13 inch wheels

[Toolie]

Hi Redriver,
I'm just a Slow Wannabe but speaking as a short person, my plan is to go 13 - 14" tires because the taller the tires, the taller the Tear, the shorter the cabinets. Try to consider the cook as well as the aesthetics. Standard countertop is 36" from the floor or ground. I think there is a thread discussing this.

[asianflava]

I believe Kumho is a Korean company, not Chinese.

Korea=the next Japan?

[surveytech]

Chinese tires on a Chinese trailer seems appropriate.

[caseydog]

Yep, Kumho are not some 'nasty' or dubious tyre maker. I ran a set of their tyres on my Morris Minor (OK, 80mph flat out ain't much of a test!) and liked them. Kumho are becoming a popular tyre supplier here for rallying (=dirt/forest racing, like Pikes Peak) which is no mean feat.

Andrew

Khumo tires are rather popular here. My Certified Pre-Owned Audi came on a set. Of course, they are all-season Khumos, and all-season tires suck, IMO, especially in Dallas. They will soon be replaced.

However, I did recommend Khumos to my dad for his Audi, who doesn't demand the highest level of performance. They are a decent tire. They are safe, and perform well enough for most drivers.

As for a trailer, what you want in a tire is different than what you want on a car or truck. Unless you have trailer brakes, traction is less of an issue. A narrow tire will have less rolling resistance (better gas milage), and the trailer will be less likely to hydroplane.

Most of all, make sure the tire you use on your trailer are the correct load range. If your trailer is too heavy for the load range of your tires, you will build up a lot of heat at highway speeds, and risk a blowout. The heat will also radiate through the wheels and work on your bearings.

Whether you go with a 13-inch (which is certainly enough), or 14, or 15, I would choose a narrow tire (and rim) that is properly rated for the weight of your trailer. Speed rating is not much of an issue for a trailer -- load range is very important.

CD

[caseydog]

I believe Kumho is a Korean company, not Chinese.

Korea=the next Japan?

Asian tires all look the same to me.

[asianflava]

I believe Kumho is a Korean company, not Chinese.

Korea=the next Japan?

Asian tires all look the same to me.

[brian_bp]

Real men roll on 8's.

Real men roll on...
...whatever they want!

[mikeschn]

Hey Red, welcome to the forum... upgrading your wheels? Yea some do, some don't.

My 5x10 red trailer came with 13" wheels, and I'm going to use them just like they are.

But since the BC is 5 on a 4.5", it's easy enough to change them. But since I'm not building a show car, I don't see the need.

My next trailer however will have the fancy aluminum wheels...



Mike...

[Reddiver]

Hi Mike
Ok some rookie questions got a minute.. I am interested in the 5X10 red trailer. I like the idea of he 13 inch wheels. Ok if I get a 10 ft frame can I build a 5X8 tear on it. How does that work with the placement of the axle? What do you do with the extra two feet. A nice box comes to mind. If you stretch and build a 5X10 where and how do place he extra two feet when the Ply runs 4X8 . If you use 5X5 how do you deal with the joint.
I need to start this damn thing thinking about it is driving me nuts

[Reddiver]

Maybe I am putting to much emphasis on the 13 inch wheel . Would one in wheel size make that much difference but I like the 5 hole pattern I am so confused

[Esteban]

Steve,

You can stretch the Generic Benroy plan to ten feet...or however long you like. Buying Steve Fredericks Building CD will help with many of your questions. Red Trailers sells a 5'x8' frame too. Though if you have them upgrade the wheels to 13" and axle on the 5'x8' it costs much more than their 5'x10' trailer.

The Grumman II is another nice plan for a 5'x10'.
Grumman II

I'm coming around to appreciating the 5'x10' Red Trailer. It's a time saver and, maybe, a money saver too. Delivered in CA it'd cost about $730 + sales tax.

Today I got a ballpark estimate of $440 to weld up a 5'x10' trailer frame including labor, a coupler and the steel. Adding on the cost of about $200 for a Dexter axle plus at least $200 for wheels and tires brings it to over $840. Wiring, lights and fenders are still needed at additional cost to approximate what you'd get with a 5'x10' Red Trailer.

I'm a newbie offering you my advice, Steve, and I'm kinda confused too. We'll both learn a lot at the upcoming SLO Gathering by seeing dozens of real teardrops and meeting teardrop trailer owners.

See you in less than a month.

[mikeschn]

You can read about my 5x10 trailer mods in this thread...

http://tnttt.com/viewto ... &start=135

To answer your questions, Yes, you can build a 5x8, but I would look into splicing 1 or 2 feet onto it... You could even buy a 5x10 piece of plywood and build a nice 10' long trailer, like my Baja Benroy...


I did 5x5 baltic birch on my EH. I filled the joint with epoxy putty from the rot doctor, sanded it smooth, and painted over it... You can see the joint in this pic...


and here is the end result...



Mike...

Hi Mike
Ok some rookie questions got a minute.. I am interested in the 5X10 red trailer. I like the idea of he 13 inch wheels. Ok if I get a 10 ft frame can I build a 5X8 tear on it. How does that work with the placement of the axle? What do you do with the extra two feet. A nice box comes to mind. If you stretch and build a 5X10 where and how do place he extra two feet when the Ply runs 4X8 . If you use 5X5 how do you deal with the joint.
I need to start this damn thing thinking about it is driving me nuts

[kevinduffy]

Yep, Kumho are not some 'nasty' or dubious tyre maker. I ran a set of their tyres on my Morris Minor (OK, 80mph flat out ain't much of a test!) and liked them. Kumho are becoming a popular tyre supplier here for rallying (=dirt/forest racing, like Pikes Peak) which is no mean feat.

Andrew

I run Khumo tires on my SCCA Porsche race car, and love them. They are well built, reliable and consistent. I also use Khumo of various types and sizes on my street cars. Been using them for years and have nothing but nice things to say.

[Wimperdink]

Real men roll on 8's.

[Lgboro]

I had recently revamped my lawnmower and put new 13" tires on it. I did switch and put the 12" tires that came on my Tractor Supply 4x8 tear trailer on my lawnmower trailer. The tear trailer doesn't bounce as bad as a flatbed with 13's but I also added a set of shocks at the same time I changed the tires so I'm not sure which change made the most difference. Local trailer builders told me it was worth the upgrade going to 13" tires, but I pulled the lawnmower trailer for 30 years with 8" boat trailer tires on a variety of roads including 70 mph interstates without any trouble (and many miles as it was converted to a canoe hauler for years).