Sailun Tires For 5th Wheel: Are Sailun Tires Good? (Review)
Tires are vital to your RV time. Without good tired, you could end up on the side of the road and looking for the tow company to arrive. There are plenty of tire options available today. But it may be best to stick with the more well-known brands
According to some owners that use this brand of tire, this is one of the better ones made. These owners are very happy with their results and find they have fewer road issues when driving on this brand of tire. Your results will be different.
To learn more about these tires just continue to read our article. It provides as much information as possible so you can make the best purchase decision for your 5th wheel trailer. Take a few minutes to see how this important information can help you.
Sailun Tires 101
Sailun Tires For 5th Wheel
There are supposed to be only 2 S637 sizes of tires, out of all the tire models Sailun makes, that work for 5th wheel trailers. Those two sizes are ST235/80R16* and ST235/85R16*. Their maximum PSI is 110.
These tires are also good for RV trailers, utility trailers, and boat trailers. What makes them good is that they are supposed to be all-steel construction for strength and load-carrying abilities.
Plus, they come with a 5-ribbed design to increase trailer stability as well as improve fuel efficiency. One aspect of these tires that is very attractive is that they come with an 8-year warranty. Their highway rating is 75 mph and can handle the extra load if necessary.
What helps them last a long time are the many sipes the company has engineered. These extra sipes help with traction when the road is wet. Also, they help get rid of any tire heat as you drive. Your handling of the trailer should improve as well.
S637T Sailun ST235/80R16 Reviews
There are a lot of good comments about these tires. One owner has stated that he would not replace them with any other brand. These tires have worked well for him and his 5th wheel trailer.
He is not the only one praising these tires. One reviewer liked the fact that while these tires cost less than well-known brands, they have similar treads. That is always a good thing. Other reviewers liked the low noise factor. These tires do not make a lot of noise.
Also, they liked the good braking ability. But not everything is perfect about these tires. Some reviewers did not like the fact that there was a lack of traction when the roads were wet.
Then, they also saw a lot of tire wear on these tires. That is not a good thing as they may wear out faster than premium brands. This brand of the tire has received the PTPA Seal of Approval which is extremely hard for budget tires to win.
To get this award the tires have to go through rigorous tests and evaluations.
How Good are Sailun Tires?
As we just mentioned, this tire brand has won the PTPA Seal of Approval and that award puts them on par with many premium tire brands that cost a lot more. Judging from the owners who have these tires, they seem to be fairly good and well worth the money you are paying for them.
This may be one budget tire that saves you money while giving you lots of quality. Also, unlike budget tires, this company means business. Instead of just offering one type of tire like its budget competitors do, they offer a wide array of tire models and sizes.
With this tire line-up, you know that Sailun is serious about making a positive mark on the tire industry. be careful about reviews that state this tire brand doe snot have a warranty. At least for the S637T models, you get an 8-year warranty term.
This is supposed to be the longest industry warranty ever. You may need it as these tires are still subject to issues like- Low grip, poor braking, brittleness, etc
Are Sailun Tires Quiet?
These tires are reported to be quiet. One owner praised them and said that they were as quiet as a pair of Michelin options. That is high praise for a company like Sailun. This owner was not the only one to claim that the tires were nice and quiet when they drove.
It seems that this company has found a way to take the road noise out of driving and that is a good thing. Their tires are nicknamed silent tread which gives you a great indication of how quiet these tires really are.
You can expect this quiet atmosphere throughout the tires' 50,000 miles +/- lifespan. It is a unique feature that may not be found in many budget tires. This achievement is accomplished even though reviewers have stated that the company is focused on making cheaper tires and not worried about the quality.
If quiet tires on your 5th wheel are important, then you may want to look at putting this brand on your trailer and reduce the noise level.
How Long do Sailun Tires Last?
We looked on the Sailun website and you have to look up each individual tire to find out how long they will last. One tire option only lasts for 40,000 miles, while another lasts for 50,000 miles.
That seems to be about 10,000 to 20,000 miles shorter than most well-known brands last. Those were listed at 60,000 miles. While these may be cheaper tires, they just may not survive long enough for you to see any actual savings.
The passenger car tires were rated for 40,000, 45,000, and 70,000 miles. Each tire comes with a chart to show you all the specs for that particular tire and each size it comes in. We did not see a listing for the S637T though.
On their web page for this tire, no mention of its lifespan was made. That is not good news. Many owners did not mention how long their set of Sailun tires lasted when they put them on their 5th wheel.
Are Sailun Tires Safe?
This will depend on the type of tire you buy from the company. Most owners are not complaining about any unsafe conditions they have experienced with these tires. In fact, professional reviewers are harsher on the tires than actual owners are. They find that the tires are okay, fair, and heap.
They point out different issues like hydroplaning, lack of traction, and other tire issues to watch out for. But they also say that those issues only occur in certain circumstances. Other than that, they say the tires are safe enough.
There was an official recall sent out in November of last year. It seems that due to a manufacturing defect, the tires could have the belts separate. This defect could cause a crash and injure whoever is in the vehicle.
The tires that are affected are all tires under different brands made by the Sailun parent company- sailun, roadx, blacklion, blackhawk, and ironhead brand tires, sizes st235/80r16 and st235/85r16 with dot codes 2020 through 4120.
Official notices were sent out in December of last year and if you have one of those tires, you can call their customer service at this number- 1-844-281-9696. The company in charge of the recall in America is Sailun Tire Americas, Inc. The recall number is 21T018000
Is Sailun a Chinese Tire?
Yes, it is. This company was formed back in 2002 and its parent company was making tire-making equipment before they started making their own tires. They are called a third-tier tire company as they focus more on price than they do on the quality of the tire.
This company was said to be one of the largest tire-making companies in the country. Its market is quite expansive as it reaches the following areas of the world- North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America.
There are supposed to be logistic centers in Canada and Germany. Besides the certification mentioned earlier in this article, this company has received quality certifications in 3 countries- INMETRO (Brazil), DOT (North America), and NOM (Mexico).
While it may be a third-tier company, it seems to focus on quality as well as price. It is not producing a bad tire for where it is made.
Where are Sailun Tires Made?
There seems to be a little debate on this topic. One reviewer states that there are two factories in China and one in Vietnam. Another reviewer says that there are 2 factories in Vietnam and an unknown number in China.
Either way, these tires are produced at a low cost in a low-paying Asian country. Trying to keep the costs down helps them enter different tire markets and make their presence known.
Their tires are about 30% lower in retail costs than their premium and well-known brand competitors. These tires do have a few standard issues that come from Chinese-made tires. the recall notice mentioned earlier is just one of those standard problems that Chinese tires are known for.
You may not be as lucky as some owners and get some badly made models that do not last very long. Other issues may arise as the tires start to be used on the road carrying heavy weights.
Who Owns Sailun Tires?
When this company was started in 2002, MESNAC, a company based in the Chinese port city of Qingdao, was the parent company. The owners of that company thought it was a good idea to make their own tires since they were already producing tire-making equipment.
12 years later, the company seems to have been sold to Jinyu Tires, another Chinese tire producer which also owns Jin Yu, Black Lion, and Rovelo Tires. The resource says merged so it is not known if MESNAC still owns Sailun and Jinyu or if Jinyu bought Sailun from MESNAC.
The overall owner markets their tire brands through TBC in America. This is a company that represents 12 other Chinese brands. One reviewer stated that the reason not to buy these tires is that they do not come with a warranty.
However, the Sailun website has a link to their limited warranty page. We did not read it as the web page describing the S637T tires stated there was an 8-year warranty covering that model of tire.
These tires do perform and have a good track record for the most part. They also seem to perform well with high-performance vehicles.
Who Sells Sailun Trailer Tires Near Me?
The Sailun website doe shave a dealer locator web page. You will need to have an address, city, and zip code to find one near you. This may only work for America though. We found 2 in Los Angeles through this web page but we suspect there are more dealers carrying this tire brand.
Walmart has a fine selection of tire models made from this brand. Their cost will be in the range of $80 and $400 depending on the type of tire you need. Then there is Simple Tire & Big O Tires that have this brand as well.
The best thing to do is check with your local tire stores to see if they carry this inexpensive brand. It is hard to say how close the dealers will be to you. But every indication is that many of the major tire outlets have these tires and you won’t have to travel far to get a set.
Some Final Words
While the reviews seem good, you may be taking your chances with this Chinese tire brand. The recall notice and other defects present in those tires tell you to proceed with caution.
They are cheaper but the quality just might not be there even though many owners live them. Check them out and see for yourselves if they are good enough to buy.
