Colorado Kid

Yesterday, I've sorta, kind of overloaded the trailer. (90Lbs.+) The tires were bulging like mad. I was waiting for them to blow out. Can you make tires that small (16") into Tubeless?

ThermionicScott 

Why would tubeless be the solution here?

Colorado Kid

No flats. The tire couldn't go flat no matter what.

I-Like-To-Bike

No flats:



Solid rubber 16" tires

Leisesturm

I put that much weight on a single wheel trailer! I'm betting the farm o.p.'s trailer is dual wheel. Well within design parameters. Some people routinely underfill trailer tires so the unloaded trailer does not bounce around on rough roads. This means when loaded the tires are often quite bulged and vulnerable (raises hand) no biggie. Airless tires are a bridge too far. Tubeless tires ... see my sig.

ThermionicScott 

Tubeless protects against punctures, but it won't do anything for overloaded tires.

Colorado Kid

Yes, it's a two trailer. A Burley Nomad. Great trailer but it's gets overloaded...sometimes.

cooker

Were the tires just underinflated? The website says 100 lb capacity. And I thought smaller wheels are actually stronger, although that may refer to the rim and spokes and not the tires. I'm over 200 lbs on my Bike Friday with 20" wheels

JoeyBike

My Bikes At Work trailer cost a ton of money and still came with trashy tires. I changed them out immediately to a quality tire. I believe I used Maxxis Sidewinders but next time likely go with Schwalbe Marathons.

I don't know your trailer components but it is possible your factory tires are cheap junk. Or as others have stated - under inflated. Use a gauge, not a finger press test.

Colorado Kid

Thanks for all the advice. I wish trailer tires were common everywhere. There was a time when K Mart even sold tires. No more. Show us your trailer with a load. There has to be someone out there with a overloaded trailer.

I-Like-To-Bike

Trailer loaded with full bottles of soda pop; returning deposit bottles and cans; taking stuff to Goodwill. Still using the same tires (20" x 1.75) that were on this trailer when I bought it at a garage sale for $10 in 2006. The Varsity was bought for $5 at the same sale.

Colorado Kid

You are an Animal my friend! What is the highest weight you had on that thing?

I-Like-To-Bike

Probably about a 100 pounds of mixed groceries to include 40 pounds of cat litter and numerous 2 liter bottles of soda pop.

JoeyBike

Plus the added advantage of passing motorists thinking there's a kid in that thing and giving wide berth.

Leisesturm

I would voluntarily turn my license in to the DMV if my vision ever degraded to the point where I couldn't tell if that trailer was loaded with precious human cargo or (expendable) groceries. Good thing I don't feel the need to play head games with passing cagers because surely it goes worse for those that are found out (busted).

JoeyBike

I push a high end baby jogger to a fresh market a few blocks away and also use it to carry an ice chest and other stuff on skate trips. When I get to a crosswalk with the baby jogger full of empty glass bottles to recycle EVERYBODY driving a vehicle stops as if the jogger contained radioactive material (or a child). Same when skating with an ice chest in it. People see a baby carrier from afar and ASSUME their is a baby in it. They don't have to SEE the baby. If I were pulling a baby trailer with contents neatly hidden inside I presume I would be treated very well by motorists overtaking me. They wouldn't know if it contained an actual baby until they were next to me, if they ever even looked, which I doubt they would.

I have also noticed people pulling trailers with groceries AND a small child or two in there at the same time.