Will Americana Wheels Work With Michelin Light Truck Radial Tires On 2014 Airstream Trailer
Updated 01/28/2015 | Published 01/27/2015
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Question:
I have an Airstream trailer, 2014 - 25foot long flying cloud. stock wheels and tires are Aluminum rims 15inch x 7inch with 6 on 5 1/2inch bolt pattern and 1/2inch x 20 lugs. I am switching to Michelin LTX M/S2 tires in LT 225/75R16 size. I like the looks of your Americana AM22658HWTB Al wheels. Question is, I do not know the stock backspace for the mounting of the wheel. Do you have this info, and will this wheel fit on my trailer?
asked by: Don M
Expert Reply:
In order to determine if your trailer wheels have an offset, remove a wheel from your trailer and measure from the mounting surface of the wheel (where the wheel mounts to the hub) to the inside and outside beads. The difference between these two measurements is the offset.
Because some trailer wheel offsets can be as small as 5 mm, they can be difficult to measure. If you can't measure the wheel, you can contact your trailer manufacturer with your trailer's serial number.
The Aluminum HWT Series S5 Trailer Wheel, part # AM22658HWTB you asked about has a zero offset. This wheel has a 16 inch X 6-1/2 inch rim and has a 6 on 5-1/2 bolt pattern. This wheel also has a 4.25 inch pilot hole, so you will need to make sure this will fit over the wheel hub on your trailer. This wheel has a load rating of 3,580 lbs at 80 psi.
From my research I saw that the tires you mentioned are labeled for light trucks or SUVs. Many people will use them on their RV trailers but you will want to make sure the weight capacity of the tire is adequate for the Airstream trailer. You will need to check with the tire dealer and make sure they will work on the Americana wheel per the dimensions I listed. Since we handle trailer tires only I cannot guarantee the # AM22658HWTB wheel will work with the tire you said you are interested in buying.
You will want to make sure that the difference in the size of the wheel/tire combo you want to install will fit and have the clearance on your trailer. If you are going up in size for the tire and wheel, the wheel well must have the clearance needed as well as any clearance for the trailer body outside the wheel. You might want to check with your Trailer dealership to see if there are any problems changing tire and wheel sizes.
Trailer tires include the letters 'ST' in the size specs listed on the sidewall. The ST stands for special trailer. These tires have stronger sidewalls that are able to handle higher air pressure and heavier loads.
We do carry trailer tires that will work for the American wheels you mentioned. I recommend the Karrier ST235/80R16 Radial Trailer Tire, part # AM10248. This is a radial tire
