Can I Use Light Truck Tires On a Travel Trailer? (LT Tires)
You need the right tires. There was a time when the tire boundary lines were well drawn and no one crossed them. However, with the many cheaply made trailer tires on the market today, owners are exploring other options and crossing those boundaries.
Yes, using LT tires in a trailer is a possibility and some owners have made the switch successfully. However, special tires, or STs, have a tougher sidewall than light truck tires so you should be cautious when you make the switch.
To learn more about this topic, just continue to read our article. It has the information you want to know about so you can have safe travels when you leave home. Take a few minutes to see how this important information will help you.
Light Truck Tires on Trailers 101
Can I Use Light Truck Tires On a Trailer?
When it comes to tires for your trailer, be prepared to read a lot of posts that disagree with each other. Everyone has their opinion and experience with both types of tires and they are very firm in that those that disagree with them are wrong.
What they do agree on is that you should not put passenger car ties on your trailer. These are not made to carry the trailer weight and you should run into some difficulties once you are on the road.
Those that do use LT tires on their trailer have said that they have done so for years and have had no problems. The key to using LT tires is to make sure they are rated for the weight of your trailer and the cargo it carries.
You do not want to go light, even if the price is good because you are just asking for trouble. Those that say you should stick to SP or trailer tires point to the load range of those tires.
The ST tires are made to carry heavy loads. They also point to the tougher sidewalls that LT tires do not have. However, no one has produced any evidence that shows that LT tires are inferior to ST models.
They say the lack of photographic evidence proves their point. They also say that LT tires are better than the ST options. But this is a matter still up for debate.
Using Light Truck Tires on a Travel Trailer
The first place to check will be your owner’s manual or sticker on the side of the trailer. The manufacturer will recommend the right tire for the trailer. Usually, this recommendation is accurate.
However, it may not take into account how those recommended tires are made or their quality. When you are thinking of making this switch, the general consensus among owners is that you have to make sure the LT tires are rated for the load they are to carry plus 10%.
Not just any LT tire will work for your towing situation. Some owners point to the fact that ST tires are not used on the trailers for tractor-trailer rigs. That is like comparing apples to oranges as tractor-trailer tires are a whole different level of tires and should not be brought into the discussion.
Those rigs do not use LT tires either. One of the complaints made against LT tires on trailers is that while these options are more durable than passenger car tires, they are not as durable as ST tires.
They may be cheaper and can do the job but they may not last as long. We are not talking about blowouts here but normal wear and tear. One reason people turn to LT tires is that they get a higher maximum speed rating than they get on ST tires.
To some people, this is an important difference. Another key difference will be the size of the LT tire. It is not the same as the ST so you need to find compatible options to meet your towing needs.
Best LT Tire For RV
When you are looking for brand names and specs, everyone will have their own opinion as to which one is best for trailers or RVs. The best LT tire for your trailer will be the one that is rated for the load you are carrying and does the job.
This takes doing your homework and getting past marketing hype, etc., to find the right information. Getting the right tires for your trailer is important as tire blowouts can be very tragic when they happen.
The tires you are trying to avoid will be what has been labeled as ‘the China Bombs’. These are inferior tires and they do not always hold up to the rigors of RV travel. Most people get rid of these foreign brands as quickly as possible.
While there are some good China-made tires on the market, the bad reputation paints all China brand tires with the same bad brush. Most owners will recommend Maxxis M8008 or Goodyear Endurance, or BF Goodrich Radial AT KO2 LT, and Michelin LTXs.
There are other good options which mean you have to do some great research to make sure the tires you buy will stand up to the task at hand. You can talk to your local tire dealer and see what they recommend but they are not the final word either.
Some dealers have been reported as declining to put LT tires on trailers. Not sure if that is true or not but this is how far the debate goes.
Some Final Words
When it comes to tires, you are going to have to do your research and go with your gut. Not every tire will be perfect and even top brands will have a lemon or two in their production.
Just do not throw all the same tires out because one set did not work for you. There is nothing wrong with going with LT tires on your trailer as long as they are rated for that load.
