Tire Chains for a 2014 Roadtrek RS Adventurous RV with 215/85-16 Tires

Published 02/13/2014

Question:

2014 Roadtrek RS Adventurous Hi, the above vehicle I recently purchased for family ski trips, its a mercedez chassis. The vehicle has dual tires in the rear. i dont know if i should use the XB 16. price is no option, whatever is easiest. im not sure what not class S compatible means. tire size is 215 85 R16. what do you think I should do? Im not sure about clearances between the tires in the rear.

asked by: Jack

Helpful Expert Reply:

For Thule tire chains, the XB-16 chains are what they recommend for Vans and RVs. Some of the tires sizes for these different vehicles overlap so that is why you see both when you enter a tire size or go through the fit guide.

I would go with the XB-16 chains, # TH01571245, since they are designed for for RVs.

Class S chains require the least amount of clearance around the tire and are typically required on minimal clearance vehicles. The XB-16 chains are not Class S compatible meaning they stick out from the sidewall more than 15 mm (16 to be exact) and/or more than 37 mm above the tread.

If there is more than 16 millimeters of space between the dually tires and more than 37 millimeters above the tread on the outer tire, you can use these chains.

As far as how easy the chains are to install this set offers assisted centering of the chains meaning you will not have to fine tune them as much like you would with regular chains. They also have a built-in tensioning device so no additional parts are needed to keep the chains tight. I have included a couple of links to the right on tire chains for you.

expert reply by: Michael H