Can you change tire size or type on your RV?

 As an actual Tire Design Engineer I can assure you that there is more misinformation or partially correct information out there on the internet, than technically accurate information.

It is true that the original tire selection is the responsibility of the RV Mfg. The issue is that once the RV is sold it seems that most RV Manufacturers have little or no interest in standing behind their choices with any actual warranty service when it comes to tires.

It seems that OE tire selection for most RVs is based on one goal. Find the smallest, lowest cost tire that will meet the requirements.

The only Federal (DOT) requirement is that the tire load capacity, times the number of tires on the axle, be AT LEAST equal to the maximum load rating of the axle. While RVIA now requires 10% Reserve Load capacity, DOT does not. As a point of reference most cars come with a 20% to 30% or higher Reserve Load capacity

A smaller tire can mean the RV Manufacturer can get away with less costly (smaller) wheel and maybe a smaller wheel well so this is extra pressure on purchasing Dept to get the minimum possible tire that can meet the requirements.

Given the above, it is up to you, the owner, to decide if you want any, some or more "Reserve Load capacity" for your RV. You may have the option of larger tires or you may be restricted to trying to find tires of the same dimensions but with higher load capacity.

You need to educate yourself about the requirements and limitations of the four "types" of tires that are in the market.  'P" is Passenger type. If used on an RV (trailer or motorhome) the load capacity Must be reduced by dividing by 1.1 but not everyone will know or do that. LT type can be used in RV service but you will soon discover that LT tires with the same dimensions and Load Range (ply rating) have a lower load capacity than the same dimension ST type.

ST type have the highest load capacity rating for a given set of dimensions, but you need to remember that the ST tire Load formula that is used to calculate the tire load capacity is based on an assumption of a 65 MPH Max speed. We all know that there is "No Free Lunch" and the trade-off for increased load capacity is lower speed capability. The "Speed Rating" symbol on many ST type tires is based on a 30 minute test so you need to decide if you want to depend on such a short term test when making a tire selection.

Finally there are actual "Truck / Bus" tires. These have no leading letter and are usually on 17.5" or larger wheels. These tires have higher Load Range, usually F or higher These tires are almost all rated for 75 MPH in RV use on the highway.

Do your homework. Ask questions, but remember there are very few really knowledgeable people out there who have the training or experience in tire engineering. Just having driven on tires for 40 years is not the same as having been held responsible for designing tires for Truck, Passenger, Trailer, or Indianapolis racing application. Also, being able to read Federal Regulations is not the same as having to work within those regulations while meeting the goals and demands from GM, Mazda, Toyota, Honda, Freightliner, MB, Nissan, Ford, or Chrysler.

I am only aware of two actual Tire Design Engineers who regularly post on various RV Forums.

##RVT1000