Should Wheels be Replaced with the Tires on a 10 Year Old Coleman Pop Up Camper

Updated 06/18/2014 | Published 06/17/2014

Question:

Just bought a used 2004 Coleman Tacoma pop-up. It appears to have the original tires , which are LoadStar K550 ST175/80D13 - load range C. I am looking purchasing at the Kenda radials with Load Range D - because I will be doing a lot of highway driving. Do you recommend getting these with rims included? I am new to trailer ownership...when should rims be replaced? I assumed I would purchase the tire and then use a local shop to mount and balance them on the original rims. However, the rims are not that much more expensive. Is there a big advantage to buying the tires with rims?

asked by: Dave M

Expert Reply:

If the wheels on your trailer are rusting or appear to be bent or otherwise damaged then it will be time to replace them. If they appear fine and are not rusty then you do not have to replace them.

The benefit of getting a tire and wheel combo with the tire already mounted is that you do not have to worry about getting them mounted or balanced.

A quick note on balancing. Trailer tires do not have to be balanced. You could have them balanced if you want but the problem is that most tire shops do not have the proper equipment to balance a trailer tire and wheel. It takes a special rig to do so and it just isn't used hardly at all any more. Since trailers do not have steering axles like cars and trucks, balancing is not nearly as important on a trailer as it is on a vehicle.

Karrier tire # AM10210 would be a great choice. This tire is rated for 1,610 pounds at 65 psi. Trailer tires should always be inflated to the maximum psi indicated on the tire. This is because trailer tires are built with a thicker sidewall compared to passenger vehicle tires.

If a trailer tire is under inflated, because of that thicker sidewall, which would be more bunched up when under inflated, it will generate excessive heat which is the number 1 enemy of tires. I have incldued a link to our help article on trailer tires for you.

expert reply by: Michael H