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Looking at General Grabber HTS60 or Cooper Discoverer HT-plus for replacing my current set. I tow my TT about 2,500 miles a year. Just looking for a good set of XL tires. Any thoughts?
XL tires for towing
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I'll be the voice of dissent here ... only just for the heck of it .... because I have had XL and LT tires on trucks before .... you'll do what you want anyway 
With a tongue weight less than 1000lbs, and an annual trailer use of 2500 miles .... if you compare what you are getting in XL's and what your regular usage tires will carry (provided that you're not being stupid when you load the truck), all you'll really gain is a rougher ride the rest of the year and no real safety gain, assuming that you are towing withing legal weights for the truck and you're using a WD hitch ....
That said .... XL's aren't as bad as LT's, but they're still rougher and noisier than what comes on the trucks.
With a tongue weight less than 1000lbs, and an annual trailer use of 2500 miles .... if you compare what you are getting in XL's and what your regular usage tires will carry (provided that you're not being stupid when you load the truck), all you'll really gain is a rougher ride the rest of the year and no real safety gain, assuming that you are towing withing legal weights for the truck and you're using a WD hitch ....
That said .... XL's aren't as bad as LT's, but they're still rougher and noisier than what comes on the trucks.
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Appreciate the advice. I’m still on the original Goodyear sr-a tires and they wore terrible with all towing I’ve done over the 3 years I’ve had the TT. I tow a micolite trailer that has a tounge weight loaded at bout 750-800lbs. Good WD hitch with it too. Just seems the OEM tires are too soft. Are there better LT tires?I'll be the voice of dissent here ... only just for the heck of it .... because I have had XL and LT tires on trucks before .... you'll do what you want anyway
With a tongue weight less than 1000lbs, and an annual trailer use of 2500 miles .... if you compare what you are getting in XL's and what your regular usage tires will carry (provided that you're not being stupid when you load the truck), all you'll really gain is a rougher ride the rest of the year and no real safety gain, assuming that you are towing withing legal weights for the truck and you're using a WD hitch ....
That said .... XL's aren't as bad as LT's, but they're still rougher and noisier than what comes on the trucks.
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I am sorry but I don't really have any advice on what tire to buy. I just wanted to be the voice in your ear that said "hey think a bit first about what sort of ride you want to have during the 75% of the time that you aren't towing".... it seems that you have thought about it
. My truck came "I think" with Bridgestone? and they lasted about 75k KM and I only ran them in summer and I don't tow much. I had a set of LT 10-ply tires on one of my Chev's, because the advice I got (I was young and inexperienced) said they'd last and that I needed them for the tandem axle work trailer ..... never again. It was like riding on steel wheels, the tread didn't last any longer and the rough ride shook the truck to pieces (not literally, but it felt like it). Ever since I've bought auto rated tires for my trucks.I towed our 30-foot TT with the stock goodyear SRA's. The trailer weighed between 7300-7500 lbs pending where we were going/what we were doing. I probably only put a 1000 miles a year towing the TT. I also tow a 5000 lb center console boat quite a bit more than the TT and a flatbed utility trailer.
I got 72,000 miles on the SRA's. Inflate them correctly and rotate them and don't peel out and they last a lot longer than most give them credit for. I went to an LT tire for puncture resistance. The ride is worse, but if you put 50 psi in them its not bad.
I got 72,000 miles on the SRA's. Inflate them correctly and rotate them and don't peel out and they last a lot longer than most give them credit for. I went to an LT tire for puncture resistance. The ride is worse, but if you put 50 psi in them its not bad.
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You really only need to post in one spot in this forum for visibility.
I pull a 30' Toy hauler, around 8k, with my Michelin Defender LTX M/S, zero complaints and good mileage.
I pull a 30' Toy hauler, around 8k, with my Michelin Defender LTX M/S, zero complaints and good mileage.
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I just put on the Cooper discoverer 20" HT, 2000miles. I really likke them but I lost about 3 miles per gallon
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I would HIGHLY recommend the Michelin Defender LTX M/S! They weigh about the same as the stock tires. They are excellent for towing, plus you'll maintain your fuel economy. The Max Load rating is 2,679 lbs per tire, which is more than you need.
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I did a lot of research when I replaced the stock tires on my Ram 1500 and ended up with the 20" Cooper Discover H/T Plus XL. Part of my decision involved the company itself and their corporate philosophy and responsibility especially to their employees, and the morale of the people that work there. U.S. based Cooper as a company hit on all those. Am also happy with the tires, after 20,000 miles in they perform well and show very little wear. I was diligent with rotations having done that twice. Despite getting a high speed high tech mount and balance from a local speed shop, they were still a bit unbalanced at high speeds for the initial 500 miles or so, (I could feel the vibration through the steering wheel) but they smoothed out nicely soon. We have some snow and ice here in the Northeast and they performed very well in those conditions as well.
I don't do much towing or off-road travel so next time I might not get an XL tire but something a bit less aggressive, sticking with Cooper and reading reviews on Tirerack and such a decent touring tire choice would be the Cooper Evolution H/T.
Guy
I don't do much towing or off-road travel so next time I might not get an XL tire but something a bit less aggressive, sticking with Cooper and reading reviews on Tirerack and such a decent touring tire choice would be the Cooper Evolution H/T.
Guy
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Just my two bits... I tow a lot. Either my 8k tt or my boat. My'17 eco has 70k miles on it and 40k of it is towing. My OEM SR A's only lasted 30,000 and that was rotating every 5K. I put Load Range E Hankook AT 2's on because I get a much warmer and fuzzier feeling with a heavier duty tire while towing. I rotated the tires yesterday and there is easily 60% tread left. The ride is a bit stiffer and mileage takes a bit of a hit but was a good tradeoff imo.
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Better to be safe than sorry
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Perspective ::
The O.P. tows very little. He'll be trading a nice ride 90% of the time for a rough ride all the time to tow 10% of the time.
(Just a guess based on 2000-2500 miles/month)
He can be just as safe by using a properly set up WD hitch and anti-sway system and checking the tire inflation as well as checking the tires for heat when he stops for fuel.
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Most OE tires (including the OE Goodyear SRA) are not high quality tires.
Perspective:
The money I save in diesel fuel by running a quality passenger tire (Michelin Defender LTX M/S) could potentially pay for my tires just in the first year compared to someone running load E tires.
Annual mileage: 25,000 miles per year
(Towing with Load E) 10 mpg at 25,000 miles = 2,500 gallons
(Towing with OE Replacement) 12 mpg at 25,000 miles = 2,083 gallons
The difference is 415 gallons in fuel savings
$3.20 x 415 gallons = $1,328
(Driving empty with OE Replacement) 27 mpg at 25,000 miles = 925 gallons
(Driving empty with Load E) 25 mpg at 25,000 miles = 1,000 gallons
The difference is 75 gallons in fuel savings
$3.20 x 75 gallons = $240 dollars
Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Size: 275/60R20
Mileage Warranty = 70,000 miles
$233.00 per tire x 4 tires = $932 dollars
The Michelin Defender LTX M/S will not only pay for themselves, but your ride quality will be much improved. The stock suspension was NOT designed for Load E tires.
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Ive ran michelin ltx m/s2 in the stock size/load range with decent results but the 1-2 mpg hit hit my load range E tires is absolutely worth it to me. Also very little to no noticeable ride difference at 45 psi start going above that and it gets stiffer. Ive found no reason to back to P rated tires myself.
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Actually my primary reason for going to "E" range tires was the crappy hiways we drive and gravel roads tend to scare me to death that I'll blow a sidewall hitting a pothole. The security of the hd tire makes the cost differential well worth it. And, towing my 8k tt with my GDE tuned truck tends to average closer to 15 than 12. To each their own. I'll keep putting load range E tires on until i wear her out. And I'll suffer my +/- 1mpg loss in mileage gladly.
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I can't best 11mpg.
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My first engine bottom end came apart at 63K. I averaged in the 12's with it. FCA put a new engine in and I immediately reinstalled my GDE tune. I have consistently gotten over 15. Best was a 375 mile leg across west TX over the Guadalupe MTs into El Paso at 17.3 all towing. It seems that head winds affect me worst if all and 25mph winds have dropped me into the 12 range. This new engine is amazing!
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As long as I’m keeping to 65ish and don’t run into hard head wind I tow Airstreams from Dayton to St. Louis or 350 miles frequently.
Bounty I believe tows a heavy tall boxy TH. Perhaps usually west perhaps a little faster.
Bounty I believe tows a heavy tall boxy TH. Perhaps usually west perhaps a little faster.
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