common. Can you get away with going over the recommended speed? OF COURSE YOU CAN until something happens and they fail.  The choice is yours

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

The weight of the trailer has nothing to do with the tire speed capability. The speed rating of the tire is what counts, and those Kendas are ST (Special Trailer) tires and rated at 65 mph max.  Can you exceed the rating?  Sure, until something goes wrong and you cannot.

Personally, I would not attempt to run 12" diameter wheel/tires combo for very long at anywhere near 65 mph. Those little tire have to make a lot more revolutions/mile than your tow vehicle tires and they will heat up faster and wear quicker. Running them for hours at high speeds is just begging for tire and wheel bearing failure.

 

[56safari]

Should have mentioned in my post that I was running "M" speed rated 12 inch tires on the trailer.  Since they are rated for 80/81 mph, cruising at 70 wasn't pushing the limits.  Just be sure to check the speed rating of the tire when you buy.

 

[Lou Schneider]

Keep an eye on the wheel bearings.  Those little tires are spinning much faster than wheel bearings on larger wheels.

 

[longhaul]

P tires are a great upgrade for a single axle trailer....or even lightweight tandem axle trailers.
  Year back boat trailers....utility trailers....enclosed trailers  came with those small 12" tires. I
would sell them and go with a 13" or 14" or 15" wheels if the bolt pattern was correct. Then go with a P tire.
Most P tires today use 44 psi and some even at 51 psi. Better suited for long high speed all day/nite runs.

Most folks don't know but before tire makers gave us the infamous ST tire all we had were passenger car tires which worked fine  for lightweight trailers. Were not required by any state or fed law to use a certain tire type on a trailer....just tire capacity shall meet or exceed axle ratings. A good 15-20 percent capacity above axle rating is a good move.

 

[grashley]

I had a Nimrod pop up camper for years, riding on Carlisle 12 x 4.8  Load Range C tires - 1000# load limit.  Camper was just over 2100#, or about 1900# on the axle.  It was back in my dumb years before this forum educated me.  I ran 70 mph all the time and ran them until they aged out and went flat.