Review: Dick Cepek Trail Country EXP

It’s been a little while since I posted in here for an update. Nothing really exciting in the last few months, no deep snow or anything. Have had an inch of snow here and there, which the tires performed quite well. Have had quite a bit of heavy rain and I’ve had no hydroplane issues or unintentional spinning. Tire wear is very good, no chopping or cupping and I’ve put roughly 8-9k on them. Hopefully we get some deep snow so I can test them out in that category as well. Anyone have any experience with deep snow yet on these tires?

 

About 8k miles on my DC so far. I rotate every 5k oil change. My only complaint would be the reduced gas mileage from a heavy tire/wheel package. But I knew that going in.

 

My mileage went from 18-19 to 16.5

 

If you went up in size then don't forget to account for the odometer difference...mileage might not be quite as bad as it seems

 

I have about 6k on mine, my mpg actually went up about 2 mpg. I had Cooper STT Max great tire but really heavy.
I just came back from a camping trip and encountered mud and snow around 4" deep, the EXP's did great in both. They definitely out performed my old Cooper's in the mud.

 

Sorry to revisit a perhaps old topic, but I have had these is deep snow and they do very well, I used them for most of the winter in the mtns of CO. But I do own snow tires and did put them on once it got really cold and icy around here. Did notice a difference with the snow tires on icy roads stopping. But honestly the EXPs did incredibly well in most winter conditions. They DO have a bit of a pull to them and are getting more noisy, I have the 265/75 on stock off road tires, rotate often, DO seem to be wearing just fine with about 10k in. Thinking about going up to 255/80/17 with 4runner wheels, might do wildpeak to avoid pull in the future although wildpeak seem less aggressive...

MPG for me only hit maybe 1-2 MPG, and it's all up and down here where I live mostly high alpine driving.

 

wish they made these in sl, c rated. i do not need E rated. and the rough ride, weight, that comes with them. highly recommended by my local tire shop guy too. Ski

 

I've had both BFG KO2'S and ST Max in E and they were both heavy and rough riding.
The EXP does not have a three ply sidewall and they only weigh around 50lbs. They ride very nice.

 

Can confirm. They are noticeably lighter than other E rated tires and seem to ride smoother. I drive many different vehicles through the week for my job, many of which are pickup trucks. For some reason KO2s seem to ride terrible IMO

 

Joining in on this thread. I had mine installed on 3/6/20 before covid got nuts. I was going to do 265/75R16 E rated wildpeaks but Amazon only had 1 in stock so I went with plan B which was the Trail country exps. Besides being instock and a good price they were also lighter than the E rated wildpeaks. I have a little over 3000 miles on them and rotated a couple weeks ago. Compared the the brand new take off 3rd gen trd off road wranglers I had before they're more planted, louder and can feel the weight performance wise but not so bad that I'd give these tires up. Noise has gotten more noticeable in the past month and volume mod works but I can still hear them for sure.

What psi do you guys run? I'm doing 35psi in all 4 right now.

 

I run 35 front, 30 rear. Great tire!

 

36 front and 34 rear

 

posting here as an update.
I have probably 10,000 miles on my set of 265/75/16s now and they have been solid. I will be upsizing to 33s and am debating on buying again due to the unbeatable cheap price.
Impressions.
In my opinion, these do need rotating every 5,000.
Good street manners with minimal body roll.
Road noise is excellent. Very minimal.
Low weight (due to 2 ply sidewall vs 3 ply maybe?)
great handling in standing water.
Not as good in snow and ice (on the street) as my previous favorite, the st maxx.
Deep snow, off the pavement, they are good.
The Trail Country EXP seems better suited to dirt and mud and everyday comfort where the st maxx handles snow, ice and rocks better. I think this is due to the more complex tread design that has some addition "biting edges" build into the tread blocks.
I always like trying new tires and am debating and buying these again or going more aggressive with the yokahama MT G0003
Overall, it is hard to justify the 30% markup on the St/Maxx

 

Hey all. Just a smidge late to this post, but I LOVE these tires. They are incredible for the price and have exceeded expectations in sand, snow, mud, rocks, and (kinda) pavement. Picked up some 285/75R16 for my 3rd gen (stock Fox 1" lift). Rubbing is minimal if you don't know how to use a heat gun. Could not ask for a better tire AND they look bitchin'.

 

Just got a used set of these from @jmferg. Loving them so far.

 

Glad to see these becoming more popular. I have roughly 23k miles on my set now with plenty of life left. They finally experienced their first good snow a few weeks ago. They performed pretty well from my point of view. Still have a solid 60% tread life

 

There’s a set of 265s on my local FB marketplace for $500 plus $15 per to mount and balance. Can’t beat a set of 4 tires for $560 total. Might seriously look into them after this thread.

 

Do it. They’re good tires. You won’t regret it

 

Joined the club... 265/75R16

 

I just put a set on my 2017. 265/70/17. They look way more aggressive in person that in pics. At little noise but not even slightly objectionable. They handle nicely, ride very well for an aggressive tire. I can feel the added weigh over my geo 015s, but with a all the extra weight on this rig (cap bumpers winch) the heavier tire helps with the ride. Overall all I'm impressed and glad you guys posted your opinions to help with my decision.