Should your tow vehicle run RT tyres?

AT Vs MT? The debate has raged on for decades about what you need, but Kumho’s new RT tyres might be the perfect middle ground, if they’ve gotten it right.

There’s something special about bolting on a fresh set of tyres and pointing the rig towards the horizon. No noise, no hype, just rubber meeting road. This time around, that rubber happened to be Kumho’s first crack at the fast-growing RT segment.

I’ve spent the last couple of thousand kays testing these on a typical touring vehicle, including towing a few towing situations, and come away with a pretty clear idea of who they’ll suit, and who they won’t.

So, what’s an RT tyre anyway?

RT stands for “Rugged Terrain.” It’s the Goldilocks zone of 4×4 tyres, slotting halfway between an All-Terrain (AT) and a full-blown Mud-Terrain (MT). Think of it as a beefed-up AT. Stronger, chunkier, and better biting edges for off-road, without the constant drone, fuel usage, and loose handling you get with muds.

In theory, the Kumho RT tyres are designed to give you more grip when things get slippery or steep, without making the car unbearable on the road. And when you’re towing a couple of tonnes of caravan or camper through unfamiliar country, that balance matters.

Strong, But Not a Highway Hero

Let’s be blunt, if all you ever do is tow sealed highways to holiday parks, an RT like the RT is overkill. They make a more noise and feel less sharp in the wet compared to a traditional AT. That’s not a flaw, it’s physics. The more aggressive your tread, the more compromise you’re making on road manners.

But here’s the real takeaway: when loaded up and towing, the RT still handles with confidence. No wandering, no squirming, and importantly, plenty of braking grip even with weight behind it. Most set-and-forget tourers probably won’t notice the difference, but if you’re tuned in to your setup you’ll pick them straight away.

Made for the Tough Tourer

Where things get interesting is when you leave the bitumen and find yourself at the bottom of a greasy clay hill, or dropping pressure on a corrugated outback track. That’s where the RT earns its lunch.

Towing a van into steep country or muddy flats can go bad real fast. An AT can clog up or spin, especially when you’re dragging heavy weight behind you. But the RT has enough open tread and aggressive voids to keep biting, even when it’s caked in mud or churning through slop. On my test loop, it was night and day. The Kumho RT tyres climbed halfway up a rutted hill where my ATs had previously left me spinning.

And that’s the point, RTs aren’t about hardcore mud. They’re about real-world touring under load. When you’re towing, you don’t want to be hammering tracks with speed or wheelspin. You want control, momentum, and tyres that tolerate weight without losing purchase. That’s where these shine.

Who’s This Tyre Actually For?

Let’s get it straight. This isn’t a tyre for comp trucks or mud warriors. It’s not for caravanners who never stray off sealed roads, either.

The Kumho RT is for the sweet spot, a touring setup that sees everything from gravel access roads and forestry tracks to alpine clay and sandy stretches. The folks who aren’t just towing to a destination, but towing through country with unpredictable weather, terrain, and surface types.

If you’re hauling a camper into the Victorian High Country, or crossing bulldust and creek crossings with a hybrid behind you, the RT might be the difference between idling through Vs sliding backwards.

Kumho’s priced these sharply too, so you’re not paying a premium for the privilege. In a space packed with options, they’ve managed to slide into a gap that makes a lot of sense for caravan and camper tow rigs. You can check the RT rubber that fits your wheel size using Kumho’s rim size filter.

Final Thoughts

ATs are fine, right up until they’re not. And if you’ve ever tried recovering a three-tonne caravan or hybrid in a boggy campground at sundown, you already know the stakes. The RT isn’t for everyone, if you prioritise on-road handling, wet weather performance, and a quiet ride above all then stop reading now. But if you want peace of mind towing through challenging terrain, they’re an option worth some serious thought.

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