Anyone running BFG TA KO2 tires on their offroad TC rigs?

[silversand]

Is there anyone out there running the new KO2 BFGs on their rigs?

We're now running Duratrac meats on our rig, but would like to gather info on these babies...

LT285/75R16 (126/123R) E (3750 lbs @ 80 PSI)

[silversand]

Thanks for the Discoverer clarification guys!

Nokian:

I wasn't aware of the Nokian LT winter rated tires. Thanks; i will have a look.

Re. TA / KO2 critical path:

It appears that KO2 tires in our target size are not yet available on the market; so i suspect that i will not have any reviews on these re. Truck camper rig use for some time to come (perhaps a year or more); so alternate tire real use experiences are very appreciated in this thread 🙂

[bb_94401]

Silver --

Nokian makes at LT, load range E, mountain / snowflake qualified severe snow conditions winter tire called the Nokian Hakkapeliitta LT2. You can buy it either studded or without studs (studdable).

LT285/75R16 122/119 Q up to 100 mph, max load 3300 lb

I been running the studded version of these as my winter tires (LT265/70R17) on my Ram dually for 9 years. I replace them at 50% tread depth (after about five winters) since the special rubber compound makes up the outer half of the tread. Traction is all about tread depth, design, sipping and rubber compound / ingredients. Black ice in the transition zone from rain to snow, when I was spending a lot of time in the Sierra, and the occasional freezing rain / fog here in Montana make the studded version the better choice.

My summer tires are Toyo M55. While they have "SNOW" on the sidewall that would have met the QC requirements before mid 2014, they are not the best winter tire, as the early winter storms here in late October / early November amply demonstrated to me before I changed them:). They are, however, really resistant to rock cuts and flats on gravel and shale roads.

[monkey44]

Always makes me chuckle a bit on these tire threads -- OP asks about a specific tire, and gets a bunch of comments about all kinds of other tires. Weird.

BFG KO Tires, good tires, good grab, nice highway ride, good in dirt and off-road. Have not tried the 275 or 285, but been riding on 265's for probably thirty years in all kinds of terrain -- mud, snow, dirt, gravel, pavement -- off-road, on highway, and on at least five trucks. I'm getting ready to put the 275's on my 2015 GM 4x4 2500 in a couple weeks.

It came with Generals (265s) and we put 12,000 miles on, just to see, but am convinced the BFG KO are in the near future (a few days or weeks) -- Have been thinking about the BFG's ever since I bought the truck ... the difference in ride and performance is significant.

Waiting on a check to hit - then BFG tires will hit the next day!! The only negative I see, and can easily live with -- a little less wear time, so you may need to replace BFG sooner due to a little softer rubber. As I understand it, the new compounds may eliminate that, but ride a little noisy - but can't say for sure until I ride on these myself.

In thirty plus years of BFG, I've had only ONE tire issue, and BFG addressed it under warranty pretty quickly (after one reminder 🙂 )

[jmckelvy]

OBXcamper wrote:
,,,,

Just to clarify, the AT3's don't have the snowflake symbol, the Cooper Discoverer does.

....

Just to clarify your clarify. 🙂

The Discoverer AT3 does not. The Discoverer A/TW does have the snowflake.

Discoverer A/TW

[CptnBG]

silversand wrote:


OBX Camper: I hope your holidays were filled with at least some camping? Many thanks for your showing us these Cooper AT3's as alternatives, too!

Just to clarify, the AT3's don't have the snowflake symbol, the Cooper Discoverer does.

Spent part of the Holidays in a Va. State Park cabin at Va. Beach. 🙂

Hoping you had a great Holiday and hidden in this thread....pending retirement, congrats!!!

[mbloof]

Toyo M608Z's here.

[_DJ_1]

Thanks to this thread I went to Les Schwab to price out my tires needed this Spring. I had planned on replacing my Toyo MT with the same thing. My only complaint about these tires is the longevity, or lack thereof. 30-35K is it. Toyo has a new tire out called the RT. Looks like the MT only is warrantied for 45K miles.

Now since the RT can go more miles probably means it is harder rubber so less traction. I guess I'll have to decide by April.

Anyway, yet another tire you may consider is the Toyo M 55. I ran these on my CTD dually and they were amazing. In winter my dually was helpless unless in 4X4 with the stock Generals. With the M 55 I rarely had to use 4X4 and that included towing an enclosed snowmobile trailer up to the mountains.

Good Luck with your search.

[silversand]

Steve: take care of that knee! Nice location to recouperate I should think :B

Two Blazers: we like the Duratracs so far. This thread is shaping up well for alternatives.

OBX Camper: I hope your holidays were filled with at least some camping? Many thanks for your showing us these Cooper AT3's as alternatives, too!

jmckelvy: we don't hear much about these Cooper series up here, so thanks for your endorsement, too!

[jmckelvy]

OBXcamper wrote:
Here's another one to consider Cooper Dicoverer. I run with the Cooper AT3's and have been very pleased. The Dicoverer has the 3750lb rating in the 285's and has the snow rated emblem.

X2

I have these ( the AT3 ) on my RAM 3500 dually. They are an excellent tire. I still have usable tread left at 53,000 miles, the vast majority of which have been hauling the Northstar and Arctic Fox. They have been to Alaska and have been used in snow in Idaho, Wyoming, and Utah. They have also been on some pretty bad gravel/dirt roads. I have no complaints and I am pretty picky when it comes to tires.

They are very reasonably priced.

[CptnBG]

Here's another one to consider Cooper Dicoverer. I run with the Cooper AT3's and have been very pleased. The Dicoverer has the 3750lb rating in the 285's and has the snow rated emblem.

[2BLAZERS]

silversand wrote:
Is there anyone out there running the new KO2 BFGs on their rigs?

We're now running Duratrac meats on our rig, but would like to gather info on these babies...

LT285/75R16 (126/123R) E (3750 lbs @ 80 PSI)

Nope just bought new tires 3 weeks ago but could not get them in my size for my dually.

So now second set of Duratracs which I have loved! The tire store said on the new KO2s I could likely get them in March or April when more sizes will be available....but I'll stick with the DuraTracs this round.

[sstan]

Silver,

It's a little more than a ski weekend 😮 We've been at our condo in Colorado since December 20. It's at 8000' in the Rockies and we've received about 3' of powder since we've been here. I'm taking it easy with a new knee that's only 8 weeks old and it's been a challenge.

The Toyo AT2's have performed flawlessly here with the additional siping. I've only had to engage 4wd once over Monarch Pass. Most of the time where we are the roads are rarely plowed. These tires are amazing in packed snow and ice but unfortunately no stamp on them. We drove out here over the Sierras in rain too which was a 1200 mile trip. These tires performed just as well on wet pavement as my old M/T's. I can't wait to try them out in the mud/dirt. The weight rating is a whopping 4080 too.

Steve

[Grit_dog]

I've always had good luck with BFG ATs over the years. Not my fave but still a good all around tire. Biggest gripe I've had is BFGs have consistently taken the most weight to balance out.
As far as off road with a heavy camper my only exp is with Toyo MTs and they worked well. 4500lb camper on my Ram and lots of backroad running in AK for 2 summers without one flat. Tires were rated 3950lb each and I was maxed out on tire load for sure.

[silversand]

Thanks Steve. I think I'll put the BFG KO2s on my "watch list" (considering Kholdad's experience: very few in use; your neg experience with destruction; my neg experience with cracking)...

Kholdad:

The only snow cert. tires with meaningful use statistics I could find, were:

Goodyear Silent Armor ( LT285/65R18, E Pro-Grade, 3640 lbs)

and:

DuraTrac LT295 / 65R18, E, 3860 lbs)

Just be warned that the Duratrac tires are extremely expensive (considered an industrial-grade tire rather than consumer grade). I paid well over $300 CAD each + balancing, + 4-wheel alignment (all 4 had manufac. date stamp of 3~5 weeks of age: very fresh; when you buy these tires in our neck of the woods, the dealer insists on a 4 wheel alignment, and follow up allignments every 2 years). Since I had GM do an alignment only 4 months earlier, my tire dealer's machine showed excellent numbers (ie. they didn't want to fool with the already good numbers), so I wasn't charged. My tire dealer services only large rigs, Class As, farm tractors, and local businesses, and have a superb reputation. Free life-time rotation.

On edit: The Mad (gotta love that handle!), good point.

Thanks bcbouy for the BC snow tires law confirm (detailed!) !

Oh, Steve: have a great ski weekend ! We finally got snow here; everyone open now, even our local mountain 3-kms from our front door (all trails). Just a bit coolish (in the -43F to -12F wind-chill range over past week); this means: so skiing in shorts and T-shirt :B