Trailer tires - 15 vs. 16

Ed Wright · 06-26-2014, 11:51 AM

Jeff's advice cured my trailer tire problem years ago. Listen to him. I didn't know trailer tires are speed rated to 65 MPH. I used to never drive that slow. Fuel has gotten so expensive, and since I have pretty much retired, I tow a little slower now. LOL
I had 6 lug 15's, I bought 16" wheels at a local trailer supply, and 10 ply Michlien tires. No more tire problems. Tows so much better. Trailer doesn't bobble when meeting big trucks on 2 lane roads now.

Had to tear a fender off my trailer in the middle of the night next to south Dallas to learn the hard way.

Joe Martens · 06-28-2014, 02:28 PM

I was having problems with 10 ply 15 in. tires blowing out on my trailer, 5,200 lb. axles with 6 lugs. Switched to 16 in. and haven't had a problem since. It's worth the peace of mind also. Again, listen to Jeff, he knows what he's talking about!

Run to Rund · 06-29-2014, 12:19 PM

First, never underinflate trailer tires in an attempt to "match" their weight capacity to a load on them that is less than their max rating. E-rated tires take up to 80 psi and don't run less than about 75 even if the trailer is light. Second, it is best if they are loaded not over about 80% of max, especially if you want to run about 72 mph across the big western states where 75 mph is the speed limit. Third, if there is any chance the trailer weight is near the max for the tires, weigh each wheel's load to be sure the weight is evenly distributed and no tire is overloaded.

When we get info about problems with 15" that were "solved" with 16" truck tires, sometimes it is caused by bad 15" trailer tires, especially Chinese made tires. Sometimes it is caused by high highway speeds on overloaded tires, and the 16" tire had a higher weight capacity and is more forgiving of 75-80 mph in hot weather. It is very easy to load a lot of stuff into the trailer that doesn't seem so heavy on an item-by-item basis, but in aggregate was too much.

Greg Hill · 06-29-2014, 07:34 PM

The only tires I've had good experiences with are the 16" commercial tires like the Goodyear 614, the Bridgestone R250, or the Michelin XPS Rib. What all these tires have in common is that they have steel in the sidewalls. Be careful using any LT truck tires on your trailer.

06-26-2014, 11:51 AM	#1
Ed Wright Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Sand Springs, OK Posts: 8,132 Likes: 896 Liked 390 Times in 170 Posts	Re: Trailer tires - 15 vs. 16 Jeff's advice cured my trailer tire problem years ago. Listen to him. I didn't know trailer tires are speed rated to 65 MPH. I used to never drive that slow. Fuel has gotten so expensive, and since I have pretty much retired, I tow a little slower now. LOL I had 6 lug 15's, I bought 16" wheels at a local trailer supply, and 10 ply Michlien tires. No more tire problems. Tows so much better. Trailer doesn't bobble when meeting big trucks on 2 lane roads now. Had to tear a fender off my trailer in the middle of the night next to south Dallas to learn the hard way. __________________ Ed Wright 4156 SS/JA

06-28-2014, 02:28 PM	#2
Joe Martens Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: North Olmsted, Ohio Posts: 791 Likes: 638 Liked 198 Times in 71 Posts	Re: Trailer tires - 15 vs. 16 I was having problems with 10 ply 15 in. tires blowing out on my trailer, 5,200 lb. axles with 6 lugs. Switched to 16 in. and haven't had a problem since. It's worth the peace of mind also. Again, listen to Jeff, he knows what he's talking about! __________________ Joe Martens AA/Stock 3969

06-29-2014, 12:19 PM	#3
Run to Rund Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Henderson, NV Posts: 586 Likes: 9 Liked 56 Times in 29 Posts	Re: Trailer tires - 15 vs. 16 First, never underinflate trailer tires in an attempt to "match" their weight capacity to a load on them that is less than their max rating. E-rated tires take up to 80 psi and don't run less than about 75 even if the trailer is light. Second, it is best if they are loaded not over about 80% of max, especially if you want to run about 72 mph across the big western states where 75 mph is the speed limit. Third, if there is any chance the trailer weight is near the max for the tires, weigh each wheel's load to be sure the weight is evenly distributed and no tire is overloaded. When we get info about problems with 15" that were "solved" with 16" truck tires, sometimes it is caused by bad 15" trailer tires, especially Chinese made tires. Sometimes it is caused by high highway speeds on overloaded tires, and the 16" tire had a higher weight capacity and is more forgiving of 75-80 mph in hot weather. It is very easy to load a lot of stuff into the trailer that doesn't seem so heavy on an item-by-item basis, but in aggregate was too much.

06-29-2014, 07:34 PM	#4
Greg Hill VIP Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Louisville , KY Posts: 1,995 Likes: 69 Liked 279 Times in 68 Posts	Re: Trailer tires - 15 vs. 16 The only tires I've had good experiences with are the 16" commercial tires like the Goodyear 614, the Bridgestone R250, or the Michelin XPS Rib. What all these tires have in common is that they have steel in the sidewalls. Be careful using any LT truck tires on your trailer. __________________ Greg Hill 4171 STK