Tire/wheel upgrade?

[TXCamper]

Hello, Has anyone changed the tires and wheels on a Surveyor SPT 295 to a larger diameter 15"-16" wheel? Is this even possible? I'm not a fan of such a small tire on a trailer nor the spongy feel to the sidewalls. I'm new to rving but have pulled many gooseneck stock trailers over the years and have had better luck with larger diameter tires. The original tires are 205/75R14C with load C. Although I'm not loaded anywhere near maximum payload weight, it seems possible to overload the tires before reaching payload capacity. Thanks for you input on this matter.

[IC2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TXCamper Hello, Has anyone changed the tires and wheels on a Surveyor SPT 295 to a larger diameter 15"-16" wheel? Is this even possible? I'm not a fan of such a small tire on a trailer nor the spongy feel to the sidewalls. I'm new to rving but have pulled many gooseneck stock trailers over the years and have had better luck with larger diameter tires. The original tires are 205/75R14C with load C. Although I'm not loaded anywhere near maximum payload weight, it seems possible to overload the tires before reaching payload capacity. Thanks for you input on this matter.

Fourteen inch wheels on an RV was a "dumb" act by the manufacturer. Little choice in brand/type/size tire plus they tend to run hot. But who looks at that when they buy their new dream

The best bet is the 16" as you will have a better selection of tires - of which my choice is an LT, but there are many discussions about that here to go into that.

Without knowing the bolt pattern, it's difficult to say which wheels can be used on your TT depending on wheel lug spacing. There are several sizes in the 5 lug arrangement. A 16 inch 5 lug wheel may be difficult to find, but not impossible - but then you also need the lug spacing as well.

There are really only two more considerations after that then - overall tire diameter should be about the same as what you have on there now, unless you have lots of clearance. Added clearance can be gotten with heavier/re-arched springs or, better an over/under axle kit. Then there is wheel backspace (offset) to consider for a couple of reasons - side wall clearance and wheel bearing loads, especially if you have Never-Lub axles. The new wheels should be approximately the same backspace as the original

[RustyJC]

I'd suggest giving Scott a call at Trailer Tires and Wheels.com . They specialize in upgrade packages. If you tell him what you have, he can make some recommendations regarding possible upgrades. I've used them to upgrade our 5th wheel from 16" Goodyear G614 RST tires to 17.5" Michelin XTA tires and wheels.

Rusty

[TXCamper]

Thanks for the quick replies. Maybe I'm jumping the gun here as far as this being a want instead of a need. I'm just used to our ranch trailers here in West Texas with 16-16.5" 8 lug rims and LT tires on them.

[wingnut60]

There should be a big advantage in the larger tire as to longevity and durability--whether it is worth the effort to upgrade is your choice. Should be able to come up with the bolt pattern, then contact a wheel company for what 15s and 16s are available. If you can find the wheels, the clearance should be the only other problem.
Joe

[FastEagle]

I write a lot of posts about RV trailer - OE - tires and therefore I take a lot of heat for supporting ST tires. Well, there are thousands of ST tires that ride up and down our highways and serve their owners very well without ever causing problems.

The next in line for very bad reviews about the use of ST tires is the vehicle manufacturer. So maybe they could give you better tires but so could the manufacturer of your car or truck. All the RV trailer manufacturer has to do is meet the basic minimum requirements as regulated by the DOT. What that boils down to is tires that provide enough load capacity to support the RV trailer's GAWR. After looking at the specs for your trailer I suspect you have two 3500# axles. Although your current tires do meet the axles minimum requirement there is almost no reserves. Proper upkeep and maintenance will allow them to last a year or two. Upgrading to some higher load capacity tires would take a lot of worry out of your road trips.

An upgrade to the ST225/75R15C would give you a 20% increase in load capacity reserves. Check with your trailer's manufacturer about that and get their recommendations for fitment of that or any other upgrade you are considering.

FastEagle