TRAILER WHEELS & TYRES

There are many different styles and sizes of wheels and tyres fitted to trailers and Caravans. Establishing which one you have when it comes to buying a replacement wheel, tyre or adding a spare wheel can be a bit of a minefield. Here are a few of the key things to look out for.

Wheel Rims
It is extremely important that you choose the correct wheel fitting for your trailer or Caravan. You need to ensure that the stud pattern is the correct so that the wheel fits properly to the trailer hub or Caravan drum.

1.    There are the following wheel sizes fitted to trailers: 8”, 10” 12”, 13”,14” & 16” this is the measurement across the inner diameter of the rim where the tyre fits to it.

2.    There are also different stud patterns, for example: 4 stud – 100mm, 4 stud – 5.5” or 5 stud – 6.5” to name a few. It is essential that you get the right stud pattern & there are ways of working out what you have CLICK HERE

3.    There are different widths of wheel rims and this is marked as a J rating, 4J, 4.5J, 5J or 6J this is normally stamped in to the rim.

4.    There are different widths of offsets of wheel rims, this relates to where the centre plate is mounted within the rim. This is marked as an ET & is normally stamped on to the rim.

Tyres
There are many different styles and sizes of wheels and tyres fitted to trailers and Caravans. Establishing the correct tyre is essential for safe towing of your trailer or Caravan. Tyres are heavier duty compared to a standard car tyre because they are designed to carry more weight, which is normally concentrated over the wheels and axles.

All the information that you need to know about your tyre can be found on the side wall.

1.    The tyre size, width 195, sidewall 65 & wheel diameter 15”

2.    Construction: Radial

3.    Outside face for fitting

4.    Load Capacity & Tyre pressure

5.    Brand name

6.    The PLY rating, this relates to the construction of the tyre side wall

7.    European Type number

8.    Compliance markings

9.    Tread wear indicator

10.    Manufacturer name

11.    Country of Manufacture

12.    Tyre quality grading

13.    Speed rating code

14.    Weight capacity code

We have created useful information sheets that can be downloaded and/or printed here