Road Rider ST Travel Trailer Tires
I have a 27ft travel trailer with 14 inch tires. I have had 3 friends who had blowouts this year causing lots of damage. None of them had the same tires on their trailer that I have on mine but was w...
Forum Discussion
Keith, the LT vs ST has grown to proportions of the gas vs. diesel debate. Tire companies tell you that the ST designation means the tire is specially designed to handle scrub forces, carry more weight than the same sized LT tire, has more UV resistance built in, etc. One side of the debate says this is correct and that these are the reasons that LT tires should not be used on trailers.
Proponents of using LT tires will tell you that an LT tire weighs more than the same size ST tire and is therefore built better. The only thing special about the ST designation is that these tires are so cheap that they are not fit for use on any vehicle that carries passengers. LT tires are speed limited to 75 mph vs the ST limit of 65 mph.
I ran ST tires for years with no problems until I had a blowout 2 years ago. A friend here on the forum was trading in his TT for a 5er and had a set of fairly new LT tires and rims that he was willing to part with on the cheap, so that's what I have on my TT now. The downside for me was that I had to raise the TT suspension about 2" to give me the vertical clearance I needed to go from 15" to 16" rims. The upside is that these are E-rated and have more than enough capacity for me. I also like to run at 70 mph with the TT so LT is better suited to me than ST.
Many of the seasoned guys here on the forum that have been trailering for years, both recreational and commercial equipment, say that LT tires are the way to go for reliable performance. The pro-ST guys offer a mainly academic argument. If you do switch from ST to LT do your homework and be sure that you get the right size and weight rating for your TT. A trip to the scales is probably the first step.
Do a search here on the TT forum for LT vs ST and happy reading!
Proponents of using LT tires will tell you that an LT tire weighs more than the same size ST tire and is therefore built better. The only thing special about the ST designation is that these tires are so cheap that they are not fit for use on any vehicle that carries passengers. LT tires are speed limited to 75 mph vs the ST limit of 65 mph.
I ran ST tires for years with no problems until I had a blowout 2 years ago. A friend here on the forum was trading in his TT for a 5er and had a set of fairly new LT tires and rims that he was willing to part with on the cheap, so that's what I have on my TT now. The downside for me was that I had to raise the TT suspension about 2" to give me the vertical clearance I needed to go from 15" to 16" rims. The upside is that these are E-rated and have more than enough capacity for me. I also like to run at 70 mph with the TT so LT is better suited to me than ST.
Many of the seasoned guys here on the forum that have been trailering for years, both recreational and commercial equipment, say that LT tires are the way to go for reliable performance. The pro-ST guys offer a mainly academic argument. If you do switch from ST to LT do your homework and be sure that you get the right size and weight rating for your TT. A trip to the scales is probably the first step.
Do a search here on the TT forum for LT vs ST and happy reading!
