Tire recommendations

[metricmonkeywrench]

Well it's time for new tires on the truck and I'm looking for tire recommendations. The truck is a 2013 Ram 2500 4x4 Megacab. Standard tires are load range E. I tow a 5th wheel and this is my regular commuter with a mixed commute of highway and back roads. We get enough snow here in Virginia so all season tires are a must. Im off road less than 10% or so.

The tire site general easy answer is the usual BF Goodrich All Terrains, but I know from past experience they are not the greatest on the gas mileage side. I'm looking to spend around $200 per tire.

Of the tires out there what are the better choices for good traction, wear, mileage etc and which ones should I avoid for my application.

[lightman]

With your traction requirements, I just don't know. I've always favored high end tires like Bridgestone or Michelin. The life and mileage I get from them seems to off set the cost somewhat.

[DDriller]

I ran Bridgestone ATs on my 2500 pulling a 38' 5th wheel.

[seetrout]

When I had my Super Duty I really liked the Firestone Transforce offerings. the two outer ribs were almost solid providing good rigidity when cornering for a heavy duty application especially when towing, while the inner ribs provided good traction. I always went for the AT version although it sounds like the HT version may suit you just as well.

Everything is a compromise. You have to decide which parts are the most important to you.

[trails4u]

I've not tried them....but a friend has had good service from Nitto tires on a 2500..... I'm a BFG TA guy myself, but that's on a Toyota pickup, so very different application.

[jmort]

Michelin XPS Traction
Last a long long time
Good on and off road.

[Tom W.]

When I had my truck the dealer had some Hankook tires that nobody wanted so he sold them to me at a good price. Five years later I traded the truck and the tires were still in great shape. I did a lot of hunting back then, two miles down a logging road off the dirt road to get to my stand, and towed an 18 ft. Ranger bass boat when I wasn't hunting.

[zymguy]

Everything is a compromise. You have to decide which parts are the most important to you.

snow traction and high mileage life are not found together

[sigep1764]

We got 70000 miles out of a set of Cooper A/T's on a 4wd Suburban, believe it or not. That was our last 4x4, prolly 10 years ago, before I pick up a new to me full size Jimmy at the end of the month. It has Michelins on it that are warranted for 60k.

[waksupi]

When I had my truck the dealer had some Hankook tires that nobody wanted so he sold them to me at a good price. Five years later I traded the truck and the tires were still in great shape. I did a lot of hunting back then, two miles down a logging road off the dirt road to get to my stand, and towed an 18 ft. Ranger bass boat when I wasn't hunting.

I've had Hancocks on my last two trucks. Current set has been on nearly ten years, and are still in great condition. I don't drive all that much though.

[shooter93]

I have had all brands of tires and anymore I use Michelin. They are more expensive at times but I get 60,000 miles out of them so overall it's a bargain I think.

[sawinredneck]

I’m a big fan of Firestone Destination A/T’s, decent traction, low road noise and I average around 40k a set without rotating or balancing them. Not to shabby in my book.

[Brokenbear]

If you never travel and then no need to match a tire far from home then a tire like Hankook or Kumo will wear very well because their rubber compounding is set for harsher use than the USA conditions subject it to as they are big in Asia and many under developed countries
If you want USA built tires that can be found anywhere then Bridgestone, Michelin or Goodyear ...with the best ride to Goodyear, the longest mileage (UTQG rating equal to compare) to Michelin and the between-er Bridgestone ...honestly the COST PER MILE is pretty equal in the final analysis ...the Hankook or Kumo do actually offer the lowest cost per mile IF you don't need a replacement tire away from home
Other known brands not mentioned seen around do build some good tires HOWEVER ...They do sometimes not always "get it right" first out of the box ...or "keep it right" down the road ... Good luck
Bear

[CraigOK]

hankook dynapro atm on my pickup and wife's suburban. I know a fair amount of people that have them. Father in law pulled a toy hauler to mountains in Colorado with them on his suburban a couple months ago. I've been told they do well in the snow. They'll come in under your budget to the point you could probably get a spare for what you planned to spend

[skeeter2]

BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 is what I have on my Ram 2500. Great on snow and ice. I pull a 29 ft 5th wheel with a 18 ft boat behind it. Mileage is the same as the factory tires. They look really aggressive but don’t notice any more road noise.

[kens]

I spent the money on Michelins one time, that was a total bust.
didnt get anymore out of those than a WalMart tire.
BF Goodrich all Terrains is about as good as it gets
dodge 2500 Cummins

[bob208]

I have Hancocks on my chevy k1500 they were on it when I bought it 2 1/2 years ago. it goes in the snow hauls loads. I was in the field today in the wet grass never even needed the 4wd.

[osteodoc08]

Lots of great tires out there to choose from. Which brands do your local tire center carry?

[DCM]

They put a set of Patagoanias (sp?) on one of our plow trucks over a year ago any we are actually very happy with them.
We knew they were trying to save a buck and have called them Petunias but they have actually turned out to be a very good value for the $.

[metricmonkeywrench]

Thanks for all the input, though the decision is not final I think I'm down to the new Michelin Defender LTX, and the old standby BFG All Terrians.

We pretty much have the run of all the major tire shops and most have a price match deal of some sort.

[Petrol & Powder]

For the OP, The limiting factor is the Load Range E requirement.

First you must start with a tire of the correct size and Load Range E, after meeting that requirement you then look for tread design and tread compound.

If the bulk of your use is on the highway pulling a trailer, I would look towards a highway rib design for the tread over an All-terrain type.

Finding a good Load Range E tire of that large size for under $200 is going to be a challenge.

[Tatume]

I run Michelin Defender LTX M/S LT235/85R16 tires (load range E) on my 1999 Ford SRW, 4WD, regular cab Super Duty. I've tried several different tires, and have settled on this one as the best, and the best value. They have a soft ride, give excellent traction, are quiet, and consistently run 60,000 miles per set. My most recent set cost $910 before the $70 rebate. My Super Duty has 370,000+ miles and runs like new. I expect it to be the last truck I ever own, so I'm taking good care of it.

Where in Virginia do you live?

[metricmonkeywrench]

Folks just to clear up some level of understanding this is my second 3/4 ton truck, my first a 99 Ram 2500 went thru several sets of tires in its lifetime (~250k when traded) towing both a tail dragger camper and a 5th wheel, so I am well versed in what load range E brings with it, but I am behind the times in tires and the current selections. Not many around here at work run heavy trucks so there is little input I can get locally hence my question.

Tatume, I'm in Stafford, about 40mi south of Washington DC along the I95 corridor

[MtnGunner]

I’m about to try a set of Bridgestone REVO 3 tires on my Grand Cherokee, they will be the first non Michelin tires I have purchased in a long time.

[novalty]

I’ve tried several different brands, and my current favorite are Falken Wildpeak AT3W, which are currently on my 3/4 (Load E-rated). Great price, great traction, and low noise. I doubt they will get anywhere near the 55k mileage wear being on a 3/4 ton, but they are still in great shape with over 11k.

[Tatume]

Tatume, I'm in Stafford, about 40mi south of Washington DC along the I95 corridor

Stafford RV is where I bought the Airstream trailer I tow with my 99 Super Duty. I go by there frequently on my way to USMCB Quantico.

Take care, Tom

[tryNto]

Toyo makes a good tire for towing, highway and mild offroad.
At $200 a tire you will be limited.

[Tatume]

At $210 per tire for top of the line Michelins the limitation is not severe. That includes shipping from TireRack.com.

[DCM]

They put a set of Patagoanias on one of our plow trucks over a year ago any we are actually very happy with them.
We knew they were trying to save a buck and have called them Petunias but they have actually turned out to be a very good value for the $.

These are on a 3/4 ton with a very large and heavy plow.

[Mal Paso]

I spent the money on Michelins one time, that was a total bust.
didnt get anymore out of those than a WalMart tire.
BF Goodrich all Terrains is about as good as it gets
dodge 2500 Cummins

Same here. BF Goodrich All Terrain is what my Cummins 2500 4x came with and last 30% longer than the Michelins I tried. Currently running Toyo, they were a better price than BF Goodrich, $800 OTD, similar traction.

[zardoz]

I have had all brands of tires and anymore I use Michelin. They are more expensive at times but I get 60,000 miles out of them so overall it's a bargain I think.

Same experience here. After using a dozen other brands of tires over the years, when I got my first set of Michelin on my pickup, I was muttering to myself, "I should have been getting these all along." Well worth the extra cost to me.

[BD]

The company I work for has a small fleet of about 15 GM trucks. For All of the 3/4 ton and 1 ton trucks we have gone to the load range E Michelin Defender series. It's proven to be the lowest cost per mile for us and they are as good in the snow as anyones standard snow tire. On the 3/4 ton diesel I drive daily I'm getting around 50,000 miles out of them, and I replace them well before they won't pass inspection. The only one I've wrecked was due to a sidewall cut from driving on blastings in the snow. It never blew out, but it wouldn't pass inspection with the cut. IMHO the critical path to long tire life involves keeping up with the alignment and front end wear components. I've found this to be a constant process for friends running the Dodge's on northern Maine roads.

[jmort]

The Defender is good.
The XPS Traction is better.
Reflected in the price.
Well worth it as XPS lasts longer.
Mine excel on and off road.

[Tatume]

Regular rotations help with tire longevity too.

[metricmonkeywrench]

Decision made, my local big box store knocked $100 off the store price for the Michelin Defenders.

Thanks for all the input and recommendations.

[jmort]

Good choice