Tires, what are you using? Trailer? Truck?
I just bought a used 5th wheel and I need to replace the tires. I'm not new to trailering but I know that trailer tires can really be a pain. I am used to using truck tires on trailers, however, LT2...
Forum Discussion
Just as an update, I'm going to order the Goodyear Endurance ST235/85R16E tires from Discount Tire Direct. They're $121 a piece with all the rebates. Nothing else even comes close besides cheap Chinese tires.
Ultimately, I just don't want to trust Chinese tires, even if they're all steel or have a recognizable brand name. I also disagree that all steel tires rated for 110 psi aren't stronger than E rated tires. At 80 PSI, they're technically rated for the same weight, but that doesn't tell the whole story. All steel tires are tougher in every way. If I was persuaded they were cost effective for me, I'd go with them, but I never intend to load my trailer to anything close to its GVWR as I don't have anything heavy to put inside of it at this point. If my trailer ever sees 12k total it'll be a miracle, so a tire rated at 3042 will be rated for the full GVW of the trailer (not GVWR, GVW).
The Bridgestones and Michelin XPS Rib mentioned appear to be good tires with a good reputation. I also haven't heard anything bad about the Goodyear G614 all steel tires, but they're $320 each and there are no discounts to be found anywhere.
If anyone is in the market for a Michelin XPS Rib, they are currently on sale for $230.xx at Discount Tire Direct and there is a rebate of $50 if you use the Discount Tire credit card.
There was a U.S.-made Mastercraft (Cooper) LT tire on Amazon for $115 last month. The price has gone up to $133 each since then. I would seriously consider those if I saw them at $115 again; they will do the job for those of us who only need E rated tires.
On my utility trailer, I'd consider the Chinese (all steel) tires because it won't be damaged if they blow out. There's a ton of them out there in both E and G load range and they can be had in the $130-135 range each. Many people swear by these.
Ultimately I'd rather have newer tires than more expensive tires. I'm worried if I spend too much, I'll wait too long to replace them and regret it, so I'm going to go with the Endurance since they are presently available with a good rebate.
I agree with those of you above who are religious about your truck tires. I'm currently running Nittos on two trucks because they offered tread patterns that I really liked for that application. I may go with Goodyears next time on the tow rig Ram because they offer a treadwear warranty on the All Terrain Adventure and have the mountain snowflake for extreme snow. They are one of two tires available in the LT285/70R17E that I'm running that have both of those features; the BF Goodrich All Terrain KO2 is the only other one I've seen. If I can't get the right deal on those, I'm going to try the Nitto Exo Grappler in the same size, also with the mountain snowflake. I don't take this truck on rough off road anything, but the extra grip is good in the desert and off the beaten path.
Also, if I was pulling a bumper pull or a 5th wheel where I didn't need a nearly 32" tall tire, I'd consider going to 17.5" tires. I could buy wheels and tires for only slightly more than the cost of the more expensive all steel 16" tires without wheels, and I really think the 17.5" (or even 19.5, but more expensive) tires are probably the way to go for us. If I had a $100k 5er I wouldn't even blink at upgrading.
Ultimately, I just don't want to trust Chinese tires, even if they're all steel or have a recognizable brand name. I also disagree that all steel tires rated for 110 psi aren't stronger than E rated tires. At 80 PSI, they're technically rated for the same weight, but that doesn't tell the whole story. All steel tires are tougher in every way. If I was persuaded they were cost effective for me, I'd go with them, but I never intend to load my trailer to anything close to its GVWR as I don't have anything heavy to put inside of it at this point. If my trailer ever sees 12k total it'll be a miracle, so a tire rated at 3042 will be rated for the full GVW of the trailer (not GVWR, GVW).
The Bridgestones and Michelin XPS Rib mentioned appear to be good tires with a good reputation. I also haven't heard anything bad about the Goodyear G614 all steel tires, but they're $320 each and there are no discounts to be found anywhere.
If anyone is in the market for a Michelin XPS Rib, they are currently on sale for $230.xx at Discount Tire Direct and there is a rebate of $50 if you use the Discount Tire credit card.
There was a U.S.-made Mastercraft (Cooper) LT tire on Amazon for $115 last month. The price has gone up to $133 each since then. I would seriously consider those if I saw them at $115 again; they will do the job for those of us who only need E rated tires.
On my utility trailer, I'd consider the Chinese (all steel) tires because it won't be damaged if they blow out. There's a ton of them out there in both E and G load range and they can be had in the $130-135 range each. Many people swear by these.
Ultimately I'd rather have newer tires than more expensive tires. I'm worried if I spend too much, I'll wait too long to replace them and regret it, so I'm going to go with the Endurance since they are presently available with a good rebate.
I agree with those of you above who are religious about your truck tires. I'm currently running Nittos on two trucks because they offered tread patterns that I really liked for that application. I may go with Goodyears next time on the tow rig Ram because they offer a treadwear warranty on the All Terrain Adventure and have the mountain snowflake for extreme snow. They are one of two tires available in the LT285/70R17E that I'm running that have both of those features; the BF Goodrich All Terrain KO2 is the only other one I've seen. If I can't get the right deal on those, I'm going to try the Nitto Exo Grappler in the same size, also with the mountain snowflake. I don't take this truck on rough off road anything, but the extra grip is good in the desert and off the beaten path.
Also, if I was pulling a bumper pull or a 5th wheel where I didn't need a nearly 32" tall tire, I'd consider going to 17.5" tires. I could buy wheels and tires for only slightly more than the cost of the more expensive all steel 16" tires without wheels, and I really think the 17.5" (or even 19.5, but more expensive) tires are probably the way to go for us. If I had a $100k 5er I wouldn't even blink at upgrading.
