How to Determine the Correct Wheel and Tire Replacements for a 1979 Wilderness Travel Trailer  

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Expert Reply:

In order to determine the correct replacement wheels and tires for your 1979 Wilderness travel trailer, there are a couple of things you will need to take a look at on your existing tires.

You will need to consider the load range the tires will need to have for your trailer. The load range indicates the horizontal and sidewall strength of a tire. It is represented by a letter within each tire size. Each load range letter correlates to a specific number of tire plies and a load pressure in psi units. Sometimes the load range is left off the tire size and is branded on the tire elsewhere.

For metric coded tires, on an ST175/80-R13 LRD tire, the LRD indicates D as the load range.
For numeric coded tires, on a 4.80 X 12B tire, the B indicates the load range.
For alpha numeric coded tires, on a B80 X 15D tire, the D indicates the load range.

Another thing to consider is the wheel stud size. The larger the wheel, the larger the wheel stud diameter. Smaller trailer tires use a 1/2 inch diameter stud. The next step up is 9/16 inch, then 5/8, and then 3/4.

You will want to check the tire code on the sidewall of the tire. This will determine not only the size tire you will need, but the correct wheel size as well. I have included a link to an FAQ article on measuring a trailer tire which explains the various codes used on tires. I have included another FAQ article on determining the bolt pattern of the wheels themselves.

With this information, we will be able to find you the correct wheel and tire replacements for your trailer.

expert reply by: Michael H

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