Class B tire size/type question

[abe13964]

We bought a used 97 Class B Islander which is on a Dodge 3500 chassis. When we bought the unit the tires all had sidewall cracks so as part of the deal the seller agreed to put new tires on. Fine and dandy until a year later and my mechanic tells me these tires are the wrong tires for the unit. The tires on the unit are P245/R16 but the door sticker indicates they should be LT245/R16. They only have 6K on them and to date we have only used the unit close to home. This year however would like to go a little further away, namely Toronto - Nashville with some side trips.
Should I be replacing all the tires or am I being overly concerned??

Any comments or advice would be greatly appreciated.....Abe

[markopolo]

If it was my RV I'd have to get the LT tires.

If you had an accident I can foresee an insurance company holding you responsible or perhaps denying a claim because of having the wrong tires on the vehicle.

Maybe a tire shop will give you a trade in on the P tires. Better yet, if you know which shop put them on in the first place contact them and point out their error. They should do the right thing.

I've read that some new trucks come with P rated tires and that's ok because that is what the manufacturer specified.

Conversion vans are pretty well loaded so that why LT tires are specified.

Also check the door sticker to see if a load range is specified. My Roadtrek had load range E tires.

I am not a tire expert at all. Others may chime in here with a different opinion.

[abe13964]

thanks, appreciate the input.

[Ron J. Moore]

I know it hurts to lay out the money for the LT's, but your life and the life of your family is riding on P tires!!! You know all the right reasons you need to do this, and when your having a great time you will be ever so glad you made the smart move. Happy travels, Ron

[g1g]

While it is really best to have a more heavy duty tire like the LT you may want to weigh the vehicle and each indiviguel tire/axel. then read what the weight limit is for that tire. If it is anywhere near that replace it. I don't know how many belts it has or its rating but it should have at least an E rating. I think this is either 6 or 8 belts. Also if you will be traveling distance or where it is hot this will be hazardus to a cheaper tire as more heat can build up in the tire.

[WAPITI]

I have LT245-R16 load range E on my 1 ton Pleasureway. I work in the construction industry and we run 1 ton & 3/4 ton trucks pulling flatdeck trailers. We use the LT load range E's on all our trucks and trailers. LT stands for 'light truck'. P stands for passenger. LT's come in different load ranges. Load range C is 6 ply and 50 psi max. Load range D is 8 ply and 65 psi max. Load range E is 10 ply and 80 psi max. Side walls on C and D are only 2 ply and E is 4 ply. The E tires give a bit stiffer ride, which is good for handling in winds, but a bit rougher ride. I would definitely not use P rated tires on any van, trailer or motorhome, and would at least use LT with D range as a minimum. In hot weather, if your tire is underrated for your vehicle, the side walls may heat up to the point of exploding. It's not worth the risk to run tires like this. Any tire shop should be able to tell you what weight rating you should be using.

Brian

[abe13964]

Thanks all for the input....our unit's in the shop and the tires are ordered.
Here's hoping we can afford the gas to wear them out!

[julievojo]

We also put on new tires recently and coughed up the cash for the LT tires. I'm glad we did. It's really improved the handling.