OEM Tire Size Comparison for a 2013 Toyota Tundra For Towing Safety and Ice Fishing

Question:

I am about to buy a new 2013 Tundra and it has the 20inch 5 spoke machined star alloy wheels with the P275/55R20 tires on it I do not know the brand of tire off hand. I pull a 6foot x 12foot enclosed trailer that weighs 2,990 lbs. and I load it with less than 1,000 lbs. of cargo, usually. Are these tires safe to pull this trailer with and are they going to wear unusually fast because of this. Also use my vehicle to go ice fishing with in the winter and wondering if there would be any difference in a 18inch wheel/tire vs the 20? Thank you so much for your response.

asked by: Steve H

Expert Reply:

The most important factor to consider when buying tires for a truck that you use to tow trailers is the load capacity of the tires. If the P275/55R20 tires are the factory tires for the 2013 Toyota Tundra, then this should not be an issue.

Tires will wear faster than normal when towing, but that is going to be the case with any tire. As long as the load capacity of the tires on the truck can accommodate the weight of the truck plus the payload capacity of the truck and the tongue weight of your trailer, then it is perfectly safe to tow with these tires.

When comparing 18 inch wheels to 20 inch wheels for your ice fishing trips, the important factor to consider here is the width of the tire. Generally speaking, narrow tires are better in snow and ice than wide tires because narrow tires will cut into the snow or ground surface easier. Wide tires are more apt to hydroplane because snow, water and ice can get trapped under the tire easier.

There are two OEM tire sizes that Toyota offers for the 18 inch wheels. One size is P255/70R18 and the other is P275/65R18. The P255/70R18 tire size is going to be narrower than the P275/65R18 tire and the P275/55R20, that you referenced, by about 7/8 of an inch. All of the tires are going to be pretty wide, so the performance may be slightly better with the P255/70R18 tires, but not by much.

For improved traction in snow and ice conditions, I would recommend using a set of tire chains like the pewag Square-Linl Snow Tire Chains, # PWE2228SC. The square chain links provide a square edge that will dig into snow and ice creating better traction in rough conditions.

expert reply by: John H