Why ST tires?

[UTCoyote]

Hey All,

Total noob, trying to soak all this RV stuff in all at once. The Maxxis ST tires on my recently purchased 2001 TT "look" like new, but I don't know how old they actually are, so don't know how much life I should consider they really have in them. I need to research how to read the date code on them.

When I do buy new ones, I'm wondering why ST's? With their 65 MPH speed limit, there has to be some redeeming properties that make them desirable for TT/RV use?

Without knowing anything - which I don't - on the face of it, seems obvious to put LT's on. They can be had in load ratings plenty heavy enough and not be stuck in the slow lane with the semi's all the time.

- Coyote

[coolbreeze01]

Unposted speed limits? 108" max trailer width in Hawaii? 96" max trailer width in Arizona? .......Amazing :S

[Atlee]

I'm not sure what you are talking about. The linked list said the MAX towing speed in Virginia is 55MPH. That is an incorrect statement. Correct for California, yes. Correct for Virginia, No indeed.

For unposted secondary roads that are normally numbered 600 and above, the maximum trailer speed is 55, the same as for automobiles, unless pulled by what Virginia legally describes as trucks, and then the max speed limit is 45.

EldIr wrote:

Atlee wrote:
There must be a misprint for Virginia max toe speed.

That list says 55 mph. I know of no posted speed limit for trailers for 55 mph, and if there was, no trailer goes that slow.

FastEagle wrote:

EldIr wrote:
Many states have unposted maximum speed when towing substantially lower than the posted limit. Check the laws in the states you're towing or extra fuel might not be the only cost you incur.

Here is a reference that includes towing speeds by state.

Click Here.

FE

What part of unposted don't you get? It's very common for the speed limit for towing ANYTHING to be 55mph - UNPOSTED. Enforced or not isn't the point. It's on the books so they can choose to enforce it if they want.

[JJBIRISH]

ktmrfs wrote:

gmw photos wrote:

ktmrfs wrote:


Huntingdog. I've been looking at 15" tires and only can find LRC LT's. If you know of any 15" LRD or preferablly LRE (2800lbs) I'd be interested in knowing about it. Seems like 16" has lots of LRE, but not in 15". But LRD (2500lb) 15" ST's are very common and 15" LRE (2800lb) is also readily available.

Continental Vanco 2 ?

Goodyear cargo G26 ?

from a previous post and response from Continental, they stated the Vanco 2 is NOT TO BE USED IN TRAVEL TRAILER APPLICATIONS. Don't know the reason but the wording was very strong. Apparently the tire was specifically designed for the mercedes sprinter chassis application.

I'll have to look into the goodyear.

The exact wording in the E-mail response from Continental tire was…

Thank you for contacting Customer Relations at Continental Tire the Americas, LLC.

We no longer manufacture ST tires, and the Vanco line is not a suitable alternative.
We would recommend searching for a dedicated ST tire line.

And this information taken directly from the Continental tire website about the commercial Vanco tire line…

“The growing demand for short-distance transport of passengers and goods
also leads to increased requirements so that the performance of modern day
vans nears that of passenger car.”

“The concept of the VancoTM Camper is to use long well-proven Vanco
technique, optimize its performance for distinguished motorcaravan
requirements and thus cater to the needs of this specific target use.”

“The Continental Vanco Camper tyres are part of Continental’s Vanco tyre
range that comprises tyres exclusively for vans.”

[Huntindog]

EldIr wrote:

Atlee wrote:
There must be a misprint for Virginia max toe speed.

That list says 55 mph. I know of no posted speed limit for trailers for 55 mph, and if there was, no trailer goes that slow.

FastEagle wrote:

EldIr wrote:
Many states have unposted maximum speed when towing substantially lower than the posted limit. Check the laws in the states you're towing or extra fuel might not be the only cost you incur.

Here is a reference that includes towing speeds by state.

Click Here.

FE

What part of unposted don't you get? It's very common for the speed limit for towing ANYTHING to be 55mph - UNPOSTED. Enforced or not isn't the point. It's on the books so they can choose to enforce it if they want.

You won't find this "posted" anywhere, But I have info that the unposted 55 mph speed limit is only enforced on those using inferior towing equipment ,,, especially ST tires that are only capable of 65 MPH that thus need a safety cushion below their max speed rating:B

[EldIr]

Atlee wrote:
There must be a misprint for Virginia max toe speed.

That list says 55 mph. I know of no posted speed limit for trailers for 55 mph, and if there was, no trailer goes that slow.

FastEagle wrote:

EldIr wrote:
Many states have unposted maximum speed when towing substantially lower than the posted limit. Check the laws in the states you're towing or extra fuel might not be the only cost you incur.

Here is a reference that includes towing speeds by state.

Click Here.

FE

What part of unposted don't you get? It's very common for the speed limit for towing ANYTHING to be 55mph - UNPOSTED. Enforced or not isn't the point. It's on the books so they can choose to enforce it if they want.

[Atlee]

There must be a misprint for Virginia max toe speed.

That list says 55 mph. I know of no posted speed limit for trailers for 55 mph, and if there was, no trailer goes that slow.

FastEagle wrote:

EldIr wrote:
Many states have unposted maximum speed when towing substantially lower than the posted limit. Check the laws in the states you're towing or extra fuel might not be the only cost you incur.

Here is a reference that includes towing speeds by state.

Click Here.

FE

[FastEagle]

EldIr wrote:
Many states have unposted maximum speed when towing substantially lower than the posted limit. Check the laws in the states you're towing or extra fuel might not be the only cost you incur.

Here is a reference that includes towing speeds by state.

Click Here.

FE

[Lynnmor]

myredracer wrote:
Huntindog: To respond to your post (wherever it is now..):

Not saying that ST tires need to be treated like glass all the time, just more respect for what they are. 65 mph isn't a magic barrier where the tires automatically disintegrate, but the more you run it to or over this rating, the shorter the life will be. I'm not so worried about the replacement cost, it's the safety aspect and the hassle of having to put on a spare tire in an unsafe or inconvenient location. Most RV-ers (I think) don't know they can't treat the same as on a passenger vehicle. But again, you won't know about this until you read lots of posts on the RV forums.

Anyway, in regards to tire balancing, I've attached a really interesting post from someone I know who is quite knowledgeable on tire balancing and I know has been around the block many times with some mild to severe issues on his TT. Seems like balancing just the tires alone is a waste of time and money. Look at posts #51, #53 & #55 by lynnmor.Posts on tire and drum balancing

Good suggestion on selling the tires that come with our trailer but by the time they get from the plant to the west coast dealer, they already have over 2000 miles on them. Almost at the end of their life by then (haha)..... Who knows how much care was taken by the delivery driver? I have a feeling they drive the snot out of them, but could be wrong. I'd love to go with LT tires from the start, but then I'd also have to replace the nice looking alloy wheels we've got in order to go 16". DW would not be pleased.

I wonder... Since it takes over 2K miles for a new trailer to be towed from the plant in Indiana to the west coast, is it fair for a new owner to buy a unit and start from day one with tires that are already substantially used? And possibly even abused? Especially in view of so many reports of exploding bomb Chinese tires? We have a 2 year warranty on our TT, but I'm not sure what we have on the tires. Would anyone accept new tires on a new car that has 2000 miles on the tires already? I think not. So for people who have had ST blowouts and live far away from the plant, perhaps the 2000+ miles on them on top of what you think you have done yourself, is contributing to tire failure? Are there more reported cases of ST tire failure on the west coast? I wonder if I could argue the case that tires on a new TT are substantially worn/used by the time it is on the dealer's lot and that they should be replaced?

If there are any LT D tires, it would be nice to know what they are. That could make for an easier solution to getting a better tire

TPMS sounds like a good idea and I will try and plead my case with DW.

Regarding fragility and not being to used for intended purpose, I could easily go into a discourse on frame strength following an investigation of the one on our new trailer. Trailers are being built on the thin edge of just being able to handle UVW and for driving on smooth as glass surfaces. The frames are way too elastic. And if we were to tow with a tank of fresh water, we'd be overloaded. If we were to tow with all 4 tanks tanks full, we'd be more than 1,000 lbs overloaded. That would not be good for the tires at all. How many out there are in the same situation and don't know? Then their tires fail or frames crack and they go "what the he**"?? Our Lippert frame is common to a lot of other makes and models. RV manufactures need a swift kick where it hurts. I digress, so back to the tire topic.

Have attached another thread which is by JBarca on internal tread separation. For those that haven't seen it, it's a fascinating read. Would make a good sticky. Thread on internal tire separation

I used Goodyear Wrangler HT LT215/75-15 tires on my 261RKS. They are only .8" on the radius larger than the 205's. The wheels should be 6" wide, so you will need to check your aluminum wheel width. I had 5" wide steel wheels, so I sold the whole mess on Craigslist. Good riddance to the cheap Chinese tires!

[SprinklerMan]

The following is a quote from eastern marine trailer parts superstore website




'LT' signifies the tire is a "Light Truck/Trailer" series that can be used on trailers that are capable of carrying heavy cargo such as equipment trailers.

If a tire size begins with 'LT' it signifies the tire is a "Light Truck-metric" size that was designed to be used on trailers that are capable of carrying heavy cargo or tow vehicles. Tires branded with the "LT" designation are designed to provide substantial reserve capacity to accept the additional stresses of carrying heavy cargo.

If a tire ends with 'LT' it signifies the tire is an earlier "Numeric" Light Truck/Trailer size designed to be used on trailers that are capable of carrying heavy cargo or tow vehicles. Tires branded with the "LT" at the end of their size designation are also designed to provide substantial reserve capacity to accept the additional stresses of carrying heavy cargo.

Trailer Parts Tech Tip: Trailer Tires

[SprinklerMan]

ktmrfs wrote:

gmw photos wrote:

ktmrfs wrote:


Huntingdog. I've been looking at 15" tires and only can find LRC LT's. If you know of any 15" LRD or preferablly LRE (2800lbs) I'd be interested in knowing about it. Seems like 16" has lots of LRE, but not in 15". But LRD (2500lb) 15" ST's are very common and 15" LRE (2800lb) is also readily available.

Continental Vanco 2 ?

Goodyear cargo G26 ?

from a previous post and response from Continental, they stated the Vanco 2 is NOT TO BE USED IN TRAVEL TRAILER APPLICATIONS. Don't know the reason but the wording was very strong. Apparently the tire was specifically designed for the mercedes sprinter chassis application.

I'll have to look into the goodyear.

I have a 2006 sunset creek by sunnybrook , in my owners manual it states to use EITHER type of tires ST or LT . They didnt specify any brand .

I am running the vanco 2 tire I upgraded to 16 inch and am very pleased , over 5000 miles so far.

[ktmrfs]

gmw photos wrote:

ktmrfs wrote:


Huntingdog. I've been looking at 15" tires and only can find LRC LT's. If you know of any 15" LRD or preferablly LRE (2800lbs) I'd be interested in knowing about it. Seems like 16" has lots of LRE, but not in 15". But LRD (2500lb) 15" ST's are very common and 15" LRE (2800lb) is also readily available.

Continental Vanco 2 ?

Goodyear cargo G26 ?

from a previous post and response from Continental, they stated the Vanco 2 is NOT TO BE USED IN TRAVEL TRAILER APPLICATIONS. Don't know the reason but the wording was very strong. Apparently the tire was specifically designed for the mercedes sprinter chassis application.

I'll have to look into the goodyear.

[Huntindog]

I personally haven't looked at 15" LT tires, though others have found and posted before. So there are some...
But I personally wouldn't bother with them, unless it were the ONLY option.
16s have got so much more to offer in reliability, availability, and price points that I just don't see any reason not to use them if at all possible.

When I bought my latest TT, It had STs, 15" LRD on it. I towed it home from Sylvania Ohio to Phoenix AZ, being care not to exceed 65 MPH all the way (what slow trip back that was) and immediatly swapped the tires from my old TT over to the new one.. Rims and all.
I would much rather have 4 year old Michelin LTs that any new ST tire.
That mean't giving up the shiney aluminum rims as My old tires (Michelin XPS RIBS 16" LRE) were mounted on white spoke rims.
I actually like the look as it grows on you.
And I'd rather have reliability than looks anyday.

The aluminum rims and tires with about 2500 miles on them still looked new, and was a major selling point to the new owner.

I do think that the Marathons you chose would be a easier sell than than the other choice.. Goodyear is a very well known name.

[gmw_photos]

ktmrfs wrote:


Huntingdog. I've been looking at 15" tires and only can find LRC LT's. If you know of any 15" LRD or preferablly LRE (2800lbs) I'd be interested in knowing about it. Seems like 16" has lots of LRE, but not in 15". But LRD (2500lb) 15" ST's are very common and 15" LRE (2800lb) is also readily available.

Continental Vanco 2 ?

Goodyear cargo G26 ?

[myredracer]

UTCoyote wrote:

myredracer wrote:
...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! 😄

I sure hope you aren't serious. Because if you really think you are helping "save lives", you couldn't be more wrong.
- Coyote

Didn't respond to this earlier. It was meant tongue in cheek. Would not do it intentionally, but there's times when you can't avoid going slower like on the many winding, up and down two lane highways with a double yellow line in this part of the world. Can go on for many miles and sometimes without a place to pull over. But I am not going to drive at 70 mph just to try and avoid drivers getting angry behind us. It's pretty tough to go more than 60 anyway sometimes while pulling a long travel trailer. Does anyone expect semi trucks with big trailers to run faster or pull over? Just because you happen to be an RV sometimes makes drivers automatically think you are holding everyone up. If we're on the insterstate, I'll be driving at 60, the posted max. for trucks, even if holding up trucks or anyone else. They can pass anytime they want. Bottom line is to protect our own safety and RV first.

Any ST tire can be run at 66 - 75 mph simply by increasing tire pressure? What does that do for tire failure and warranty? I could run our unknown quality Chinese Freestar tires at higher pressure in order to drive faster? Already concerned about them at max. 60 mph.

I looked at the Freestar tires on our trailer again today. They are labelled load range C but have 5 plies. I thought load range C means 6 plies?

[2012Coleman]

UTCoyote wrote:
I WILL be towing in excess of 65 MPH at times.

I assure you, you are NOT "saving lives" but are instead putting people in danger

These two statements seem to contradict each other. While I agree that going slow on purpose just to back up traffic makes a lot of people mad does not make much sense, your anger cannot be justified if someone is towing their TT at the speed dictated by the equipment they have. Of course you should be in the far right lane, but on a two way road, you need to be patient untill you can pass. The OP doesn't go into his TT specs, but he can certanily buy any tires he wishes to have, hopefully keeping the safety of others in mind including those slow pokes who may just have the saftey of their families in mind - not making people mad. Someone else said that driving is a community effort - so keep that in mind when in this situation. Anyone passing such a person at high speed while angry is the one putting others in danger IMHO.

I started reading this thread because I don't know much about tires either, but I'd like to say thanks to ChooChooMan74 and 2edgesword for the links to the two articles. I will be looking into the manufacturers to see if they do make the statements mentioned = for instance:

Industry standards dictate tires with the ST designation are speed rated to 65 MPH (104 km/h) under normal inflation and load conditions.

However industry standards also stipulate, if tires with the ST designation are used at speeds between 66 and 75 mph (106 and 121 km/h), it is necessary to increase their cold inflation pressure by 10 psi (69 kPa) above the recommended pressure for the rated maximum load.

Do not exceed the wheel’s maximum rated pressure. If the maximum pressure for the wheel prohibits the increase of air pressure, then maximum speed must be restricted to 65 mph (104 km/h).


I like to push 70 while pulling my TT, but I have only been inflating my tires to 50 psi cold. I'll now be looking into the max pressure on my rims and if allowable, increase by 10 psi. Hopefully, I won't have to dismount the tire to do so. Thanks the the others who mentioned how to read the date codes - learned something.