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  1. #11
    Rolling Along
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    Just for additional info, the spare on my trailer is a 17.5" Westlake. Cheaper tire, but one that should get me to a place to repair the Coopers it comes with.
    2023 Chevy 3500HD CC SB 4x4 Dmax
    2021 GD 320G with 8K axles

  2. #12
    Site Sponsor
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    Quote Originally Posted by JKellerJr View Post
    Just to be precise, the larger tires will add half of the increase in diameter to the height of the trailer, the other half is on the top of the tire.
    Yep, that's why I said perhaps up to 2" in height. The Cooper/17.5 to the Michelin/19.5 is over 3" in height difference so raises the rig 1.5" in that case.

    Since the spare is a 16" wheel with enough weight bearing potential and the center-line height difference between the OEM 16" and the Cooper/17.5" is around 0.5", it seems reasonable to use the 16" OEM as a short-term spare.

    I think I will reach out to MORryde and ask that question since they deal with axles and suspension. I'll post when I receive a response.
    New: 2021 Solitude 380FL
    Prior: 2016 Alpine 3600RS
    Tow: 2017 F350 Diesel Dually

  3. #13
    Setting Up Camp LifeOfLuxury's Avatar
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    I put Firestone tires on. West Lakes lasted about 1000 miles. Have 2500 on Firestones still looks new and rides so much smoother.
    2019 Ram 2500 CTD Custom Crew Cab (DRW), RoadMaster RM257 Heavy hauler, Cummins Generator, 2020 380Fl

  4. #14
    Fireside Member TMitt70's Avatar
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    I just bought the 19.5 Boar (Cruiser 67’s) and Michelin H-rated XZE (245/70R19.5). Our 380FL came with the 17.5 Coopers. I’ve had tires let go twice (years ago) with big 5’ers. The experience was so expensive and painful, I swore I’d NEVER run anything but the best going forward. The 17.5 Coopers seem well built and there’s an absence of overwhelming negative feedback. That said, they’re definitely not the very best option. Our ‘21 380FL measured 13’3” with the Coopers and 13’5”-ish with the 19.5’s. That’s still under 13’6”. We needed the extra height to bring our setup to level anyway. One thing to consider on your application is the tire spacing (between the tandem axles). I started with 4.5” and the Boar setup reduced that to about 1.5”. Dexter recommends that you maintain at least 1” between the tires. One word of warning, make sure you have enough space around the tires for the suspension to work. Look for protruding fasteners and/or other sharp features. I had to use a heat gun to reshape part of the fender skirt.Click image for larger version. 

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    Last edited by TMitt70; 01-29-2022 at 03:50 PM.
    2021 Solitude 380FL (Morryde IS)
    2022 F-450
    Hensley BD-5F

  5. #15
    Left The Driveway
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    Since you've had these on for a while, how do you like them? I just ordered a set of 19.5s and am debating between a 225/70R19.5 and a 245/70R19.5. We have a 2015 Momentum 328M and both are overkill for this unit but we had a rim implode on us so I've got to change the wheels regardless and I'd rather not deal with that again. My only consideration is clearance. The 225s are nearly identical in size to the 235/85/16s that I have. 245s have a much better capacity. How did you find the clearance of the 245s on tight turns after reshaping the fender?

  6. #16
    Long Hauler
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    Don't forget that putting heavier duty tires can result in a very rough ride due to the tires not flexing over bumps. FWIW, some people who put on heavier duty tires will inflate them to lower pressures to ease the trailer ride. Which pretty much negates much of the reason to use a heavier duty tire in the first place. Personally I feel if I've got enough tire rating for my load with a safety margin, I'm good. As long as the tire is a good brand that is. Putting tires rated for 20,000 lb. on a trailer that carries 14,000 lb. on the axles doesn't make a lot of sense to me. IMO anyway.
    Howard and Peggy
    2019 Momentum 351M, and 2018 RAM Cummins dually 6-speed.
    His: 1999 Honda Interceptor
    Hers: 2013 Spyder ST-S

  7. #17
    Fireside Member TMitt70's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Fykerz View Post
    Since you've had these on for a while, how do you like them? I just ordered a set of 19.5s and am debating between a 225/70R19.5 and a 245/70R19.5. We have a 2015 Momentum 328M and both are overkill for this unit but we had a rim implode on us so I've got to change the wheels regardless and I'd rather not deal with that again. My only consideration is clearance. The 225s are nearly identical in size to the 235/85/16s that I have. 245s have a much better capacity. How did you find the clearance of the 245s on tight turns after reshaping the fender?
    About 10K miles now…they’ve been great. Full disclosure, I originally installed these with the original Dexter 7K axles. I put about 3K miles (essentially AZ to MT to IN) on that setup (19.5’s with Dexter axles). Didn’t have any issues with clearance or ride. I did seem to get a little bump in mileage (perhaps a half MPG or so). Once I got to Indiana (last summer), I had the Morryde Indpendent Suspension installed and they raised the ride height by about 3/4”. The coach rides/pulls like a dream. I did a test with a 9 oz cup of water on the edge of the island and pulled it across 350 miles of Hellish I-40 west of OK City. The water did not spill a drop or move an inch.

    I absolutely love the setup. Anybody who wants total peace of mind (and has the wheel/tire clearance) should take a hard look at these.

    One other thing to consider is where you store the spare. If you’re going to add a 19.5 spare as well, keep in mind that these weigh more than your originals and that could be an issue depending on your spare retention setup. I’ve noticed that our cable lift spare mechanism (under the middle of the coach) tends to need to be snugged up every 1,000 miles or so.
    2021 Solitude 380FL (Morryde IS)
    2022 F-450
    Hensley BD-5F

  8. #18
    Left The Driveway
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    Glad to hear it! Its certainly good for peace of mind. We have the equaflex set up. Im anticipating that the ride will be a bit rougher but would rather have that then have a the inner bead of rim shear off while going down the road again. Do you run yours at 110 psi? I haven't decided what I'm doing with the spare yet. I like the idea of a steel spare and I have a G rated 235/85/16 on a steel rim as a spare right now. The capacity of this is similar and would do the job to get us to a town to find a replacement 19.5. We have similar issues with the loosening cable lift system. I ended up drilling a hole through the raising and lowering mechanism where it crosses the frame and installing a locking safety pin through it. No issues with loosening since.

  9. #19
    Long Hauler
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    I believe the max pressure on those tires is 120 psi. Running at 110 psi would lower the rating to 4610 lbs. Which puts it down in the range of a quality "G" rated 16" tire, not Westlake, IMO.
    Last edited by Hoopy Frood; 05-21-2023 at 10:42 AM.
    Howard and Peggy
    2019 Momentum 351M, and 2018 RAM Cummins dually 6-speed.
    His: 1999 Honda Interceptor
    Hers: 2013 Spyder ST-S

  10. #20
    Fireside Member TMitt70's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hoopy Frood View Post
    Don't forget that putting heavier duty tires can result in a very rough ride due to the tires not flexing over bumps. FWIW, some people who put on heavier duty tires will inflate them to lower pressures to ease the trailer ride. Which pretty much negates much of the reason to use a heavier duty tire in the first place. Personally I feel if I've got enough tire rating for my load with a safety margin, I'm good. As long as the tire is a good brand that is. Putting tires rated for 20,000 lb. on a trailer that carries 14,000 lb. on the axles doesn't make a lot of sense to me. IMO anyway.
    I understand this position… and I’m not saying it’s necessarily wrong. That said, when it comes to wheels/tires, I’m simply ALWAYS going to overkill. We’ve had maybe a half dozen RV’s over maybe 25 years and the single biggest buzz kill I’ve heard of with RV’s is tire problems. Most RV’s are overweight (just the way it is) and people tend to assume their tires are good (since the manufacturer installed them)… this is wrong. The RV industry has a long sordid history of putting poor tires on these vehicles (especially the towables).

    As for the ride, I’ve noticed no such problem… In fact, it’s been the opposite. Admittedly, this may have much to do with the new suspension. Larger diameter tires actually mean your coach rolls over road damage easier (with less impact affects…this is just geometry). The larger tires improve mileage as well. Also, the bigger capacity means more margin. It creates cushion if you happen to be under inflated or sustain some road damage. Also, speaking of road damage, these tires are massive. They weigh like 65 lbs ea and look/feel to be bullet-proof. The larger tires run considerably cooler (I know this because I religiously monitor the TPMS).

    I definitely understand your position and it may work just fine for you. I run heavy and absolutely disdain unplanned stops/problems, so I’m going to the far end of the spectrum to avoid that.

    In short, they’re better in every way (except cost obviously). I would do it again in a second.
    2021 Solitude 380FL (Morryde IS)
    2022 F-450
    Hensley BD-5F

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