New Tires for Tow Vehicle
Hey Guys, Looking replace the stock tires on my 2014 Expedition EL XLT. The stock tires are P275/65 R18. I tow a 26 foot camper, with most of my towing within a few hundred miles. I live in upstate...
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Had the Michelin LTX's 18" LTE on our F250 for about 5 years after they were recommended by quite a few on RV.net. They seemed fine and the original tires it had were some old knobby off-road type so wasn't really able to assess the difference.
Just bought a set of Goodyear Wrangler, but in 17" for our new truck ('12 GMC 2500HD). Got them from a guy who used to own a local major chain tire shop with 30 years in the biz. He showed me the difference in the sidewall strength. The Michelins have a soft flexible sidewall sort of like ST tires. The Goodyears have a Kevlar sidewall which is a LOT stiffer. Seemed to me that should be more stable for towing so I got those instead. Very impressed.
Did a 10 hour drive on the new Wranglers yesterday over a long mountain pass with plenty of steep-ish grades, twists and turns and also some bumpy sections. I loved the way they felt and being brand new didn't think they'd feel as good as they did.
I always used to run the rear tires on the F250 at 80 psi and fronts at 75 psi. Ended up with those pressures because I played around with different pressures and found 80/75 was the best (after playing around with the WDH setup). Had zero sway and excellent handling. A few folks have been shocked at that high a psi. I lower it over the winter. No abnormal tire wear.
Interestingly, the new 2500 HD Sierra says to inflate the rears to 80 psi on the door sticker. Neither DW or I have a problem with the harsher ride and don't actually notice it being harsh. I like the handling and steering to be optimal for towing so 80 psi it is. When you're towing on twisty roads with lots of bumps and dips, harshness is the last thing that matters.
Just bought a set of Goodyear Wrangler, but in 17" for our new truck ('12 GMC 2500HD). Got them from a guy who used to own a local major chain tire shop with 30 years in the biz. He showed me the difference in the sidewall strength. The Michelins have a soft flexible sidewall sort of like ST tires. The Goodyears have a Kevlar sidewall which is a LOT stiffer. Seemed to me that should be more stable for towing so I got those instead. Very impressed.
Did a 10 hour drive on the new Wranglers yesterday over a long mountain pass with plenty of steep-ish grades, twists and turns and also some bumpy sections. I loved the way they felt and being brand new didn't think they'd feel as good as they did.
I always used to run the rear tires on the F250 at 80 psi and fronts at 75 psi. Ended up with those pressures because I played around with different pressures and found 80/75 was the best (after playing around with the WDH setup). Had zero sway and excellent handling. A few folks have been shocked at that high a psi. I lower it over the winter. No abnormal tire wear.
Interestingly, the new 2500 HD Sierra says to inflate the rears to 80 psi on the door sticker. Neither DW or I have a problem with the harsher ride and don't actually notice it being harsh. I like the handling and steering to be optimal for towing so 80 psi it is. When you're towing on twisty roads with lots of bumps and dips, harshness is the last thing that matters.
