Do I need E rated tires to tow a smaller travel trailer?

Hey all,

I need new tires and looking at Michelin Defender LTX M/S2, which comes in E or XL load ranges. The XL rated tire is 2,756 lbs max load and the E rated tire is 3,415 lbs max load.

The RV that we're looking at is rated for 2850 lbs dry and 5500 lbs gvrw.
For towing this rv weight, is E rated tires recommended or the XL load tire should be fine?

I don't off-road, maybe occasional gravel or dirt roads. I anticipate driving more on these types of roads to get into RV campsites, etc.

TIA.

 

Thanks for the feedback

 

I agree with CoTJ. E's are overkill for your application. Remember that to get those load ratings you have to air them up to like 80 psi. Not a great ride.

I've towed a 5500 pound grand design all over the country on 35" Toyo C rated tires. Does fine and is way comfier than the Cooper E rated I had previously.

 

Yah, E rated tires are 10 lbs heavier than the XL tires.
The only reason I was considering the E tires was that I assume the E tires have stiffer side walls and thought that might help with towing.
This is the 1st time I'm towing anything, so trying to get my truck as ready as possible for it.

 

Thanks, that's good to hear! We're planning to use it to visit all the national parks out west and Canada, so I want to be as ready as possible.

 

Btw, one more question. The XL tires have max psi of 50. So I should air up all 4 tires to 50? or just the rear tires?

 

If you want to be SUPER ready for western towing go get yourself a supercharger! and/or some 5.29 gears

 

Eh, I call this personal preference. I don't usually run max pressure in any tire. I think you'd be more comfortable closer to 40psi cold, which also gives you room for pressure increases as you heat up.

 

lol, yah, I'd love to get a SC, gotta start saving my pennies.
My stock truck will have to do for now.

 

Ok. Thanks for the advice.

 

When towing, go for the max pressure on the tires. Tire pressure is what gives you weight carrying capacity. At 30 or 40 psi, the weight carrying ability is reduced. At lower psi, the sidewall of the tire will flex more (comfy ride unloaded), but with each rotation of the tire, the part of the tire between the truck and the pavement will squish more at low psi. That flexing of the sidewall creates heat. Heat build up is a major cause of tire sidewall failure. When towing, air up. You'll end up with similar axle weights front to rear, I usually air them all up. Also, the tire pressure on the sidewall is the COLD tire pressure. It's normal for the tire to warm up when driving, and the pressure will likely exceed that COLD rating when doing so. DO NOT bleed off the extra pressure, this is normal.

 

Ah, gotcha. Ok, so I can air up all 4 tires to max 50 psi when towing, then just air down once we get to the campground. Thanks for the info.

 

You can get more fancy, but that's not a bad approach. There are charts that estimate the load capacity at different psi. You're only looking at probably 400lbs tongue weight, if you have your tow setup properly. When I haul my 3,000lb camper with about 300lbs tongue weight, I don't air my tires to the max. I haven't towed it much lately but probably no higher than 45psi.

I have a slide-in camper that weighs about 1,000lbs, so that's 1,000lbs directly on my truck, as opposed to something like 3-500lbs tongue weight from a trailer. Probaby I should have E rated tires...but only because I haul that camper down rough dirt roads. For pavement, I'm well within the max capacity of my XL tires. But I do air them to 50psi.

E rated tires are nice for peace of mind, but a lot of people who run them absolutely don't need them.

 

Yup, yours and other's input so far has convinced me that I don't need E rated tires, so I ordered the XL rated Michelins.
Thanks for your advice.