Replacing Existing 20.5/8.0x10 Wheel/Tire on Pop-Up Camper With Nicer Options

Question:

really want to switch to a nice wheel and better tire. My max room is looking like 22 inch clearance. This is on a 49 year old Apache Ramada Trialer/pop-up RV... can I get a 22/9.5r12 on a 12x8 4 on 4 101.6mm rim safely? My current 20.5 tire is tight and the largest it looks like I could fit is a 22 a 23 would be REAL close... will it work?... your advice is priceless thank you in advance...

asked by: Tim S

Helpful Expert Reply:

The only 22/9.5-12 tires I'm aware of are for lawn and garden use, nothing rated for extensive road use at highway speeds. We don't offer them, so I couldn't say with certainty if they could be mounted on the wheel size you specified.

The closest modern equivalent size to the 20.5/8.0-10 tires you have would be a 205/65-10, which measures 20.5 inches in diameter by about 8 inches wide. We offer a load range B tire mounted on a white powder coat finished rim with a 4 on 4 inch bolt pattern as # AM3H330. A load range B tire has a 910 lb weight capacity per wheel or 1820 lbs per axle.

If you wish, you could go with a larger diameter tire, but you'll want to ensure that you keep a minimum of 3-4 inches of clearance between the top of the tire and the underside of the fender or wheel well while the trailer is under load.

The next larger in diameter tire would be 4.80-12, such as what's included on the # AM30677 wheel/tire combo which is a load range C tire mounted on a 12 x 4 aluminum star spoke pattern wheel. The tire has a 990 lb per wheel/1980 lb per axle capacity. Going with this wheel would certainly provide a nicer looking wheel which would only move the tread .01 of an inch closer to the fender/wheel well.

expert reply by: Mike L