Best Tire Replacement for Trailer Tire ST205/75R14

Question:

My travel trailer 2020 Dutchmen KD201QB20 has the following information: unloaded weight: 4000#, GVWR: 5500#, GAWR: 3500#, has tandem axles. Current tire Info: Ridgway Sport ST, ST205/75R14D, 8pr 105/101L not sure what the 101L is, I think the 105 is the load index = 2039# @ 65# cold?, rims are 14x5.5J not sure what the 5.5J means, measured adjacent holes are 2-3/4inch ctr to ctr, there is also an LH-001 on the tire what is that? I would like to upgrade to 225/ or 235/75R14 tires to provide a greater width on the ground. Thought about going to 15 inch rims but the distance from the top of the current tires to the top of the wheel well is only about 1.5 inches so to keep good clearance I think I would need to do an axle flip. I plan on changing out all 5 tires sometime in the late 1st or 2nd quarter of 2021 before we start camping again. We generally boondock about 95 of the time to avoid crowds, so need a tire that will withstand dirt roads. Your thoughts on what tires would be good for us and a WAG as to cost.

asked by: Ken L

Expert Reply:

Your easiest and best solution would be to go with a new tire in the size of 205/75-14 which fits your 14 inch diameter wheel that is 5.5 inches wide (that's what that number means). This will only take up .2 of an inch more of your available fender space whereas the 15 inch tire size would take up too much space.

For this tire size the best option is the Kenda Karrier trailer tire part # AM10235 which has a weight capacity of 2,200 lbs at 65 psi, a speed rating at 81 mph, and has a great 5-year warranty.

expert reply by: Jameson C