Bigger Trailer Tire Question

[mikemak]

I am the proud new owner of a 1986 16/2 and have the factory trailer with the 8 inch wheels.  Does anybody know what is involved in going to a bigger wheel size other than changing out the wheels, tires and fenders?......does the axle and springs have to be replaced also?

On a side note, I just got back from a 1200 mile roundtrip tow and had no problems... replaced the wheel bearing before leaving and max inflated the tires....... just a little concerned about the number of revolutions those little guys make at 65 to 70 miles per hour......they're tiny compared to the 265/17 wheels on my Avalanche.

[Paul]

That's a good question.  I'm having my CP16/3's trailer hubs regreased and the tires changed.  Picking it up first thing in the morning.  Also, getting spare to match.  Went with the original (I think) 5.70-8.0 Load Range C.  Load range capacity for this particular tire is 910 lbs.  I've considered going with a bigger tire, too, but dicided to stick with the original for now.  I'm curious if anyone has modified the 16 trailer for different tires.

[Jobst]

These were 20.5 X 8.0 -10 load range C with 5 bolt pattern galvanized wheels.  I bought a spare to match - except load range D was all that the dealer had.

[Paul]

Picked up the trailer Friday a.m.  Bearings reportedly looked good and did need new grease.  Trailer tires looked good, too.  5.70-8.0 Load range C.

Learned a bit from the tire salesman.  He stated the small size of the tire is considered by the manufacturer.  According to him, it is considered a high speed tire when travelling 65 mph down the road.  In other words, as noted ealier, the trailers tire will be spinning roughly twice as fast at the vehicle tires.  He assured me the tires would handle it.  They have a stiff sidewall, unlike radials.  That way, the tire keeps it's shape better and prevents the trailer from bouncing down the road.  He reminded me that as long as the tires were properly inflated and the bearings remained well greased, I should get good life out of them and travel confidently.

A test run was warranted.  So, I drove about an hour away to go sailing.  Trip went without a hitch.   The way home would have the boat on the trailer, this time.  All went well, even at 65mph on mostly smooth interstate.  Upon checking tires and hubs, they both felt warm to the touch, but certainly that's to be expected.

Hope this helps.

Paul

[Craig]

One other thing to consider before going to a larger size tire is launching.  The bigger the tire the further down the ramp you have to go.  With a good, steep ramp the larger tire will have a negligible effect. But on a shallow ramp you will have a lot more of the tow vehicle in the water before the boat will float.  Differentials do not like to be submerged!

I've stuck with the originals and have been towing for 6 seasons with no problems.  I have towed the boat 1200 miles round trip once, and 500 miles round trip twice.

Craig

[David Olson]

Check out Bill's web site where he did this:

http://faculty.augie.edu/~swart/CP-16/NewTires.html

David

[wmswart]

Hi guys - as you may have seen on my website, I upgraded to 12" radial tires and have been running them for a couple of years now.  They work great.  I did move the existing fenders up a bit.  DON"T sweat launching - the 12" tires *maybe* raise the trailer 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch - not much considering the benefit in my opinion - I still have never had trouble getting the boat on or off the trailer in shallow midwest lakes.  Do watch the load rating on the tires - WalMart sells some 12" tires for about 17 bucks apiece, but they are only rated at about 700 lbs/tire.  I bought tires rated at 950 or 1050 (can't remember) for a bit more $$.

Best!

[Gil Weiss]

Does anyone know of a good Internet souce for load C range tires. The usual boat stores on line all seem to just have load range B tires.

[Bill Pfanstiel]

Hi Gil; Try www.easternmarine.com for your tires. They have your tire size in load range c for under 30.00 each. The company is located in Delaware. I just purchased a surge brake parts from them. Quick delivery and half the price of the local travel trailer place. give them a try.

[Craig]

Gil,

Internet? No.  But, Miller Tire in Blooming Glen is owned and run by the Miller family. Good service at fair prices.  I've dealt with them many times and used them when we lived in PA for mechanical work on our cars, as well as tires, and even bought a set of tires from them after we moved.  They have all kinds of tires and should have C rated tires, or will get them.  Take 113 south out of Dublin and make a left on Blooming Glen Road (only crossroad in Blooming Glen).  Miller tire is on the right.

If you are helped by Steve Miller tell him I referred you.  That ought to get $5 or $10 dollars ADDED to your bill!

Craig

[Gil Weiss]

Craig and Bill,

Thanks for the tips! I am now considering replacing the wheel bearings and bearing buddies too since they may be original (1990). The wheels have no free play and run cool, but I have no idea how old or how much usage the trailer has had by the two previous owners. I only put about 90 miles a year on it but I want to trailer worry free.

With C load rated tires and new bearings I should be set for a while.

[Paul]

For what it's worth, I forked out $32 per tire at a local dealer.  That included mounting them on th rims and new stems.  I got the impression that most quality tire stores carry Load C tires.

The two online locations I found were West Marine and Northern Tools.  The cost of the tire, when considering the shipping vs labor, balanced out.

$.02

[Gil Weiss]

Hi Paul and the gang,

I evaluated the options for replacing my tires, bearings and bearing buddies and wound up having the service guys at the boat yard where I store the trailer in summer and boat and trailer in winter do the whole job. Had it not been for the logistics involved, I would have used Craig's recomendation.

The boat yard did everything yesterday. Since the marina store there only had B rated tires, they took my wheels to a local tire dealer and had the B tires swapped out for C rated tires. I paid a similar price as things worked out.

Anyway, all that is left for me to do is pay them. Although I spent a few extra bucks, the work was done efficiently and professionally with no running around on my time.

I will feel better towing now that I have C rated tires and new bearings!

[Craig]

Gil,

Did you stay with the 5.7-8s or go with a bigger tire?  If you went bigger did you get radials?

Craig

[Gil Weiss]

I stayed with the 5.70 x 8's but got the C rated tires and new bearings. They said my bearing buddies were fine. I trust the guy who runs the service department at the Three Seasons Marina based on past actual experience. I figure I am covered now pretty well for the low mileage trailering that I do. If I was a true "trailer sailor" I might consider a new heavier duty trailer rather than upgrade the Hutchins. I paid a few extra bucks for the parts and work, but it saved me lots of time, running around and I feel the work is professionally well done.

Despite all the comments about these Hutch trailers, I have not seen numerous  reports of major failures so I feel OK about mine at this point. I know I was heavier than the B rated tires which is why I got the C rated ones. With new tires and bearings, my trailer seems to be in great condition.