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Ron A · 10-08-2015, 03:12 PM

Michelin LTX MS 235/75R15 replaced the 14 inch wheels on the 16' Sport Bambi. I may have misquoted the year model of my Bambi, it is a 2015 model. I purchased it in 2014 do not think it will make a difference because it is the same size rim and tires on the 2014 & 2015 model year.

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Ron A · 10-08-2015, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jtwind

What wheels did you use and where did you get them?

Sendel T03-556545T 15x6 5/4.5 Aluminum T03 Trailer Wheel Silver Inlay. Ordered through Amazon (Ships from and sold by Recstuff).
Michelin LTX MS 235/75R15 purchased from local tire dealer replaced the 14 inch wheels on the 2015 Sport Bambi 16'.
Before I purchased I measured my wheel well clearance to make sure I was comfortable with the fit. Would encourage you to do the same before ordering.

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jtwind · 10-08-2015, 06:52 PM

Thanks, much I will double check but have the same trailer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron A

Sendel T03-556545T 15x6 5/4.5 Aluminum T03 Trailer Wheel Silver Inlay. Ordered through Amazon (Ships from and sold by Recstuff).
Michelin LTX MS 235/75R15 purchased from local tire dealer replaced the 14 inch wheels on the 2015 Sport Bambi 16'.
Before I purchased I measured my wheel well clearance to make sure I was comfortable with the fit. Would encourage you to do the same before ordering.

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BoldAdventure · 10-08-2015, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FishinHatteras

And they look a whole heckuva lot better too. Doug/dkottum, you should bump your tire pressure up to 70psi. 80 PSI on the Michelins is a bit bouncy. IMHO, 65 is not enough. I had smooth sailing with mine at 70psi all the way out to Phoenix & back w/o issue. Numerous tows of under 300 miles since then, is very comfortable @ that PSI. Best addition I ever made to my TT. Love to see the Michelin man waving at me on all 8 tires. Best rubber on the road.
Before & after photos.
Keep its head up!
Gavin

You clearly have good taste as we have the same combo.

switz · 10-08-2015, 07:36 PM

I switched the stock 14" tires and wheels on the 2015 23D International Serenity for the 15" Sendel T03-56545T wheels (15x6 - 5/4.50" bolt circle - zero offset - 3.19 center bore - rated 2,150 pounds at 60 psi) and the Michelin LTX (P) 235/75R15 XL tires rated 2,183 pounds @ 50 psi but derated to 1,985 pounds for trailer use and 28.9" in diameter. I also installed the Dill 1506-453 TPMS system and used McGard lug nuts and lock nuts during the swap. I carry 44 psi in the 15" Michelin tires.

Since the factory did an uneven job of the sheet metal work for the wheel openings on the 23D, we did rework the leading edge of the curb side to match the street side opening which gave us more than adequate tire clearance.

I used these same 15" Michelin tires on my 2013 25FB International Serenity with no issues.

The stock 15" tires and wheels on my 2014 Classic were replaced with the 16" SenDel T03-66655T wheel rated 3,580 pounds @ 80 psi and 16" Michelin LT225/75R16/E LTX M/S2 tires rated 2,680 pounds @ 80 psi with a diameter of 29.2". The same model Dill TPMS and McGard lug and lock nuts were used o the Classic.

With no mechanical issues in Michelin tires for over 45 years, I elected to continue with this brand on the Airstream trailers.

There was no need to widen the wheel wells on any of the three Airstreams when the tires were upgraded to Michelins.

chaeha · 10-08-2015, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron A

Michelin LTX MS 235/75R15 replaced the 14 inch wheels on the 16' Sport Bambi. I may have misquoted the year model of my Bambi, it is a 2015 model. I purchased it in 2014 do not think it will make a difference because it is the same size rim and tires on the 2014 & 2015 model year.

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Ok great info but still sort of confused. My '12 Sport 22 came with 15" rims and 225/75 tires. Do I need new rims if I want to install 235/75R15 Michelin LTX M/S tires or will the OEM rims work?

Ron A · 10-08-2015, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chaeha

Ok great info but still sort of confused. My '12 Sport 22 came with 15" rims and 225/75 tires. Do I need new rims if I want to install 235/75R15 Michelin LTX M/S tires or will the OEM rims work?

I am not a tire expert and not qualified to give advice on tires to others. I do not mind sharing what I did. I had to go up from 14" to 15" tire size to make sure I had a tire to carry the weight of my trailer (have 3,500 lb axle). My guess is you will need to consider going up one rim size and pick a tire that will carry the weight of your trailer plus cargo as well if you are considering LT tires. Would encourage you to do your research before your purchase. Safety should always be priority one.

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dames7 · 10-09-2015, 09:17 AM

I got the SenDel 16" T 03

dames7 · 10-09-2015, 09:31 AM

LT225/75R16 115/112R

MAKE SURE OF DATE ON TIRES, mine were 2615

KJRitchie · 10-09-2015, 09:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chaeha

Ok great info but still sort of confused. My '12 Sport 22 came with 15" rims and 225/75 tires. Do I need new rims if I want to install 235/75R15 Michelin LTX M/S tires or will the OEM rims work?

According to Tirerack the 235/75R15 Michelin LTX M/S have a rim range of 6" to 8". Check the width of your rims. Maybe contact Airstream. On my 25fb 15" rims they were 6" rims so I was able to upgrade from the GYM 225/75x15 to the Michelin 235/75s.

Kelvin

chaeha · 10-10-2015, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KJRitchie

According to Tirerack the 235/75R15 Michelin LTX M/S have a rim range of 6" to 8". Check the width of your rims. Maybe contact Airstream. On my 25fb 15" rims they were 6" rims so I was able to upgrade from the GYM 225/75x15 to the Michelin 235/75s.

Kelvin

Looks like I have Sendel 15x6 rims in my 22' Sport so I think when I'm ready the Michelin 235/75's should work with the existing rims. Thanks for your help.

chaeha · 10-10-2015, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KJRitchie

According to Tirerack the 235/75R15 Michelin LTX M/S have a rim range of 6" to 8". Check the width of your rims. Maybe contact Airstream. On my 25fb 15" rims they were 6" rims so I was able to upgrade from the GYM 225/75x15 to the Michelin 235/75s.

Kelvin

Did you replace your spare as well? Will the existing spare holder accommodate the larger tire?

KJRitchie · 10-11-2015, 06:42 AM

Yes, I replaced the spare. it was able to fit in the under tongue carrier, it barely fits. I'm assuming this part is the same for all Airstreams.

Kelvin

Tireman9 · 10-11-2015, 08:58 PM

Something to consider when shopping for tires.

- Many tires have essentially no warranty, others maybe 12 months and some years. IMO the length of time the tire company is willing to stand behind their products is one way to judge the real quality of what they make. Which would you consider a better deal: a hammer with a 30 day warranty for $5 or one with a 10 year warranty for $10?

- Speed rating molded on the tire sidewall to me indicates the manufacturer has made a real effort to exceed the minimum performance requirements from DOT. IMO tires with speed symbol are probably better than those without a speed rating.

- Here is a chart to convert the letter to a number.

- The speed symbol letter si part of the "Service Description" which comes right after the rim diameter in the tire size. Technically an "LT235/75R15 107/110 Q Load Range D" is a different tire than an "LT235/75R15 Load Range D" with the 107/110 being a "Load Index" for dual and single application and the letter Q being the speed Symbol

- I note that most LT tires made today have a speed rating but when applied to trailer application some companies say to consider 75 mph as a max.

- I also have recently seen a few ST type tires now being manufactured with a Speed Symbol which IMO would make then probably a better choice than tires without a Speed Symbol.

switz · 10-12-2015, 01:29 PM

On the 25FB, I was able to bend the arms out to grasp the replacement 15" Michelin tire. The challenge was getting the locking pin in place as the Michelin was fatter. On the Classic going to the 16"Michelin, I did not need to bend the arms, but did lay on the ground to much the tire more rearward in order to get the locking pin in place. On the 23D, we fabricated some extension supports to get the 15" Michelin spare mounted in lieu of the stock 14" tire.

Bob662 · 10-12-2015, 06:17 PM

Is anyone using the Carlisle Radial Trail trailer tire? This ST225/75R15 appears to have a load rating of 113T (2535 lbs.) when on tandem axles. This would be higher than even the 108T (2205 lbs.) of the passenger-rated Michelin LTX P235/75R15 tires, and the Carlisle is built for trailers.

Wouldn't this be a worthy substitute for the Goodyear Marathons that are OEM, and perhaps even for the Michelins?

What am I missing here?

m.hony · 10-12-2015, 06:29 PM

ST tires never last more than 3-4 years in reality. It's a good concept- stiff sidewalls that will stand up to sheer- but it only really looks good on paper. They are cheaply made and will have tread separation. Carlisle tires are junk, but hold up a little longer than Goodyear Marathons. I've had bad luck with both. There will not be a third time.

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jtwind · 10-14-2015, 11:37 AM

Going to upgrade to 15" wheel and michelins on my 16' sport. Do I need to get a third to replace the spare. I know the slight difference in diameter won't matter and certainly not for the 100 miles or whatever I would drive to get a new tire. Even if I had 3 of the same I'd still do the same as I would not want to drive far without a spare. Am I missing somehing?