Why ST tires?

Trailer Towing – ST Tires vs. LT Tires

I stick with the STs personally, and a good quality ST at that. You're on vacation, why rush to get somewhere, burn more fuel, and a better chance of getting in a wreck.

Also, you tires should have a date code on them.

The date code will be in line with the DOT information and if the tires were manufactured after year 2000 will be four numbers with the first two representing the week of the year and the last two representing the year...

2311 would be the 23rd week of 2011

1002 would be the 10th week of 2002

Short primer on ST tires...

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=219

In the beginning we used truck tires (LT) or passenger car tires (P) on our RVs. In the '70s American tire makers gave us the ST tire which was a compromise between the P and LT but more importantly as Goodyear said "the ST tires were economically priced". They were to be used on trailers only and not suitable for use on other vehicles.

I've owned several different RV trailers and many different sizes of equipment trailers for my business. After taking possession of any trailer the first thing I always do is dump the ST tires and go with a LT. It may require changing wheels or modding the trailers suspension but for zero issues with tire in the long haul its worth it for me.

I run LTs on my RVs for seven years average and in the 55k-60k mile range with zero issues at any speed I choose. My equipment trailers were on the road much more and have ran many a set up to the 70k range however those miles were in 18-24 months or so. That sold me on LT over and ST.

One reason for using ST tires is the load rating for the tire size. While LT's would be nice, often it is impossible to find a LT tire in the size for the trailer that will carry the required load. For example, in 225/15" tires, LT's are hard/impossible to find above LRC, while ST's are available in LRE in the same size.

Once you go to 16" rims then you can get LT's with LRE or higher so they make sense to consider.

Good info all around! I read the links and thanks to 2edgesword I can check the dates on my tires.

After reading the links provided and the posts so far, I am leaning heavily towards LT tires when I need to buy new ones. Don't mind getting new wheels, bigger tires, as the axles are already flipped so plenty of room for bigger tires and a little bit more ground clearance from taller tires would be welcomed.

And it's not so much that I'm going to be in that much of a hurry, just that a lot of the interstate around here is posted 80 MPH and the de facto speed limit is 85 MPH. Doing 65, a full 20 MPH less than everyone else on the road, even in the right lane, makes you kind of a hazzard to the other drivers. I'd like to be able to do 75 MPH and not have tires be a concern. Plus, like I said, for how I'll mostly be using the TT, a little more ground clearance would be nice. Plan on welding up some skid plate for the exposed drain pipes before taking it anywhere as is.

- Coyote

I drive 60 and don't consider myself a " kind of a hazard"
Idiot drivers that rear end slower vehicles because they are not watching the road are just as likely to sideswipe someone :(
"I'm retired-go around :)"

It's just plain being smarter to drive at 65 or under. I doubt that you will find semi trucks driving at 80+ mph. Driving faster than 65 is more dangerous and is harder on your TV and trailer. If you ever have to make an evasive maneuver at 80+ mph, you may never live to tell the story about it. Wind resistance goes up as the square of the speed, so at 85 versus 65, the wind resistance is 1.7 times more. You better own an oil field!

If you think you can drive at 85 with a trailer behind you, good luck. If you pass me, I will slow down in case you end up in an accident that might involve us.

I used to hate being stuck behind an RV when I was younger. With a passion along with appropriate cuss words of course. Now that I own one, in a weird sort of way, I enjoy seeing the cars lining up behind me as I cruise along at 60 mph, hehehe! It's almost become a new hobby.... I think of it as slowing people down to a safe speed to help save lives! :D

I've towed at 62 MPH all over the west on several trips and never felt like I was a hazard. No one else ever seemed to mind either, they just passed me up. I've never found a compelling reason to tow a trailer faster than 65 mph, and I'm far from retirement.

I am perfectly OK with the LT argument. Go which ever way you choose and as long as your trailer can handle the larger wheels and tires, pick what you want.

I do have trouble with the high speed issue. First there is the added cost of towing at higher speeds. Go ahead and do it and see how you MPG will tank, no pun intended.

Then there is the issue of towing safely. On a nice freeway with little traffic and no wind, some additional speed could work. I have had TV/Trailer combos pass me like I was standing still. It wouldn't take much for things to go south if something were to happen in these cases. I say, slow down, enjoy the scenery, take your time and save some money.