Hello to all, I have a question regarding my 2008 HH 26.5 5th Wheel. Thank you in advance for any clarity on the issue. My mechanic just serviced my bearings and checked my rig undercarriage. He raised an issue with the tires on my rig. They are LT 285-85-16's -- all 2016 new Michelin's. His take is I should swap them out for an ST over the LT and likely choose the Goodyear Endurance instead. I really understand from reading "ALL" the threads on tires posted on rv.net etc, and experience what the differences are "on paper". The issue comes down to the fact that the "tag" on the side of the trailer from Nuwa says "LT 285-85-16". So I guess I need to determine WHY Nuwa says go LT when there are so many who say "go ST" . Buying a new set is not a cost issue. I am more focused on "safety" and performance. Happy Trails

I think many/most HHs came with LT tires. If the ones on there are new, and rated to handle the weight, I would stay with the FW manufacturer recommended tires on the placard.Jerry

MFL wrote:I think many/most HHs came with LT tires. If the ones on there are new, and rated to handle the weight, I would stay with the FW manufacturer recommended tires on the placard.JerryX2

In this case you have exactly what you need and what is specified by OEM.DO NOT swap to ST tires. And I really like my Goodyear Endurance.

Every trailer I've had in 30 years I replaced the ST tires with LT tires when the time came to buy replacement tires. No adverse effects or early wear problems. With over 10 sets of tires on 4 different TT or 5th wheels trailers we had.I find the LT tires are available at most tire stores where ST tires sometimes must be ordered.

wallaceb wrote: He raised an issue with the tires on my rig. They are LT 285-85-16's -- all 2016 new Michelin's. His take is I should swap them out for an ST over the LT and likely choose the Goodyear Endurance instead. The issue comes down to the fact that the "tag" on the side of the trailer from Nuwa says "LT 285-85-16". Why would even consider your mechanic's opinion over what the manufacturer recommends? I bet that recommendation comes from engineers with college degrees and state licenses as opposed to your mechanic who maybe graduated from high school.

Settle a "tires" issue | Good Sam Community

44 Replies

Arcamper
Explorer
Aug 17, 2017
The placard on my 16 Montana states "LT" tires also. I guess I will never know all the great advantages "ST" tires have to offer according to some manufactures.
SidecarFlip
Explorer III
Aug 17, 2017
Couple comments...

One, I run nothing but Michelin or Firestone top tier tires on everything from my wife's van to my pickup truck to my Focus to my gooseneck traliers. Good rubber equals no issues. You buy cheap foreign rubber, the chance of failure increases...

Assitionally, I never use push in rubber stems either (on any tire/rim. Always screw down metal valve stems, almost always Milton. The only deviation from that are wheels with TPMS monitors built in.

Secondly... I never an 'engineer' designed any RV from the almost universally shoddy way they are built. Thought it was a shoemaker instead.
fj12ryder
Explorer III
Aug 17, 2017
Tvov wrote:
DownTheAvenue wrote:
Why would even consider your mechanic's opinion over what the manufacturer recommends? I bet that recommendation comes from engineers with college degrees and state licenses as opposed to your mechanic who maybe graduated from high school.

Wow. Kinda like the engineers who designed the campers that are constantly complained about on these forums? I don't know about the mechanic being talked about in this thread, but give me an experienced mechanic any day over an over-educated "degree" who has no idea about the real world.
The engineers design and recommend how a trailer should be built. How it is actually built may be relegated to the bean counters, with little real world input from the engineers who should be involved. If the engineers say to build it this way, but the bean counters say it's cheaper to build it that way, who do you think will be listened to?
rhagfo
Explorer III
Aug 17, 2017
The only reason for ST tires is so tire company's can sell a tire with a higher stated load capacity and lower speed rating. They are are not a superior tire to an LT, in reality with few exceptions they are an inferior tire. I will stick with LT's on my 5er as they are work great and don't have blowouts all the time.
The trucking industry doesn't use different casings for trailer tires. The tread pattern might be different on them depending which axle they are on, steer, driver, or trailer, but they all use the same casing. That casing might be capped as many a four times, and have close to 300K on them or more.
laknox
Nomad
Aug 17, 2017
Ralph Cramden wrote:
Tvov wrote:
DownTheAvenue wrote:
wallaceb wrote:
He raised an issue with the tires on my rig. They are LT 285-85-16's -- all 2016 new Michelin's. His take is I should swap them out for an ST over the LT and likely choose the Goodyear Endurance instead. The issue comes down to the fact that the "tag" on the side of the trailer from Nuwa says "LT 285-85-16".

Why would even consider your mechanic's opinion over what the manufacturer recommends? I bet that recommendation comes from engineers with college degrees and state licenses as opposed to your mechanic who maybe graduated from high school.

Wow. Kinda like the engineers who designed the campers that are constantly complained about on these forums? I don't know about the mechanic being talked about in this thread, but give me an experienced mechanic any day over an over-educated "degree" who has no idea about the real world.

I can second that comment. I am currently dealing with some over educated, degree holding civil engineer whizbangs with state licenses, who were apparently taught that water can defy the laws of gravity and flow uphill to parking lot storm inlets LOL.

Hah! My dad ran into that when he was on our local P&Z board and they were working on a storm water runoff plan for an entire section of land, about half of which we'd farmed at one time or another. Idiot engineers had water running uphill into a retention basin (we don't have "real" drainage here in the PHX area). Dad took one look at the plans and said, on the record, that it flat wouldn't work. Engineer with a snotty attitude asked him how he knew that just by looking. Dad said, "well since I farmed a good portion of that dirt for over 20 years, and it was flood irrigated, I'd be a lousy farmer if I couldn't tell which way my water would flow." Shut him right up and forced a re-survey and, guess what? They had to admit he was absolutely correct, down to the slopes he rattled off. :B

Lyle
DownTheAvenue
Explorer
Aug 17, 2017
Tvov wrote:
DownTheAvenue wrote:
wallaceb wrote:
He raised an issue with the tires on my rig. They are LT 285-85-16's -- all 2016 new Michelin's. His take is I should swap them out for an ST over the LT and likely choose the Goodyear Endurance instead. The issue comes down to the fact that the "tag" on the side of the trailer from Nuwa says "LT 285-85-16".

Why would even consider your mechanic's opinion over what the manufacturer recommends? I bet that recommendation comes from engineers with college degrees and state licenses as opposed to your mechanic who maybe graduated from high school.

Wow. Kinda like the engineers who designed the campers that are constantly complained about on these forums? I don't know about the mechanic being talked about in this thread, but give me an experienced mechanic any day over an over-educated "degree" who has no idea about the real world.

The fact that what the manufacturer (aka the "engineers") recommends has been almost unanimously approved in this thread, and the mechanic has likewise been vilified, just proves my point. Thank you posters!
Dave_H_M
Explorer II
Aug 17, 2017
That guy entitled "my mechanic" should be traded in on a different one. :W
Ralph_Cramden
Explorer II
Aug 17, 2017
Tvov wrote:
DownTheAvenue wrote:
wallaceb wrote:
He raised an issue with the tires on my rig. They are LT 285-85-16's -- all 2016 new Michelin's. His take is I should swap them out for an ST over the LT and likely choose the Goodyear Endurance instead. The issue comes down to the fact that the "tag" on the side of the trailer from Nuwa says "LT 285-85-16".

Why would even consider your mechanic's opinion over what the manufacturer recommends? I bet that recommendation comes from engineers with college degrees and state licenses as opposed to your mechanic who maybe graduated from high school.

Wow. Kinda like the engineers who designed the campers that are constantly complained about on these forums? I don't know about the mechanic being talked about in this thread, but give me an experienced mechanic any day over an over-educated "degree" who has no idea about the real world.

I can second that comment. I am currently dealing with some over educated, degree holding civil engineer whizbangs with state licenses, who were apparently taught that water can defy the laws of gravity and flow uphill to parking lot storm inlets LOL.
Tvov
Explorer II
Aug 17, 2017
DownTheAvenue wrote:
wallaceb wrote:
He raised an issue with the tires on my rig. They are LT 285-85-16's -- all 2016 new Michelin's. His take is I should swap them out for an ST over the LT and likely choose the Goodyear Endurance instead. The issue comes down to the fact that the "tag" on the side of the trailer from Nuwa says "LT 285-85-16".

Why would even consider your mechanic's opinion over what the manufacturer recommends? I bet that recommendation comes from engineers with college degrees and state licenses as opposed to your mechanic who maybe graduated from high school.

Wow. Kinda like the engineers who designed the campers that are constantly complained about on these forums? I don't know about the mechanic being talked about in this thread, but give me an experienced mechanic any day over an over-educated "degree" who has no idea about the real world.
bucky
Explorer II
Aug 17, 2017
Were ST tires even available back then in that size and weight rating? The sidewall is the thing that's important in trailer tires. Lot's of specs change as better tech comes along. Oil for instance. Keep an open mind and do your own due diligence.

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Settle a "tires" issue

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