Goodyear introduces U.S.-made trailer tire

ORLANDO, Fla. (Jan. 30, 2017) — Goodyear unveiled the Endurance trailer tire at its 2017 Customer Conference in Orlando as a durable tire to fit the needs of hobbyists and workers alike.

Designed for carrying heavy cargo at highway speeds, the tire meets the needs of customers who tow boats, jet skis and snowmobiles to recreational destinations and workers who haul heavy equipment from job to job, according to Goodyear.

"We wanted to have one tire for both groups," said Mike Pulte, Goodyear general manager for product marketing, consumer tires. "Owners of work trailers don't want downtime — that's expensive. And if you're stuck with your family on the side of the road in your RV because of a flat tire, that's miserable."

The Goodyear Endurance features the company's Durawall technology, which helps resist sidewall cuts and punctures, according to Goodyear.

Among the design features of the Endurance are:

• An optimized tread depth and decoupling groove, which help the tire remain cool while towing heavy loads;

• Rugged fabric-steel construction, which offers improved durability and carrying capacity while remaining compatible with tire pressure monitoring systems and tire inflation stations;

• A specialized inner liner to minimize air loss; and

• A scuff guard to help protect sidewalls.

The size of the Endurance — ST255/85R16 — is new and unique to the tire, Mr. Pulte said. That size allows the tire to carry 4,050 pounds at 80 psi, he said.

"Trailer tire customers don't know about inflation, so we made the maximum load and psi markings huge on this tire," he said.

The Endurance is available in Load Ranges D and E to accommodate larger load capacities, according to Goodyear. It also has a speed rating of N (87 mph), which is considerably higher than the usual trailer tire speed rating of L (75 mph), according to Mr. Pulte.

"I see people pulling trailers at highway speeds, and they don't realize their tires aren't designed for that," he said.

The Endurance is manufactured at Goodyear's facilities in Gadsden, Ala., and Fayetteville, N.C., making it a totally American product, according to Mr. Pulte.

"This really inspired our OE customers, who among other things liked a short supply chain," he said. "And consumers are excited about it too."