Best Tires For Fifth Wheel Towing
Tires are vital to the performance of any vehicle. A tire's main function is to support all of the weight on the road while keeping the car attached via friction by maintaining one's grip with the ground below. A tire also provides traction, which allows for acceleration and maneuverability. Quite simply, without tires a vehicle cannot be driven at all.
Tires are incredibly important safety components as well, in fact, they are required by law to provide adequate tread depth and good traction at all times. They should also perform well in wet or icy conditions, as many accidents happen when roads become slippery from rain or snowfall. In light of this information it makes sense that finding appropriate tires for your fifth wheel can be a challenging task due to those preferences varying between various owners.
Lets take a look at some of the features that make certain tires better than others for this particular application.All-Terrain Tires
All-terrain tires are all-purpose tires that are designed for both on road and off road conditions. These types of tires provide good stability, braking, cornering and hydroplaning resistance for fifth wheel towing. Furthermore, they offer superior grip in wet conditions as their tread pattern channels water away from the contact patch which provides good traction on wet roads.
On the other hand this type of tire does have its downsides since their protruding lugs can be costly to repair if damaged by curbs or stones. Also the open shoulder lug pattern results in lower gas mileage compared to standard passenger car tires.
If you choose to purchase some all-terrain tires, here you can find the BFGoodrich All Terrain T/A KO2 Tire on amazon at a reasonable price.
Benefits of All-Terrain Tires
- Good Stability - All-terrain tires offer good stability for both on road and off road conditions.
- Off-Road Traction – The tread pattern provides good grip for enhanced traction in different driving conditions.
- Great Handling – These types of tires have a combination of various lug designs which provide superior cornering, braking, and hydroplaning resistance capabilities.
- Wet Traction – All-terrain tires have a unique tread pattern that channels water away from the contact patch which delivers increased wet traction.
- Puncture Resistance - All-terrain tires come with strong sidewalls which offer puncture resistance to these types of vehicles making them ideal choices to use as factory replacement tires.
- Good Gas Mileage - As compared to standard passenger car automobile all–terrain tire is less fuel efficient due to the larger and stronger tire sizes it is designed with. These types of tires generally cost more than regular passenger car tires because they are made from various quality rubber compounds and design technologies that deliver better performance and handling capabilities.
- Road Noise – When compared with standard all-season tires, all-terrain tires offer increased road noise for these types of vehicles making them unsuitable as factory installed replacement units.
- Traction In Snow – Latest technology incorporated in all-terrain tires now allows drivers to enjoy good traction in snowy conditions as well as provide improved wet traction on paved roads during light rain showers or heavy downpour conditions.
Radial Tires
These types of tires possess a radial layered construction that features a series of steel cords running from bead to bead beneath the tread.
These structures serve as an important part of this tire by providing increased stiffness and maintaining more consistent gas pressure levels. This reduces rolling resistance for improved fuel efficiency, minimizes heat build-up, and allows for better traction on wet roads during inclement weather conditions.
If you choose to purchase some radial tires, here are some Goodyear G670 RV ULT on amazon at a good price.Benefits of Radial Tires
Below is a list of the benefits of radial tires:
- Better grip on roads for improved stability and maneuvering.
- Improved durability that comes from a tread that does a better job of protecting the tire's internal components. This increases the life of these tires by years when compared to other types.
- Comfort is increased because radials are more flexible than their counterparts.
- Radials have been proven to deliver extended tread wear and enhanced cornering stability.
- Great resistance to irregular wear patterns.
- Superior stopping power in wet conditions.
- Better high speed braking performance.
- Reduced road noise.
Conclusion
Choosing the right tire for fifth wheel towing is important for getting the maximum stability and safety out of your tow vehicle. The benefits of using radials are clear through their increased tread life, improved comfort, superior dry and wet conditions stopping power, reduced road noise, and unbeatable cornering stability. For all around all terrain performance choose Toyo Open Country AT2's.
For off-road performance choose Toyo Open Country ATS tires. For superior snow and ice traction choose Goodyear Wranglers or the Bridgestone Blizzak line of tires.