Dunlop Grandtrek AT20...

So the OEM Dunlop Grandtrek AT20 tires.... Are they really that bad? Reviews/ratings on Tirerack.com are to the point of embarrassing, so I'm really leaning towards an immediate swap to Cooper AT3 4s' the moment this truck is delivered.

Did anyone stick with the OEM tire and come to regret it? I can get $50/tire credit at Discount Tire to do it now, seems like a better choice than staying OEM and regretting it for 30,000 miles.

 

I was only offered $25 per tire when it was new. But I sold them on FB Market place and sold them for $100 per tire. Buyer came to the Discount Tire to pick the tires so has proof of the ODO.

 

The Grandtreks I had on my Taco were not good, and they weathered/dry rotted in three years. A garage kept, regularly driven vehicle. The vehicle was bought new, date code on the tires matched, so it wasn't a case of old tires swapped on somehow.

My issue seems to not be the norm, though. I think for others, maybe they aren't trucky enough.

 

I lived with them for four years and regret it for sure. They are comfortable (soft and squishy). If you have any winter weather they are as described in the TireRack reviews...I'd call them dangerous. I got Michelin Defenders and can feel the improved traction all the time, on dry, wet and winter surfaces. I think the best upgrade you could possibly do to your new truck is to put good tires on it straight away.

 

Agreed with @Gumpus

They were fine in dry and wet, but not good in snow. At least, not compared to other tires I've had. If you can get something for them, might as well do it right away.

If you're not in a snowy climate, they might be fine. But, you'll probably want something a bit more aggressive if you're going to be in the dirt a lot.

 

I'm keeping mine for now (8K miles) simply because I can't justify replacing/upgrading something that is in good working order. I live in South Carolina so winter weather really isn't an issue. Although I did drive on an iced-over gravel/dirt road in North Carolina (slow speed, 4L) and had no problems, while other *built* rigs were having all sorts of trouble. I attribute that to my years of winter driving experience living in Upstate New York and Ohio.

These tires are meh, ok for now. We'll see how they hold up on a trip to Wyoming this summer ( I won't be heartbroken if I destroy a couple of them and need to buy new tires on that trip). They work for now, but I won't ever put these on any of my vehicles, ever again.

Next set with be some General Grabbers (outstanding reviews on tirerack) in stock size.

 

FYI, I just added stock sized Grabbers. Good tires, but they destroyed my mileage. I'm getting a solid 2-3mpg less with them than the stock Dueler HT.

 

C-rated, E-rated?

I wholly expect any C or E load range tire will cost me 1-2 MPG at a minimum vs the P-rated highway tires currently on there simply due to weight differences in addition to rolling resistance from a blocky tire. MPGs aren't my primary concern with this vehicle (it is a giant cinderblock on wheels with absolutely horrible aerodynamics). If MPGs were my primary focus, I would have kept my TDI Jetta Wagon.

 

P rated. They don't come in C in this size, E is overkill for my uses.

I get that mpg isn't the focus, but I lost about 50 miles of range, (more on the highway) and that is what annoys me, not necessarily the cost.