Is Toyo Tires’ Open Country A/T III Tire the tire you need for overland travel?

“Do you think I can make it?” A man shouts out to me after lowering his driver’s side window. I looked at the vehicle briefly, but concentrated on his vehicle’s tires. “I think you will be okay. The water crossing isn’t that deep, but your tires look a little worn and you might lose traction,”  I offered. We were in the wilds of Utah and miles away from help and assistance. After I offered my thoughts to the fellow adventurer, I watched him ease into the river.

In today’s adventure vehicle world, everyone has everything. We buy the latest and greatest equipment to make our experiences more fun and efficient, or just to make our vehicles look “cool.” However, tires are one of the best, most practical pieces of equipment for your adventure vehicle. Yes, a good set of tires can take the adventurer to many wonderful places. Today’s tire manufacturers design and engineer high-quality tires to explore our world.

I was lucky enough to have Toyo Tires ask me to test the new Open Country A/T III on my Land Cruiser 200 Series – Abbey. Abbey has taken me to many wonderful places in and around the west and Canada.  My Land Cruiser is fully fitted with adventure gear – including a fridge, drawer system, and roof top tent – to explore the wilds for long periods of time. I need tires that support the weight of the vehicle as well as offer superior traction on dirt, gravel, and rocky roads and trails. The Toyo Open Country A/T III appeared to offer a worthwhile solution. How did the tires perform?

I wanted a little more height from my tires for improved off-pavement clearance and decided to move from a 33-inch tire to a 34-inch one. Weight is definitely a consideration when purchasing tires.   The size of the tires was 285/75 r 17. The tires themselves each weighed roughly fifty-eight pounds. Mounted on Icon Aluminum seventeen-inch rims, the tire and rim combination weighed approximately eighty-seven pounds. With the tires mounted, I was ready to test them in the wilds of the west.

As many of you know, getting to backcountry trails first involves crossing miles of pavement.  As I traveled south to visit Robber’s Roost in southern Utah, I cruised at seventy-five miles per hour on Interstate 70. The tires supported the vehicle and were smooth at speed.  Tire noise was nonexistent. The tires tracked well and provided a very comfortable ride as I headed deep into canyon country. The steering attributes were very positive as the on-center feel was direct and precise. I could easily maintain and steer a direct line toward Robber’s Roost with very little driver correction. I liked the fact that I didn’t have to constantly manipulate the steering wheel to maintain direction of the vehicle.

Todd Bergeson, Senior Manager of Product Planning and Technical Services at Toyo Tires, shared some insights with me on the development of the tire.  He stated, “At the very start of the development process for the Open Country A/T III, we set lofty targets for performance, including winter and wet performance. We were unwilling to sacrifice treadwear and planned for very competitive treadwear warranties; thus, a new compound would need to be developed. We developed a high-silica content tread compound that would be applied to our P/Euro-metric sizes, while the LT-metric tires would receive a new compound with increased levels of natural-rubber to further enhance durability levels.”

I pulled off Scenic Highway 95 to explore the wonders of Robber’s Roost. I aired down the tires to twenty-two psi. The Open Country A/T III tires had a sidewall rating of E, the toughest and stiffest sidewall, so I was concerned that I would not feel the benefits of airing down. The ride on the mix of gravel, dirt, and loose rocks was impressive.  The tires absorbed the bumps and undulations with ease. Abbey stayed stable at speed, and head roll wasn’t a concern. I found the lugs to eject stones easily and I didn’t experience any of those surprise bangs from underneath as stones and rocks become dislodged from tires at speed. The new lug patterns easily ejected the rock and stones of the Utah desert. The lugs on the shoulders of the tires bit into the Utah slickrock and provided excellent traction up and over obstacles. Todd foretold the experience: “The end result is a durable tread that is more resistant to cut and chip as well as lug compression, while achieving high levels of wet handling and braking performance without sacrificing dry performance or wear life.” The tires performed flawlessly and provided a great deal of confidence to the driver.

As I drove down a canyon wash, I thought I was being mindful. However, the beauty and scenery distracted me; and before I knew it, I nailed a large, downed tree on the sidewall of the tire. Usually that’s a fatal blow for a tire.  I got out to inspect. Nothing. The sidewalls held, and I noted no evidence of damage or puncture. The Open Country A/T III comes in both C- and E-rated sidewalls. Previously, Todd had explained, “We set out to grow our share of all-terrain tires with specifically developed tires and coverage for all vehicle categories that would use all-terrain tires. We currently offer more than 130 sizes of Open Country A/T III and continue to expand our size list with new and innovative sizes.”

The thirty-four-inch tire had a width of a little over eleven inches. The tires performed exceptionally well as I explored Robber’s Roost for four days. I drove over slickrock, through sand, gravel, and cobblestone without any issues — and crossed a river without concern! The Open Country A/T III also comes with a 65,000-mile tread-life warranty. During my first tire rotation, I observed no wear or tear on any of the tires. With routine rotation and air pressure tuned to your specific vehicle, I would expect these to last until the advertised mileage (65,000 miles).

Overall, I have used these tires to explore a little over 5,000 miles without issues. They have taken me to the wilds of Wyoming and Utah, and, more importantly, brought me home. Today, overlanders benefit from a myriad of viable tire options. Toyo’s Open Country A/T III is a worthy option you and your vehicle will be happy with.

Learn more by visiting www.toyotires.com

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