Oh man, there are few questions that illicit stronger feelings than “what are the best tires for my camper?” The most resounding thing that you’ll read is “ avoid China bombs “, “ anything but cheap Chinese junk “, “ all ST tires are junk “, “ LT tires aren’t suitable for trailers “, and on and on. If you ask a dozen RVers what they think is the best tire for a travel trailer or fifth wheel camper, you’ll get at least as many responses.

So, how do you wade through the wealth of (often times-contradicting) information?

Caveats out of the way…

I’m not a believer that all Chinese tires are junk, though some/many are. First, the “China bomb” thing- IMO, this is more of an issue with offbrand tires being used in situations where they’re maxed out. They are the weakest link, goodbye.

Second, I’m personally not educated enough to recommend LT tires, though those who do are often huge proponents of them. I can say with certainty that some higher end units come with them from the factory. If those manufacxturers are willing to hang their name on a LT tire, there must be some truth to it. Note, every tire is going to have horror stories and I do have one friend (pictured above) who went through 2 or 3 LT tires. He’s meticulous about preventative maintenance and takes care of his rig. But, I won’t paint LT tires with a broad stroke.

My issues with LT tires come from my personal experience… most of the time, a LT tire has a lower carrying capacity than an equivalently sized ST tire. Whenever you replace tires, you should always maintain or increase the amount of carrying capacity. To fit a LT tire, you must increase a size or load range. If you explore this route, make sure you have space between the tires and above the tire (between it and frame). Personally, I had such tight spacing between my two tires that I couldn’t afford any increase in outer diameter of my tires. Also, buy a name brand that has a warranty.

And finally: no, not all ST tires are junk. There are quality brands and tires. They can be good, so long as they’re within their ratings and aren’t maxed out. Find a brand that offers a warranty and you can find in real live trailer stores.

When possible, see if you can increase the load range of what came on your camper. More times than not, the tires from the factory barely have enough carrying capacity to cover the axles’ weight ratings. Personally, I think this is the biggest issue – OEM tires are or are nearly maxed out. Cheap tires, rough roads, and maxed out tires are a recipe for blowouts and problems.

When it came time for me to replace my tires both times, I looked around quite a bit to find the tires with the best reviews. Overtime, I’ve found that it really comes down to the weight of the camper:

There are other tires that a lot of people have had success with. The above is just what I’ve been following with online forums and Facebook groups. Check reviews, make a decision, watch your weights , and monitor your tires with a TPMS.