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RV Tire Buying Guide

Nov. 12 2020 Buying Guide By Schwab's RV World

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There are lots of tires in the world, but not every tire will work with your particular RV. If you don’t use the correct tires when replacing tires on your RV, then you’re opening yourself up to a whole host of problems that can make driving more difficult. The wrong tires can even cause damage to your RV or a dangerous blowout on the highway and you don’t want that!

So how do you choose the right tires for your RV? Schwab's RV World in Leduc is your Alberta RV dealer. Below, you’ll find a description of the different types of tires available for RVs so that you can make the right choice when outfitting your own rig.

Light Truck Vs. Special Trailer

Broadly speaking, there are two types of tires that you can use on your RV: light truck (LT) tires and special trailer (ST) tires. Each one is made for a particular style of RV, so you’ll need to make sure you’re buying the right type.

If you have a Class A, B or C motorhome, then you’ll want to get LT tires. These tires are built for bigger rigs and have more material in their sidewalls to support heavier loads.

ST tires are best for towed RVs like fifth wheels and travel trailers. ST tires handle the heavy weight of a trailer with ease and provide more strength than the average passenger vehicle tire. ST tires are also designed to help reduce trailer sway, which is a common issue with towables.

Bias-Ply Vs. Radial-Ply Tires

Tires also come in bias- and radial-ply styles. Typical passenger cars and trucks throughout North America use radial-ply tires almost exclusively, since this has been the standard in manufacturing since 1976. But RVs are a bit different and there is still a market for bias-ply tires on certain types of vehicles.

Bias-ply tires have sturdy sidewalls designed to handle a heavier load, which reduces your risk of a blowout. You’ll get around 12,000 miles on these tires before you have to replace them. If you plan to drive over uneven backroads, then bias-ply tires are recommended.

Radial-ply tires can also be used on RVs and they’re the more common style, as with other vehicles. These tires get better traction and have more stability. Their long-lasting treads mean that these tires won’t need replacing until they’ve traveled 40,000 miles. The flexible sidewall helps to reduce fuel consumption, too.

RV Tire Sidewall facts

When you look at an RV tire’s sidewall, you’ll see a seemingly inscrutable combination of letters and numbers. If you know what they mean, then you can gather a lot of useful information from these codes.

  • The first letters are LT or ST, denoting the type of tire as discussed above
  • The first set of numbers after this will be the tire’s width as measured in millimeters from sidewall to sidewall
  • The second set of numbers is the tire’s aspect ratio, equivalent to the height of the tire’s cross-section to its width (a 75 would mean that the tire height equals 75% of the tire width)
  • The next letter describes the construction of the tire (R for radial-ply, B for bias-ply)
  • The next number describes the diameter of the wheel

Weather Considerations

Here in Alberta, we’re no strangers to snow and ice on the roads in the wintertime. Owning a set of snow tires that are suitable for your RV is a wise choice if you plan to travel through the winter months. Snow tires will make driving significantly easier in treacherous road conditions because of the larger gaps in their treads that help to improve traction when it’s slippery out. 

We hope this guide helps you to choose the correct tires for your RV. Still searching for the perfect RV? Browse our website to see the vast inventory of new and used RVs for sale at our dealership in Leduc, AB. You can talk to our staff about our financing options if you’d like to make use of them. Schwab’s RV World proudly serves the greater Edmonton, AB, metropolitan region.