A question for you folks who have, or are going to, switch to LT tires on your fiver. Are there certain characteristics that make one tire more desirable than another or will any LT tire be fine? My fiver maxes out at 12,000 lbs. loaded so I don't need load range G tires. For that matter, does it even make sense to make that change and instead go with a top of the line trailer tire instead?

There are not a lot of choices when it comes to a good ST tire. Maxxis is probably the best. Any name brand LT tire is a good choice. Although you don't need a G rated tire, Saliun G rated tires are LT's designed for trailer use. They may not cost any more than a good LT tire. They are rated for 110 PSI so you would need to check your rims before purchase these tires. You could probably get by on running 100 PSI with your weight. Michelin makes a all steel belted LT tire, Ribs, but they are expensive. I have ran B F Goodrich Commercial LT tires with good results.

My fifth wheel trailer is the same weight as yours with a 2500 lb hitch weight. When we bought the trailer I had the dealer take off the Good Year Marathons (China bombs) and put on Maxxis 8008 tires which I was happy with, but I found it difficult to find replacement Maxxis tires.After a lot of research I decided to replace the Maxxis tires with Bridgestone 250 LT tires and I am extremely pleased with the tires which I have now used about 2 years. With the Maxxis tires I needed a wheel alignment every year, however with the Bridgestone tires I no longer require a wheel alignment. At the current time there is about 15,000 miles on the tires and the tires still look brand new.Hope this helps.

mamasmax wrote:A question for you folks who have, or are going to, switch to LT tires on your fiver. Are there certain characteristics that make one tire more desirable than another or will any LT tire be fine? My fiver maxes out at 12,000 lbs. loaded so I don't need load range G tires. For that matter, does it even make sense to make that change and instead go with a top of the line trailer tire instead?Assuming you have 16" wheels, the Michelin XP Rib or the nearly-identical, but cheaper, Bridgestone Duravis R250 are 2 of the best, at least anecdotally. The Maxxis, as others have said, are probably the best ST tire, but there seem to have been more reports of failures recently. Could simply be that more and more are on the road; no way to tell percentage, which is the only real way to tell.The thing you want in any trailer tire, is a ribbed tread, with very little siping (cross-cuts) on the tread.Lyle

ST tires are or were speed rated to 65MPH. LT tires are speed rated to 99 MPH. ST tires are not tested to the same standards as LT tires. ST tires have a short life span. ST tires have a long history of premature failures especially on heavy trailers. Muff said!

For what it is worth Michelin owns BFG and Bridgestone and all 3 have LT tires. I am running Michelin XPS ribs. You will find them to be a physically heavy tire.

LT tires | Good Sam Community

N-Trouble
Explorer
Apr 11, 2016
mountainsam wrote:
Are there any professional tire installers in the discussion. I would love to see what they have to say. I bought trailer tires for years for flat beds ( hauling tractors with mowers) and horse trailers. I was always told to stay with the ST because they had a better side wall performance and would stand up to the occasional whipping motion of trailers. Right or wrong????

Even the so called tire "professionals" have had the whool pulled over their eyes when it comes to ST tires. Got lectured from many tire shops/so called professionals about why I should be running an ST tire.

As suggested you need to see the truth first hand. I have had a chance to do the comparison first hand and frankly there is no comparison.
Me_Again
Explorer III
Apr 11, 2016
Lyle, I believe the problem runs even deeper. The ST tires were given inflated ratings base on speed restrictions. Ratings were increased on ST235/80R16E to cover 7K axles. Now to satisfy higher speeds we are seeing the speed restriction going up from 65 MPH to 75 or posted speed limit.

It is past time for ST tires to have to pass the same testing standards as LT tires.

We are however in a market driven arena where a cheap important component times 5 is being ordered by bean counters and not product reliability engineers. Tire warranties are always pushed off to the tire company and not the vehicle manufacturer.

When is the last time a far East company stepped up and provided support for a failed ST tire including payment for damage to the trailer?

The best advice, and I have given it for years, is to not leave the selling dealers lot on cheap tires. Resolve the issue before delivery.
laknox
Nomad
Apr 11, 2016
mountainsam wrote:
Are there any professional tire installers in the discussion. I would love to see what they have to say. I bought trailer tires for years for flat beds ( hauling tractors with mowers) and horse trailers. I was always told to stay with the ST because they had a better side wall performance and would stand up to the occasional whipping motion of trailers. Right or wrong????

IMO, ST tires have pretty near zero margin above their weight rating. I've been told for 40+ years that anything meant to run in a passenger configuration, you could figure at least 20% "safety margin". So, if that's true, an LT-E, with 3,042 lbs on the sidewall would be safely capable of up to 3,650 lbs' capacity. Personally, I've used and abused tires pretty much my whole life, but I did it with malice and forethought. If I knew I was going to be hauling a load in my 1500 with it's LT D tires, I'd run 'em up to 60 psi and stay under 40 mph and not do it for more than 10-15 miles, at max. I was accustomed to running tires on my truck until steel cord was showing all the way 'round, then putting those tires on a farm trailer or other implement and run them until the tread just peeled off 5-6 years later.

Lyle
Me_Again
Explorer III
Apr 11, 2016
mountainsam wrote:
Are there any professional tire installers in the discussion. I would love to see what they have to say. I bought trailer tires for years for flat beds ( hauling tractors with mowers) and horse trailers. I was always told to stay with the ST because they had a better side wall performance and would stand up to the occasional whipping motion of trailers. Right or wrong????

Go to a GY store and handle a Marathon ST tire. Then off to Michelin and handle a XPS Rib and/or Bridgestone for the Duravis R250. Report your findings.

Chris
mountainsam
Explorer
Apr 11, 2016
Are there any professional tire installers in the discussion. I would love to see what they have to say. I bought trailer tires for years for flat beds ( hauling tractors with mowers) and horse trailers. I was always told to stay with the ST because they had a better side wall performance and would stand up to the occasional whipping motion of trailers. Right or wrong????
Me_Again
Explorer III
Apr 10, 2016
I ran XPS Ribs for 6.5 years and 45K+ miles without one issue. And now have been on R250 for 4.5 years. The Duravis R500 would be my third choice as it has a two ply poly sidewall while most other poly carcass tires have a single ply sidewall.

Chris
JIMNLIN
Explorer III
Apr 10, 2016
N-Trouble wrote:
tinner12002 wrote:
Just put a set of Maaxis tires on with a TPMS system and go...unless your one of those who thinks they have to be passing everyone while your towing your RV then you better get LT tires.

Going faster is NOT the prime motivation why many "upgrade" to LTs.

Best point.
My reasons are reliability and less costs with zero issues for 50k-60k mile range and 7-8 years of service.
rhagfo
Explorer III
Apr 10, 2016
N-Trouble wrote:
tinner12002 wrote:
Just put a set of Maaxis tires on with a TPMS system and go...unless your one of those who thinks they have to be passing everyone while your towing your RV then you better get LT tires.

Going faster is NOT the prime motivation why many "upgrade" to LTs.

X2

LT's are far better constructed, and will easily carry to their max rating, ST's claim a higher rating per size, but I would never trust to that rating.
N-Trouble
Explorer
Apr 09, 2016
tinner12002 wrote:
Just put a set of Maaxis tires on with a TPMS system and go...unless your one of those who thinks they have to be passing everyone while your towing your RV then you better get LT tires.

Going faster is NOT the prime motivation why many "upgrade" to LTs.
tinner12002
Explorer
Apr 09, 2016
Just put a set of Maaxis tires on with a TPMS system and go...unless your one of those who thinks they have to be passing everyone while your towing your RV then you better get LT tires.