Choosing the Best Tires for Your Travel Trailer

Having the correct tires on your tow vehicle is critical for road safety and performance, but the tires on your trailer are equally, if not more, important. Whether you’re pulling a travel trailer, fifth wheel, boat, or utility trailer, selecting the right tires helps ensure safety, stability, and prevents costly failures on the road. To assist you in making an informed decision and picking the Best Tires For A Travel Trailer or other trailer types, here are some essential tips.

When you acquire a trailer, whether new or used, it’s wise to have its tires and related components professionally inspected. A thorough check should include verifying tire air pressure, ensuring lug nuts are properly torqued, confirming the spare tire is ready for use, and inspecting the wheel bearings. Understanding what you need in your vehicle to change a flat tire on an RV or trailer before you hit the road is also vital preparation for travel, especially when considering extended trips like traveling across the us by rv. Some trailers may require specialty tools for tire changes or wheel bearing maintenance, like greasing wheel bearings on travel trailer. Seeking expert advice can help clarify these needs.

Understanding Your Trailer Tire Options

When choosing tires for your trailer, you generally have two main categories: ST (Special Trailer) tires and LT (Light Truck) tires. While LT tires might appeal for aesthetic reasons, potentially matching the tires on your tow vehicle, ST tires are specifically engineered for trailer applications and are often the superior choice.

ST (Special Trailer) vs. LT (Light Truck) Tires

ST tires are designed with stronger sidewalls and stiffer construction compared to LT tires. This build helps minimize trailer sway, improve stability under heavy loads, and are constructed to handle the vertical load requirements unique to trailers. They typically have shallower tread depth than LT tires, which contributes to less rolling resistance and can improve fuel economy.

LT tires, while suitable for light trucks and SUVs, are built primarily for traction and handling on a powered vehicle, not the heavy, non-driven loads of a trailer. Using LT tires on a trailer can lead to increased sway and potentially premature failure due to the different stresses they are subjected to.

Choosing Tires Based on Trailer Type

The specific type of trailer you own influences the best tire choice, though ST tires are often recommended across the board for their specialized design.

• Boat Trailer Tires: The tires on your boat trailer must withstand heavy loads and often deal with exposure to water. ST tires are generally recommended for boat trailers due to their load capacity and stability features, which are essential for safely towing a boat.
• Travel and Fifth-Wheel Trailer Tires: For travel trailers, fifth-wheel trailers, pop-up campers, and bumper-pull trailers, the choice between ST and LT tires depends on factors like the trailer’s weight, how often you travel, and highway speeds. However, ST tires are specifically designed for the demands of pulling heavy loads over long distances, offering better stability and fuel economy due to their construction and tread pattern compared to LT tires. Considerations like adding accessories, such as a travel trailer bike rack bumper, also add weight that the tires must support.
• Utility/Livestock Trailer Tires: Whether hauling recreational vehicles like UTVs, ATVs, or dirt bikes, or transporting livestock, the tires on your utility trailer must be robust and stable. ST tires are typically best suited for these applications, providing the necessary load capacity and stability for diverse cargo and road conditions.

Radial vs. Bias Ply Construction

Beyond the ST or LT designation, trailer tires are constructed using either radial or bias ply technology, each offering different performance characteristics.

Radial tires are built with layers of cord running across the tire from bead to bead, with stabilizing belts under the tread. This construction allows the sidewall and tread to work more independently.

Cross-section diagram showing the 90-degree belt angle in radial trailer tires.

Radial trailer tires generally offer a longer tread life, better heat dissipation at highway speeds (reducing the risk of blowouts), lower rolling resistance for a smoother ride and improved fuel efficiency, and are less likely to develop flat spots when parked for extended periods, which is common with used casita travel trailer for sale or other models stored off-season.

Bias ply tires are constructed with body cords running at alternating angles (typically 30-45 degrees) to the tread centerline. This creates a stiffer sidewall.

Diagram illustrating the 30-45 degree ply angle in bias ply trailer tires.

While the stiffer sidewall of bias ply tires can potentially reduce some types of trailer sway and increase stability for certain specific applications, they tend to run hotter at highway speeds and may wear faster than radial tires. Availability for bias ply tires is also more limited today. For most modern trailers, radial tires offer superior overall performance and longevity.

Important Tip: Whether you choose radial or bias construction, it is crucial to use the same type, size, and load range on all wheel positions on your trailer for consistent performance and safety.

Understanding Trailer and Tire Load Limitations

Every trailer has a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), which is the maximum loaded weight the trailer is designed to handle, including the weight of the trailer itself and all cargo. This rating is typically found on a placard or sticker located on the trailer frame.

Travel trailer weight placard showing Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and cargo capacity.

The tires on your trailer must have a combined maximum load capacity that meets or exceeds the trailer’s GVWR. Simply putting tires with a higher load capacity on your trailer does not increase the trailer’s overall weight-carrying capacity, which is limited by its axle rating and structural components. Staying within the trailer’s stated GVWR and using correctly rated tires significantly reduces the risk of issues.

Tire load capacity is directly linked to inflation pressure. A tire can only carry its maximum rated load when inflated to its maximum specified air pressure.

Closeup of a trailer tire sidewall indicating maximum load carrying capacity at maximum inflation pressure.

Underinflating trailer tires decreases their load-carrying capacity and their safe speed rating, dramatically increasing the risk of heat buildup and tire failure. Always inflate your trailer tires to the maximum pressure indicated on the tire sidewall when carrying maximum load, and never exceed this pressure.

Conclusion

Choosing the Best Tires For A Travel Trailer or any other trailer type involves understanding the specific demands of towing, the differences between tire types (ST vs. LT) and construction (Radial vs. Bias), and strictly adhering to load and inflation limits. Selecting ST radial tires that meet or exceed your trailer’s GVWR and maintaining proper inflation are key steps to ensuring safe and reliable travel. Regularly inspecting your trailer tires for wear, cracks, and proper pressure before each trip is a simple but critical practice that can prevent breakdowns and enhance your towing experience.