Scamp Tire wheel upgrade?

[Nolan Scheid]

Hello Listers.
Tomorrow afternoon we are heading to California to pick up our 16' Scamp from an auction. I assume from the listing that I will want to put on a new set of tires before heading home. Since I don't want to but an extra set of tires, I am wondering what the best combination is. Can I go to a taller 14" tire/ wheel combination?

Keeping it rolling is a very high priority. What is the best set up for a 16' Scamp?

Thank you for the help and advice.
Nolan

[Isaac M]

Hi Nolan,

Congratulations on your "new" Scamp.

One thing to look for before changing to a larger tire is how much clearance you have between the top of the current tire and the inside of the wheel well. You'll want to be able to put your fist in this gap (room for at least a 3-inch "bounce" of the axle). A 14" tire is considerably taller than the 13" tire; so you may have enough room for the 13", but not enough for the 14". You may have to have a spacer added between the axle and the frame to give enough clearance for the larger tire (there are some good shops around that can do this...Salem Brake and Wheel in Salem does great work and makes sure that the axle is properly aligned).

I applaud you for wanting to make sure you have good tires for the ride home. We picked up our first trailer in S. California and had a tire blow out on the way back because the trailer had been stored too long. The tires looked new, but the storage had created a weak spot. This blew a hole in the bottom of the trailer that I was able to repair, but it was no fun.

-Isaac

[Nolan Scheid]

Hi Nolan,

Congratulations on your "new" Scamp.

One thing to look for before changing to a larger tire is how much clearance you have between the top of the current tire and the inside of the wheel well. You'll want to be able to put your fist in this gap (room for at least a 3-inch "bounce" of the axle). A 14" tire is considerably taller than the 13" tire; so you may have enough room for the 13", but not enough for the 14". You may have to have a spacer added between the axle and the frame to give enough clearance for the larger tire (there are some good shops around that can do this...Salem Brake and Wheel in Salem does great work and makes sure that the axle is properly aligned).

I applaud you for wanting to make sure you have good tires for the ride home. We picked up our first trailer in S. California and had a tire blow out on the way back because the trailer had been stored too long. The tires looked new, but the storage had created a weak spot. This blew a hole in the bottom of the trailer that I was able to repair, but it was no fun.

-Isaac

Thanks Isaac.
I hoped that an old timer would jump in and tell me that they had used a 14" tire/ wheel combo on their 16 foot egg. Since that didn't happen I probably won't be too inventive while traveling on our maiden voyage. It is likely I will search out a Costco in Stockton or Sacramento and get a new set of 13" tires.

Take care,
Nolan

[Laura K.]

While we're on this subject, how hard is it to get class B 13 " tires for a 16' Scamp?

[Pete Dumbleton]

I wouldn't use Load Range B on a 16', as they typically are only rated for 1,100 lbs (2,200 lbs total) @ 35 psi. Load Range C are rated for a more sensible 1,360 lbs (2,720 total) @ 50psi. Here's a print from a Goodyear chart for trailer tires:


Pressure in psi 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
ST175/80R13 65 670 795 905 1000 1100(B range) 1190 1270 1360(C range)

The 65 is max speed in mph

[ronsmith100]

I wouldn't use Load Range B on a 16', as they typically are only rated for 1,100 lbs (2,200 lbs total) @ 35 psi. Load Range C are rated for a more sensible 1,360 lbs (2,720 total) @ 50psi. Here's a print from a Goodyear chart for trailer tires:
Pressure in psi 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
ST175/80R13 65 670 795 905 1000 1100(B range) 1190 1270 1360(C range)

The 65 is max speed in mph

I put these 31" diameter bias plys on my egg. They get close to rubbing I suspect but no marks so far.