Upgrading Solitude 380FL wheels and tires

[huntindog]

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.

The damge sustained by a blowout can change the cost equation in a heartbeat.

[huntindog]

You would have to see specs specifically with the tire and wheel combo you want, but on the chart in your link, H rated on 19.5" rims could add as much as 2" of height to your rig. The 380FL is already at max height, so in my opinion this is a no-go. I plan to upgrade to the 17.5" rims and H-rated Cooper tires that come on new Solitudes. Due to the tire profile versus 16" G-rated Westlakes, the H-rated Coopers should actually drop rig height by about 1/2 inch.

The amount of lift is only 50% of the OD measurement

[TMitt70]

The amount of lift is only 50% of the OD measurement

Yup…and we’ve got a 2021 380FL and installed the 19.5 Boar/Michelin combo and were never over 13’6”. We were about 13’3” with the original 17.5” combo and then a little over 13’4 after the 19.5’s… ended up at about 13’5” after the Morryde IS. The last measurement (13’5”) was taken by technicians at the Morryde service center in Elkhart following the IS installation. I’ve confirmed the exact same height myself twice… before we traveled to West Glacier, MT and had to pass under a bridge marked as 13’6”.