Off road tires

[campigloo]

Hi y’all
I’m in the process of turning my highway queen into an off road beast for boondocking whenever possible. I’m having trouble deciding on tires. I’ll be mostly in the Southwest and north to Alaska. I would like to get something that has a really tough side wall that would handle sharp rocks better. I’m currently running Carlisle radial trails and haven’t had any problems, yet, but I’d like to keep it that way. I know I can deflate them but would still like an upgrade. Any ideears?
Thanks!

[deltabravo]

profdant139 wrote:
My amateur advice is to get the beefiest Endurance that will fit on your trailer. I got Load Range D for a tiny 2500 pound trailer.

I went with Goodyear Endurance on my 10k rated cargo trailer. Here's a comparison of the old tires and the Goodyear Endurance.

Video Link

[campigloo]

Profdant I will reconsider. I like the thought of a well outfitted chihuahua.
Thanks

[profdant139]

So I am sure you know that there is an endless debate between LT and ST tires for trailers. I have done a lot of research and have discovered that I know nothing.

But you might want to go to the Goodyear Endurance site and read their technical stuff. It was very persuasive to me, as an ignorant person. They say that trailers need special sidewalls and that the new Endurance is specifically designed for that purpose. My reasoning is that since they are the ones who will get sued if their product is not safe for the intended purpose, they have an incentive to make a tire that will do the job. I could be wrong, and often am.

My amateur advice is to get the beefiest Endurance that will fit on your trailer. I got Load Range D for a tiny 2500 pound trailer, which is like putting hiking boots on a Chihuahua.

After 20,000 miles, I am very happy with these tires. But anecdotes are not evidence, as the scientists say. 😉

[bpounds]

There isn't really any point in going to an off-road, or all-terrain tire, on a trailer. Traction isn't really an issue. A tire with tougher belts will help prevent damage from sharp rocks. Just going up a grade in load-range will get you a tougher tire carcass.

The best advice I can give regarding trailer tires when off the road, is to turn down your brake control. The brake control setting you use on the highway will cause the wheels to lockup when on low traction surfaces like dirt or gravel roads. And dragging a tire that is not rotating, across sharp rocks or even gravel, is a really excellent way to tear a tire. I personally have done exactly that.

[memtb]

campigloo, Goodyear has a “Kevlar” belted tire. They are supposed to be tough....though I’m not certain if the Kevlar is in sidewall or merely at tread location. Also, not certain if they are available in the size you require!

[agesilaus]

I've never heard of off-road tires for a trailer, not to say they don't exist. But I believe that Trailer tires have a stronger sidewall to begin with. Some expert will set me right if I'm wrong. Maybe some of those specialty off road TT that appear at trade shows and sell for $250K+ may have some super tires.

You may want to check out some of these web sites

Looking at the above link, most seem to be using large size, truck off-road tires but in 32 inch and up size.

[campigloo]

Thanks guys. I wasn’t real clear in my question. It’s mostly for the trailer. The tv choices are almost endless, not the same for the trailer. It’s 36’ bumper pull about 10k.

[memtb]

campigloo wrote:
Hi y’all
I’m in the process of turning my highway queen into an off road beast for boondocking whenever possible. I’m having trouble deciding on tires. I’ll be mostly in the Southwest and north to Alaska. I would like to get something that has a really tough side wall that would handle sharp rocks better. I’m currently running Carlisle radial trails and haven’t had any problems, yet, but I’d like to keep it that way. I know I can deflate them but would still like an upgrade. Any ideears?
Thanks!

“Once upon a time, in a land far, far away”, Carlisle tires were good stuff.....that is now unfortunately history. There are other much better options!

Are these for the tow vehicle or the towed vehicle. It could help make better recommendations available!

[camp-n-family]

Are you asking for the tow vehicle or the trailer?

[donn0128]

Micky Thompson or Dick Cepeks have been off road staples for years. But please be aware towing with off road tires can make for some horrible experiences. What makes OR tires great off road also make them bad for the street.

[agesilaus]

I've gone thru several different types. I got a mostly off road set first (General Grabbers) and they were noisy, cut a couple of mpg from my mileage, and did not last long. Then I switched to Goodrich ATV KO2. They were excellent and we never had a flat until they were worn out. They lasted a long time and I recovered my lost mileage. We did the alpine loop in CO, which has notoriously sharp rocks, and many other back country routes with never a problem.

Then they wore out and I had to get one replaced out in the middle of no-where Wyoming (Pinedale). That got us to Toyo Open Country, that was after going to all three tire places in Pinedale and the last one was the only one that had 18 inch tires. A puzzler since p/u trucks aren't exactly rare in rural WY.

Anyway I'm slightly unhappy with the Toyos so far but we haven't been 4WD trail driving with them yet. They are a bit noisier and we dropped about 1 mpg. So they fall in between the Grabbers and the Goodrich.

Now we want a tire that works both ways, highway and off road, since we drive 2000 miles to get to the west. If you want a pure off road tire then you want something else. But you will give up other things to get it.