Replacement 4.80-12 Tires Needed For A Boat Trailer

Updated 01/17/2025 | Published 01/16/2025

Products Featured in This Question

Taskmaster 4.80R12 Radial Trailer Tire - Load Range C

(285)

$93.83

Kenda K353 Bias Trailer Tire - 4.80-12 - Load Range B

(3774)

$47.81

Question:

My boat trailer with 2 axles 4 tires total currently has tire size 4.80-12 load C max 450 lbs. Normally I travel only a few miles between my house and boat ramp 2 to 3 times per year. My current tires are 12 years old. I have need to travel with the boat further than normal, and I am concerned that even new tires of this size and rating might be unsafe. My boat weighs 1800 lbs. empty without equipment, fuel, or 150 hp engine. Maybe there is more to the determination of safe tire capacity than multiplying the max capacity of 450 lbs per tire times the number of tires which yields 1800 lbs. So for purposes of traveling say 50 miles, do I need a set of tires that have have a higher load rating? If so, what works on the existing rims?

asked by: Mike O

Expert Reply:

Hey Mike,

A load range C tire only having 450lbs of capacity, even at that size sounds a little low. Are you sure they're only rated for 450lbs max? If that really is the case then you're right on the edge of those tires capacity and the tow vehicle is likely picking up the rest of the weight via the tongue weight of the trailer. Could you possibly make it the 50 miles to your destination? Yes, but should you risk a blowout and potentially damaging or losing the boat, trailer, and possibly also the tow vehicle depending on the severity? No.

I typically verify the GVWR rating (total weight of the trailer when fully loaded) of the trailer and then choose tires based on that. It's good to have some excess capacity but not too much, otherwise the tires might be too stiff for the load and won't compress enough to wear correctly. Depending on the GVWR load range B # AM10060 (785lbs at 60 psi) would likely be enough to safely tow you boat without being so stiff they wear in the middle. These would fit your 12" wheels and would have an overall diameter of 20.5" so you might also need to check your fender clearance.

Doublecheck your tires to see if they're really only rated for 450lbs and if you can see what the GVWR of the trailer is I can confirm the right load range/capacity.

expert reply by: Kevin C

Mike

1/17/2025

After submitting my question, I realized that my existing tires are rated 450 kg, rather that pounds. So they're really rated for 990 lbs.

Kevin C.

1/17/2025

@Mike Ok, that makes a lot more sense. With them being 12 years old there's a good chance for dry-rot, bulging, and flat spots on the tires. I would still swap them out just based on the age alone, but you'll want to match that same capacity and go with the Load Range C # TT48012C you were originally looking at instead of the LRB # AM10060 I suggested above. These tires would be a fit for your 12" wheels and are 4.84" wide x 20.63" in overall diameter. You can doublecheck that they won't interfere with your fenders and by measuring your current tires and the space between them and the frame horizontally or vertically with the fenders. You should have a minimum of 1" of clearance horizontally and 3" vertically to allow for suspension travel.