Replacement Trailer Tires for a 3,880 Pound Travel Trailer with Under Rated Tires Installed  

Question:

Expert Reply:

Just about every tire manufacturer has moved operations over seas so finding a trailer tire made in the USA would be very difficult. For tire size 205/75-14 you can use # AM10234. This is a radial load range C tire rated for 1,925 pounds at 60 psi. On a single axle, the capacity would be 3,850 pounds. This is 30 pounds lower than the gross trailer weight you stated.

In order to get to a high enough capacity you would have to change to a 15 inch tire in a load range D, # AM10245. That means you also have to change the wheels to 15 inch wheels. For the right wheels I would need to know what bolt pattern you have. It is most likely 5 on 4-1/2 like # AM20522 but I have linked an FAQ article on bolt patterns for you to be sure. This size tire will be 0.8 inches taller than the tires you have now so you have to make sure you have more than 0.4 inches of space above the existing tires.

The main enemy of tires is heat. Trailer tires are made with a thicker sidewall. This thicker sidewall, when the tire is under inflated, can lead to excessive heat build up and cause the tire to fail. That is why you should always inflate trailer tires to the maximum psi as indicated on the trailer tire.

Trailer tires also do not get nearly the same amount of use as passenger vehicle tires. Because of this trailer tires are often left exposed to the elements more than passenger vehicle tires and can dry rot. Keeping the tires covered when not using the trailer is a good idea. We have covers like # CA80083 that you could use.

I have included a link to our trailer tire FAQ article for you.

expert reply by: Michael H

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