First of Many Questions Tire/Wheel #1

[Pwfyrcat1]

My trailer tire is 4.8x12. These are the original tires and the trailer is @ 14 years old. The tires are in good shape considering their age. No sign of dry rot.


It seems to me that if I am going to build this into a camper trailer that the beginning is a good time to change the tires

If I go to a bigger tire, what is a larger tire I can go to? Is there a tire available without changing into a larger wheel? AND, can I do it without changing the axle?

Looking to keep the costs down.

[gudmund]

check at W-M or Tractor Supply - they both carry tires/rims already mounted and ready to go - just bolt them on. I see you have 5 bolt setup which even makes it more feasible for a larger tire combination better suited for a heavier trailer load. Just a thought.

[mary and bob]

Is there a load rating on your tires, B, C or D ? D is highest load rated. Is there a rating tag on the axle? Larger wheels and tires may bolt on but you would still be on the original bearings that may be under sized for what you end up with for weight. Will you need brakes on the trailer, does your state have a weight spec for that. I recently replaced the old 4.80 X 12 tires on our pop-up camper that we gave our son with D rated tires from etrailer. General rule is replace tires at about 5 years old.

[TimC]

Yes, replace the tires. Since the year 2000 tires have been coded with a four digit code in an oval on one side of the tire. The first two digits are the week and the last two digits are the year. For instance, a code that reads 3909 means they were manufactured in the 39th week of 2009. I would not run trailer tires that are older than ten years. Some folks will say five years is the limit. Tire tread is not a good measure of tire life unless you have none left

[les45]

I agree with the others that you really should replace the tires due to age. The only other 12" tire that I know of is the 5.3X12 that is standard on a lot of trailers. If you want to go to a larger tire you will definitely need new wheels to match the larger size. If your camper weight is less than the GVW rating of your trailer, then your old bearings should be good. The limiting factor on how large to go on new tires will be the clearance between the tire and frame (you can always raise your fender). I upgraded my 5.3X12 trailer tires on my NT trailer to 175X70R13 passenger car tires. This kept a one inch clearance to the frame and greatly improved the handling of the trailer while towing. There are many factors involved in frame clearance like tire width, wheel offset, and use of adapters, so you really need to do your homework on all these before you decide on a final size.

[Pwfyrcat1]

If my tire is 4.80x12, can someone tell me what the 4.80 represents? I understand that 12 is the radius. Does that mean 4.80 is the width?

thx

[Rick Tyler]

If my tire is 4.80x12, can someone tell me what the 4.80 represents? I understand that 12 is the radius. Does that mean 4.80 is the width?

Yes! To be clear, 12" is the nominal diameter of the wheel, not the tire.