Wheel Question

[Alan Chavers]

We recently bought a 2018 Grand Design Solitude and have been living in it off and on for the past few months. Our other abode is an apartment in Orlando where our children and granddaughters live.

The only trip we have taken in it is to the Cat scales where we weighed our entire truck (F350 SRW), the rear axle of the truck without the camper, the rear axle with the camper and the camper axles. It was pretty well loaded as we have been living there. I purposefully left the black and one grey tank about half full to get it on the heavy side.

We were within weight tolerances on everything- GCWR, Truck Axle, Camper Axle, Pin Weight, etc- but not by a lot. We will have to watch it to stay under.

I want to replace the Chinabombs and h.ave the money but I don't want to replace the wheels if I don't have to.

I would like to put Sailune S637 ST235/80R16s on it but it says they require
"special high load capacity wheel". My camper has 6 lug Aluminum wheels and the only thing I can find just says they are rated for 3400 lbs.

I have googled about the wheels and found references that report the wheel manufacturer says the limits of the pressure on a wheel is based on the tire and valve stem. I had planned on having metal stems put in the wheels so if those references are correct, I should be able to mount the Sailune tires on my wheels.

But I have learned that nothing about RV's and 5th Wheels is simple and that many people who should know what they are talking about, really don't.

Have any of you knowledge of wheels? What do they mean by saying they require a "special high load capacity wheel" for tires that are inflated to 100+ lbs?

Thanks

[BuzzWolfAR]

Will be watching this. Have the same question with my Cedar Creek.

[60sumtin]

The tire carrying the most weight is the weakest link therefore the one most likely to fail. When you were on the scales was one tire loaded more than its rated for? Sailun says that model of tire is designed for high load capacity trailers. I take it they are saying if you NEED such a tire make sure the wheel assembly can support the additional weight and air pressure as well. Perhaps that tire is overkill for you. What load range does the trailer's data plate say to use and what is the load range of the Sailun you want to buy?

[Alan Chavers]

Originally Posted by 60sumtin

The tire carrying the most weight is the weakest link therefore the one most likely to fail. When you were on the scales was one tire loaded more than its rated for? Sailun says that model of tire is designed for high load capacity trailers. I take it they are saying if you NEED such a tire make sure the wheel assembly can support the additional weight and air pressure as well. Perhaps that tire is overkill for you. What load range does the trailer's data plate say to use and what is the load range of the Sailun you want to buy?

The CAT scale didn't weigh each tire. The Sailunes and Chinabombs are actually rated about the same (3,400-3,600 lbs+-) but I think we all know the CB's rating are a joke.

I won't be overloading the wheels. Their rating will cover what I weighed with some to spare. I guess the question would be the pressure. Do any of you know if I replace the stems with steel is it OK to go from an 80 psi tire to 100-110 psi tire?

[Duoglide1]

You need to find out if you have 110# rated rims. May be on the back, might be inside. Check with the people that built your trailer. If they put 80psi tires on it's a good possibility you have 80 psi rims.

[Joe11]

If your wheel only has 6 lug nuts it’s not a high capacity wheel.

[60sumtin]

I think you better talk to the tire shop you'll be buying these tires from.

[JIMNLIN]

All china made tires are not bombs. If that was the case then the Sailuns would be some very big bombs.

Never mount a high pressure tire (100+ psi) on a wheel not designed for that much pressure. There is no benefit.
Yes there are some better brand aluminum wheels that the mfg says the stem dictates the wheels pressure up to a certain psi....but not all aluminum or steel wheel mfg tells us this.

6 lug axles can be 5200 lb -6000lbs ratings or 3000 lbs per tire. This tells us you don't need a 4080-4400 lb rated 110 psi 14 ply load G 637 Sailun tire on those axles.
Now if the trailer has 7k-8k axle then the 4080 lb or 4400 lb tire would be a good choice.

For 5.2k-6k axle the LT235/85-16 E at 6084 per axle Michelin XPS Ribs or the Bridgestone R-250 both a all steel ply carcass tire. These two tires are at the top of the tire chain for those size axles.

Lots of commercial haulers have been using the 16" Provider in a ST235/80-16 E at 3520 lbs per tire since the '10-'11 era with a problem free service record on their tandem/dual 10k axles and triaxle GN trailers.

[TripleEEE]

Originally Posted by Joe11

If your wheel only has 6 lug nuts it’s not a high capacity wheel.

This is my understanding as well.

When I had my fifth wheel it had 8 lug, 110 psi, G rated tires on it. The rims were stamped on the inside as 110 psi rated.

The highest rating I have seen on 6 lug wheels is E rated 80 psi tires.

[Alan Chavers]

The reason I am posting here for information is because at every step in the process of buying a 5th wheel and a truck to pull it I have gotten bad advice from the people who are supposed to know.

I had trailer salesmen to tell me that he didn't have a camper on his lot that couldn't be pulled with a 3/4 ton truck. He had several in well in excess of 40' weighing 17K+-. He wasn't the only salesmen to tell me similar tales. I had 4 or 5 at least. Same thing with the truck salesmen.

I also googled my question and got a reply from a wheel manufacturer that said only the stem and tire mattered about pressure. More bad info.

Anyway, thanks for the replies. I will study them, do some more research, and then go to the tire dealer. He may be competent and help me out or he might try to steer me toward something for reasons that benefit him more than me.

[60sumtin]

Before you go there's a respected member here on iRV2 named Roger Marble aka tireman9. He has an extensive blog called RV Tire Safety. Within the About Roger section there's an email address. I suggest you contact him. Perhaps he'll help you with some of your answers. Cheers.

[FastEagle]

Originally Posted by Alan Chavers

The reason I am posting here for information is because at every step in the process of buying a 5th wheel and a truck to pull it I have gotten bad advice from the people who are supposed to know.

I had trailer salesmen to tell me that he didn't have a camper on his lot that couldn't be pulled with a 3/4 ton truck. He had several in well in excess of 40' weighing 17K+-. He wasn't the only salesmen to tell me similar tales. I had 4 or 5 at least. Same thing with the truck salesmen.

I also googled my question and got a reply from a wheel manufacturer that said only the stem and tire mattered about pressure. More bad info.

Anyway, thanks for the replies. I will study them, do some more research, and then go to the tire dealer. He may be competent and help me out or he might try to steer me toward something for reasons that benefit him more than me.

I looked at the specs for Solitude 5th wheels and couldn't find a single one that was light enough for 6 lug wheels.

All wheels are required to have a part number & serial number displayed on them. All wheels are certified by SAE. Whenever the wheel does not have it's specs displayed on the wheel, it's manufacturer is required to provide that info on request. A valve stem is a weak link item. It has nothing to do with the wheels actual specs.

A wheel's PSI rating is not a true indicator of it's load capacity. The SAE writes the specs with both in mind but the ultimate limiting factor is it's load capacity. Inflating a tire with wheel having a 3400# load capacity to 110 PSI is not recommended no matter what the limit of the valve stem is.

There is a new USA made ST tire sized ST255/85R16E rated at 4080# @ 80 PSI. But, here again, I'm sure new wheels would be needed. But, it might be a fitment to consider.

[Alan Chavers]

Originally Posted by FastEagle

I looked at the specs for Solitude 5th wheels and couldn't find a single one that was light enough for 6 lug wheels.

All wheels are required to have a part number & serial number displayed on them. All wheels are certified by SAE. Whenever the wheel does not have it's specs displayed on the wheel, it's manufacturer is required to provide that info on request. A valve stem is a weak link item. It has nothing to do with the wheels actual specs.

A wheel's PSI rating is not a true indicator of it's load capacity. The SAE writes the specs with both in mind but the ultimate limiting factor is it's load capacity. Inflating a tire with wheel having a 3400# load capacity to 110 PSI is not recommended no matter what the limit of the valve stem is.

There is a new USA made ST tire sized ST255/85R16E rated at 4080# @ 80 PSI. But, here again, I'm sure new wheels would be needed. But, it might be a fitment to consider.

I had to lean a lot but it looks like I didn't learn enough before buying. It would seem that FastEagle's first sentence is correct. This Solitude should have heavier axles and 8 lug wheels but yet here our new home sits on 6K axles and 6 lug wheels.

I told the wife we need to get the weight down and re-weigh it and stay under 12K at all times. I guess I had reached information overload looking at 5th wheels and trucks and did not catch that the axles under this 5er are bare minimum with no extra for safety.

Right now I'm not a happy camper but at least I know where our real weak link is (not the wheels and tires) and will hopefully take the right steps to make the best of what we have.

Back to tires. I'm leaning toward the GY Endurance as there is a dealer not far from me that has a good reputation and his shop would be easy to get in and out of.

Thanks for all the input.
Alan

[JIMNLIN]

Right now I'm not a happy camper but at least I know where our real weak link is (not the wheels and tires) and will hopefully take the right steps to make the best of what we have.

Back to tires. I'm leaning toward the GY Endurance as there is a dealer not far from me that has a good reputation and his shop would be easy to get in and out of.

Thanks for all the input.
Alan

Understandable so.
Most tire dealers don't have many trailer customers so they don't have much experience with tires/wheels for trailers.
I would recommend weighing the load on the trailers axles before buying a tire that may not have enough capacity or proper reserve capacity (11-15 % at most).

Each wheel mfg has his own max load and max pressure specs for that wheel. One size don't fit all brands.
Thats why its the best idea to contact them for those ratings.