How to decide correct tire size on trailer?

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Nov 23, 2010
116
MacGregor Venture 22 OK/TX
I bought this boat and trailer. The boat is a 22 ft venture by macgregor. I don't know if the trailer is a macgregor ir not. What I need to do is figure out the right sized tires. Short of hauling the trailer down to a tire store, how do I do that? The tires that are on it are car tires. :cussing: They are really old and have to be replaced. The tire size that is on there is p195/75p14. Does any one know what size this translates to in trailer tires or where to buy trailer tires at a decent price?
The only other idea I have is take the measurements from the rim but I don't know how to do this. If someone can tell me how I can figure this out that way. :eek:

Thanks

Barb
 
Jun 2, 2004
5,802
Hunter 37-cutter, '79 41 23' 30"N 82 33' 20"W--------Huron, OH
When I needed new trailer tires I went to Tractor Supply. There I bought the tire and wheel package. Very few dollars more than just the tires. A Venture 22 would need a 14" wheel just like you have. But with the tire already mounted you are ready to go. Just check the load rating and the bolt pattern. Harbor Freight also has them.
 

Squidd

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Sep 26, 2011
890
AMF Alcort Paceship PY26 Washburn Wi. Apostle Islands
ST 205-75X14 bias ply trailer tire..
 

MrUnix

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Mar 24, 2010
626
Hunter 23 Gainesville, FL
Bigger is better in this case

You have 195-75x14's on there now, so you know that a 14 inch "ST" 6-ply trailer tire of the same size (ST195-75x14) would work just fine. Generally though, bigger is better when it comes to trailer tires, so a larger diameter tire (like the 205 squidd recommended above) would be a step up. All depends on how much room you have under your fenders (if you have fenders of course :) ).

Cheers,
Brad
 

Squidd

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Sep 26, 2011
890
AMF Alcort Paceship PY26 Washburn Wi. Apostle Islands
They don't make a lot of choices in trailer or bias tire sizes...

You probably won't find a 195-75x14 in ST
 

Joe

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Jun 1, 2004
8,162
Catalina 27 Mission Bay, San Diego
Why don't you take the trailer down to the trailer store, or tire store, and let them give you the options.... OR.... remove the wheels, put them in the back of your truck, and take them to the trailer, RV, or tire store. You are going to have to go there eventually when you buy tires... so take the wheels/and or trailer and get everything taken care of at the same time..... hell... you can leave the boat on the trailer when you do it. No brainer.
 
Jan 19, 2010
12,553
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
When I needed new trailer tires I went to Tractor Supply. There I bought the tire and wheel package. Very few dollars more than just the tires. A Venture 22 would need a 14" wheel just like you have. But with the tire already mounted you are ready to go. Just check the load rating and the bolt pattern. Harbor Freight also has them.
I did the same thing.... and it is important that you have trailer tires and not auto tires. The side walls of trailer tires are stiffer and the trailer won't sway back and forth as much when you haul it. This makes a big difference in the ease of hauling.

Walmart also has trailer tires on the rim in the Auto section but I like to support my local Tractor Supply ...
 
Sep 5, 2007
689
MacGregor 26X Rochester
The only other idea I have is take the measurements from the rim but I don't know how to do this. If someone can tell me how I can figure this out that way. :eek:
If you're going to replace the wheels with the tires, you need the bolt circle for the lugs, which you can measure. Most common for trailers this size is "5 on 4-1/2", or 5 lugs on a 4-1/2" bolt circle. You probably don't need it, but you can also measure the hub hole diameter.



To measure the width of the wheel, for replacing just the tire (wheel width is usually given in tire specs), lay it flat on the floor, and put a straight edge across it. Measure tire thickness to the floor. Then measure from the tire surface (bottom of straight edge) to the wheel flange where the tire bead sits. Subtract that twice for the wheel width. The diameter is already known. You only need this if you're putting new tires on old wheels, and you're not sure what kind of wheels you have, or even what kind of axle it is (could be an old car axle for all you know).

Many places sell trailer tires and wheels. I got new tires and wheels (already mounted) from www.easternmarine.com, but many places sell them, including local suppliers. I recently found a small trailer dealer local to me with competetive prices, so I'll be using them for such things in the future.

If the wheels are in good shape, just put new tires on them (with new valve stems), but if they're rusty, bent, or otherwise in crummy shape, new tires on galvanized wheels are usually less than $100 each when you hit the right sale. Eastern Marine has ST205/75D14's for $61 each right now, and $75 each for the same tire mounted on new painted wheels. Watch the shipping, as some places charge more with 'free' shipping, while others charge separately. Or buy local.

From your pic, the wheel looks like the old-school automotive type wheel, common back in the day. It will even take a hub cap. They used to make them with a hole in the center for Bearing Buddy access. :D
 

WayneH

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Jan 22, 2008
1,088
Tartan 37 287 Pensacola, FL
I shopped around town a while looking for trailer tires south of Houston. One of my friends turned me on to Goodyear Marathon Radials. Because my little sailboat weighs a lot and I travelled with it a lot, (500 mile one way trips) I upgraded my tires to the 215/75R14 for the extra weight capacity.

When you look at the reviews, they sound bad but the ONLY issue I've had with them in 3000 miles of summer towing was a tread separation that was caused by my trailer fender breaking loose and stripping the inside tread off the tire. This effectively reduced my tread width down to below minimums to prevent overheating the tire and the tread separated from the hull. The tire still held air when we pulled over.

Prior to this, every trip with the narrower bias ply tires resulted in a blow out due to overloading the tires.

So WEIGH your boat and trailer, divide the weigh by 2 and that is the MINIMUM load capacity you need for your trailer tires. Boats collect "stuff." Get the ST tires because they have the firmer sidewall to withstand the loads incurred during turns. Car tires can collapse and separate from the wheel. Maintain inflation at recommended pressure for your load. And finally, wider tires usually handle heavier weights.
 
May 24, 2004
7,164
CC 30 South Florida
Do get trailer tires and inflate them to maximum capacity. They will provide maximum load capacity and run cooler. You are already close to maximums with your boat in a single axle trailer. Remember load forces measured at rest may be much lesser than those encountered with a trailer in motion over bumps, dips and turns at varying speeds. Don't forget to get a spare because road debri does not differentiate between automobile and trailer tires. Carrying a small hydraulic jack is also recommnded. We picked up a set of truck 14' inch rims at a salvage yard by matching the hub and bolt pattern to our trailer. We then went to our tire retailer who ordered us four Goodyear ST205/75R-14 "C" tires. We trailer 1,000 miles on the average, one way, so we need reliability. Cannot be messing around wasting time to find a tire if caught out in the boonies. Safety is also a major consideration.
 
Dec 25, 2009
269
American 26 & MFG Challenger 12 American 8.0, Challenger 12 Lake Pepin, Wisc.
I was faced with this same issue when I bought a boat in the frozen (Feburary) wastes of Iowa two years ago. I had to have new tires put on my rims before we could even move the boat from the sellers location.

I called the nearest tire store (about 2 miles away) from the sellers location and asked all these same questions and he gave me his recommendations. I bought the tires over the phone and paid him to change them out on the boat trailer where it sat for an extra $50. He sent two men and a jack to take off two tires at a time, take them back to the shop and put the new ones on and then repeat the process for the other side. All told, it cost me $350.00 tax included to get 4 big hefty 10 ply trailer tires installed on my trailer so it was good to go when I showed up the following week to get the boat and bring her home.

I trusted the tire store to treat me right and they did. The tires are still on it and I have had no problems. This is not something where you want to skimp and try and save $20 bucks. My boat and trailer weigh in around 7600 lbs.
 
Dec 25, 2009
269
American 26 & MFG Challenger 12 American 8.0, Challenger 12 Lake Pepin, Wisc.
lbs.
 
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