BFG All Terrain trailer tires? from VW van folks

[Dave_L]

Not looking to start a huge debate over ST vs LT tires, but have got some ideas from VW bus folks who require a similar tire that we do for their 5500 lb beasties.

Considering that over 50% of our trailer use will be on gravel forestry road on Vancouver Island and throughout BC, predominantly in off season/winter months is there a good/valid reason not to go with a tire such the D rated (8ply) 3ply-sidewalled BFG All Terrain LT Tire (Tire rack link)

Specs:
LT195/75R14 25.5" diam
Speed/load rating: 99/96R D
Max load: 1710 lbs @ 65 psi
Tread: 16/32"
Weight 31 lbs.

These sound very much like the Kumho Radial 857, but with an A/T tread, which I wonder if it will be too 'squirmy'

I can't find a decent ST tire around here so will have to order tires in, I can source these locally though, the tire dealer originally suggested Yokohama Y370's then came up as he had used successfully when he was a VW van dude.

Anybody tow with these tires on a trailer? Squirmy? Any valid reasons NOT to go with these given the intended application?

Thanks for any constructive feedback

[Bob Miller]

I think that "squirmy" might be the right word. But, in as much as you don't need the tread for steering and/or drive axles, you might look at the Yokohama Y-356 series, Load Range "D", in 185R14 size. I have had a lot of experience with that tire on 6000 lb mini-motorhomes without any issues. And they cost a bit less.... Here's a link:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....omCompare1=yes

[Dave_L]

Thanks Bob,
The 'Canadian Edition' of that tire is the Y370, another tire I can source locally. I'm hoping for something that can with stand a fair bit of gravel road travel - how do the y356's fair?

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Dave_L

Not looking to start a huge debate over ST vs LT tires, but have got some ideas from VW bus folks who require a similar tire that we do for their 5500 lb beasties.

Considering that over 50% of our trailer use will be on gravel forestry road on Vancouver Island and throughout BC, predominantly in off season/winter months is there a good/valid reason not to go with a tire such the D rated (8ply) 3ply-sidewalled BFG All Terrain LT Tire (Tire rack link)

Specs:
LT195/75R14 25.5" diam
Speed/load rating: 99/96R D
Max load: 1710 lbs @ 65 psi
Tread: 16/32"
Weight 31 lbs.

These sound very much like the Kumho Radial 857, but with an A/T tread, which I wonder if it will be too 'squirmy'

I can't find a decent ST tire around here so will have to order tires in, I can source these locally though, the tire dealer originally suggested Yokohama Y370's then came up as he had used successfully when he was a VW van dude.

Anybody tow with these tires on a trailer? Squirmy? Any valid reasons NOT to go with these given the intended application?

Thanks for any constructive feedback

Dave, being an Island girl I suspect I might have traveled on some of the roads you are considering. Over the years I have gone along for the ride on a fair number of boat hauls etc out to the Gap and Bamfield and have had my trailer spend a couple of summers on the island on the back roads in that area as well. Yup those roads do eat tires. But I am not totally convinced they eat proportionality more ST's than others. In 2 summers of travel on such roads with my trailer I did develop a leak in one ST tire that was about 3 years old at the time - but have been in far more tugs that developed tire issues as a result of those roads over the years than the trailers they are hauling and some had brand new tires. So for whats its worth, depending on how much more the tire you are considering costs it may not turn out to be a better value.

[Ken C]

livin-lite hardsided them from the factory with an offroad package. Here is a CL13QB

[Ken C]

You can call them and ask them about it is an idea. another photo

[Byron Kinnaman]

I'm a believer that the load rating on each trailer tire should be greater than the 1/2 the total weight of the trailer. But double or more, I also think can cause more problems. The larger load rating creates a harder tire which will bounce and vibrate more causing damage to the trailer. Consider that it might be false economy.

[Steve L.]

Originally Posted by Byron Kinnaman

...The larger load rating creates a harder tire which will bounce and vibrate more causing damage to the trailer. Consider that it might be false economy.

Not so much if the bigger tire's inflation pressure is set for the actual trailer load. If you don't know the actual load, reducing the bigger tire's inflation pressure to that which handles the smaller tire's max load should mitigate the hardness. i.e. the larger tire can carry the same load at a lower pressure than the smaller tire. But if you run both at each tire's max inflation pressure I'd agree with your thinking.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by Steve L.

Not so much if the bigger tire's inflation pressure is set for the actual trailer load. If you don't know the actual load, reducing the bigger tire's inflation pressure to that which handles the smaller tire's max load should mitigate the hardness. But if you run both at each tire's max inflation pressure I'd agree with your thinking.

Well here we go again. Remember Ford Explorer and tires?

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Byron Kinnaman

Well here we go again. Remember Ford Explorer and tires?

Oh PLEASE Byron lets not go there again hopefully they have all had their tires changed by now!

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by carol h

oh please byron lets not go there again Hopefully they have all had their tires changed by now! :d

You're right, that's a bad place to go just like religion and politics.
:d:d:d

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Byron Kinnaman

The larger load rating creates a harder tire which will bounce and vibrate more causing damage to the trailer. Consider that it might be false economy.

Byron raises another good point that may have more impact on a fiberglass trailer than a stick trailer. I know that while traveling the back roads on the Island that they can be very wash board resulting a rough ride. I have had a few rivets snap in two while driving on those roads. Indicating that even with the ST tires there is a great deal of flex and bounce taking place. Better to have the rivet snap than the fiberglass crack. I also know of a very $$$$ fiberglass boat that the transom cracked on after a summer of running on those back roads with a large engine on it - it had to be sent back 3000 miles to the factory for repair as a result. Putting to stiff a tire on fiberglass trailers on rough roads may have an unexpected fall out.

[Dave_L]

Thanks for the link Ken, thought I saw them somewhere, but wasn't sure. And Carol, thanks for your info and for quickly donning a moderator-ish hat

[Steve L.]

Originally Posted by Byron Kinnaman

You're right, that's a bad place to go just like religion and politics.
:d:d:d

And spectacularly off topic!

[gmw photos]

Another LT tire used by the VW van folks is the Hankook RA08.
I believe you can still get them from busdepot dot com

Regarding higher inflation pressures, it would be wise to consider whether the wheels you have are rated for higher pressures. Also metal valve stems are generally recommended if not required for higher pressures.
If you need new wheels, you can do some comparison shopping on the Sendel site and see what load and pressure ratings are for their wheels. It seems that Sendel is making a lot of the wheels for the trailer industry in general, and the RV industry in particular.

[Dave_L]

Thanks, but BusDepot is US (and where I got s bit of the info from as well as another VW bus site) so shipping is too expensive.

As for rims, not an issue as new properly rated rims are going to be part of the upgrade as well.

HiSpec (HWT) make a slightly improved trailer wheel apparently, with steel insets in the lug nut holes.

[Jared J]

Might want to check out maxxis ue-168n bravo tires.

[Dave_L]

Ran Maxxis on our Bigfoot,no problems and quite happy with them. Problem is Maxxis is almost impossible to find here in Canukistan and they have NOT responded to any inquiries. Obviously don't want/need the businiess up here in the Great White North

[Ken C]

Ace browns lifted 6in with 30in

[Dave_L]

I've seen Ace's get-up (which he has now sold) and it has me thinking again about the BFG AT's. Given how and where we travel I'm going to look into them again.

I can't get Kumho's or Maxxis up here without paying an arm & leg for shipping across the border, and many of the other ST tires don't inspire much confidence.

Hmmm