A LT tire meeting the correct specifications will work very well, often even better, than a ST tire.
call Michelins truck tire customer assistance and ask for Nance and she will be glad to respond that Michelin recommends the XPS for commercial trailer tire use. Customer service may have the info how the determination was made or connect you to their engineering staff for more info.
Michelins old XPS web stated it was recommended for commercial trailer tire use. The new XPS web doesn't.
Jim
'03 2500 Dodge/Cummins HO 3.73 6 speed manual Jacobs
'97 Park Avanue 28' with two slides
A LT tire meeting the correct specifications will work very well, often even better, than a ST tire.
call Michelins truck tire customer assistance and ask for Nance and she will be glad to respond that Michelin recommends the XPS for commercial trailer tire use. Customer service may have the info how the determination was made or connect you to their engineering staff for more info.
Michelins old XPS web stated it was recommended for commercial trailer tire use. The new XPS web doesn't.
Jim
On the Michelin truck website Michelin commercial truck tires
You will find that the XPS Ribs as rated as an all position commercial truck tire. Meaning that they are qualified to be placed on the steering axle, the drive axle or the trailer axle. For my 12Klb RV I could not find a better tire for it. I agree with Balvert for the investment we have in the rv a couple of hundreds dollars per tire extra cost is very cheap insurance against much higher failure costs.
2001 Newmar Kountry Star 34BLDS 2001 Ford F350 CC SRW V10 4.30LS
Trip this past week blew one tire (RR) last Sunday on way to lake; today (well Friday) blew one (RF) on the way home. Told wife we need to get LT tires.
Both times got off road ASAP and knew they blew; actually today I saw all the tread appear on the roadway behind me and started for the shoulder and then it blew. First tire only lost small section of tread.
Tires are Mission LoadMax ST235/80R16; 3520@80 psi; I was worried about these China tires shortly after purchasing the 5th last year but I noticed 99% of problems were 15" tires. I have been diligent to keep my inflation pressure at 80 psi and watch the tires.
Bought replacement tire (all that was available near blowout location); which was a Power King TowMax in same size with same load rating.
So I have been searching and reading the tire threads again since last year.
Problem I have with going with LT is that 16" LT-E tires typically have a maximum load rating of 3042 lbs @ 80 psi. The axles are 7,000 lb. axles; the fiver GVWR is 16,000; actual is nearer 14,000 (yes I have weighed just don't remember exactly).
Looks like a load range G tire would work but I doubt my rims are rated 110 psi for the 3750 lb rating; or even 100 psi for the 3550 lb rating per the Goodyear Unisteel G614 RST loading sheet.
Unless my current rims are rated for the G load range tires it would seem to me that LT "E" range tires are not the answer at least in my case. The "E" load range would be fine with my current loading but not for the GVWR rating.
Nothing is simple.
Bob
07 K-Z Montego Bay 34RLB-3
08 F-350 Dually 4x4 Crewcab; 4.10LS; auto; 6.4 PSD; wide track front axle
N5BUJ
Problem I have with going with LT is that 16" LT-E tires typically have a maximum load rating of 3042 lbs @ 80 psi. The axles are 7,000 lb. axles; the fiver GVWR is 16,000; actual is nearer 14,000 (yes I have weighed just don't remember exactly).
Looks like a load range G tire would work but I doubt my rims are rated 110 psi for the 3750 lb rating; or even 100 psi for the 3550 lb rating per the Goodyear Unisteel G614 RST loading sheet.
Unless my current rims are rated for the G load range tires it would seem to me that LT "E" range tires are not the answer at least in my case. The "E" load range would be fine with my current loading but not for the GVWR rating.
Nothing is simple.
Bob
Checkout these tires. I have heard nothing but good reports about Denmans.Denman Express ST RadialsThey come in 10 ply rating 236/85R16 size with a rating of 3640 lbs per tire at 80 PSI and I believe are American made. Without changing rims and tires to get the G rating this might be your best alternative. My GVWR is 14400lbs for the 3072 lb rating of the Michelin XPS Ribs are just right. The Ribs are so beefy they probably would take a lot of abuse but I'd hate to go over the tire rating for very long especially at interstate speed. That's one thing with the Denmans, there does not appear to be a speed rating on their website. Most ST tires are rated for a lower speed at a given weight than LT tires. Good luck finding some other than Chinese Maypops
Just noted your post indicated you had both ride side tires blow. Any chance your side to side weight loading is putting more weight on the right hand side of your trailers?? You could have overloaded the RF when the RR blew first but you stated that you pulled over and stopped very quickly so I'm discounting that fact.
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bnmccoy wrote: . . . SNIP . . .
So I have been searching and reading the tire threads again since last year.
Problem I have with going with LT is that 16" LT-E tires typically have a maximum load rating of 3042 lbs @ 80 psi. The axles are 7,000 lb. axles; the fiver GVWR is 16,000; actual is nearer 14,000 (yes I have weighed just don't remember exactly).
Nothing is simple.
Bob
Don't forget that you can subtract your pin weight from the total weight of your trailer. This could be as much as 3500# leaving only 10500 on the axles (25% pin weight on some 5ers).
If you go with the XPS Ribs make sure you don't keep adding weight over the years.
1990 6500 Chevy Kodiak, 8.3L Cummins 450 HP
6sp Allison 3060, 3.70 R/A Home Made Air Ride
2006 Newmar Cypress
Picture of '93 Mountain Aire Story of it's death by fire and explosion
Weight last year was 2720 on pin and 10,700 on both axles; or 13,420. That was with full water tank for weighing purposes; when I had the F-250 (drained water after weighing). Reason we went with dually.
I haven't been running with empty water tank but about 1/4 full; and I know we have added some additional weight.
I don't really think the right side (side with blown tires) would be the heavier side if one side is heavy as the reefer is on the opposite side with center kitchen and that is where I would expect most loading. Next weighing will include side to side and individual axle weighing.
I did some more searching and it would seem that to get the 8 lug wheels I have in a 3500# rating for the 7,000# axles they would have to be rated at 110 psi too. Least ways I couldn't find wheels rated for 3500 that were not 110 psi rated too. I also found where other KZ owners made upgrade and wheels were rated 110 psi (steel though and I have aluminum). My spare wheel is steel though.
So I'll drive across town today (RV stored at daughter's place) to retrieve the other blown tire still on the aluminum rim to find out the rating. Hopefully it will be stamped on outside; if not I'll get it broke down.
If the rim is good for 110 psi then I think G load range tires are in the future.
The first tire had a straight cut in the side wall. I actually thought I must have run over something and cut it; although I would have thought the cut would have followed the radius of the wheel. This was what I attributed the blowout to. Wheels and tires were all off of RV prior to trip for maintenance and I know there wasn't any obvious damage prior to departure.
The second blowout had a similiar straight spot (but not all the way through the side wall). I throughly checked this tire after the first blowout and know I did not run over anything, nor drop a wheel over the road edge, etc. I think the cut was from the brakes locking the blown wheel up a I pulled off of the road and the locked wheel went over the edge of the shoulder. Yea I pulled all the way over off of the shoulder. First blowout it was 106 degrees in afternoon; yesterday was a cool 86 degrees I was just saying my prayers of thankfullness that in both cases they didn't go while I was in previous narrow single lane construction with no place to pull over.
I hadn't checked the spare tire pressure since new; and had to inflate it from 60 psi to 80 psi prior to installation. That made me feel better about buying the little compressor to carry.
Lots of excellent information on this site; I've been lurking for some time. My biggest ignorance was the 65 MPH maximum rating on ST tires. Most the fiver pulling has been 60-65. I pulled the old TT for 19 years at legal posted limits as high as 75 MPH. Bias ST tires later upgraded to GU Marathons. We have a single axle boat trailer which is on second set of Marathons.
It happens quickly. We just picked up our new 5th wheel yesterday with 67psi in all four (gasp) Nankang 225/75 R15 ST tires. The 140~ mile trip home went very well and it's amazing how much 3k lbs less weight and far better aerodynamics makes for truly set cruise and forget it's back there towing but, I backed it into the yard by the house and did a walk around check only to find a sheet rock screw in the right front "eek" Nankang tire. Checked it and it was already down to 53 psi. I bet a hundred more miles in that 96*F heat on I-75 and I would have been on the side of the road cussing the "gag" Nankang tires. I don't even need to look. I'm sure with the name "Nankang" they weren't made in the US, Canada or Mexico. I like ST tires for their soft ride and easy scuffing. Easier on the trailer and suspension. But only if they're loaded no more than 65% of thier rated capacity.
'05 2500HD Dodge 5.7L Hemi 5spd auto/3.73 SLT. 95k miles
ex '95 Cummins,'98 12v Cummins,'01.5 Cummins,'03 Cummins
'07 KZ Jag 28JFSS.
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I was just saying my prayers of thankfullness that in both cases they didn't go while I was in previous narrow single lane construction with no place to pull over. 
