TIre recommendations? We are towing 8500# travel trailer. We’ve had numerous blowouts with China bombs over the years, partly due to Texas heat and high speeds. We are over the blow outs and need something that will hold. We currently have 15” but looking to go to 16” LT that can handle higher speeds of 75mph. What has worked for you with the higher speeds? Tia!

not agreeing with that at all. in the last 10 years I have had 1 ST failure (factory tire 6 years old) and 1 LT failure on my truck. both road debris issues in construction zones. but what I will concede is that the bottom of the barrel ST tires is what everyone is comparing their LT tires to, no one runs top tier ST tires and wishes they were running LT tires. here is a good explanation of the differences and why you shouldn't run st on a car and why you shouldnt run lt on trailer"Trailer Tire requirements differ greatly from automotive tires. Automotive tires must maintain traction during all driving conditions: pulling, stopping, turning, or swerving. Because of this they must have more flexible sidewalls to maintain tread to road contact. Since trailers have no driving torque applied to their axles, the only time trailer tires must have traction is during the application of trailer brakes.Trailers with heavy loads, high vertical sideloads (like camper trailers), or trailers with inadequate tongue weight can be affected by trailer sway problems. Automotive bias or radial tires with their more flexible sidewalls can accentuate trailer sway problems, whereas the stiffer sidewalls of the ST (special trailer) bias ply tires help to control and reduce sway problems. For this reason it is not recommended that (P) Passenger or (LT) Light Truck tires be used on trailers. Best trailer control will be achieved with (ST) Special Trailer tires."as for testing it is pretty much identical except for two tests, the P tires have one test that the ST does different, and the ST has a much more extreme full load test so how is that inferior, they are testing for two different things as neither is supposed to be used for the other.

Goodyear Endurance ST tires. They will meet your speed rating requirements and are US built

I had a 35’ 5er and used 16” Michelin XPS Ribs LT tires to replace the OEM Chinese tires. Rated for 3,042 lbs which was fine for my trailer. I also live in Texas and towed in temps as high as 106 at 70 mph for hours at a time. 1st set lasted 9 yrs and replaced due to age even though they only had about 17,000 miles and still looked new. (Michelin says inspect yearly at 5 and replace at 10). Replaced with another set and sold it 4 yrs later. Never a flat or even a low tire. Added 2-4 lbs air at the start of the season and good until next year. But they are not cheap.

I have had excellent service from Maxxis and Goodyear ST tires on my 4500 lb TT and I use only LT tires on my tow truck (Ram 1500). At your weight for the TT I would use LT tires. Rolling, rolling, rolling

15" trailer wheels can come in 5 or 6 lug hubs. If you have 6 lug wheel your part way there. I doubt you can find a 5 lug 16" trailer wheel. Trailer wheel need to have a zero off set. My old 1997 11200 lb 5th wheel trailer came with 5200 lb axles/6 lugs and 15" ST225/75-15 D Marathons. Sold wheels/tires to a guy with a lawn service trailer. I bought four 16" grey steel modular trailer wheels (1997) from my local commercial trailer mfg. I thought I had wheel well clearance issues so went to a LT225/75-16 E at 2680 lbs. Next sets have been a bit taller in a LT215/85-16 E at 2680 lbs. Run all my LT E tires on rv and non rv trailers at max 80 psi. The taller (32" dia) LT235/85-16 E at 3042 lbs capacity works better on heavier trailers with loaded 5.2k...6k axles. LT tires that their mfg has recommended to me for my trailer use are;; Cooper Discoverer HT-3 Bridgestone R-238 all steel ply carcass commercial grade Michelin XPS Rib commercial grade all steel ply carcass Goodyear Wrangler HT BFG Commercial A/T 2 Firestone Transforce HT Be sure and make your wheel well measurements first for proper clearance issues.

Tires- LT or ST | Good Sam Community

StirCrazy
Moderator
Sep 02, 2023
Huntindog wrote:

There are no downsides to going to 16"rims on a trailer other than up front cost. A single blowout can make that cost look cheap.
It's a free country, one can do whatever they want with their money...I am just pointing out the inconsistencies of your logic.

Well, there could be for some rv's a larger rim side usually = a larger tire (as in taller) which reduces clearance between the top of the tire and the rv floor. So, if it fails you can cause more damage, or it could even rub on bigger bumps. So, to prevent this you have to look at smaller size 16" rubber to keep a close to stock height which normally means lower carrying capacity not defeating the purpose you went to a taller tire for but rather limiting the payback for the expense.

Now some people put a lift on their rv when they go to a bigger rim, this is the best way to do it but still not cheap. and except to tell people about it or wanting extra clearance for off roading there is no reason for it, buy a quality st tire and call it done.
Huntindog
Explorer
Sep 01, 2023
Pretty simple.
You did not take your own advice when changing the tires on your truck to something different than stock.....There was no need to "reinvent the wheel" as you said.
Even though going to larger tires and a lift on a TV makes it LESS capable as a TV, you still chose to do it.
OTOH. There are no downsides to going to 16"rims on a trailer other than up front cost. A single blowout can make that cost look cheap.
It's a free country, one can do whatever they want with their money...I am just pointing out the inconsistencies of your logic.
Grit_dog
Navigator
Aug 30, 2023
To be clear, I’m not anti anything when it comes to trailer tires. Just more of a realist in my approach and try to help those who ask questions here more objectively than some people do.
How do I like the 37s? Umm they’re fine, just like any other tires? What do you mean?
Huntindog
Explorer
Aug 29, 2023
Grit dog wrote:
^Bingo. Something lost on the “LT tires only” crowd.
But as I mentioned above, there are a couple 15” LRE tires out there. May have to upsize to a 235.
However there is a virtual plethora of good heavy duty 15” ST tires available. AND not horribly expensive to boot. And universally available.
No sense in trying to reinvent the wheel. Literally or figuratively.
Nothing is "lost"

Changing rim sizes sizes is commonly done in order to run better tires.
For some reason, the anti LT tire crowd insists that one MUST use the factory sizes.

How do you like the 37"s on your TV?
JIMNLIN
Explorer III
Aug 22, 2023
Carlisle HD and Endurance came out in the sept '16 and Jan '17.... both are those companies newest gen ST tires. Both have a very good service record so far.
Better service record than Maxxis ST8008 with over 30 tire complaints on this and IRv2 rv websites.

My 1997 11200 lb 5th wheel/5200 lb tandem axles, came with new Marathon ST225/75-15 D. At that time I wouldn't use a ST tire so I upgraded to 16" wheels and LT225/75-16 E BFG Commercial T/A/other recommended LT brands. I'm running in the 51k-54k mile range/7-8 years per set with no issues.
Deleted " a year range"...jim"
shelbyfv
Explorer
Aug 22, 2023
Thanks. I have been using the Carlisle Radial Trail HD which is an E rated ST. No problems but they are getting some age. I'll probably replace with the same or the Endurance. I don't think I have room for 16s.
TXiceman
Explorer II
Aug 22, 2023
shelbyfv wrote:
My tires are also 225/75R15. A scan of Discount Tire site doesn't give me any LT options. Guess that saves me from having to decide....

Lots of folks decide to ditch the 15" wheels and put on a set of 16" wheels for a better tire selection. Make sure you have sufficient clearance for any larger or taller tires/wheels.

Ken
Grit_dog
Navigator
Aug 22, 2023
^Bingo. Something lost on the “LT tires only” crowd.
But as I mentioned above, there are a couple 15” LRE tires out there. May have to upsize to a 235.
However there is a virtual plethora of good heavy duty 15” ST tires available. AND not horribly expensive to boot. And universally available.
No sense in trying to reinvent the wheel. Literally or figuratively.
ktmrfs
Explorer II
Aug 21, 2023
problem is there are virtually NO 15 inch LT tires that have a load range above C, hence virtually impossible to find a 15 inch that has load carrying capacity of a 15" ST.

Now if you have 16" rims, no problem, lots of LRE tires to choose from
shelbyfv
Explorer
Aug 21, 2023
My tires are also 225/75R15. A scan of Discount Tire site doesn't give me any LT options. Guess that saves me from having to decide....