Tow Vehicle Tires

[HangOutdoors]

In preparation for our trip to Florida towing the boat and looking at how much tread I have left on my tires, I want to change the tires on my Tow Vehicle/Daily Driver. I don't know much about tires so I am looking for some recommendations.

2017 Ford Expedition Limited 4x4
Tire size 275/55 R20

It is my daily driver, Tow vehicle and our vacation vehicle.
Someone mentioned Michelin Defenders.
I would like a nice ride but be able to do great towing and also some of the two tracks we take back for many miles in the country.
Not looking for top of the line, may only have vehicle for another couple years, depending on how vehicle inventory shakes out, but I don't want to put junk on it in case my plans change.

Any thoughts?

 

[MrBubbaGump]

I’m a fan of Toyo specifically for your application as you describe I would recommend the Open Country AT III. Those are what I put on my wife’s Explorer and it rides great and is quite. If you want something a little more aggressive I put Toyo RT’s on my F150, they look great and are not as loud as the MT tire they make. Honestly I can’t complain about either tire.

 

[TimW451]

I would probably buy the Michelin Defenders, because 80% of the time I buy tires at Costco and that is what they recommend for your truck. I’ve had good luck with Michelins on my previous Odyssey (2 sets) and Tahoe (1 set). Also, Continental is a good brand and makes tires in the USA.

 

[scokill]

My experience with Michelin tires is they ride well but don't last long. My current truck has bridgestones and seem like they are OK. It all depends on the model and not so much the manufacturer on mainstream branded tires. Models also go away frequently and replaced with new model which may/may not be as good as another.

 

[WV Hillbilly]

+1 on the Michelin Defenders. The tread doesn’t look very aggressive but they are exceptionally good in the mud and snow. On the Yukon I was averaging 110k miles, the Jimmy 90k, and the admirals 2020 Terrain only has 14k on it so no data there. The ride is great, the wet weather traction is excellent, no hydroplaning, quiet ride.

I hunt a number of different places between here and Montana with a couple of sxs’s on a trailer and have been up some 2 tracks as well as weed/grass filled gas roads and power right of ways with good results. This is by no means 4 wheeling or rock crawling…

My 22 Denali HD came with Goodyear and I’m not overly impressed. Yes, they are a much heavier load range tire but the wet weather and noise level are not as good as my experience with the defender. I’ll run them but the next set will be Michelin.

A couple of times a year, Michelin will offer a rebate on 4 tires which will usually cover more than the mount/balance cost. While the initial cost may seem high, the cost per mile and the ride/traction to me is well worth it in the long run.

 

[zipper]

I have Michelin X LT A/S on the GMC. I was impressed by their A/T capabilities this past Winter. I usually run Cooper M/S on my trucks, but found the Michelins very capable on our steep mile long driveway. I like them so far.

 

[adrianp89]

I have Nitto Ridge Grapplers and I doubt I will ever use anything else. When I buy a new truck - the first thing I do is put those on.

While shopping, also consider the weight of the tires. That can really crush your gas mileage.

 

[suke]

Cooper Discover AT3 are the only tires I buy when it comes time for tires for anything that tows/hauls/does any off-roading. They now have several different flavors from less aggressive AT3 to more aggressive AT3. All are A/T tires, just more sporty than the others.

 

[2kwik4u]

I'm a continental fan boy. Every time I get them I like them, they wear well, and are generally a quality product.

I put a set of 275/55/20 Terrain Contact A/T's on my Sierra. They rode nicely, and looked the part despite being a "mild A/T" that was far more street oriented than off road oriented all terrain tire.

 

[HangOutdoors]

Had them put on this morning. Michelin Defender's.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Had them put on this morning. Michelin Defender's.

View attachment 183341

Those are awesome tires HOD! I’ve run the the Michelin LTX tires for over 20 years and love them. I’ve driven one ton 4x4 trucks since 1991 and tow quite a bit. I usually get about 55-65,000 miles out of them, they’re quiet, smooth, and get good traction in a wide variety of conditions both on and off road.

 

[RobbieO]

I just put Michelin Defenders (10 ply) on my 2500 Ram. They are smooth and quiet. I would of preferred Bridgestones but they weren’t available. I do agree that Michelins wear faster. I bought them a few months ago and they were the only ones that were readily available at the time. Highly recommend.

 

[WV Hillbilly]

I just put Michelin Defenders (10 ply) on my 2500 Ram. They are smooth and quiet. I would of preferred Bridgestones but they weren’t available. I do agree that Michelins wear faster. I bought them a few months ago and they were the only ones that were readily available at the time. Highly recommend.

Good to know… I will need the same on my 2500 Denali. I have run nothing but Defenders and all the GMC’s and have been very pleased with the mileage, ride, and traction. I was wondering what the 10 ply was like on. 3/4 ton. Great to hear that it runs like most in the line.

 

[HangOutdoors]

TBH, The truck feels so much better. Had it out for spin on the freeway and the roads around here. Nice and smooth and crisp.

 

[RobbieO]

TBH, The truck feels so much better. Had it out for spin on the freeway and the roads around here. Nice and smooth and crisp.

The truck or the trailer?

 

[RobbieO]

Good to know… I will need the same on my 2500 Denali. I have run nothing but Defenders and all the GMC’s and have been very pleased with the mileage, ride, and traction. I was wondering what the 10 ply was like on. 3/4 ton. Great to hear that it runs like most in the line.

I have a camper on my truck and the tires have been great. I run 80 psi in the rear and 60 in the front. Extremely happy with the defenders and endurance on my trailer. Confident trailering with a cabover camper

 

[RobbieO]

TBH, The truck feels so much better. Had it out for spin on the freeway and the roads around here. Nice and smooth and crisp.

Defenders?

 

[HangOutdoors]

Defenders?

Yes the truck the defenders. Still working on the rims for the trailer in the garage.

 

[RobbieO]

Yes the truck the defenders. Still working on the rims for the trailer in the garage.

Good deal. You’ll be amazed.

 

[PEARCE]

I need to buy stock in tires! In the past month we have replaced 2 tires on my wife's 2019 Expedition, the Yokohama's were wearing out way too fast and were warrantied, we switched to Michelins. Even with just the 2 new ones on the rear I can tell a huge difference in the ride. On the same day I had my daughters Rogue at the shop too and it needed 2 tires as well so we put a pair of Michelins on hers too. First time buying tire for that vehicle since buying it used before the Covid market went bonkers. It had a pair of the original Goodyears that were past due being replaced. We next moved onto the camper. The last time it needed tires I went up in size from a 15 to a 16" wheel so I could easily get LT tires instead of having to run ST or trailer tires. I choose to get Michelin LTX in load range E. I've run that same set for 7 years! Now, keep in mind we really didn't use it for the past year, which is bad for tires to just sit. We planned a big trip with the camper this summer so we knew that new tires were in the budget. I got another set of Michelins! The trailer rides so smooth and straight and I can tow as fast as I want to burn diesel. Now, fast forward a week and we're starting our vacation and we're running down the interstate hwy with the trailer in tow and I'm getting a weird vibration through the truck. Thinking it has to be a bad paving job and it won't last long. Well, it didn't go away. We dropped the trailer in a parking lot and just drove the truck to try and isolate the issue. It was an issue with the truck. Pulled into a service bay at a Ram dealership thinking I had a drivetrain issue and the service manager walked around the truck to look at my tires and noticed my right rear tire was starting to separate badly. I shook his hand and thanked him for his time and we headed to Discount Tire. The tire that was coming apart had the most tread out of all of them. My front tires were due to be replaced soon, but the shop insisted that they need to be replaced. So, 4 new tires for the truck! Yeah! My souvenir for the trip. I had been running Bridgestone ATP and had been very pleased with how they rode and how they held up. I got over 51k out of them! They were warrantied for 50k, but the shop warrantied out the tire that was failing so I only had to pay for 3 tires. Thanks to Covid and supply chain issues certain tire sizes are hard to get if they are not OEM. I run a 285 70R 17 on my factory wheel. That's a slightly oversize to a 265 that is the standard size. That's a huge difference in the looks department! So the #1 rated tire for my 08 Ram is the BFG K02 All-Terrrain. They had them in stock and that's what I got. They sure changed the look of the truck. They are also quit on the road and I feel they hold the road very well. They are also rated to 50k miles so we'll see how they hold up.