Quote:
Originally Posted by waltheraustin
So is it advisable to stay at the size the trailer came with? What are advantages or disadvantages with going up? I have 205/75 14 so should I move up to a 15 with bigger tires?
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It’s very difficult for me and others like me that want to keep in prospective what’s supposed to be done as opposed to what can be done.
There are other factors to consider. Those being warranty coverage and extended warranty coverage.
Technically, when the vehicle manufacturer won’t authorize options for original equipment items, there not going to be responsible when an unauthorized item is used and it fails for any reason. Anything on the axle and the suspension the axle is connected to is in play when an unauthorized tire is used. There are no standardized documents to go to that will give any relief from the responsibility in recommending something that is outside of standard procedures.
Keystone, being a vehicle specific builder (RV trailers), has set numerous precedents. They set axle centers 32” apart for a reason. It limits the OEM tire outside diameter sizes which limits tire designated size selections. But, was that the primary reason? Maybe they already knew about tire sheer dangers? That’s just an example of where they might go when pushed.
RV trailer manufacturers spend tens of thousands of dollars publishing the parameters for the safe operation of the product they build for consumers. As owners of the vehicles they build for us, it’s our responsibility to operate them within the parameters they were built to withstand. Read and abide the information in the vehicle owner’s manual and all the equipment manuals provided to you when you purchased the trailer.
Weights, wheels, tires and their recommended inflation pressures are top priority items on the vehicle safety list. So important they’re displayed on the vehicle federal certification label. If or when you dispute that information you first must determine if the information on the label is correct. If so, there is no scenes complaining to the vehicle manufacturer. They have met their obligation to “the field”. The next stop is NHTSA.
These quotations come from the 2019 Keystone generic owner’s manual.
“To maintain tire safety, purchase new tires that are the same size as the vehicle’s original tires or another size
recommended by the manufacturer.”
“The recommended tire inflation pressure that vehicle manufacturers provide reflects the
proper psi when a tire is cold.”
When the OEM tire size is at its maximum load capacity there are three things to do; get an optional replacement size approval from the vehicle manufacturer, off-load some weight or buy a new trailer.
When a designated tire size is installed that can be replaced by that same designated size but having a higher load capacity, do it. It violates nothing by doing so. Exceptions; OEM Wheels and valve stems may be limited to he OEM tire's specifications.