From: DHorn<donhorn@mindspring.com>
To: <vintage@airstream.net>
Subject: [VAC] Tire Questions
Date: Wednesday, March 03, 1999 11:51 AM

Hi, All,

After reading some old postings regarding tires and Looking at the tireson
my Caravel, it looks as though I'm due for a new set (i.e., pair).

Although there's lots of tread left on my current tires, they are light
truck, not trailer tires, and I've heard that these can be a lot more
susceptible to UV deterioration of the side walls. What I have nowis a
pair of Super Miller Belted G78-15 LTs. Since the Caravel supposedlycame
with 14" wheels, I can only assume the wheels have been replaced.

At the Miller Tire site, they show the following 15" tires:

Size Load Load Price
Rating Capacity
---------------------------------------
ST205/75-15 C/6 1820# 57.00
ST205/75R15 C/6 1820# 77.00
ST225/75-15 D/8 2540# 69.00
ST225/75R15 D/8 2540# 94.00
 

I don't necessarily need to stick with Miller--in fact I've heard good
things on the A/S list(s) about the Goodyear Marathon. I just happenedto
find Miller right away when I searched for "trailer tires." The following
questions are not related to any particular brand.

1. Trailer gross weight is 3200#, so load rating C/6 should be adequate,
right? Any reason to go with a higher rating?

2. Does anyone know how the "G78" width compares to the 205 and 225?Since
I have oversized tires already, they barely fit. I don't want to get
anything wider than what I have now. (I'm sure whoever sells me thetires
can answer this one, once I've gotten to that point, but I could usea
reality check).

3. In the same vein, for a given size, are the radials and bias plytires
the same width?

4. Given that the answer to 3 is "yes," then I'd suspect the best all
around choice is the radial that is the same width (or smaller) thanthe
G78-15s that I have now. Any thoughts?

5. Would I be able to use one of the old tires as a spare if I buy radials?
I know radials and bias don't mix, but would it be OK at low speedsto get
to a repair shop? Maybe I should just find a decent used spare instead.

6. Any suggestions for tire sources on the web?

Thanks in advance for any enlightenment you can provide.

Don