Favorite Tires for heavy towing rigs.

[TheBigGuy]

I own an F350 Diesel that I use as a daily city and hiway driver. I haul a 8.5 ft camper and 18 ft boat in the summer. I do some dirt roads in the summer but not tons of kms on the dirt. I am looking for recommendations for a good reliable puncture resistant load range E 10 ply tire with an 85 rating.

Guys with similar 1 ton diesel rigs hauling a boat and camper, what do you like for rubber?

 

[nedarb2]

bf All terrains! awesome tires. i have a 2wd and tow a 8500lb grady and havnt been stuck at any ramp yet, including the renfrew marina [8D]

http://image.dieselpowermag.com/f/1..._power_challenge_trucks+bf_goodrich_tires.jpg


http://www.bfgoodrichtires.ca/tire-selector/category/pick-up-truck/all-terrain-t-a-ko/tire-details

 

[dohboy]

i love the hankooks (z36), never had a flat due to puncture yet (hitting a melon size boulder is unfair to the tire[:I])
they used to be way cheaper than the BF tires, but they are closer now

 

[Sushihunter]

I've been running the BF Goodrich All Terrains for several years now.

I'm driving a lighter S-10 Blazer 4x4. As I live in Tahsis, the tires see a lot of gravel road (64km each way), and then lots of highway speed on windy roads.

I haven't seen a lot of heavy four-wheeling, and not a lot of mud, but I quite like them. If I did any mudding, I would go the the BFG Mudders, but no real nead where I live and the All Terrains wear longer. But keep in mind that they are a 4x4 traction tire and a bit soft so they do wear quicker than HD street tires. It's a trade off.

One word about BFG's - be careful if buying form Canadian Tire - the tires they have are cheaper versions of the All Terrain with few ply's in them. The price will look much cheaper - be sure you are looking at identical tires!

I have heard good things about Hankook tires, but have never used any.

Also, there are some good tire websites out there - do the research!

http://www.tirerack.com/

http://www.1010tires.com/


http://www.kaltire.com/

http://www.hankooktire.ca/Main/default.aspx

http://www.toyocanada.com/index.php?q=language-selection&ref=/index.php





Jim's Fishing Charters
www.JimsFishing.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/Sushihunter250

 

[Clipper]

I've been running Michelin LTX A/T's (NOT the M/S version!) on my 2001 GMC 2500HD since shortly after it was new and they still look good. Excellent traction in the slop, quiet and great tread life. I've carried campers and towed 5'th wheel/boat combos with no issues. I'd put a new set on without a qualm.

 

[cedarman]

I run the Bf goodrich all terrians on my 2004 f350 diesel. I have 6" of lift and the tires are 37". Great tire so far nice and quiet and ride smooth. Be careful on your sizes though as some of the sizes are not winter rated and some are. Also note that this tires although great are not rated for the weight of our trucks due to side wall strength. This means you will not get the full life out of the tire.

I also added air bags to my truck to up the rating to 3 tons.

I carry a camper sometimes as well with no problems.

camper and towing my 24' seaswirl is like nothing with these tires. Well maybe the truck helps too [8D]

 

[TheTugistheDrug]

BFG All Terrain KO's, probably one of the best. One of the few LT tires that have a 3 ply side wall. Toyo Muds are gaining popularity as well, relatively quiet for a mud and higher mileage.

Call Cedar Tire in Nanaimo 250 722 4799 Best prices on the Island!

 

[TheBigGuy]

Thanks for the replies, and the links. I have done a fair bit of research online. Unfortunately, sometimes there is too much information online. Information overload almost, too many conflicting opinions. When I have almost made my mind up on a tire, I read some really bad review and change my mind all over again. That's why I thought I'd pose the question here, because a lot of guys on this forum have similar rigs with a camper & boat. When a set of these type of tires costs upwards of $1200 with installation & taxes, you don't want to pick a dud. Especially when hauling a camper on our local dirt roads.

I know tires are often the same debate as truck brands, but there's no substitute for all the years of experience on this board. Any current tire in a 10 ply that have served you well I would be happy to hear about.

Thanks again.

 

[Sushihunter]

Best tires I ever had on a truck was a set of Armstrong Radials. They had a nice center line to ride on on the highway, and a great open tread pattern to each side with big side lugs.

I had them on a 1980 Chevy 1/2 ton 4x4. The only time I got stuck was when I got high centered and couldn't get any traction.

They were Kevlar belted and never had a flat until the end when I was charging up a gravel road that had been covered with freshly blasted rock and drove a big sharp rock though one of the tires.

I was about 20 miles from home on the north side of Shuswap lake (not far from the recent houseboat accident). I didn't have a spare, so I nursed it back to the main road and checked what tools I had on hand. Checking the tire, I found a slash right through the main tread that I could put two fingers into!

I had an air pump, one of those aresol tire inflators, some garbage bags, and as luck would have it, some rubber cement.

I took a garbage bag and covered it in rubber cement and jammed it into the hole, and attached the air pump and had it running while I slowly moved the truck forward to place the hole on the gound. After getting a bit of air into the tire, I used the tire inflator/sealer and emptied that into the tire and then put the pump back on to fill the tire with air.

It was enough to drive home on where I promptly changed all the tires back to the factory tires I had on hand.

Sadly, they no longer make Armstrong tires. [V]


Jim's Fishing Charters
www.JimsFishing.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/Sushihunter250

 

[tubbed out]

shoot me an email

thats what I do

tubbed

 

[leaseman]

IMHO..... BFG A/T pick up too many rocks before "spitting" them out.... being in the auto business, the Michelin LT series is by far the best (that I have seen) for all around applications and for wear and being quiet. No, they are not a mud/deep snow tire, but for hauling, towing or running empty, they are pretty had to beat!

Mike

 

[Sushihunter]

quote:Originally posted by leaseman

IMHO..... BFG A/T pick up too many rocks before "spitting" them out.... being in the auto business, the Michelin LT series is by far the best (that I have seen) for all around applications and for wear and being quiet. No, they are not a mud/deep snow tire, but for hauling, towing or running empty, they are pretty had to beat!

Mike

Mike: You are right about the BFG A/T's - they do pick up small rocks. But no matter what tire you have it will find rocks the right size to fit into the treads. Especially if you drive gravel roads like I do.

You may be right about the Michelin LT's being a better choice for hauling and highway driving - I don't know, and I'm not familier with that tire.

I did have a set of Michelins on a Pinto a few years back. Sorry, I can't tell you which model. They were the worst tire I have had! When it rained one day after having been dry and sunny for 3 months, I could not get that car to stop no matter what. I slid though several intersections and was just lucky that no one was in my way when it happened. All the other cars beside me had no problem stopping, but it was like I was on ice. Just the slightest touch of the brakes locked up all four wheels and I skidded much farther than I would have with the previous tires. Maybe this was a discount model that I got at Sears, but I sure was not impressed. Not favorably anyway!


Jim's Fishing Charters
www.JimsFishing.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/Sushihunter250

 

[TheTugistheDrug]

quote:When it rained one day after having been dry and sunny for 3 months, I could not get that car to stop no matter what.

Pretty hard to fault the tires on that one. A pinto no less!

Just about every tire will pick up rocks, especially if you do the gravel roads thing. Some let go of the rock better than others. Michelin has the new LTX M/S2 out. More of a highway tread but dosen't grab too many rocks. A Light Truck tires that actually has a mileage warranty of 115,000 kms.

 

[Clipper]

I've put Michelin LTX's on my last three trucks and I wouldn't use anything else. I'll stay with what I know works.

 

[leaseman]

quote:Originally posted by Sushihunter

quote:Originally posted by leaseman

IMHO..... BFG A/T pick up too many rocks before "spitting" them out.... being in the auto business, the Michelin LT series is by far the best (that I have seen) for all around applications and for wear and being quiet. No, they are not a mud/deep snow tire, but for hauling, towing or running empty, they are pretty had to beat!

Mike

Mike: You are right about the BFG A/T's - they do pick up small rocks. But no matter what tire you have it will find rocks the right size to fit into the treads. Especially if you drive gravel roads like I do.

You may be right about the Michelin LT's being a better choice for hauling and highway driving - I don't know, and I'm not familier with that tire.

I did have a set of Michelins on a Pinto a few years back. Sorry, I can't tell you which model. They were the worst tire I have had! When it rained one day after having been dry and sunny for 3 months, I could not get that car to stop no matter what. I slid though several intersections and was just lucky that no one was in my way when it happened. All the other cars beside me had no problem stopping, but it was like I was on ice. Just the slightest touch of the brakes locked up all four wheels and I skidded much farther than I would have with the previous tires. Maybe this was a discount model that I got at Sears, but I sure was not impressed. Not favorably anyway!


Jim's Fishing Charters
www.JimsFishing.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/Sushihunter250

That is a good comment to bring up!
I know quite a bit about tires, but definitely not a pro.....
When GM,Ford,Toyota, all manufactures buy tires from tire manufactures, they buy them at prices you or I would for a well used tire.... as with everything else, when you buy in the 100,000s, the costs are very low and usually they are a "second line" tire.... same goes with the Sears etc., etc.,... they are not the true, top line, excellent tire....

That is why when you price tires you can find a tire like a LT235/85 R16 load range "E" from $160.00 up to $300.00 depending on discount and "design" of tire...... just like fishing gear, do you buy quality to last or something cheap to use for the next year or so.....

Something else that people don't keep in mind is that tires do have a life span (just like anything else!).....usually they say the average life is roughly 5 years, at this time the rubber will harden, causing more wheel spin on wet roads and generally poorer handling, could have been part of the problem with the aboved mention Pinto along with be a Sears special.....

I have driven on most all brands and their models over the years (part of the job as I always am driving a new(er) company truck). for traction,being quiet and long life I like the Michelin LT line, for more off road on my personal trucks I used the BFG mud terrains. Without thinking I put the BFG All Terrains on the truck I have now, a 2008 GMC 3500 crew cab (duramax) and forgot the rocks these tires pick up (some arent small!!)......good tire, good traction, not noisy, but with a truck that stands at 7300 lbs empty, not sure on life, definately won't be anywhere near the Michelins, but hunting season is 2 months away and I want the extra traction for dirt roads I see......

Mike

 

[Sushihunter]

Don't laugh - Pintos are great little cars [8D]

The best ones had the 4 cyl. 2000cc German motor or the 2800cc V6.

I can't count the number of 2300cc American copies of the German motor I blew up over the years!

As for the BFG All Terrains - I have had very good luck with them. As most of you know, I live in Tahsis. That means a trip to the grocery store involves 64 km of gravel logging road and then another 90 km of twisty 2 lane "highway".

Now I have a light S-10 Blazer 4x4 that has gotten me into and out of town all year long. That includes blizzards on our wonderfull wilderness 18% grades at 2AM when I'm the only car on the road. (OK, there were several OFF the road, but I digress [}] )

The only flat tires I have had with them were either leakage around the rims or nails or the tire just plain wore out after being driven to its end.

The only time I got stuck and needed to get towed out was in Campbell River where I drove into some soft sand not realizing that my 4 wheel drive wasn't hooked up after getting the transmission replaced!

All in all, good tires!


Jim's Fishing Charters
www.JimsFishing.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/Sushihunter250

 

[Shermanater]

Toyo M-55 Tires get my vote.

http://toyotires.com/tire/pattern/m-55

We put these tires on our work truck at the nanaimo river hatchery and they have outlasted the BFG AT's by far. We load 1000L of water in a transport tank and drive on river rock the size of basket balls in the heat and they keep going. We also tow a 19ft aluminum boat with the tank of water on the truck over logging roads without any problems. They are an industrial strength tire that will outlast any other tire out there.

We put new BFG AT's on our trucks a couple years back and they only lasted a year and a half. The Toyo's are still going strong after the same amount of time and abuse.

 

[leaseman]

SH-

Love those tires too and the S-10 blazers! Just picked up a cherry 93 for my soon to be 16 year old son and a two wheeler Blazer for the daughter......went from a three car family to 5 in under a week!

With the A/T's, the only thing I don't like (well two things!) is the rocks they throw (never seen another tire do it as much) and the way they wear on heavier trucks (in factory tire sizes, going bigger and wider definately works better!).... I park on gravel at home and still have rocks kicking out after 2kms every morning (no, I am not going to pave it, just replace the gravel...[}])

Mike

 

[Fish Assassin]

I have now owned 2 sets of Toyo Open Country 10ply's and love them. The grab real god and push water out like I have never seen in any other tire. Their LT tires are not as good but the 10's are the best I have ever owned.

I like them Michelin LTX 10's but I continued to blow out the side walls. They were really quite and grabed great in the snow even though they don't look agressive in the snow they are, but at $300 a piece I could not have the side walls keep blowing out.

 

[Sushihunter]

quote:Originally posted by fishassassin123

I have now owned 2 sets of Toyo Open Country 10ply's and love them. The grab real god and push water out like I have never seen in any other tire. Their LT tires are not as good but the 10's are the best I have ever owned.

<snip>

I was just looking at the Toyo website. Do you have a link to the tire you are talking about? They seem to have about a half dozen different Open Country tires.

Even their Mud tire looks more like the BFG All Terrain. I would like it if it had better side lugs for digging through deep mud and snow.

What I like about my BFG A/T tires is that they are a compromise (as are all tires). They handle the gravel logging road very well and are reasonable in snow and mud (if I could ever find some mud around here). They also work well on wet pavement which on the West Coast of the Island is all the time. They wear better than the Mud Terrain tires, but are still a tire that wears quickly.

It's hard to get away from quick wear if you want an off-road tire that is good in mud. If you want traction, you need a softer rubber compound. If you want long wearing tires - harder rubber, but you lose in the traction department.


Jim's Fishing Charters
www.JimsFishing.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/Sushihunter250