Tires for Towing Travel Trailer

[mrlynn]

2013 Expy EL XLT (5.4L, 6-spd auto, 4WD, factory-towing pkg). General Grabber HTS 60 (275/65R/18) tires have only 37K on them, but are 6 yrs old and tread is getting low, so I am thinking of getting new all-seasons for winter.

Outside of winter, we sometimes travel with a modest-weight molded-fiberglass 21' trailer (Escape 21C), dry weight under 4,000 lbs, max maybe 5,000, using a Fastway E2 weight-distribution hitch; tows straight, no sway. The Generals do all right, but I am thinking of switching for maybe better tread-wear and handling. Tire Rack throws up Continental Terrain/Contact H/T, Cooper Discoverer HT3, and Michelin Defender LTX M/S2, among others. Other sites tout more.

My Generals are 'Standard' load-rated, which I assume is 'D'. Most of the articles I have read on-line say that if you're towing trailers, to go for load-range 'E'. Our Expy manual says it's good for towing up to 9,000 lbs. When I bought the Generals, we had an even lighter fiberglass Casita to tow.

Question: Is D or Standard load OK, or should I spring for E? And/or should I look for 'XL' not 'SL' / 'Standard Load'?

Local mechanic can get whatever I want (there was a rebate on the Generals when I got them). Michelin Defenders seem to be getting highest ratings for all-round all-season tires. We don't really need off-road capability, so all-season radials for mostly highway use should be fine. Eastern MA roads are generally plowed, so full-winter tires are not really necessary—used to run snows on my van's rear tires in the winter, but these days just the all-seasons. We do get a lot of wet weather, so rain (and ice) performance is important. The Expy does have 4WD, though I rarely need it.

Thoughts/experience/recommendations/warnings welcome!

 

[skamerick]

I recently installed the Michelin Defenders on my 2017 EL 4x4 for towing and I love them. Load rating is 113T

 

[JasonH]

Get three peak rated tires if you're concerned about ice. Load D or E will be fine. Even C can carry your load at full pressure. But D and E tires will offer more stiffness and puncture resistance. The latter is especially helpful when you're towing, as punctures when towing are obviously no bueno. I have Cooper AT3 XLT and am very satisfied with them but they're getting noiser near end of life. I think I have around 8/32 left. Defenders are also highly spoken of, but I haven't tried them myself.

 

[mrlynn]

I recently installed the Michelin Defenders on my 2017 EL 4x4 for towing and I love them.

Which load rating did you get?

 

[Cluster333]

Get three peak rated tires if you're concerned about ice. Load D or E will be fine. Even C can carry your load at full pressure. But D and E tires will offer more stiffness and puncture resistance. The latter is especially helpful when you're towing, as punctures when towing are obviously no bueno. I have Cooper AT3 XLT and am very satisfied with them but they're getting noiser near end of life. I think I have around 8/32 left. Defenders are also highly spoken of, but I haven't tried them myself.

I have the Cooper Discoverer SRX tires on another suv and yes they are noisy as well. End of life as well.

 

[mrlynn]

Get three peak rated tires if you're concerned about ice. Load D or E will be fine. Even C can carry your load at full pressure. But D and E tires will offer more stiffness and puncture resistance. The latter is especially helpful when you're towing, as punctures when towing are obviously no bueno. I have Cooper AT3 XLT and am very satisfied with them but they're getting noiser near end of life. I think I have around 8/32 left. Defenders are also highly spoken of, but I haven't tried them myself.

I notice that many tires do not carry alphabet load ratings (C,D,E), but codes SL or XL, and/or numbers before the speed-rating code. E.g. my Generals are '116T', and say 'Standard Load' (rather than 'SL'). But I see that Tire Rack shows the Michelin Defenders as also load-rated at 116, but says 'XL' after it.

Now I read that for towing, 'XL' or 'E' ratings are better. Does the 'XL' refer more to the 'ply' rating that E used to, before plys stopped being meaningful?

 

[JasonH]

The load index is the actual load bearing capacity in lbs and there's a chart for that. The letters actually correspond to peak pressure. Load C is ~50, D is 65, and E is 80 psi. Since no on is checking really checking a load chart for a "116" tire, it's easier (at least, for me) to signify the load bearing ability using the letter, even though it really refers to the max pressure.

"Better" is not quite accurate for higher load tires. It's more a question of suitability for the intended purpose and tradeoffs. I wanted more stiffness for towing and greater puncture resistance since I dreaded getting a flat while towing and had numerous repeated punctures from construction in the Houston area. Getting tires patched repeatedly was a PITA and I had a flat while towing, so wanted to minimize the risk of that happening again because I had eight tires to worry about. I was willing to sacrifice some ride quality, mpg, and acceleration. The "D" tires looked like they had more aggressive, off-road oriented treads, so I went with a three-peak rated "E" that I felt might align more closely with my purpose. I'm satisfied with the tradeoff, but YMMV. Images below to illustrate.

 

[mrlynn]

The load index is the actual load bearing capacity in lbs and there's a chart for that. The letters actually correspond to peak pressure. Load C is ~50, D is 65, and E is 80 psi. Since no on is checking really checking a load chart for a "116" tire, it's easier (at least, for me) to signify the load bearing ability using the letter, even though it really refers to the max pressure.

"Better" is not quite accurate for higher load tires. It's more a question of suitability for the intended purpose and tradeoffs. I wanted more stiffness for towing and greater puncture resistance since I dreaded getting a flat while towing and had numerous repeated punctures from construction in the Houston area. Getting tires patched repeatedly was a PITA and I had a flat while towing, so wanted to minimize the risk of that happening again because I had eight tires to worry about. I was willing to sacrifice some ride quality, mpg, and acceleration. The "D" tires looked like they had more aggressive, off-road oriented treads, so I went with a three-peak rated "E" that I felt might align more closely with my purpose. I'm satisfied with the tradeoff, but YMMV. Images below to illustrate.

Thanks, Jason, for that informative post. I'm going to save the charts. I don't need off-road, just highway all-season. My current General Grabbers are OK–no problems—but I'm leaning toward Michelin Defender LTXs. They don't have the 3-peak snow symbol, but are reputed to do very well on wet, icy, and light snow surfaces. Interestingly, they are XL, not SL, which I gather means thicker sidewalls (good for towing). They seem to offer BOTH Load Range 116 (XL) and 123 (XL). The 116 (XL) is probably good enough for my relatively light trailer, and the XL rating would be an upgrade from my Generals.

 

[Fasttimes]

I have the Defender LTXs for 2 sets now and they have been great for towing my trailer. I keep them at 35psi for normal use and increase to 42psi for towing. I've been very happy with them. Wear seems good, and they stiffen up just fine when max aired for the tow days.

 

[skamerick]

Which load rating did you get?

113T

 

[rollinstone]

I think my Defenders are going on 3 years. Very satisfied. I check pressure and rotate on a regular schedule. I’m towing about 3500 lbs. Pressure stays at 35 psi. towing or not.

 

[VBreithaupt]

Just put on Defender LTX from Costco. Way better ride and did great job with my 28ft trailer this summer. Way better then factory tire.

 

[Pawpaw]

275x70x18 BFG KO2's on stock wheels. I run 65 psi when towing and 40-42 psi for daily driving. Almost 20K miles on them now and very satisfied with them. Good traction on and off road.

 

[JasonH]

275x70x18 BFG KO2's on stock wheels. I run 65 psi when towing and 40-42 psi for daily driving. Almost 20K miles on them now and very satisfied with them. Good traction on and off road.

What tire did you run before and how are the KO2s on noise? My Coopers are nearing end of life and are getting progressively louder. But I was very happy with them for the last 60K miles. No punctures and good tread life.

 

[Pawpaw]

What tire did you run before and how are the KO2s on noise? My Coopers are nearing end of life and are getting progressively louder. But I was very happy with them for the last 60K miles. No punctures and good tread life.

My FX4 came with Michelin Primacy 275x65x18 P rated tires. Had a little over a thousand miles when I took them off and sold them. Had the BFG TA/KO's in the past and were the best tires I ever owned. Son in law runs the KO2's on his 3/4 ton trucks and swear's by them. Almost 20 K miles on mine and they've been great so far. Not noisy on the road and running at 40-42 psi for daily use not too rough at all. I went up one inch in height but the same width as the stockers to help hydroplaning on our crappy SE Louisiana highways. Only lost about 1 mpg but I still get 17 mpg around town and up to 21 mpg hwy. Mine is a 4x4 but has the AWD instead of 4Hi which I really like. 3.73 gearing with E-locking limited slip rear. Only 1 mph under using GPS so speedometer is close enough for me. Getting ready to hook up the camper and air up to 65 psi for towing. Goodyear Endurance on the camper set at 80 psi. I had Michelin LTA AT2's E rated on my dually that I really liked also. More of a highway tread design. Had almost 40K on them when I sold the truck over 2 yrs ago. Pulled a 17K pound Solitude 5th wheel with the dually. Good luck with your decision!!

 

[ACJ990]

My FX4 came with Michelin Primacy 275x65x18 P rated tires. Had a little over a thousand miles when I took them off and sold them. Had the BFG TA/KO's in the past and were the best tires I ever owned. Son in law runs the KO2's on his 3/4 ton trucks and swear's by them. Almost 20 K miles on mine and they've been great so far. Not noisy on the road and running at 40-42 psi for daily use not too rough at all. I went up one inch in height but the same width as the stockers to help hydroplaning on our crappy SE Louisiana highways. Only lost about 1 mpg but I still get 17 mpg around town and up to 21 mpg hwy. Mine is a 4x4 but has the AWD instead of 4Hi which I really like. 3.73 gearing with E-locking limited slip rear. Only 1 mph under using GPS so speedometer is close enough for me. Getting ready to hook up the camper and air up to 65 psi for towing. Goodyear Endurance on the camper set at 80 psi. I had Michelin LTA AT2's E rated on my dually that I really liked also. More of a highway tread design. Had almost 40K on them when I sold the truck over 2 yrs ago. Pulled a 17K pound Solitude 5th wheel with the dually. Good luck with your decision!!

Do you feel the weight of the tires have impacted your daily driving and/or towing experiences? I've been looking at the new Falken Wildpeak AT4W, but those things are coming in north of 60lbs.

 

[Pawpaw]

Do you feel the weight of the tires have impacted your daily driving and/or towing experiences? I've been looking at the new Falken Wildpeak AT4W, but those things are coming in north of 60lbs.

I probably lost about 1-1/2 mpg due to tire weight and rolling resistance. Tires are 33x11 so they're one inch taller then stockers but same width. BFG shows weight as 57 lbs so they are not light either. Much better when towing vs the stock P rated tires due to the stiffer sidewalls and heavier construction to avoid punctures. Falken makes some great AT tires also. I bought a set for my grandson's '09 Pathfinder years ago and they were still on when he traded it in. I've got the 3.73 gearing with the max towing so the vehicle has no problem turning heavier tires. Best of luck with your decision!

 

[ACJ990]

I probably lost about 1-1/2 mpg due to tire weight and rolling resistance. Tires are 33x11 so they're one inch taller then stockers but same width. BFG shows weight as 57 lbs so they are not light either. Much better when towing vs the stock P rated tires due to the stiffer sidewalls and heavier construction to avoid punctures. Falken makes some great AT tires also. I bought a set for my grandson's '09 Pathfinder years ago and they were still on when he traded it in. I've got the 3.73 gearing with the max towing so the vehicle has no problem turning heavier tires. Best of luck with your decision! View attachment 80540

Thanks!!

 

[ACJ990]

Ended up finding a set of black OEM 20’s on marketplace and fit E rated Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLTs to them. The difference between this setup and the 22” wheels + Hankook tires is night and day with regard to stability. Non towing, I’m at placard numbers for PSI. Towing, I bumped to 50 front and 60 back, cold. If anyone has better thoughts for PSI on these, let me know.

Really happy with this setup. Putting on Sumo Springs today and ordering the rear Hellwig this week.

 

[JasonH]

View attachment 80640

Ended up finding a set of black OEM 20’s on marketplace and fit E rated Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLTs to them. The difference between this setup and the 22” wheels + Hankook tires is night and day with regard to stability. Non towing, I’m at placard numbers for PSI. Towing, I bumped to 50 front and 60 back, cold. If anyone has better thoughts for PSI on these, let me know.

Really happy with this setup. Putting on Sumo Springs today and ordering the rear Hellwig this week.

You can check the load index chart for proper psi. My recollection was high 50s was the minimum for my 7k trailer, but I've always just gone straight to 65. I might try going a bit lower next time as they are firm. I think they need more air than what the door placard calls for when the vehicle is unladen. They aren't to be run at the lower pressures the C tires use.