What Smaller Size Tire Should I Get for My Little Buggy 12LRK with Current Tire Size ST235-75R15?

Updated 04/07/2025 | Published 03/26/2025

Products Featured in This Question

Loadstar ST205/75D15 Trailer Tire with Black Mod Wheel - 5 on 4-1/2

(775)

$144.37

Provider ST205/75R15 Radial Trailer Tire - Load Range C

(1113)

$135.69

Question:

We have a Little Buggy 12LRK tear trailer. It came with ST235-75R15 tires. We would like to get smaller, less knobby tires so that it will fit in our garage and get better gas mileage. What size should we get? Thanks!

asked by: Lindsay L

Expert Reply:

Hello Lindsay,

If you're looking to make your Little Buggy 12LRK fit in the garage more easily, and maybe even save a little on gas, downsizing your trailer tires is a smart move. The stock ST235/75R15 tires are fairly large, with an outer diameter of about 29 inches and a width of 9 inches. They also tend to have a more aggressive tread. Swapping them out for something smaller and smoother can help lower your trailer’s overall height and reduce rolling resistance on the road.

I’d recommend the ST205/75R15, specifically #TTWTRTM2057515C. These tires have an outer diameter of 27 inches and are 8 inches wide when fully inflated, so you’ll get about 1 inch of height reduction on each side. They’ll still fit your existing 15-inch wheels, and they offer a strong load capacity of 1,820 lbs at 50 psi, along with a speed rating of 81 mph.

Let me know what you think of this option by commenting below.

expert reply by: Kate F

Lindsay

4/1/2025

Kate-Is there any chance that we could use something a little bit smaller? We need about 3 inches to get in the garage. So we are looking for durable (we had a lot of tire blow on our popup), can drive down the highway, smaller, better gas milage. Phew. Thanks-Lindsay

Kate F.

4/2/2025

@Lindsay Hey Lindsay, if you want to go down even more you will need to get a new wheel as well since your current one is 15", so I would go with the Kenda Karrier KR53 ST205/75R14 Radial Trailer Tire with 14" Black Mod Wheel - 5 on 4-1/2 # KE75EV. It is very similar to the one that you asked the question on, but it is a radial tire instead of bias. This one is 25.9" when inflated.

Lindsay

4/3/2025

@KateF What do you think about a ST 185/80R13 tire?

Kate F.

4/4/2025

@Lindsay Hey Lindsay, The upside to having a beefier tire is if you’re going to be going on the road less traveled or dealing with tough terrain. Using the 185/80R13 is totally acceptable, just as long as losing a couple of inches won’t be an issue with any stabilizer jacks you might have on there or anything else that depends on ground clearance. We do not have a tire/wheel combo with the black wheel you originally asked about, but we do have the Karrier ST185/80R13 Radial Trailer Tire with 13" Aluminum Wheel - 5 on 4-1/2 - Load Range D # KE33JR. To buy separately, you could go with a # AM10208 for the tire, and for the wheel, # AM20245. I would not go any smaller than that sized tire, as it won’t be able to handle the weight safely. The GVWR of your buggy is about 3,500 pounds, so you’ll want to stick with a Load Range D. The # AM10208 has a maximum load of 1,710 lbs at 65 psi, which puts you just over that 3,500 lb requirement. Please let me know what look you end up going with, and once you get everything set up, I’d love to see a picture of your rig!

Helpful Links

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