Benefits of Switching to Trailer Tires with Higher Load Range and Speed Ratings

Question:

Is there any advantage or disadvantage from going from a load range C to a load range D tire. I currently have load range C tires on my trailer, thats what came with the it.

asked by: RICK

Helpful Expert Reply:

Excellent question.

There is no disadvantage to using a special trailer tire with a higher weight Load Range Rating than is required by your trailer's weight. Doing so simply means that those higher-rated tires will tend to run cooler, since they will be operated below maximum capacity, and this is always a good thing with any tire.

Heat is the worst enemy of a tire and the two conditions that typically lead to excess heat build-up are overloading beyond rated weight capacity and operating above rated speed. Avoiding both of these conditions provides more safety margin and potentially longer tire life.

The wheel/tire combination you referenced, Westlake ST225/75R15 Radial # LHAW124, has a maximum weight capacity of 2830-lbs so on a tandem axle trailer four of these will provide a total carrying capacity of 11,320-lbs and two of them on a single axle trailer would handle half that weight. This wheel/tire happens to have an L speed rating, meaning good to 75-mph. Other trailer tires can be M-rated (81-mph) or J-rated (62-mph).

I do recommend you select tires that give you both a weight and a speed "cushion" or safety margin so that your normal driving conditions do not approach their limits. This will lead to better reliability and a longer service life.

There are also other things you can do to prolong your tires' lifespan. One is to protect them from UV exposure as much as possible, both during off-season storage and even during a 4-day stay at a favorite summertime campsite. Tire covers like Adco's # 290-3952 will block most of the sun's damaging rays and help prevent cracking of your sidewalls. A set of covers that get beaten up by the sun costs a lot less than a set of new trailer tires. The same applies to the RV itself; storage covers are linked for your review.

The other thing you can do during both camping trips and off-season storage is take the load off the tires by using TrailerLegs Tire Saver Stands like single-axle kit # 326-TRLLG-2 or tandem-axle kit # 326-TRLLG-4. These easy-to-use stands support your trailer by its axles instead of the tires. This both avoids the risk of flat spots and it makes your trailer more stable since the Tire Saver Stands do not flex like a rubber tire and because they have a much larger footprint on the ground. The linked photo and video illustrate.