Camper Tires: Your help needed!

[jonathan]

Folks, i have just learned a valuable lesson about "camper tires" and i am about to cry... not really. "Trailer tires" the same size as "camper tires" are easy to come by (read it again).

This all started about a month ago when we realized we needed to replace a tire on our pop up due to cracking on the sidewall. I thought it was pretty easy to get replacement tires:

1) Just call up the dealer and tell them the type of camper i had. Hey, i bought it from them and they should have them.
2) Call up the local tire store and give them the tire size.
3) Go to WalMart. They have a bunch of tires already on the rim AND they are Carlisle brand (what i originally had on my camper).

Simply put, this is not the way it works.

BEFORE i lose anyone, if you know of a place to purchase tires for a PU camper, please post their name and phone number here. I want to have a list for future reference.

Here is the rest of the story...

It has been three weeks since our last camping trip and it was then we realized we needed a new tire. One of the original tires had developed a few cracks in the sidewalls. I have adopted the motto of "I would rather be safe then sorry" when it comes to camping.

So, instead of coming home after the previous trip, placing a call to find some tires, i put it off. Sound familair? I thought a tire was a tire - the size was the only difference.

A camping trip had been planned for this coming weekend to sort of celebrate the kids being out of school. My wife started calling tire stores yesterday (Monday) because i was at work. She would call me and tell me they said this and that. Then i would reply and she would say "Why didn't you tell me that in the first place?" (really hateful like)! I kept explaining to her that i did not know anything about tires either. Then she would call the tire store back, ask them the question i told her to ask them and then call me back. Guess what! Then i would ask her another question and begin the vicious cycle all over again.

Finally, i told her to forget it. There was no way in the world we were going to get new tires on the PU before Wednesday - which is when she wanted to pull it to the campground (i am working through Thursday). I told her (really hateful like that i was taking off tomorrow (Tuesday) and i would take care of it.

(BREAK) Get another beer, use the restroom, whatever. Here is a commercial for... hahahaha!

On Monday evening when i got home i called Carlisle Tire, which is the type of tire that came on our PU. A friendly guy answered the phone and let me ask a question or two and then said, "Sorry, we are closed. You will have to call back tomorrow." Why did he let me waste my breath?

At 4:30am, Tuesday morning, the lovely wife wakes me and asks "Are you going to work?" (really nice). I let her know right quick like that i was not going to work "I had to find some tires!"

At 7:30am, Tuesday morning, i awake to take care of a little eBay business.

At 9:30am, Tuesday morning, i am on the phone with a Customer Rep at Carlisle Tire. He is VERY helpful. The tire size i need is a 145R 12C - load rating of at least 1220lbs and he gave me the Product Code Number. I told him that i didn't care if they were on the rims or not, i just needed a couple of tires - i actually thought i was getting somewhere. Know what he said? "Sorry sir, we do not sell to the general public, but i will try to put you in touch with a reseller." Ha! The two resellers he gave me were WalMart and Tractor Supply. Wifey had already called both places (i told him that) and neither one had them. He told me to tell Tractor Supply to call him and order them!

At 10:00am, Tuesday morning, i am on the phone with my local Tractor Supply cashier telling her the guy from Carlisle Tire said to tell them to get on the phone and order my tires! Needless to say, that blew the cashiers mind and she immediately put me on hold and transferred the call to a manager. I would not have been so upset with Tractor Supply, but the wife had already made a stop in there on Monday (physically in the store) and she said they were extremely rude and not very helpful. In other words, they didn't even offer to order the tires. Short story, the manager said he could order them if i would stop by.

HERE IS ONE PLACE! Tractor Supply will order Carlisle Tires (if you know the Product Code Number).

We have called every single tire store in town. We have called every single trailer place we know of and NO ONE can get a 145R 12C tire with a load rating of at least 1220lbs. It might just be this area, i don't know. Oh, i forgot to mention. The dealer could get the tires, but it would be two weeks and $67 per tire plus shipping.

There is only one other place i found on the Internet that might have tires for a PU. It is //tiresunlimited.com. They only reason i didn't order from them is because they could not tell me the "load rating".

So, where did i find my tires?! A local company that sells those HUGE dump truck tires... never would have thought they would have them. Walked in, ask the man for a 145R 12C... he gave me this funny look and said it was an "oddball" tire. Three phone calls later, we had the tires on the way. BTW - the new tires are 8-ply or D rated instead of the original 6-ply C rating.

(ANOTHER COMMERCIAL HERE...)

If you need tires, you better look around for them before you need them. Please help post a list of stores to get replacement tires in case anyone else is having the same problem i had.

Replacement tires/information here:
//www.carlisletire.com 803-643-2900
//www.tiresunlimited.com 800-628-4737

Special thanks to these web sites:
//www.popuptimes.com/articles/current/tires.asp
//www.title-3.com/Tires.htm

[Kelly]

Wow!  That was quite an adventure for you.  I haven't had that experience here ~ I live just outside the Minneapolis/St Paul area and had new tires on the trailer within 3 days of calling around for prices.  I got them this year from a local tire store.  I've gotten them in the past from a local car repair place ~ they probably order them from the tire store that I got them from this year!  

Don't know about oddball sizes ~ the ones I just had installed are Carlisle 5.30x12's (6-ply).

[Gone-Camping]

Hmmm, when I need trailer tires, I head straight to Portsmouth Trailer Supply, after all, all they do is trailer stuff there!!!

 
That's Portsmouth Viriginia, not New Hampshire!!! And they are actually located in Chesapeake Virginia...
 
Portsmouth Trailer Supply
3227 S Military Hwy, Chesapeake, VA 23323
(757) 487-2934
(757) 485-5351 (fax)

[pinhi18]

Hmmm, when I need trailer tires, I head straight to Portsmouth Trailer Supply, after all, all they do is trailer stuff there!!!

 
That's Portsmouth Viriginia, not New Hampshire!!! And they are actually located in Chesapeake Virginia...
 
Portsmouth Trailer Supply
3227 S Military Hwy, Chesapeake, VA 23323
(757) 487-2934
(757) 485-5351 (fax)

I have purchased replacement tires from the local Goodyear and NTB (National Tire and Battery) stores.

[tlhdoc]

I called all of the tire dealers in my area and couldn't find the tires I wanted.  I called Duro tire and they gave me the number of a phone order place in Nevada and I ordered them there.  I now carry 2 spare tires after getting a flat with  an odd size tire.

[SactoCampers]

Funny story and I agree, find who carries them locally before you need them.
 
Just out of curiosity, did you try to find Duro?

[abbear]

You'll find the info on the west coast duro distributor (also sells retail) here:

http://www.arveeclub.com/showthread.php?t=51836

If they don't have your tire I'd be suprised.

[copcarguy]

Hey all!

As you have found out, replacing the word "trailer" with "camper" nearly doubles the price of anything you might want to buy for the PU, and makes it 2000 times harder to get/order/have in stock.  I buy all my trailer stuff from www.northerntool.com  I have been dealing with them for years, they are a great company, and I have bought several sets of trailer tires from them for all my trailers.  I have even gotten atv tires from them.  They're a great company!  I hope this helped!

[birol]

Some people ! Leaving all the important stuff to the last second ! I am glad you lived through it and got the tires I am worried how I will find tires for mine ! They do not seem to be in very good shape ...... I had better start looking already .... there were a few dry rotted areas on both ..... I hope they last this summer ........

[chip]

I've had to replace both of the tires on my PU due to the tread separating from the tire.   First time Titan (the tire manufacturer) basically reimbursed me for the replacement; second time it was about three years after I bought the trailer, so I didn't even bother contacting them.  Prolly should have.

Both times I went to a local tire dealer and got replacements.  Last tire was $34 and included mounting and a new valve stem.  All the specs were the same as the original tire.

That's the point here, I guess.  Don't forget your local tire dealers.  They may have, or can get, the tires that fit your application.  And they are close by if, or when, you need warranty work.

Besides, I find it easier to drop the old one off at the tire shop, let them work their stuff, and pick it up later. Or the next day if need be.  No brainer for me.