LT trailer tires

[sclifrickson]

It's amazing how fast this thread skewed off the original question.

Not in the least. We haven’t even touched on poutine yet [emoji6]

 

[Brian B-P]

For those that have considered LT tires for your trailer, is there a better choice than the Goodyear Wrangler HT or should I go with it?.

It looks perfectly suitable to me.
I get tired of Discount's web site, which insists that I pick a location before seeing tire infomation then sometimes says that the tire is not available at that location (which I don't care about in the first place!) so I checked out the Wrangler HT at TireRack. It's suitable in size, load capacity, and intended service.

If you look at the many tires of this type and size, most have unnecessarily lumpy "all terrain" tread patterns, and the Wrangler HT is a more suitable "highway" choice.

ps. the Goodyear Unisteel G614 RST looks like a great tire but over $250 ea, 110 psi, and 31" diameter.

Yeah, Goodyear introduced this when ST tires didn't go that large, and they wanted a trailer-specific tire rather than the existing practice of using the same tires as on the pickup which is towing the trailer - that was a common full-sized pickup size. It's really just an illustration that not only ST tires are suitable for trailers.

 

[Rossue2]

I think the Acadia is actually a mini van with an identity crisis.

Ha ha, kind of like the current Honda Pilot?

 

[Donna D.]

Tire discussions make my head spin around like Linda Blair's in the Exorcist. I think I'll just settle for black and round like Glenn. As long as the load range works, I don't drive 85mph towing my trailer, the asphalt is under 180 degrees and I replace the tires every 4-6 years.... I think I'll be okay. And if not, I'll worry about it then. Life is waaaay to short trying to find perfection. YMMV.

 

[stratos175]

I look at it this way there is no such thing as perfection because what you think is perfect I might not think so, check out this tire discussion for example . The world has always been full of opinions and now with the web its full of reviews too so glad there are some pretty smart people on this forum that yes might differ on an opinion but have good reasons in most cases to back up why they feel one way or the other about something.

Good discussion and one of the things I will need to take into considering next year or so I think based on tire age of the current tires.

I think most important thing no matter what tire you get is proper inflation so this is something I check before I leave on any trip.

Enjoy the journey.

Steve

 

[Lanark Camper]

My tire shop tells me that trailer tires have stiffer side walls in order to help to counteract trailer sway should it occur. While car tires and to a lesser extent truck tires need a softer side wall to keep the tires tread flat on the road when hard cornering.

Bob

 

[flatpick]

got over 60K on Carlisle Trails. why swap? just replaced with the same and look forward to 60K more pain-free trailering miles.


steve

 

[mizterwizard]

I can see that the tires on a drive axle would see different loads than the tires on a non-drive axle. In that case I can see that there is a reason not to use ST rated tires on a drive axle. Other than that, I don't see a significant load difference between truck and trailer tires. It is my opinion that LT supersedes ST and P ratings in all cases. It is also my opinion that you could use bicycle tires on everything if you did so with due consideration to the situation. In other words, you'd need a lot of bicycle tires and finesse to make them work on a truck or trailer but it could be done.

I can see no problem at all using LT tires on a trailer and would even use P tires if they were rated well above the anticipated loads.

As far as the one tire being rated like another, I think the comment was more about having the same numbers rather than rating system. For example, if the tire in question was rated to carry the same load at the same speed with the same pressure and had the same traction and wear markings then it would be rated the same. That doesn't mean that the ratings system is the same or that the tires are identical. Just that they are similar.

I agree with DonnaD that there are things to talk about that are more fun than tires but it is something we all will have to consider some day so it is worth considering.

On a truck forum I frequent they have a discussion running about using 19.5 semi tires on pickup trucks. On a motorcycle forum I belong to they have a thread about the "dark side" which is using car tires on motorcycles. There is a reason to do both and either one is far more out there than using truck tires on a trailer.

I just don't accept that there is a roll stiffness issue with truck tires vs. trailer tires. Trucks sway too. It isn't a uniquely trailer phenomenon.

 

[gbaglo]

Does a semi use ST tires on the trailer?
( Have to keep this going ). ;D

 

[Brian B-P]

Does a semi use ST tires on the trailer?
( Have to keep this going ). ;D

While Glenn is mostly just kidding, this is a good point. P, LT, and ST are standards for tires for light vehicles. Medium-duty and heavy-duty vehicles use tires made to commercial tire standards; there are no P, LT, or ST tires in those larger sizes and load capacities

On a truck forum I frequent they have a discussion running about using 19.5 semi tires on pickup trucks..

Those tires for 19.5" wheels are commercial tires, generally used on Class 4 and Class 5 trucks and some trailers with similar axle loads (but not often semi-trailers, which are only common in the heavier Class 7 and 8 which typically use 22.5" and 24.5" wheel/tire sizes).

There is a substantial overlap between commercial and LT/ST applications, with trucks as heavy as "one ton" (Class 3) trucks using LT, and vans as small as the Nissan NV200 (the size of a compact SUV) using commercial tires. Which type is chosen depends on many factors, including cost, ride and handling expectations, and even appearance. There are many valid solutions, and even light truck manufacturers switch between types on the same vehicle model from year to year and between trim variations.

Commercial tires are an alternative to trailers in addition to LT tires. For example, the stock tires on a Ford Transit or Ram ProMaster are possible candidates for Escapes... although they would need 16" wheels.

 

[Randy in Maine]

My 1979 VW Westfalia Camper also uses Commerical tires (Hancook Ra 08 195R14 rated Load Range 104 or "D" tires). Max pressure is 65 psi. Works well and are nice and stiff. About $90 each.

 

[Brian B-P]

My 1979 VW Westfalia Camper also uses Commerical tires (Hancook Ra 08 195R14 rated Load Range 104 or "D" tires). Max pressure is 65 psi. Works well and are nice and stiff. About $90 each.

Volkswagen vans are a good example of working vehicles which routinely use commercial tires, and the stock tire size for these Transporters (bus, van, Type 2...) is a good match for many small travel trailers; it has been popular to use them on Casitas. The old VW size just a little too narrow for current Escape models, and the models of tires used are only available in a very limited range of other sizes, especially in North America. It looks like some VW specialist companies may import them for van owners. I think (judging from Hankook's UK site) that the RA08 has been nearly replaced by the RA18... but good luck finding even those here!

 

[mizterwizard]

I like a lot of what Brian B-P has to say. I also had a Vangon Westfalia. The tires it used were pretty unusual and not available everywhere. I saw other people use passenger car tires on their Vanagons and were doing just fine but they were going down a lot in ratings. A popular mod was to put larger and wider wheels on them so that they could use larger passenger or light truck tires. I never did that but I would consider it if I couldn't get the tires it was supposed to have.

It all comes down to how wise the owner is. Someone with good sense can do odd things and do just fine. Someone with no sense better stay close to the OEM recommendations.

 

[skyfree-ESC]

I'm looking at the Kumho Road Venture AT51 LT215/75R15. Any opinions? This is rated at 2,095 lbs per tire which matches the 17B well. It's cheaper at $118/tire. The Goodyear Wrangler AT/S looks better, but it's $208/tire.

Why an A/T tire? I just completed the 2 5/8" lift after destroying the power jack last year doing some off-road campsite hunting. The 215/75R15's will give us another .3" lift over stock, which isn't much, but the main motivation is the sidewall protection of an A/T tire. I could be wrong, but those ST tires seem very vulnerable to rocks puncturing the sidewalls. I do a lot of off-road driving in my Colorado ZR2 which has A/T tires and feel like good A/T tires are the most important thing that can make or break your day in the backcountry. I could also benefit from the 3-peak snow rating as we have been known to drive in blizzards.

 

[Brian B-P]

I'm looking at the Kumho Road Venture AT51 LT215/75R15.

Kumho Road Venture AT51
That's certainly an aggressive tread.
How wide are the wheels? These need at least 5.5", the reference width is 6.0", and 6.5" would probably be best for stability (although you don't want to go too wide with the wheel if concerned about bashing the sidewalls and rim lips into rocks).

Why an A/T tire? I just completed the 2 5/8" lift after destroying the power jack last year doing some off-road campsite hunting. The 215/75R15's will give us another .3" lift over stock, which isn't much, but the main motivation is the sidewall protection of an A/T tire. I could be wrong, but those ST tires seem very vulnerable to rocks puncturing the sidewalls.

The only reason for an ST tire to be designed with a high level of sidewall protection would be to reduce curb-hit damage (which is common), and I agree that that they generally don't look like they have any extra material for that purpose, so my guess is that an off-road LT tire would be better. My only concern would be determining which LT tires actually have lots of sidewall protection. They would presumably be identified with terms such as "all terrain", but I don't know of any industry standard for either sidewall protection or identification.

The Kumho Canada page for the Road Venture AT51 doesn't mention sidewall protection, as far as I can see, although it does list "cut-resistant dual silica compound" for the rubber.

I could also benefit from the 3-peak snow rating as we have been known to drive in blizzards.

Some degree of winter capability makes a lot of sense to me on a trailer for anyone pushing the ends of the season. Of course there are corresponding trade-offs: a reduction in summer traction which wouldn't matter, a reduction in dry-road stability (due to a more "squirmy" tread) which is probably tolerable, and a reduction in tread life which is irrelevant for most people (who replace trailer tires by time or due to failures, rather than due to tread wear).

 

[EdColorado]

A tire with Kevlar sidewalls give great protection from rock cuts.

An all steel tire would be my next choice for sidewall protection.

 

[Brian B-P]

A tire with Kevlar sidewalls give great protection from rock cuts.

An all steel tire would be my next choice for sidewall protection.

Sure, although steel body (sidewall) cords would be unlikely on a tire of this size. My motorhome tires have steel sidewall cords (the one and only sidewall ply), but those are 22.5" tires and I sure hope I never test the cut resistance.

The cord material is usually not listed on the tire manufacturer's online spec page (unless they consider it a selling feature), but is shown on the sidewall of the tire itself. Kumho Canada doesn't list this for the AT51. The usual is polyester for sidewall/body plies, with steel typically used only in one tread ply if at all, and the Tire Rack page for the AT51 says

The tire's internal structure features twin steel belts reinforced with spirally wrapped nylon to enhance off-road durability and highway stability. Use of jointless bead bundles and a two-ply polyester cord body helps isolate bumps and vibration for a smoother, quieter ride.

... which means that the steel is only in the tread plies (along with nylon), so this is a typical tire, especially for LT.

I think it's mostly protective rubber that matters, because if rocks are cutting down to the cord a failure seems likely even if the cord is not cut... but I'm not an off-roader, so that's only an educated guess (supported by having seen protected sidewalls on tires intended for competition on gravel).

 

[EdColorado]

Another thing I wonder about with getting a tire because it’s ‘snow rated’.

Tractor trailers I see chaining up to pull the mountains, only chain the drive tires and not the tires on the trailer.

What advantage would snow tires(chains) be on an Escape that is not seen on a tractor trailer?

 

[vermilye]

Another thing I wonder about with getting a tire because it’s ‘snow rated’.

Tractor trailers I see chaining up to pull the mountains, only chain the drive tires and not the tires on the trailer.

What advantage would snow tires(chains) be on an Escape that is not seen on a tractor trailer?

Stopping. There are some states that require chains on at least one trailer axle if chains are required for the tow vehicle.

That said, snow rated tires tend to have soft rubber that wears quickly on dry, hot roads.

 

[EdColorado]

Stopping. There are some states that require chains on at least one trailer axle if chains are required for the tow vehicle.

That said, snow rated tires tend to have soft rubber that wears quickly on dry, hot roads.

That makes sense since all the tires on an Escape and tractor trailer have brakes I suppose the snow tires might assist in stopping.

I drove I-70 one time when the chain law was in effect. Never, never again. I’ll wait it out somewhere for a few days.

Ed