Tires for 1978 31 ft Excella

[78ourstream]

Can someone suggest a replacement tire for the 700 X 15's ? They are currently on the original aluminum rims . I have been offered a 12 ply . Isn't that overkill ?

[overlander63]

Hi, and welcome to the forums. You only need a load range D tire, so yes, the 12 ply is a bit much. You can go with an ST225/75R15 tire, which is close to the 7.00x15, or you can still get LT7.00x15 tires, though they can be a bit tough to find.

[78ourstream]

Thank you Terry , I was wondering whether I could go radial after the bias plys .

[78ourstream]

I do have another thought . I have been given a tentative price of $90 each installed , not sure of the brand ( still being sourced ) . Will the 12 ply be too hard of a ride ? I am worried about the trailer being jarred too much . Probably good for tire life and rough roads though . I have read of tires blowing , etc and not being able to tell from the TV . It did happen to me with my 68 Overlander ( now long gone ) . Thnx

[Ahzmyrah]

You do not need 12 ply tires. They are designed for stock and equipment trailers and are very stiff. Also the max inflation pressure for those tires exceeds the safe limit for your rims and valve stems. There is another caveat about running higher pressures in older rims that have run at much lower pressures all their life. A 225/75R15 ST tire Load range D will be more than adequate for your needs. They are common, easy to find and relatively inexpensive. The radials are slightly wider than a 700-15 bias ply tire. This subject has been discussed extensively in other threads in the forums which can be researched easily. I have an '80 31' Excella running 225/75R15 ST without a problem. However I must caution you that trailers as old as ours generally have experienced axle suspension failure ie. the rubber rods in the torsion tube have degenerated to the point there is little or no suspension travel and literally before we replaced the axles the only bounce in the suspension in our trailer was in the tire sidewalls so be carefull.

[78ourstream]

Thank you , so much help so fast . I will go with the radials . I am planning a trip out to the East coast for a month . I don't want to be stuck having to run mismatched tires if I have a blowout . How can I know the condition of my axles ? Can they be checked when I am changing tires ? Thnx