Bought an old trailer today

[BruceW]

I got a dual axle trailer and got it home today. It currently has 15" tires, one of which is bad, on painted wheels, all of which look like hell.

The frame looks strong; was galvanized, but needs wire brush, prime and paint work.

I figure I will need to raise the bunks, add guide boards, and then replace the wheels and tires, and vee-ola, I'll have a yard trailer to retrieve my CP 23 when a hurricane hits and when I want to work on things like hull paint, barnacle scraping, etc.

So, do you guys who have trailers have a tire size preference. Keith Scott told me to get smaller wheels because it will make the boat easier to retrieve. I am wondering if you have any specific experience that might help me decide.

Last trailer had 12" tires, before that, I think it was those little fat ones, 10" I believe, and dang if they would last a year.

So, gimme what you have, and if you like it, and if you changed sizes and how you think that went.

thanks,

Bruce

[sailondown]

  I have 205-75-14 tires on my trailer.  The 14 inch tires may be a good choice if you are going to take long trips.  You might want to check out some of the trailer tire websites for information on load range, tire pressure, price, and availability.  Good luck.

[Greene]

Personally I prefer 14 or even 15 inch tires because we trailer a lot.  Yes, smaller wheels will help you some, but the real solution is to make up a tongue extender.  Install whatever size tires you want and plan on an extender.  It is much nicer to launch when you can keep the truck out of the bay.

Mike

[BruceW]

Do you have radials?

I don't plan to trailer much; however, I do want the boat to launch and retrieve. I don't know that an extension would help, since I think the ramp is short and the wheels would go off the end.

Anyway, I like the bigger tires myself, other than the launch height.

I'm trying to figure out a happy medium.

Bruce

[NateD]

I've got 13" (I think 175-80R13, but not 100% sure) on my CP23 trailer. Like others have said, if you plan to trailer long distance, then taller tires are nice, but if trailer shorter distance and launching often, I would go with shorter tires (I think the new CP23's come with short and fat 12" tires (might even be 10")). If I were going to buy all new wheels and tires I would look into the low profile 12" or 10" tires. If you keep your bearings serviced you'd be fine. You need to check if you'll have enough clearance between the hub and frame to fit those fat tires though.

[Bob23]

Bruce:
   Keep the anticipated load in mind when selecting tire sizes. Our boats loaded may weigh upwards of 3200-3500 lbs. Adding the weight of the trailer could bring you to 4200-4500 lbs. I think I have 15" on mine but I'll check when I'm at the boat next. Mike Greenes advice on an extender is right on.
   Me, I cheat. I have mine launched at a marina via travel lift but I don't trailer long distances like Capt Greene.
Bob23

[brackish]

205-75-14 here, they came stock on the trailer when new.  have launched and retrieved at 5 different ramps, can do so without the extender which is a telescopic and about three feet, but right on the edge at several of the ramps.

I suspect the total weight of my trailered 23 with motor, batteries, sails, stuff, gas, water, etc. is probably pushing 5K

[BruceW]

Excellent help in these replies.

When I had the Precision, I had the little fat tires; that boat and trailer was 3150# (with 2000 lb official weight of boat); so yeah, I do bet it is 5k with the CP 23's official 3000. I used to get some load range D, or maybe even E, that were like 1800 lb max weight. With 4 of those, for example, I could handle 5 K just fine. So, that helps with lower level feasibility: the 10" would work. Anything taller, would just be easier to support the boat, and harder to launch.

Well, I have some time to decide. Now though, I feel I have a wide range of viable options.

Thanks!

[skip1930]

You can go to Tire America's web page and look~see at all the specs on tires.

Height, width, load, temperature, traction, speed rating, rpms at speed, circumference, and construction of carcass and tread make up.
Then you get into unidirectional, tread compounds for 'sticky racing tires' and all kind of things that are interesting but useless. ...

My thought is it's a trailer. So don't care about ride smoothness or tire whine. I want load carrying capabilities. And a hard tread compound for ware.

I like the mobile home tires ... they carry a huge amount of weight and most mobile home sellers just toss these tires ON RIMS away for free. The rims mount onto the brake drum castings.

Building a trailer? Two mobile home axles [you'll have to cut these down and weld them in width] with brakes/rims/tires/equalizers/ and 7,000 lb spring paks for $300 bucks take off delivered mobile homes. Not that you'd use these here.

[Stay away from belted ply tires unless you like tires that jump into cracks in the pavement and follow the crack off the road. And you don't mind if the tread chunks off once in a while.]

Either truck tire types with letter Load ranges D-E-F's ... Radial and non radial.
Passenger tires loads in lb at psig.

Side bar: Joey Chitwood's auto thrill show with cars up on two wheels had those regular passenger car tires pumped up to 100+ lb.

Typically a 175 80R 13 = 175 mm tread wide, 80% of 175mm is the side wall height, R is radial, and 13 is the rim size.

The interesting thing about tires is area of contact with road surface.

'Fat' tires have a wide but short contact area shape.
'Skinny' tires have a narrower but long contact area shape.

But the contact area of both tires, supporting equal weight, when viewed and measured are equal in both of the above situations when looking up through the ground at the tire resting on a piece of flat glass. Both tires have same amount of square inches of contact surface.

All the hot rod, hot shoe, custom guys like those wide tires that bulge over the side of a skinny rim ... but the rim protects the sidewall if the sidewall is pretty much inline vertically with the rim.

How do I know? I hit a little rock on the road with my hot rod Chevy Stepside and made a sandwich. The road. The rock. The sidewall. The hole in the sidewall.

skip.

[Bob23]

One thing to note, and it should be obvious but wasn't to me until I learned it: Don't put car/truck tires on your trailer. They have different loads and requirements. I learned this the easy way- by my tire guy telling me! (Nice to not to learn everything the hard way!)
Actually, he refused to install truck tires on my construction trailer. Apparently, the trailer tires are identified on the sidewall. On my larger trailers (Compac 23 and 7x16 enclosed construction trailer) I only use radials. Much longer life.
Bob23

[BruceW]

Bob, I have heard that, and it's one of the things I agree to not have to understand, haha.  The tires on it now are car tires. They are not going to be part of the picture for very long. Once I get the trailer de-rusted, painted, and the uprights installed, before I go anywhere, other than the tire store, the wheels will be replaced along with the tires.

About the radials; I just don't know where to get them. Is your tire guy part of a national chain?

Anyway, I may j get the what Just Tires or someone can supply. I don't find a lot of trailer tires stocked by tire folks I have found in Raleigh. Of course, the boat is in New Bern, and after I get the first set, I'd probably want a supplier down east.

I have decided to be comfortable with the small ones, since the difference in height for launch and retrieval would be nearly a foot.

Bruce

[skip1930]

Where to buy them? Have a Sam's Club near by?
They will order any size and type you want. And at a good price ...

If you have not noticed the cost of tires took a huge tax jump in price thanks to a 'new' regulation from the current administration.

skip.

[BruceW]

Yes, although I'm not a member; we are Costco members though. Maybe they will have them. Thanks for idea.

[Greene]

I've had good luck with Eastern Trailer.  Good prices, selection and quick shipments. 
Here is the link: http://www.easternmarine.com

Mike

[Bob23]

I also purchased from Eastern. It's about 1 1/2 hrs from my house. When I bought my 23, the trailer was in dire need of attention. New wheels, backing plates with brakes, bearings, fenders, brake accentuator and more. If I'd taken a closer look at the trailer, I might have passed on the boat! Good thing I was blinded by love!
Bob23