Upgrading From 4.80-12 to Larger Tires on Homemade Tear Camper On Harbor Freight Trailer

Question

Question:

Hello. I have a homemade tear camper built on a harbor freight utility trailer. The whole set up weighs around 700lbs. I have towed with a small Toyota pickup I have with bumper pull ball mount. I’m thinking about adding a hitch receiver to my 2002 Honda Accord v6 sedan to be able to tow in a vehicle with airbags. I want to upgrade the tires and possibly the wheels for the tear . I have the fenders off so don’t need to worry about clearance there. Wheels I have12x4 are rated for 1520 lbs, the tires on them size 4.8-12 4 boltare load B rated 785 lbs. My goal is to cruise as safely as possible at highway speeds for a long road trip this summer. Would you recommend I just upgrade the tiresto a load C or E or also swap the wheels? Also, any input on the frame and components of the harbor freight utility trailer traveling at highway speeds? Manual says not to exceed 45 MPH, but thinking the stock wheels and tires are a big part of that? Thank you.

asked by: Tanya

1

Helpful Expert Reply:

I can't tell if you have radial or bias ply tries, but switching to radial would be the best upgrade you could make here. A lot of 4.80-12 tires are bias ply, and radial will be much better for highway use. There is no need to swap out the wheel.

If you want to switch to a radial with a higher load range you could use the Kenda Karrier S-Trail ST145/R12 Radial Trailer Tire # AM10130. This has a maximum load of 1,220 lbs at 65 psi and a speed rating of M for 81 mph. It may be a bit wider so you will still need to watch that inside clearance. This has a section width of 5.7" and you want at least 2" on the inside of the tire.

Regarding the rating of the trailer itself, I don't have any information on what specifically gives it a 45 mph rating. I would check with the manufacturer to see if upgrading the wheels and tires is adequate or if other components limit the speed. You don't want to go driving down the highway and find out why it has that speed rating when your trailer falls apart.

expert reply by: Robin H

1

4.80-12 Tires From Homemade Tear Trailer
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Answer 1

Both the 4.8-12 and the 145/80-12 will fit on a 4 inch wide rim. However, the 145 will be taller by about 13/16 of an inch so you will want to make sure that there is space above the tire for the larger size. The 145 will also be wider by nearly an…

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Answer 2

I have a solution for you, but unfortunately we do not carry any tires in the 155/80R12 size. We do have the size ST145/R12 which is slightly smaller but does come on a wheel with a 4 on 4" bolt pattern. The Kenda Karrier S-Trail #AM35351DX is…

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Answer 3

I have the perfect solution for you with the Taskmaster 4.80-12 Tire #TT48012C. This tire has a Load Range C (990 lbs at 90 psi) weight capacity per tire and can travel safely up to 81 mph so it definitely fits the bill! If you need to replace the…

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Answer 4

We don't have it pre-mounted to a rim but the best tire for your size is the Taskmaster 4.80-12 part #TT48012C as it has a higher speed rating at 81 mph compared to other options which are only rated for 65. Exceeding the speed rating of a tire…

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Answer 5

Your 4.80-12 tire has an overall diameter of 20.5 inches, a 145/80-12 tire will have an overall diameter of 21.3 inches. The fender clearance difference you would see with the taller size would be .4 of an inch. If you can fit an additional .4 of an…

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Answer 6

If you are traveling 3,000 miles and you will be doing mostly highway traveling, I do suggest going with Radial tires. The Kenda Kenda Karrier S-Trail ST145/R12 Radial Trailer Tire #AM10130 will have a capacity of up to 1,220 pounds at 65 psi and…

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Answer 7

The best option for your current setup is the Taskmaster 4.80R12 Radial Trailer Tire #TT48012C as you noted due to the 81 mph speed rating. With that being said, it is never good to run tires faster than their speed rating because then you run the…

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Answer 8

Tire and wheel combos like the Kenda KR25 Radial Trailer Tire with 12" Aluminum HWT Wheel - 4 on 4 - Load Range D item #AM31208HWT ones you were looking at do not come pre-balanced. Trailer tires are not required to be balanced and have to be…

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Answer 9

Yes, we do sell 4 x 4 1/2 " wide wheels with tires. The Loadstar ST175/80D13 Bias Trailer Tire with 13" Galvanized Wheel - 4 on 4 - Load Range C item #AM3S130 has a 4" x 4" bolt pattern and the width of the rim is 4 1/2" from…

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Answer 10

Stainless steel lug nuts will work great with the Kenda KR25 Radial Trailer Tire with 12" Aluminum HWT Wheel #AM31208HWT. There are sleeves in the wheel that are steel which prevents issues from dissimilar metals. I attached a picture where you…

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Answer 11

Carlisle and Kenda trailer tires are about the same in terms of quality. We only sell Kenda currently so I'll try not to give you too much bias...but the Kenda Karrier S-Trail ST145/R12 Radial Trailer Tire #AM10130 that you referenced is very…

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Answer 12

I recommend the Kenda Karrier S-Trail ST145/R12 Radial Trailer Tire #AM10130. This is a radial tire with a speed rating of 81 MPH. The radial tire is much better suited for highway travel as that sounds like what you are using the trailer for. It is…

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Upgrading From 4.80-12 to Larger Tires on Homemade Tear Camper On Harbor Freight Trailer

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