Discount Tires on 8th Street in Colorado Sprgs CO will not install LT Tires

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
J

Juanita and me

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 16, 2010
Posts
93
I have a 2005 Challenger 5th wheel. I bought it with LT 235 85R 16 tires. The tires are made in USA in 2004 (Tacoma's). I'm shopping for tires and Discount Tire most always gave me good deals on St 15 inch tires. The store next to Walmart on 8th street in Colorado Springs CO refuses to put LT tires on our newer 5th wheel. If anybody is shopping and wants LT's, like I do, should pass on them. Also checked Sams Club and they couldn't or wouldn't do the trailer and tires didn't carry a warrantee. The Asst Manager of Customer Service at TBC Tire distributors says the only way to get recent made tires made in the USA is the Power King AS which is made by Cooper and distributed by them. TBC supplies OK Tires and others.
I may still go with Firestone or Goodrich. Can't afford Michelin Ribs or Bridgestones but maybe I should give up eating out and get the more expensive ones-but then in 5 years I'd have to it all over again.
Marty
 
What reason did they give for not installing tires on your trailer?  My Americas Tire (Discount  Tire here) sure will work on,sell,install tires for my trailer.
 
He said LT's were not for trailers and was firm about putting them on. I tried to explain it came with LT's and he just didn't want to hear it. I gave up and left. Other Discount Tire stores may have more knowledgeable staff. Sam's club on south Academy would not do the trailer even though it looked like their bays were big enough. Was  looking for Goodrich TA's there. Still looking and could probably go for a while.
 
Discount Tire has a stated policy on their web site that LT should not be used on trailers - only ST. I sent  them an email challenging this a couple weeks ago, but have had no answer.  We think it is confusion over a different type of LT designation used on certain types of tires (high flotation), but the Discount Tire policy does not seem to leave room for interpretation.
 
Thanks, Big "O" doesn't seem to have that policy and COSTCO gave me a reasonable quote but still looking as Camping World has the trailer due to hail damage.
Again thanks
 
I am new here, but I saw this post and was shocked. I went to my Discount Tire store in Phoenix to get new tires for my 5th wheel trailer and he told me I should buy LT tires. He sold me the tires and installed them. I guess each Discount Tire store is different.

Tod
 
I'm still checking around. May check another Discount Tire store and see if it was just one person that was afraid to deviate from old policies or me.
 
I had similar experience.  8th street Discount Tires refused to sell me tires which I bought online, via their own website, for a custom application.  I had verified these via the Discount website tire-finder, but the store refused to let me pay for them and roll them out.  I filed grievance with corporate people.  Went to Walmart-online, ordered the same tires, had them mounted onto the same rims, without any problems.  I'm a retired GM engineer and I believe that discount is hiring a lot of millenial "random" people who are NOT motor-heads or gear-heads, and they really don't know much about tires.  The 8th street store seems to have a chip-on-their-shoulder about their skill level, while it is noticeably poorer than most of the other stores.  If you want a custom fitment, go to a local store that does farm equipment, or similar, and they will be much sharper. 
 
It's almost surely not the store staff - it will be the corporate lawyers that are responsible.  It's a trailer, so you have to use "trailer tires".  Tire Rack had a similar policy for awhile and even had a statement on their website that "LT tires should never be used on a trailer".  I inquired via email and was informed that LT tires are "high flotation and unsuitable for heavy loads". I pointed out that they were confusing high flotation tires (which sometimes have "LT" after the numbers) and LT metric Light Truck Tires.  About three months later their Tire Tech article on trailer tires was completely re-written and LT truck tires are correctly explained. I like to think my email inquiry had something to do with that.


I had an experience at another brand store where they refused to use any psi except the max load inflation on the sidewall, stating that they could not be legally liable for "under-inflation". I argued enough to be allowed to sign a form releasing them from liability for my choice of "non-standard inflation". LOL!

There is a legitimate concern in that for a given size, LT tires have substantially less load capacity than ST tires. That means you cannot simply swap ST for LT of the same size and/or load rating.
 
and what do you do when you want to toss on a couple LT or P rated tires on a home made utility trailer ?, they going to tell you, we can't sell them to you ?. lol. well, here in Arkansas, I did just that, put P rated tires on my 3500lb utility, single axle , home made trailer. sears, firestone, or anyone else around here could care less what I use the tires for ?, all they cared about was me paying for the tires. if you haul the trailer to these places like discount tire, or any other place like them ?, then yeah, I could see them saying they wont sell and mount them. but !. who's to say you can't just drive down to them, say here's 4 rims, I want to put '' such and such '' tires on these rims, they go on my 16ft utility trailer, how they gonna know what your really putting them on..unless you tell them !?..lol. now..i'm not saying this is the safe thing to do ?, please run the correct tire for what your putting them on !.
 
    My DT store will gladly mount any tire I want on any of my trailers as long as the tires capacity meets or exceeds the trailers axle ratings.
  The mgr  was a former truck tire dealer so being around the hauling industry he knew what was fiction and what did and didn't work the best.

Dump any store where they tell you a LT can't be used on a trailer.

 
Was at Discount Tire yesterday getting tires for my wife's car, so I asked if they would install LT tires on a trailer. They said that their corporate policy was not to and because at their location they did not have the room to bring a large trailer into their bays. However, he said if your trailer will fit in our tight spaces we would install any tire you purchase from us. So, he was willing to work with me. But there is no way I could get my trailer into that lot, so it's a moot point.
 
Juanita and me said:
He said LT's were not for trailers and was firm about putting them on. I tried to explain it came with LT's and he just didn't want to hear it. I gave up and left. Other Discount Tire stores may have more knowledgeable staff. Sam's club on south Academy would not do the trailer even though it looked like their bays were big enough. Was  looking for Goodrich TA's there. Still looking and could probably go for a while.
Click to expand...

Are you writing about your signature 2005 Keystone trailer?
In 2005 & 2006 keystone almost exclusively installed LT235/85R16 LRE tires on their trailers equipped with 6000# axles.
In accordance with tire industry standards, a retailer is required to insure the replacement tires are the same designated size as the size depicted on the vehicle certification label. Under that standard, DT would be in violation for not installing LT tires like the ones on the vehicle certification label (Not the brand, just the size).

 
longhaul said:
    My DT store will gladly mount any tire I want on any of my trailers as long as the tires capacity meets or exceeds the trailers axle ratings.
  The mgr  was a former truck tire dealer so being around the hauling industry he knew what was fiction and what did and didn't work the best.

Dump any store where they tell you a LT can't be used on a trailer.
Click to expand...

This is verbatim from the USTMA: ?Replacement tires should be the same as the OE size designation, or approved options, as recommended by the vehicle or tire manufacturer. Never choose a replacement tire of a smaller size or with less load-carrying capacity than the OE tire size at the specified vehicle tire placard pressure.?

I underlined "Size Designation" because it is a significant part of the paragraph that most overlook or just dont want to comply with. This is a size designation LT235/85R16, so is this ST235/85R16. The prefix is supposed to be self explanitory, LT = Light Truck, ST = Special Trailer. In the tire world they are not interchangeable when used as Original Equipment without the vehicle manufacturer's approval.

That's not to say you can't do it or be sucessful doing it. It does say when done the dooer takes 100% responsibility for their actions.

 
Gary RV_Wizard said:
It's almost surely not the store staff - it will be the corporate lawyers that are responsible.  It's a trailer, so you have to use "trailer tires".  Tire Rack had a similar policy for awhile and even had a statement on their website that "LT tires should never be used on a trailer".  I inquired via email and was informed that LT tires are "high flotation and unsuitable for heavy loads". I pointed out that they were confusing high flotation tires (which sometimes have "LT" after the numbers) and LT metric Light Truck Tires.  About three months later their Tire Tech article on trailer tires was completely re-written and LT truck tires are correctly explained. I like to think my email inquiry had something to do with that.


I had an experience at another brand store where they refused to use any psi except the max load inflation on the sidewall, stating that they could not be legally liable for "under-inflation". I argued enough to be allowed to sign a form releasing them from liability for my choice of "non-standard inflation". LOL!

There is a legitimate concern in that for a given size, LT tires have substantially less load capacity than ST tires. That means you cannot simply swap ST for LT of the same size and/or load rating.
Click to expand...

Gary, what it really boils down to is FMVSS and vehicle certification. The vehicle manufacturer is given exclusive privilege for Original Equipment tire selection and fitments. The FMVSS directs them to use tires that are appropriate (Passenger, Light Truck, Special Trailer & larger low platform trailer tires all qualify) and to set the recommended cold tire inflation pressures also appropriate for the fitments. Because FMVSS are considered minimum standards the certified OE tires are minimum requirements and must be maintained. The tire industry supports the vehicle manufacturer's selections and will not recommend replacements that differ from the certified tire without vehicle manufacturer approval.
 
This is verbatim from the USTMA: ?Replacement tires should be the same as the OE size designation, or approved options, as recommended by the vehicle or tire manufacturer. Never choose a replacement tire of a smaller size or with less load-carrying capacity than the OE tire size at the specified vehicle tire placard pressure.?
Click to expand...
The above in no way prevents the choice of a properly spec'ed  alternative per a tire manufacturers specifications.  The major problem is that installing an alternative means the dealer, who is legally presumed to have expert tire knowledge, has rendered a judgment that what he installed is of an adequate size and load capacity.  Subject to review in any court in the land, and by any jury that may or may not pay attention to expert witnesses.  The level of expertise in most tire shops is woefully short of that needed to confidently specify any alternative, so corporate policy generally opts for the safety of  an exact OEM replacement only.
 
Gary RV_Wizard said:
The above in no way prevents the choice of a properly spec'ed  alternative per a tire manufacturers specifications.  The major problem is that installing an alternative means the dealer, who is legally presumed to have expert tire knowledge, has rendered a judgment that what he installed is of an adequate size and load capacity.  Subject to review in any court in the land, and by any jury that may or may not pay attention to expert witnesses.  The level of expertise in most tire shops is woefully short of that needed to confidently specify any alternative, so corporate policy generally opts for the safety of  an exact OEM replacement only.
Click to expand...

Bold green above is true, that's what the USTMA says here..... ?Replacement tires should be the same as the OE size designation, or approved options, as recommended by the vehicle or tire manufacturer. Never choose a replacement tire of a smaller size or with less load-carrying capacity than the OE tire size at the specified vehicle tire placard pressure.?

In good old government lingo, the tire manufacturer in bold means the one that built the OE tires. And, size designation signafies design usage such as ST, LT, P, etc..

NHTSA has a site where one can ask for interpretatiions. Some time ago I asked them for one about industry standards. As usual they were very brief. Here is what I got............."Industry standards generally form the basis for demonstrating product safety and quality before courts, regulators, retailers, consumers and others."

Two of the largest contribuators of tire standards are the Tire & Rim Association (TRA) and the US Tire Manufacturing Association (USTMA), formally the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA).

Just an after thought. Tire manufacturers build tires to specifications that will satisfy requests from vehicle manufacturers. 


 
Sam's in Fountain won't install tires on a trailer because they won't put them in a bay and installing them while camper is outside is a camper issue.  I know this for a fact because I used to be a manager there.

I have LT tires on my trailer.  I took my new wheels and tires to the Discount Tire off of Dublin Blvd and they installed them for me no questions asked.
 
Thats what many rv owners do as many buy their tires from these type stores.

Myself I prefer buying my trucks and trailer tires from truck tire dealers as they deal with tire replacement every day on all types and sizes  of  utility vehicles. I always have the dealer register my tires so their won't be any warranty issues.

My dealer goes straight to the truck or trailers gawrs certification placard and lets the customer know if the owners selection is proper. If the trailers stickers are missing he sends someone under neath to find the axle rating tags. Gotta' satisfy dot or any civil court issues.

    Lots of trucks and trailers on the road (including some of mine) have no tire placard which is just a recommendation anyways. It carries no enforceable regulatory requirements for owners looking for a good or better tire to replace the junk the vehicle mfg has chosen.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Members online

Total: 685 (members: 9, guests: 676)

Forum statistics

Threads
131,954
Posts
1,388,147
Members
137,707
Latest member
Opal6502
Back
Top Bottom