New tires and wheels for Elite 1

[DavePhelps]

Time to replace my tires. I have the original LT225/75R16 that came with our Ollie.
I see Oliver has switched to ST225/75R15" tires and new wheels and got to thinking if this new combination would fit under my spare tire cover.
The new 15" tire is .4" wider and .4" taller than the smaller 215/70R16 spare that came with our trailer. I always thought it would be nice if all tires were the same for simplicity and rotation purposes. The fit is really close so wondering if anyone has any insight about whether the full sized 15" tire will fit as a spare.

Regarding the new wheels, does anyone know the rim width and the offset? Worried about the offset as the tires in my current setup come awfully close to the leveling jack pads (1"). This is why I'm thinking of going to 15" wheels to hopefully get more clearance there. Thanks.

Dave

 

[topgun2]

Dave - 

Sorry that none of your fellow Elite I owners have replied to your question.

As we know, on the Elite II's those "covers" fit rather snugly.  Perhaps a Service ticket asking this question would get you some valid information.

Good luck!

Bill

[DavePhelps]

Thanks Bill,
I wasn't expecting a huge response but thought I would give it a try!
I'll try the service ticket route. I tried calling a few days ago and left a message but haven't yet heard back.
No doubt things are busy at the factory. If I find out anything I will post it for any future reference needs.

Dave

[Golfnut]

Dave, sorry not getting back… I have a 2022 Elite with Cooper tires  235/65R16..  may spare is the same size .. cover fits..  dont know if the cover has changed since your eariler model..  Good luck..  I have about 14,000 miles on them, they still look in good shape..

[ADKCamper]

We have a 2018 Elite with the same Cooper 235/65R16C tires as Golfnut, above. Spare is the same size. I don't have any actual measurements on the inside dimension of the spare tire cover. My recollection from the one time I had the spare tire cover off is that it fit fairly snug... unclear if it will tolerate a larger diameter tire without more careful inside measurements.

I'm not ready to replace tires just yet, but a quick look-around suggests that most tires that support at least a 2500lb max load (each; +10% safety margin = 2750 lb max load each) are larger by about an inch, and sometimes more, than the above Coopers. I'm worried about wheel-well clearance and having to run a high psi to support the weight (which gives a *rough* ride).

I don't have a good replacement plan yet...

[SeaDawg]

@DavePhelps, if you carry an inflater, you can always reduce tire pressure/deflate the spare, if it doesn't fit. Not totally ideal, but it can work. Others have done it in the first gen trailers.

Our 2008 has a smaller cover than yours, so  can't help on your original question. 

[ScubaRx]

On 2/1/2024 at 11:15 AM, DavePhelps said:

Time to replace my tires. I have the original LT225/75R16 that came with our Ollie.
I see Oliver has switched to ST225/75R15" tires and new wheels and got to thinking if this new combination would fit under my spare tire cover.
The new 15" tire is .4" wider and .4" taller than the smaller 215/70R16 spare that came with our trailer. I always thought it would be nice if all tires were the same for simplicity and rotation purposes. The fit is really close so wondering if anyone has any insight about whether the full sized 15" tire will fit as a spare.

Regarding the new wheels, does anyone know the rim width and the offset? Worried about the offset as the tires in my current setup come awfully close to the leveling jack pads (1"). This is why I'm thinking of going to 15" wheels to hopefully get more clearance there. Thanks.

Dave

 

The problem you and I and all the early owners are always going to have is the rear inset and cover are too small to accept a tire like those that originally came with our trailer. Now that they’ve gone down to a 15” wheel as standard (WTH is up with that?) and if you’re interested in going to a smaller wheel and tire the spare probably would fit under the cover. I wish 18” tires would fit the trailer, then the tires on the 3500 Silverado and the Oliver could interchange. 

[DavePhelps]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I have learned a lot about tires and wheels throughout this inquiry!
I have given up on getting new 15" wheels (this is a good thing). One consideration with my Oliver are the leveling jack pads.
On my trailer, the pads are just 1" away from the tires when retracted. The 16" Ion wheels on my Oliver have a -8mm offset (about 5/16").
This moves the centerline of the tire away from the hub mounting surface (and the leveling pads) by that amount. I would not want the tires to be any closer!
All the 15" wheels I could find had 0mm offset. So I'm sticking with my stock 16" wheels with their -8mm backset and 3300lb rating. That will save me a lot of money as well.
I didn't know about those LT235/65R16 tires. Cooper makes them, the Discoverer HT3. A little wider (.4"), but 1.3" less diameter. So they should also fit as a spare as it has for other LE1 owners. Lucky for me, I have a friend close by with a LE1 with this tire setup. Tomorrow I'll swing by and get his spare and see how it fits on my trailer. Fingers crossed.

Dave