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LT vs ST's - Canadian Tires cries "Illegal!".

PrivatePilot
Explorer
Explorer
I replaced all 4 tires on my 35' horse trailer in the last 2 weeks - Canadian Tire had some excellent LT tires that were on 50% off "end of line liquidation" discount and the price was too hard to resist even though the horse show season is about done and I wasn't planning to replace the tires until spring.

The first 2 I had replaced at a Canadian Tire reasonably local to me. They initially balked at my choice of LT tires with the usual song and dance about how "You can only use ST tires!". Eventually after some frank discussion with the people there they saw my side of the story - you can't use ST tires on a vehicle, but you CAN legally use LT tires on a trailer. I told them that some RV manufacturers are even shipping their trailers with LT's now for example. Eventually, no problem, they installed them, all happy.

Fast forward to yesterday, I drop off some horses and head to another Canadian Tires store local to me at that moment to get the last 2 tires replaced - the stock on these clearance tires was getting low and if I wanted to get in at the 50% off price I had to get them where I could find them, and the store I was near had 2.

So I get there and the service manager advises me that they will NOT install LT tires on a trailer. I politely start my side of the story again with regards to the legality at which point he exclaims "Yeah, we've dealt with the MTO on all this before and it's not legal so we're not doing it". Eventually we come to a middle ground - I remove the tires myself in the parking lot, roll them in, and they'll "see no evil" and mount the new rubber for me. So, I always carry a hydraulic jack and breaker bar with me when hauling horses, so I do exactly that. Needless to say it's a PITA and takes a lot of extra time.

Eventually, I leave with my 2 new tires (now having a nice matched set of 4 brand new LT's) but I look at the receipt as I'm driving off and I see that they notated the bill more or less "instructed that desired use is not legal, customer self installed, warranty void, blah blah blah".

Now that burned my ass, and I want to take it up with Canadian Tire head office as I'm not the only one I know who was pigeonholed into being forced into buying garbage ST's - another friend was also forced to buy ST's when he needed to replace a spare tire, even though there were far better LT alternatives for his smaller trailer. He didn't argue it and ended up with Carlisle ST's, and we all know how that'll end up eventually.

I need a link or some sort of proof in CMVSS laws that using LT tires on a trailer is NOT illegal as so many Canadian Tire stores seem to want to believe. I can find plenty of reference to ST's being "for trailer service only", which is all fine and dandy and is the very point which thereby declares them illegal for vehicle usage, but nothing that specifically indicates LT's are legal for trailers...although arguably the absence of "LT's are illegal for trailer service" should suffice. Heck, even P rated tires are OK with a 9% derate so long as they can legally carry the weight.

At the very least I'd like to get my warranty reinstated, if nothing else.
30' Keystone Cougar 5'er, Triple Bunkhouse, SuperSlide.
Chevy 3500 1 Ton long box crew cab dually
6.5 Turbo Diesel, 4.11 Rears, LSD, Fresh rebuild spring 2012.
Dieselplace.com Staff Member

Our 2008 western adventure - to the coast and back!

Mark
87 REPLIES 87

wilber1
Explorer
Explorer
hone eagle wrote:
I know but really? We live in SW ontario and except for last year snow fall lasts a day ,what we need are 'slush tires'
Anyway I got my way by going to Michigan.


OK but get off the gas too quick on a slippery corner with snows on the front only and the next thing you know, you are in the ditch or on the wrong side of the road staring at where you came from.
"Never trust a man who has not a single redeeming vice" WSC

2011 RAM 3500 SRW
2015 Grand Design Reflection 303RLS

kodiakcanuck
Explorer
Explorer
Harvard wrote:
This thread is the result of putting a lawyer and an accountant in the same cubicle. :B


LMAO, great one :B
2011 Kodiak 240KSSL
Husky Center Line WDH
2014 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 Outdoorsman 3:92,8-speed,5.7L HEMI
2007 Kodiak 214 HTT (prior)
2010 Dodge RAM 1500 4x4, 3:55, 5.7L (prior)

Community Alumni
Not applicable
Actually our snow tire law in Quebec is ironically not because of snow, it's because snow tires provide a softer tire that responds better in very cold weather. They provide better braking and control under severe cold conditions. That's why we have the four tire rule.

... Eric

hone_eagle
Explorer
Explorer
I know but really? We live in SW ontario and except for last year snow fall lasts a day ,what we need are 'slush tires'
Anyway I got my way by going to Michigan.
2005 Volvo 670 singled freedomline 12 speed
Newmar 34rsks 2008
Hensley trailersaver TSLB2H
directlink brake controller

-when overkill is cheaper-

explorenorth
Explorer
Explorer
moisheh wrote:
Canadian Tire is the worst retailer in Canada, From the meager .5% coupon money to the overpriced items that are on sale every other month! Not really a sale as the prices were 40 % high to begin with!


Unless you live in Whitehorse, where they're the best we have. The only one we have for much of what they sell.
Murray

Whitehorse, Yukon
http://ExploreNorth.com/
and blogging at http://ExploreNorthBlog.com/
I live to travel, and travel to really live

wilber1
Explorer
Explorer
PackerBacker wrote:
wilber1 wrote:
hone eagle wrote:
Got the same song and dance when I tried to buy two snow tires for wifes car from CT,Four not two or we can't mount them.
See ya.


Don't know about the legality but if your wife's car is front wheel drive, I agree with CT.

Here in Quebec four snow tires is the law; you cannot have two only.

... Eric


In BC you can't run studs on the front only but not sure about snow tires. Two is OK on rwd vehicles. Having run snows on the front only many years ago, I can attest to how scary it can be.
"Never trust a man who has not a single redeeming vice" WSC

2011 RAM 3500 SRW
2015 Grand Design Reflection 303RLS

Community Alumni
Not applicable
wilber1 wrote:
hone eagle wrote:
Got the same song and dance when I tried to buy two snow tires for wifes car from CT,Four not two or we can't mount them.
See ya.


Don't know about the legality but if your wife's car is front wheel drive, I agree with CT.

Here in Quebec four snow tires is the law; you cannot have two only.

... Eric

wilber1
Explorer
Explorer
hone eagle wrote:
Got the same song and dance when I tried to buy two snow tires for wifes car from CT,Four not two or we can't mount them.
See ya.


Don't know about the legality but if your wife's car is front wheel drive, I agree with CT.
"Never trust a man who has not a single redeeming vice" WSC

2011 RAM 3500 SRW
2015 Grand Design Reflection 303RLS

Harvard
Explorer
Explorer
This thread is the result of putting a lawyer and an accountant in the same cubicle. :B

RangerJay
Explorer
Explorer
moisheh wrote:
Canadian Tire is the worst retailer in Canada, From the meager .5% coupon money to the overpriced items that are on sale every other month! Not really a sale as the prices were 40 % high to begin with!


Canadian Tire is still pretty much my go-to store for a lot of things - but less so as time goes on - since they've joined the ranks of the big-box stores they've lost all their small-town trust and credibility.


Jay
2002 Bambi 19' - the "Toaster"
2009 Nissan Pathfinder - the "Buggy"

PrivatePilot
Explorer
Explorer
I personally like Canadian Tire for lots of other things, but auto service, not so much.
30' Keystone Cougar 5'er, Triple Bunkhouse, SuperSlide.
Chevy 3500 1 Ton long box crew cab dually
6.5 Turbo Diesel, 4.11 Rears, LSD, Fresh rebuild spring 2012.
Dieselplace.com Staff Member

Our 2008 western adventure - to the coast and back!

Mark

moisheh
Explorer
Explorer
Canadian Tire is the worst retailer in Canada, From the meager .5% coupon money to the overpriced items that are on sale every other month! Not really a sale as the prices were 40 % high to begin with!

PrivatePilot
Explorer
Explorer
And this, from Kal Tire. (Read past the title, although it sounds disappointingly like they push ST tires, it is very clearly written that LT's are also an option for trailers)

http://info.kaltire.com/press-release/blowouts/kal-tire-warns-rv-trailer-drivers-practice-tire-safety
30' Keystone Cougar 5'er, Triple Bunkhouse, SuperSlide.
Chevy 3500 1 Ton long box crew cab dually
6.5 Turbo Diesel, 4.11 Rears, LSD, Fresh rebuild spring 2012.
Dieselplace.com Staff Member

Our 2008 western adventure - to the coast and back!

Mark

PrivatePilot
Explorer
Explorer
I just found this as well while digging around:

http://www.kumhotire.ca/en/tire/category/truck-suv/7EAB87AD-62DC-4D82-897E-E59335DE416C

Just a little more ammunition from a tire manufacturer nonetheless proving the point that there is no legality aspect to the argument like Canadian tire is trying to suggest.
30' Keystone Cougar 5'er, Triple Bunkhouse, SuperSlide.
Chevy 3500 1 Ton long box crew cab dually
6.5 Turbo Diesel, 4.11 Rears, LSD, Fresh rebuild spring 2012.
Dieselplace.com Staff Member

Our 2008 western adventure - to the coast and back!

Mark

hone_eagle
Explorer
Explorer
Got the same song and dance when I tried to buy two snow tires for wifes car from CT,Four not two or we can't mount them.
See ya.
2005 Volvo 670 singled freedomline 12 speed
Newmar 34rsks 2008
Hensley trailersaver TSLB2H
directlink brake controller

-when overkill is cheaper-