2016 FC23D tire questions (pretty basic)

[Atsushi]

Hello from New Jersey!


We have owned 2016 Flying Cloud 23D since June, and we have traveled about 1,000 miles as of today.

We had never owned an RV before, so we are climbing a very steep learning curve.

The trailer came with Goodyear Marathon tire, ST215 / 75R14 with 5 lug nuts

We check tire pressure (50 psi) before every trip and tighten the lug nuts (100 ft-lbs) as instructed. We also always travel under 65mph and never overload the trailer (6,000 lbs max), and we have tire covers too. In other words, I think we are doing everything we are supposed to do for the health and longevity of tires.


However, the more I read about this tire, the less comfortable I've become, so I would like to do something about it.


For the time being, I won't ask what good replacement would be because I have even more basic questions:

A: If we want more options for tire, it appears we need to replace 14" wheel with 15" wheel, but is this something relatively easily be accomplished?


B: We got 5 lug nuts. So we have to get 15" wheel with 5 lug nuts? (Did I mention "basic?")


C: Are all 15" wheel made same?


D: Can we somehow change 5 lug nuts wheel with 6 or 8 lug nuts (or bolt) wheel ? (Would that give us more options?)


E: Where can we get a work like that done? Tire store? RV repair shop? Camping World? Colonial?

F: If we get 15" tire though, wouldn't that change the height of the trailer? And if so, wouldn't we need to adjust our hitch also?

G: Does 2016 FC23D have enough clearance for 15" tire?

H: Isn't there any place we can bring the trailer and get all of the jobs above done?



Thank you in advance,


Atsushi

[Atsushi]

One more question:

If we replace GYM tire every other year, regardless of mileage, would it at least reduce the risk of blowout?

[Bill M.]

You can no longer buy the GYM tires as they have been discontinued. Goodyear has replaced the GYM tires with a new tire called the Endurance. The Endurance is reported to be a better tire than the GYM but has not been out very long so there is no data on failures. I would suggest replacing the GYMs with the Endurance and see how they do.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Going from a 14" wheel to a 15" wheel changes the trailer height and hitch height by 1/2". Yes it matters, no it's not day and night. It also reduces clearance by 1/2". Given the variation from trailer to trailer, what you see on yours may not be what somebody else sees. Tolerances on some of this stuff are in the 1/2" range.

Your wheels mate up with the axles. The axles are set up for 5 lug nuts. Unless you are changing axles as well, the new wheels will need to be 5 nut wheels. That's not a big deal. Wheels are relatively easy to find.

A *good* tire shop should be able to do all this for you. Many RV dealers do not deal with tires. It takes special gear that they just don't have.

Your 2016 tires are at most 2 years old. You can look at the numbers on them to find out how old they are. Five or six years is a reasonable time span even for the tires you have. If swapping them out lets you sleep at night, go for it. If you wait a year or two that's probably not the end of the world.

One interesting thing you could go to: You may be able to put on a lift kit and go to 16" wheels. Only some careful measurements will tell you if that can be done. That opens up a wider range of tires to pick between. It also gives you some more room when going over bumps and dips. Wheel and tire costs going to 15 vs 16 should be quite similar. The lift kit and install *will* cost something....

As others have said, the easy (and probably quite adequate) solution is just to swap out what you have for the newer design tires.

Bob

[Atsushi]

Okay, so if we get this, Endurance tire, while the jury is still out, at least, it is upgrade from our current tire, it seems.

http://www.trailertiresandwheels.com...-Tire-LRD-8-PR

And it seems the size is exactly the same, so no adjustment is needed with hitch.

That's simple enough even for me!

[Action]

Just to be sure I would run the trailer over a scale to find the loaded weight. In preparation for that fill all the tanks. Even waste tanks with water. You will get a max load of what your trailer could be. Doubtful it will get to the 6000 pound mark and it would be a good thing to know.

You can size tires and other running gear replacements for the future.

BTW use that number and add a percent like 10 or 15 percent as the standard that all replacement parts have to hit to be acceptable. And know that too much capacity can be an issue as well.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Action

[Atsushi]

I saw this on my favorite Youtube channel (raising 23D):

https://youtu.be/Wl_6XtCP3ec

This guy is very very skilled though, so I'm not even going to attempt it.

I'm curious to find out what tire he is going to use.

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by Atsushi

I saw this on my favorite Youtube channel (raising 23D):

https://youtu.be/Wl_6XtCP3ec

This guy is very very skilled though, so I'm not even going to attempt it.

I'm curious to find out what tire he is going to use.

Hi

Point a local welding shop at the video and they can make up 4" brackets just like he did in that video. Not sure about welding to the frame, I'd still go for the Dexter kit, but that's just me.

Bob

[Boog]

I changed my 14" wheels and tires to 15" 5 lug and it was no problem. My GY Marathon tires were going on 6 years old, so they were due for replacement. You should have a few more years of use left in yours, especially since you are taking all of the proper precautions. Maybe get a tire pressure monitoring system and roll with what you have for now. Here's what I did: https://www.airforums.com/forums/blo...nd-tires-2629/

[EarStreaming]

Originally Posted by Atsushi

I saw this on my favorite Youtube channel (raising 23D):

https://youtu.be/Wl_6XtCP3ec

This guy is very very skilled though, so I'm not even going to attempt it.

I'm curious to find out what tire he is going to use.

That guy you're mentioning is actually active on the sub-forum for the 23D model which what you have and may find it very useful:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f142...166085-42.html

I myself have the same year, make and model as you and I plan to go the Dexter lift kit, wheels and shoes upgrade down the road. I just need to find someone local to do it because I don't have mad skillz

[NoResults]

Don't know if you are considering a lift kit but I had mine done just down the road in Albany for less than $400.00 including parts.

Dave

[Seabeckpuck]

What ever tire size you opt for, I would jettison the Marathons as quickly as possible. Just got back from a Cali road trip and had two of the four start to separate on me. It was like one day they looked perfect and the next they were wearing on the inside and going flat. Stopped off at a great Goodyear dealer in Fortuna and she said she couldn't believe how many Marathon tires she's sent back to GY. I switched out the spare for one and since they didn't have the Endurances yet, they put a couple of Carlise tires on and sent me on my way (no cost at all - great dealership!). Apparently the Marathons were/are made in China and the Endurances are being made in the states (still need to check to see if that is truth). But planning on replacing all five next spring as I have no long trips planned and at this point.

[WestieHouse]

Originally Posted by Atsushi

Hello from New Jersey!


We have owned 2016 Flying Cloud 23D since June, and we have traveled about 1,000 miles as of today.

We had never owned an RV before, so we are climbing a very steep learning curve.

The trailer came with Goodyear Marathon tire, ST215 / 75R14 with 5 lug nuts

We check tire pressure (50 psi) before every trip and tighten the lug nuts (100 ft-lbs) as instructed. We also always travel under 65mph and never overload the trailer (6,000 lbs max), and we have tire covers too. In other words, I think we are doing everything we are supposed to do for the health and longevity of tires.


However, the more I read about this tire, the less comfortable I've become, so I would like to do something about it.


For the time being, I won't ask what good replacement would be because I have even more basic questions:

A: If we want more options for tire, it appears we need to replace 14" wheel with 15" wheel, but is this something relatively easily be accomplished?


B: We got 5 lug nuts. So we have to get 15" wheel with 5 lug nuts? (Did I mention "basic?")


C: Are all 15" wheel made same?


D: Can we somehow change 5 lug nuts wheel with 6 or 8 lug nuts (or bolt) wheel ? (Would that give us more options?)


E: Where can we get a work like that done? Tire store? RV repair shop? Camping World? Colonial?

F: If we get 15" tire though, wouldn't that change the height of the trailer? And if so, wouldn't we need to adjust our hitch also?

G: Does 2016 FC23D have enough clearance for 15" tire?

H: Isn't there any place we can bring the trailer and get all of the jobs above done?



Thank you in advance,


Atsushi

We have owned a 23 FB - slightly different, but very close to your AS. Like you, we cared for our tires carefully and drove about 20,000 miles (Seattle to St. John's Newfoundland and other trips) during our first year. In fact, I had a flat on an AS tire due to a screw I found in the tread. I removed the tire and had it properly repaired by a reputable tire shop. This occurred early in the life of the tire and never presented a further problem. We did crack an alloy TV wheel after hitting a pothole during a storm on the poor roads of Newfoundland, and replaced all 4 TV tires as we assumed the tire was damaged if the wheel was broken. But close inspection showed that the AS GYM tires looked OK and we continued to use them for over 10,000 miles. After two years we replaced them with other tires recommended by our tire dealer and have over 10,000 miles on these without any difficulty.

I see you torque to 100 lbs. My manual states 110 lbs for alloy wheels and 100 for steel wheels. You may want to check the manual and your wheels. Be sure to set your torque wrench to "0" between uses to maintain it properly. This was part of my similarly steep learning curve a few years ago.

Covering tires certainly cannot hurt. But if you use your AS enough to wear the tires in 2 - 3 years, there probably is no significant benefit to covering them. Does anyone cover the auto tires? Most people probably replace auto tires every 3 - 5 years, and I never see any of them covered.

Finally, check to see if your lug nuts are solid or if they have the soft shiny caps on them. I damaged three of them while routinely torquing my lug nuts. They are very soft and easily damaged, making removal difficult. That could be a problem if you have a flat tire.

Les Schwab, a west coast tire dealer, does all my tires, brake, and bearing lubrication work. I think it easiest to have one trusted shop to all that work if possible since it all involves removing and replacing wheels properly.

I am not speaking for or against any particular tire brand or wheel size. That is a very individual decision. But I have learned a great deal on these forums o be as safe as possible. I wish you a safe and wonderful AS experience.

[Action]

Originally Posted by WestieHouse

Covering tires certainly cannot hurt. But if you use your AS enough to wear the tires in 2 - 3 years, there probably is no significant benefit to covering them. Does anyone cover the auto tires? Most people probably replace auto tires every 3 - 5 years, and I never see any of them covered.

I do! However several things are in play for that. I live in the Valley of the Sun. (I used to live in Redmond long ago) The sun can be very intense here as opposed to other locations around the country. And I have hobby cars. Meaning RVing is one hobby and vintage cars are another. Those cars that don't see daily driving and are outside have the tires covered.

>>>>>>>>>>>Action

[Wconley]

As mentioned above, a tire monitor system can give you piece of mind. We monitor tire pressure and temperature as we travel watching out for any tire showing unexpected increases over the other tires. I may be wrong but unless it's a sudden catastrophic failure, internal friction will cause heating increases that will give you a warning of an impending failure. And if one comes apart we will know immediately and can stop to minimize damage.

We have a 2013 23D and I plan to replace the tires before next season as a precaution even though they still look good.

[Ray Eklund]

Trailer tires from Costco or those that Schwab sell in 14" I found them dependable, but also C Rated. Somewhere on the Forum I go on and on about 14" Marathon experiences an my options.

You can get five lug 15" wheels that will work on an Airstream. Get FIVE. Switz is the detail man on the AirForum and may have the answer. Sometimes you can buy a set of 15" wheels that were replaced when someone buys a car, trades the wheels into the tire shop. Bring one wheel off your Airstream into a wheel shop and they will know. You cannot just stick any five lug wheels that fit the lug nut patter. I believe it is a 0 offset... but I am only trying to recall this important bit of information.

Do not waste money on a Lift Kit at this time. Put it into five 15" wheels and D Rated tires.

Had our 23 foot Safari in 2006 had 15" or 16" wheels, we would have kept it. We bought the 25 foot with 15" wheels and immediately purchased 16" wheels and Michelin 16" E Rated Tires.

We may debate having Nitrogen or Air to inflate our tires... but pay for good tires. You will not regret it and pass up the stuff to monitor air pressure.

[KK4YZ]

Originally Posted by Atsushi

Hello from New Jersey!


We have owned 2016 Flying Cloud 23D since June, and we have traveled about 1,000 miles as of today.

We had never owned an RV before, so we are climbing a very steep learning curve.

The trailer came with Goodyear Marathon tire, ST215 / 75R14 with 5 lug nuts

We check tire pressure (50 psi) before every trip and tighten the lug nuts (100 ft-lbs) as instructed. We also always travel under 65mph and never overload the trailer (6,000 lbs max), and we have tire covers too. In other words, I think we are doing everything we are supposed to do for the health and longevity of tires.


However, the more I read about this tire, the less comfortable I've become, so I would like to do something about it

Atsushi

Hi there,

We have a 2017 FC23D with approx 3000 mi on it. It has 15" wheels with GYM D rated tires.
I, too got spooked when I read all the stories about GYM. (See thread "Now I'm Spooked".)

Based on all the various inputs I received I decided to get a TPMS as well as putting a Centramatic balancers on it. In other words I'm babying the tires.
I plan to wait 2 years and replace them with Endurance tires if those prove to be reliable.
One thing to keep in mind: the 23' is the smallest FC with two axles. That generally means a greater load margin on each tire than the larger trailers and even the larger single axle trailers. I think that helps the situation as well.
Good luck to you.

[doug1tx]

We just purchased a new to us 2016 23FB Serenity that had 14" wheels & GYM tires. I'd read so many negative posts regarding them that I replaced them all today. I used our local Discount Tire who ordered 5 new Sendel T02 wheels (took 2 days) and mounted 225/75R15 GY Endurance tires with metal stems (so we can order a TPMS). Total cost out the door was about $1200. I figure I should be able to recoup about $200 of that for the 5 old 14" by selling to someone who needs them for a light work or landscaping trailer.

[Atsushi]

I was thinking of this tire:

http://www.trailertiresandwheels.com...-Tire-LRD-8-PR

The dimensions are exactly the same as what we currently have: GYM 14"

It's good to know that we can put 15" wheel on FC23D, but at this time, I think I'm going to stick with 14".

I'm not concerned about the weight load rating because it's 2,200 Lbs per tire. x 4 makes it 8,800 lbs. We'll never ever put that much weight anyway. And we never travel faster than 65mph.

So maybe the next time around, I'll consider 15", but for now, I'll give it a try with 14".

Thanks!

[Bill M.]

Yes. I think that is a good choice.