Pros/Cons To Replacing Or Upgrading Tires And Wheels On A Pop Up Camper

Updated 11/14/2025 | Published 04/10/2024

Products Featured in This Question

Kenda Loadstar K371 Bias Trailer Tire - 4.80/4.00-8 - Load Range B

(3858)

$25.70

Loadstar K399 Bias Trailer Tire - 205/65-10 - Load Range B

(3858)

$66.82

Question:

I have a small pop up camper with 5.3x12 4lug rims and tires on it. is there any negative or cons to switching to a 205x65x10? I have test fit them, so i know they fit and there is still plenty of clearance.

asked by: Paul H

Expert Reply:

Hello Paul. The main factor to consider when replacing/upgrading your tires is the clearance in the fender area. Our rule of thumb is that you want at least 3" between the tire and the fender, and at least 1" between the inside of the tire and the frame of the trailer. If you have already checked and verified that you have adequate clearance, there really is no downside to going with larger tires.

One thing to keep in mind when upgrading tires is we do not want to overkill the load rating by too much. For example, you may not want to put a 10 ply rated tire on a camper that only weighs a few hundred pounds. The higher ply rated tires are filled to a higher PSI and have much thicker sidewalls, and too thick of a sidewall can cause a rough ride. For lighter trailers, a 4 ply rated tire like the Loadstar K399 Bias Trailer Tire # AM1HP50 would be more appropriate since it is rated for a 910 lb max load at 35 PSI.

If you can tell me the approximate weight of your camper I am happy to make a more accurate recommendation for you if needed. Aside from this there are really no other noteworthy considerations when upgrading tires. You can feel free to reach out to me if you have further questions.

expert reply by: Jesse M

Paul

4/10/2024

The camper weighs 900, roughly, dry but loaded around 1300lbs.

Jesse M.

4/11/2024

@Paul Ok great. The 4 ply rated tires I mentioned above will work great then. You could maybe go up to a 6 ply if you wanted to, but any higher than that you risk negatively affecting the ride quality.

Mark

11/13/2025

Hello, I am considering purchasing a 2020 Rockwood 1640LTD Popup. The tires are 12 inch (ST145R12). (5 lugs). I would like a larger tire. You addressed this earlier to another user. But I had difficulty reading the chart you referenced. Since i do not own the camper yet, i cannot measure the two clearances you have referenced. Can you help? It is a tiny popup. Smallest and very light. Thanks, Mark Dyer

Jesse M.

11/14/2025

@Mark Your best bet here will be to wait till you take possession of the camper then measure the wheel well clearance with the current tire setup. There is no way to look up what the clearance would be with a certain tire size. RV manufacturers just are not that specific with their online literature. Once you measure the clearance we will be able to determine if larger tires are an option. Let me know your findings and I am happy to look into it.