Benefits of Changing to Larger Diameter Radial Trailer Tires on Travel Trailer

Question

Question:

I have an ultra lite travel trailer that has 205/75-d14 bias ply and electric brakes on all. I want to switch to radials, but would the added weight of going up in size to a 205/75R15 have any negative effects on braking, fuel consumption, or anything else? Would it improve anything?

asked by: Mike

1

Helpful Expert Reply:

Changing to a larger diameter radial tire from a smaller bias ply type can offer several advantages. In general radial trailer tires run cooler than bias ply tires, especially when the tire is under a load. A tire that runs cooler will last longer. A bias ply tire has a stiffer sidewall than a radial, a feature that might be useful for off-road applications, but for highway operation a radial tire will flex more, and provide better ground contact, traction, stability, and tread wear.

You should note better braking and smoother highway performance from a radial trailer tire (thanks to the better flex and ground contact) but you are not likely to find changes in mileage performance.

A ST205/75-15 tire will be about 1/2-inch larger in overall diameter than a ST205/75-14 so you'll need to check for wheel clearance. In most cases this modest size increase will be okay. You will also want to match your new wheel bolt pattern to the existing one.

I have linked you to our selection of ST205/75-15 tires, such as Taskmaster # TTWTRTM2057515C and to our page for pre-mounted wheel/tire combinations. You want to be sure you choose radial tires with the weight capacity (load range) appropriate for your trailer.

Trailer tires of any type should ALWAYS be inflated to their maximum psi rating as noted on the tire sidewall. It is never a good idea to over- or under-inflate a trailer tire. Tires deliver their rated performance only when inflated to their full psi pressure.

expert reply by: Adam R

1

Answer 1

You can add larger wheels and tires to a trailer as long as you have enough room for the larger size. The main clearance issues we find when putting larger tires and wheels on a trailer is from the top of the tire to the fender and from the inside…

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Answer 2

The biggest advantage and reason most people go with a larger trailer tire is the increased weight capacity that the larger tires offer. The larger diameter offers a negligible amount of better ride quality for the trailer since the larger the tire…

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Answer 3

Hey, thanks. You're not so bad yourself! Going to a larger tire size is possible but there are a few things to think about. Chief among these things is clearance. When going from an 8 inch tire to a 12 inch tire the diameter will increase by 4.4…

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Answer 4

Yes, you certainly can use a larger tire like the #AM32131 on a 3,000 lb axle. While we do not disagree with what the forest river rep told you regarding the "rotational mass aspect", this is generally a non-issue when upgrading tires,…

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Answer 5

To find the correct replacement hubs I would need to know the inner and outer bearing numbers stamped into the sides of the bearings. If the spindle is straight, meaning both bearings have the same inner diameter, then it probably takes a hub with…

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Answer 6

Typically, a wider tire will offer more stability, but with a small, light trailer any advantage provided by the wider tire would be tiny. There are some differences in the two tires you mentioned that could possibally make the tire for your setup.…

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Answer 7

The Kenda 4.80/4.00-8 Bias Trailer Tire with 8 inch White Steel Wheel you referred to, part #AM30000 features a wheel with a zero offset. This means that the wheel's mounting pad (the surface that contacts the hub face) is centered on the width…

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Answer 8

The 5.30-12 tires, being wider, are going to make more contact with the road. This means that the noise, and heat build up will be higher than a 4.80-12 tire but the rolling resistance will actually be less because the tire is larger diameter. The…

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Answer 9

Without knowing the bolt pattern and tire and wheel size, you will need to take some measurements of the tires that are currently on the trailer. Measure the tire's diameter and width. Also, you will need to determine the proper bolt pattern on…

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Answer 10

In order to determine the torque rating for the lug nuts on your trailer you will need to know check out the chart I attached that shows all of the torque specs for all the trailer lugs available based on stud size, wheel material and wheel size.

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Answer 11

The difference between an load range C and load range D tire in the same size is the capacity and psi rating. The two tires will still have the same dimensions and fit on the same wheel. The D rated tire has a higher capacity. For a ST175/80D13 like…

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Answer 12

Since both a ST145/R12 size tire, like the Kenda Karrier S-Trail #AM10130, and a 5.30-12 size tire, like the Kenda K353 #AM10068, fit a 12 inch wheel, a ST145/R12 size tire can replace a 5.30-12 size tire. Keep in mind that these tires do have…

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Benefits of Changing to Larger Diameter Radial Trailer Tires on Travel Trailer

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