Ok, I know there are a lot of posts on tires, and I have read a lot of them. I am looking for advice on my particular situation, maybe someone with similar rig.I have a 2013 F150 Ecoboost 4x4 SC short bed. TT is a 2014 Apex 214rb. Sticker dry weight is 4150 lbs. Two of us and we travel pretty light. I have not weighed it but on our last TT we did weigh and we carry about 1000lbs of stuff so I am guessing 5200 lbs loaded, 5500 at most.Current tires are the original Goodyear Wranglers, P275 / 65R18, 2601 max lbs @ 44psi. 34,000 miles on them and they are wearing pretty good. Probably can use them for a while but want to replace between now and our next trip to the Keys this winter.The truck handles the TT great and pulls fine.1st Question: Should I go to a LT tire?2nd Question: Recommendations for a tire for my situation? The place I normally buy tires carries Goodyear, Michelin, Cooper, and some other brands I am not familiar with. I am open to all suggestions.BTW when I put the new tires on I am putting on 4 Bilstein shocks. around Thanks in advance

I dont know if they make them in your size and desired rating, but I had a BFG tread separate and the Michelin co (owns bfg) recommended their new DEFENDER LTX MS for my f350. A street tire not an all terrain. SO far rides well and actually seems smoother than the rough terrains they discontinued. Maybe you can get in a lR D? I think it is considered an LT but it 10 ply probably more than you need. Their display shows a milage increase at the cost of some off road capability, but since the most off road we do is dirt roads that didnt bother me.

The Cooper Discoverer AT3 is a really nice AT tire that your shop should carry. Or an Cooper ST Maxx if you want something more aggressive. I would definitely go to an LT tire. I'm a big fan of Cooper and Toyo tires personally.

Switch to LT tires for sure. P tires don't belong on a truck that is used as a truck.BFG and Michelin both make excellent tires. I've always had good service from both. The BFG All Terrain is second to none and is the gold standard of the off road racing community, if you want an off road all terrain tread type tire.

IMHO: You can't do any better than the Michelin LTX M/S 2's. I put a set on my F-150 SCAB when we were towing our 22', 5,000# TT and smooth ride and great handling was off the chart. They come with a 70,000 mile warranty and if you shop around cost little more than the junk that is also out there.Almost there years ago sold the truck and TT and moved up to a 24' Class C. It came with the old Michelin M/S and our 2012 coach ended up being right in the middle of the big Michelin recall. Got 6 brand new LTX M/S 2's {balanced and mounted}, for free. Michelin always stands behind their product. I have about 20,000 miles on this set and they look like new.Adding a new set of shocks will also make a world of difference. Recently {at 33,000 miles}, replaced the originals on the motorhome with a set of heavy duty Bilstein's and they are amazing. When I had the F-150 I replaced with a set of Monroe's and again the difference was huge. Day to day you tend to not notice that your shocks are wearing out but add a new set of quality units and the improvement will blow your mind. Tires and shocks are just about the best way to insure a safe, quality ride. Always money well spent.As always.... Opinions and YMMV.:C

DEFENDER LTX M/S. They have two LT in your same size, with different weight ratings. A 116 TL which weighs 40 lb/tire and a 123/120 E which weighs 48 lb. Thats an extra 32 lbs on your suspension system. The 116 has max load of 2757 lb @ 44, whereas the 123 max load of 3415 @ 80. I think the 116 would meet your needs best with a smoother ride. The 123 ride a lot harder on a half ton and you can feel the additional weight.

recommendation on new tires for my f150 | Good Sam Community

myredracer
Explorer II
Jul 06, 2016
Couple of seasons ago we bought a set of Michelin LTX M/S 2's for our truck based on recommendations here. Two years later, I've been very satisfied with them.

I installed a set of Bilsteins on our truck a few years ago and they are awesome.

Do both of these and you will turn your ho hum handling into almost sports car handling. :)
riven1950
Explorer
Jul 03, 2016
Keep it coming . You folks are getting me pleasantly confused.
Desert_Captain
Explorer III
Jul 02, 2016
The speculation and BS are beginning to get deep. Coopers tow better based upon what? I'll put the performance of my Michelin LTX M/S 2's up against any product fromCooper.

P's give less wiggle/squirm whatever than LT's... are you kidding me? Look at the construction of a multi ply E rated tire vs a P. P stands for "Passenger" just as LT stands for light truck. P's are not designed for towing, period. Will they do it, yes. Will they do it as well as an LT, not a chance.

Reality... what a concept. :S

As always.... Opinions and YMMV.

:R
mhsmith
Explorer
Jul 02, 2016
First question...are you happy with the current tires? If so, why not stick with them? I made the mistake of replacing my Michelins with a set of Kelly tires and was not happy. Handling and mileage suffered. Fortunately they came with a 30 day ride guarantee and changed them out for Goodyears. Towed our trailer to Florida and back over two weeks last month and am very satisfied with them. by the way...they are P tires and the TT 32ft. at 7800lbs. I also put D LR tires on the TT this time and what a difference over the C LR I have used for the last 10 yrs.
eluwak
Explorer
Jul 02, 2016
Fisherman wrote:
lbrjet wrote:
Ask yourself this question: My tires are rated for 5200 lbs and my axle is rated for 4000 lbs so why do I need LT tires?

LT's have stiffer sidewalls and you don't get the bum wiggle compared to P tires.

I get more bum wiggle with the E's on the suburban than I did with the P's on my F150 :)
ata3001
Explorer
Jul 02, 2016
Terryallan wrote:
Were I you. I would go to the Cooper Discoverer Plus tires. They have a max psi of 50, and a load rating of 2601lb. more than enough for any 150. I have used them for years. And while the Goodyears will let the TT move around a little. the Coopers will settle it down. They are great for towing. I have used Michelins. Goodyears, Goodrich, and all are more expensive than the Coopers, and the Coopers will tow better, and last longer.

X2
Fisherman
Explorer
Jul 01, 2016
lbrjet wrote:
Ask yourself this question: My tires are rated for 5200 lbs and my axle is rated for 4000 lbs so why do I need LT tires?

LT's have stiffer sidewalls and you don't get the bum wiggle compared to P tires.
lbrjet
Explorer
Jul 01, 2016
Ask yourself this question: My tires are rated for 5200 lbs and my axle is rated for 4000 lbs so why do I need LT tires?
humblerb
Explorer
Jul 01, 2016
atwowheelguy wrote:
Some anecdotal reports on the forums indicate lower MPGs with LT tires than P tires because of higher rolling resistance. Some say they found no difference in fuel mileage. An LT tire requires a higher pressure to carry the same load as a P tire, so expect it to have a stiffer ride.

On my '13 F150 Ecoboost 2WD, I recently replaced the OEM Michelin LTX A/S P265/60R18. At 77,000 miles, they still had 5/32" on most of the treads. One edge of one of the tires was down to 4/32", so I had them replaced. They had been rotated every 5,000 miles. They could easily have gone to 80,000 miles. It's hard to go against success, so I went with the Michelin Defender LTX M/S in the same size as a replacement. When you look at tires, look at the mileage, traction and temperature ratings. The Defender LTX M/S are rated at 800/A/A. I didn't find any rated higher. TireRack.com has a good web site to compare UTQG ratings.

I haven't towed with LT tires, so I can't compare the experience. I have never had an uncomfortable experience towing my 6700 lb. toy hauler with the P Michelins, and I have been loaded to within 50 lbs. of the rear GAWR.

Only about 15% of my annual mileage is towing the camper, so I went with the P tires for better ride and fuel mileage for the other 85% of the miles. I really had no compelling reason to change to an LT tire.

I could have written this post. We tow a 7,200# (wet) TT about once a month (~8-10 times per year). Usually within 100 miles of home. With a couple of long trips thrown in, we have about 5,000 miles in 5 years. My F150 is a daily driver. The tires that come on vehicles are matched to that vehicle. So I always replace with the same tire that I am replacing, unless I have had issues with it. My 2012 F150 has Michelins - on my second set now. Max pressure when towing, makes for a smooth tow. Forgetting to reduce the pressure after returning home, not so much.
tragusa3
Explorer
Jun 27, 2016
I'm on a 7k mile trip with my new Defender LTX MS/2 in an E load rating. Outstanding difference in handling from the stock tire. I KNOW I made the right decision for me. Surprisingly, mileage has not suffered. If anything it is slightly better.