anybody switch from 13 inch rims to 14's? do i have the space?

[ampline]

I recently purchased my first 1990 16ft scamp.. The tires on it are dry rotted, and the rims are pretty rusty. So i am in the market for some new tires and rims. I am also not a huge fan of the normal spoked trailer rims.. I am really wanting an old school steel rim with some baby moon hub caps.. Problem is,,, i can't find them in 13's. However, I can find them in 14's,,,

So... I can put my fist between top of tire and my fender well, but that is about it. And I am not sure how much travel there is in the axle? Therefore i am not sure i could run a 14 inch rim?

I am a newbie, and have only towed my scamp home (been remodeling it since i got it a week ago). But if i am going to buy new rims and tires, i would like to purchase the ones i like... But buying a new axle is not in the budget. So if 13's are all i can fit. I will choose safety.

Any recommendations on tires?
Any recommendations on rims?

Thanks
kevin

[nlife]

Although I can't find it now on my mobile, there are a few good threads about tires on this site. I know some have switched to 14s. It's something I'd like to do at some point when the finances aren't so tight. Give the search function a try.

[ampline]

i am going to be honest.... i am not sure that i understand how to search on this forum.. I have tried,,, and it never pulls up what i am looking for... For example, i read through a lot of posts with the numbers 13 or 14,, and other posts with the words tire or rim.. but nothing that answered my question. I am a newb. I know. Thanks

[RogerDat]

I'm not sure what bolt pattern you have but not many 14 inch rims are 4 bolt. My scamp 13 ft. is 4 bolt.

Could do the bounce test, have someone bounce on the bumper while you watch how far the tire moves to see how much clearence you have going down the road.

Oh and there was someone that posted a bad experience caused by using after market wheels that needed lug nuts that fit in deeper in order to grab enough of the stud to not break it off. The stock ones may not work with the new wheel if they can't fit into the recess of the wheel deep enough. Something to watch for if changing wheels.

[ampline]

It is a 4 bolt 13 inch rim... and mine doesn't have studs. Just lug bots. The hub/brake assembly has female threads. I was just looking to replace the 13 inches rims for 14's.. It may be a bad idea? I am not sure... thanks for the info though. Definitely something to look out for. I would love to read that thread. I will try searching for it.. lol.

[RogerDat]

Think it was titled something like "almost lost a tire". Could have been the bolt did not seat deep enough on the new rims was the problem. Just read it in passing.

I did a quick google search and did not find any online stores selling 14 inch 4 bolt, did read that some cars in the past did use them, don't know if the bolt pattern would be right.

You might find this thread on what tires people use (including some 13 inch) of interest since you say your tires are due for replacement.
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...use-53207.html

[rabbit]

Most the available 13 thru 15" rims I've seen are 5 lug on 4 1/2" circle.

jack

[Hambone]

I put 205r14's on my scamp, my axle is iffy, had to radius wheel well about a inch, mostly where it curves under and the most on curbside. I used regular trailer rims didnt want to deal with offset problems. Must say trailer rides better and tires are a lot cooler running, not cooler looking which is what your after....

[ampline]

i can't find 14's with a 4 lug bolt patter... So i will seek safety and tire longevity over a coolness factor. Function before fashion... However if i could've killed two birds with one stone, i would've. It looks like i will just run the 13's (because i am not sure i have a choice with my current hub assembly - 4 lug) So i guess i will go tire/rim shopping tomorrow. I hope to find a c rated tire / rim combo at some of the local rv dealers. If not i will order some... Suggestions welcome. Thanks again for all the info... I am getting quite the education tonight.

[Gene Masse]

Did you contact Scamp about it and see what they say?

[ampline]

I am going to call them tomorrow. My head is spinning with tire information right now... I just wanted to buy some tires to replace my dry rotted ones... lol.. I had no idea,,, it was going to be this difficult to make a decision. It seems most people feel that 13in tires do not have a load rating to deal with a 16 ft scamp loaded. And I can't find 14in rims that will fit my 4 lugs with a zero offset... I am not sure what to do... I guess i am going to find some c rated tires and hope for the best on every trip. Unless i can find some 14 4 lug rims... (it seems load rating jumps up a lot with increase in tire size, hence increased tire choices in 14's). Silly scamp...

[Gene Masse]

One other option is to look into changing the hubs to 5 lug.

[ampline]

i was investigating this option as you were typing that reply. lol,,, funny how things work. Anyway.... Now to find out what axle is under my scamp and what will work? Thanks again

[David B.]

I have a 13' 1990 Scamp, and am running Load Range D trailer tires on it. I am in the middle of a 2 month vacation, and have put over 10,000 miles on them so far. I have "cupped" one tire badly, and am not sure if I had lost a wheel weight or had my trailer brakes set to hard and "flat spotted" it in various areas. I alway try to over build anything, and the D range tire gives me peace of mind.

[Roy in TO]

Originally Posted by David B.

I have "cupped" one tire badly, and am not sure if I had lost a wheel weight or had my trailer brakes set to hard and "flat spotted" it in various areas.

What Causes Cupping Wear On ST205/75-15 Trailer Tires And Should I Use Radial Or Bias Tires | etrailer.com

[ampline]

so,,, after reading these posts, I assume i just need to find a c or d rated 13 inch radial. I learn something new everyday. Thanks. The search begins......

[RogerDat]

Good luck you should be able to find many good choices, don't forget tires tend to deteriorate internally with age so consider if you will wear them out or just have to change them due to age (generally about 5 years). For myself high milage tires don't make good sense, I camp local so I don't put the miles on them.

Another factor is what percentage of the tires load capacity your trailer requires. Having a tires with 50% surplus load capacity means that even as the tire deteriorates you still have a good safety margin left. Especially important if you tend toward higher speed driving as heat speeds deterioration. 13 inch tires will run hotter than 14 inch at the same speed.

Your rims will need to be able to handle the higher 50 psi pressure that the high capacity tires require to reach full capacity.

I think most of the people with 14 and 15 inch tires have replaced axle, one with more "down angle" provides greater clearance to the top of the wheel well. Raises the trailer a bit too. But alas at around $700 it's not in my budget near term.

[CMEDROP]

Tire size calculator

this will give you your current tire specs, and you can compare against different

[Steve Hammel]

I have a 19' Scamp 5'er. I needed new tires and decided to also buy custom wheels. I called Scamp and their tech/mechanic guy told me that 205 r 14's, and probably bigger, would fit just fine with no modifications. I found lots of tires locally but had a very hard time finding wheels I liked. I desperately needed tires so had them mount them on the old wheels, finished my trip, and now I'm waiting for my new custom wheels from etrailer. I was gonna just buy off of ebay but everyone wanted a fortune to ship them so I decided to look at etrailer. It turns out that any order over $150 ships for free, nice! Now I wish I had ordered the wheels and tires as they are far cheaper than anything I could buy at Discount tire or Les Schwab and they come mounted and balanced. Live and learn, who would have thought that an online RV parts dealer would be cheaper than Discount or Les Schwab with free shipping?

[evanwilliams]

I'd check out your axle out before investing in new wheels and tires. If you suspect your axle may be shot you should save some cash up and replace it with a new one which will have a 5-bolt hub. Your trailer will be happier and you wont have to worry about buying new wheels now that you wont be able to use in the future when you fix your axle.