let's talk tires!

[TireHobby]

Although the GY G614 tire is branded with the LT it’s still an ST tire. I’m guessing here as I’ve not researched it but being labeled an LT it may have to pass the DOT testing requirements for the LT therefore it can have the 75 MPH speed rating.

TireHobby

 

[jmgratz]

I see you are looking at a BH 3055RL It will come with LR-E tires, wheels may be rated for 110psi tires. It is stamped on the inside of the wheel. It will have 6K axels. I upgraded to 7K and Goodyear tires from the factory. As far as UV protection on ST tires I have no idea. But I do know I have always done as you and run LT tires.

The E rated tires will have an inflation of 80 psi where the G rated is 110psi. The ST tires have a stiffer sidewall to prevent tire roll when doing the sharper cornering. LT tires do not have as thick a side wall and will 'roll' more when cornering.

 

[GOTTOYS]

If you were to compare the sidewall on my B.F. Goodrich LT tires to the sidewall on the Power King Tow Max bombs I took off..you would find the LTs are actually heavier. The Chinese tires feel like a bicycle tire in comparison. They only have a 2 ply sidewall. In addition their actual weight per tire is almost 9 pounds less. My research has shown that approx. 40% of a tires weight is rubber. The other 60% is the cords in the tire. Not trying to convince anyone here. Just showing some of the reasons I made my decision to change from ST to LT tires. Keep in mind not all new trailers are delivered with ST tires. Time will tell if I made a good decision or not....Don

 

[jnbhobe]

Don, I'll go with you on the sidewall thing, I've wever seen an ST tire with as heavy a side wall as an LT tire other than the Goodyear 614 witch is an LT tire too

 

[caissiel]

I have the freestar tires on my unit and they are similar to GY 614 but thay are certified to be installed on trailers and steering location, also they are fully regroovable telling me that they are not ST tires but real truck spec tires.

I feel that LT tires are a world of difference from ST tires and will out last the trailer tires no matter which brand be GY, Carlisle or others.

I had a set of cheap LT tires rated at 1950Lbs one 5000Lbs axles that never gave me any problems for 6 years till I traded the trailer. They replaces ST tires rated as class D at about 2750 lbs. The ST tires were nothing but trouble on the rear axle I got a flat at most trip south. A set of Carlisle lasted one trip of 2000 Miles, Marathons were as bad I always was replacing tires untill I put the cheap LT's.

LT tires run harder because they have more thread that will adsorb more road debris but I added 10% more air to help with the drag.

These Freestar are doing great and help the ease of pulling the trailer with 110lbs of air.

 

[GOTTOYS]

I don't know how many of these tire discussions I have read or taken part in over the last few months. Time will tell if I made the right choice going with B.F. Goodrich LTs.... I know I don't want to tow on Chinese ST tires..... If these don't work out my other choices would be the Michelin XPS Rib LT Load Range E which has all steel belts and construction and is much more expensive, The Maxxis ST Load range E which is made in Taiwan, but has a good reputation, or the Goodyear G614 which is only available in a Load Range G. All of the other tires that are out there are made in China. The only exception is the Goodyear Marathon which can be Chinese or American but has a poor reputation. It would be great if an American tire manufacturer would come out with a real QUALITY towable rv tire. If that never happens many of us will just be forced to try something else....Don

 

[TireHobby]

Because of numerous design changes and the frequency of the changes the strength of a load ranged tire becomes very confusing to most casual users.

The LRE tire is most commonly found on RV trailers with dual 6000# axles. The LT225/75R16E is a new issue and does not have the load capacity for the 6000# axle.

Load Range E tires (at 80 psi) for light truck (LT) tires with a 16” diameter can range in maximum load capacity from 2680# to 3415# per individual tire size.

Load Range E tires (at 80 psi) designated special trailer (ST) with a 16” diameter can range in maximum load capacity from 3420# to 3640#.

Of the two, the most confusing is the ST because the same tire size - ST235/80R16E can range from 3420# to 3520# with the latter being used by some RV manufacturers on the 7000# axles and a serious problem for those that have them.

Another RV trailer tire problem is the emergence of the ST235/85R16E. Owners with this tire must not confuse it with the LT235/85R16E because it has a maximum load capacity of nearly 600# per tire above the LT
.
TireHobby

 

[GOTTOYS]

ST graded tires DO NOT have to be DOT regulated because they are not approved for carrying passengers. Thus they do not have a reserve carrying capacity and can show the TOTAL load carrying capacity or 3420# in the case of the Power King Tow Master.
LT graded tires DO need to be DOT regulated because they are approved for carrying passengers. The load carrying capacity of the B.F. Goodrich Commercial LT is 3042# BUT it has a reserve capacity as required by the DOT that is not published.
Once again, just presenting some food for thought...DOT regulated tires vs. non-regulated tires. I'm not a big fan of government regulations but I know which one I'm putting my faith in here.....Don

 

[GOTTOYS]

ANnnd...This concludes my discussion on LT vs ST tires. I feel like I'm starting to beat this to death....it's an interesting topic and it helps keep this forum alive...I'll let you know if my LT tires work out and more important..I'll let you know if they don't. We have about 6,000 miles of trips planned for the the coming months. Maybe that will be enough time to find the answer...Be safe...Don

 

[TireHobby]

ST graded tires DO NOT have to be DOT regulated because they are not approved for carrying passengers. Thus they do not have a reserve carrying capacity and can show the TOTAL load carrying capacity or 3420# in the case of the Power King Tow Master.
LT graded tires DO need to be DOT regulated because they are approved for carrying passengers. The load carrying capacity of the B.F. Goodrich Commercial LT is 3042# BUT it has a reserve capacity as required by the DOT that is not published.
Once again, just presenting some food for thought...DOT
Don

That’s just a couple of myths about the ST tires. Of course all tires for use on the streets, highways and byways of the USA MUST have the DOT certification embossed on their sidewalls. Among other things it certifies they have satisfactorily completed all testing for the position/s they serve in.

The major restriction for the Special Trailer tire is the position it is designed for - Trailer Axles. There are no regulations about them not being able to carry passengers. There are about 22 states that allow passengers to ride in RV trailers.

The load carrying capacity is printed right on the side of every DOT certified tire. There is no published reserve capacity beyond that value.

TireHobby

 

[KL7j]

Boy am I confused!! Talking about tires.... I just looked at he tires on my new 2011 Bighorn. I always thought that the designation LT stood for light truck when it came to tires. On my trailed the tires are sized as LT, however stamped on the tire it says for trailer use only. My other trailer tires were sized as SST trailer tires, so is a LT for truck use or is is a;lso a trailer tire only?????????

This site link below does a good job of explaining.​

A few points I thought were most interesting, especially the tire age and why possibly folks near their GVW with correct tires are having failures regardlenss if the pressure is correct:

• All "ST" tires have a maximum speed rating of 65 mph
• In approximately three years, roughly one-third of the tire's strength is gone.
• An "LT" designation on a trailer tire size specifies load range only. It is not designed for use on light trucks. Weight (GVW) of the axle.

http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/infoTrailerTireFacts.dos


At another site this was mentioned:

"While the tire industry has established this standard for trailer tires the ST—trailer manufacturers are not required to use them. As long as the tire meets the trailer's load and speed requirements, it is allowable by law."

Apparently other factors of not having to follow specificatons other than just able to carry the load rating initially when new, are more the discretion of the tire manufacture.

Some things seem to jump out regarding avoiding tire trouble while towing:
(1) Make sure your rig is equipped with the proper tires; (2) Get some wheel/tires with load ratings that give you an extra buffer at GVW as tires do age; (3) stay within your GVW and go over a scale to make sure one side or axle is not overloaded; (4) Maintain the tire meticulously, a TPM system has merit on alerting to problems developing with pressure; (3) Replace trailer tires every three to five years of service, whether they look like they’re worn out or not; (5) Buy quality tires.