Can Radial Tires be Used on a Travel Trailer

Updated 04/30/2015 | Published 04/29/2015

Question:

can I put a radial tire on a travel trailer? I had always been told to put a trailer tire not a radial! Our trailer is under 2000 pounds and is a vintage 1963 2 wheel trailer.

asked by: Pam

Expert Reply:

Yes, you can use radial tires on a trailer as long as they are trailer tires. Trailer tires will have ST in front of the size. Radial indicates which way the belts run in the tire. It is just a different kind of tire construction.

Trailer tires, whether they are radial or bias ply, are built with a thicker sidewall than vehicle tires. This is because they handle more vertical load so you would not use vehicle tires on a trailer or vice versa. Trailer tires should also be inflated to the maximum psi indicated on the tire to avoid overheating which can lead to failure.

I have included a link to our help article on trailer tires for you.

expert reply by: Michael H