Can you use mobile home tires on a trailer?

In this blog post, we will answer the following question: Can you use mobile home tires on a trailer? We will explain when you can use mobile home tires on a trailer and how to do that. We will also help you choose the best tires for your trailer.

Can you use mobile home tires on a trailer?

Generally speaking, you cannot use mobile home tires on a trailer, simply because they will not fit. More exactly, the bolt holes from your trailer axle will not match up with that from the mobile home tires. 

There is a solution to this problem, however. You can use mobile home tires on a trailer, only if you change the axle so that the bolt can be screwed and tires installed. 

Changing the axle together to fit specific wheels can be expensive. Mobile home wheels can be converted to fit custom wheels by modifying the axle hub and adding a wheel adapter.

Here’s how to install mobile home tires on a trailer

1. Jack up the mobile home wheels. Remove the hubcaps. Remove the wheel nuts with the socket wrench. Remove the wheel from the mobile home axle.

2. Remove the dust cover from the wheel hub. Apply the end of the screwdriver as a wedge and hammer the handle gently to loosen the dust above.

3.  Remove the cotter pin from the axle shaft. Some vehicles do not use cotter pins. For those who do, the new cotter pin will be applied later. Unscrew the axle nut. Slide the entire wheel hub of the pivot as a single unit, including the bearing nut and washer. Evaluate your washer for degradation or deterioration.

4. Take the wheel hub to your local trailer and wheel supplier. Match the size of the spindle hole on the current wheel hub with a new wheel hub, wheel spacer, and custom wheel. Match the wheel adapter bolt pattern for bolting to the new wheel hub. Buy these items and a washing machine if needed.

5. Apply bearing grease to mobile home axles. Slide the new hub onto the axle and put the bearing nut on the axle. Replace the washer and axle nut. Tighten the nut and reinsert the pin if necessary. Tap the dust cap on.

6.  Slide the wheel adapter onto the spokes of the wheel. Loosely apply three lug nuts in an inverted triangle pattern. Centre the spacer and tighten the nuts a little more with the socket wrench. Add the other lug nuts and tighten the nuts to a star pattern.

7. Add custom wheels mounted on the spokes of the wheel adapter. Tighten the lug nuts and replace the hub cap.

We understand you may not want to do this by yourself, so feel free to ask for help from a mechanic or at an auto shop. The good thing is that in the end, it is possible to use mobile home tires on a trailer, so do not take no for an answer!

What are the best trailer tires?

When speaking about the best tires for a trailer, we have to choose between bias tires and radial tires.

In general, bias tires are preferred for small trailers that don’t do major hauling operations, don’t spend a lot of time on the road, and/or operate fewer hours per year.

Radial tires have a larger footprint than equivalent size bias tires. This makes radials the first choice when maximum traction is preferred, especially in heavy load situations.

What makes a radial a better “road tire” than the bias type?

Radial tires last up to 33% longer than bias tires on pavement. Bias tires tend to “twist” on the pavement and wear out much faster. A radial tire will have a larger threat than a bias tire, this larger tread stabilizes the trailer producing longer tire life on the road. The time a trailer spends on the road has a significant influence on the life of a tire.

The construction, design and materials used for trailer tires are special as they have to meet higher load requirements, duty cycles and special demands. They are made of rubber and contain special chemicals to resist the elements.

The tread depth is slightly shallower than conventional passenger tires. They have more rigid sidewalls, especially in the lower part, avoiding flexion, this reduces the oscillation of the trailer.

Trailers are used for one purpose, the transportation of cargo. One cause of damage to your tire is overloading, it is important to know the capacity of your trailer including the products you transport. An overloaded tire will produce excessive heat on the sidewall and tread, this can lead to accelerated wear or even blowout.

All tires are made to handle specific capacity limits, check the load capacity and pressure limit of your tires, like this, like this; it will avoid any type of inconvenience in its use. In mounting the trailer and passenger vehicle tires, a pneumatic tire mounter is used.

The tires used for passenger vehicles are not recommended for trailers due to their composition in their structure.

The towing tires should all be checked, including the spare, before starting the journey. You will find all the specifications of your wheels in the manufacturer’s Technical Data Sheet.

• Check the pressure, which is given to you by the manufacturer
• Check that the tread retains the pattern well
• Check the tire for cracks
• Check that the wheel is not “expired”

To know the maximum pressure and if the wheel is in its useful life, look at the legend that is on the tire band.

The bottom line

As you can see there are many factors to take into account before choosing the right type of tires for your vehicle. Correct maintenance, periodic reviews and above all the accuracy of the model for your trailer will ensure a quiet vacation without scars on the road.

Please let us know if you have additional questions or comments on the content.

FAQ on Can you use mobile home tires on a trailer?

What is the best brand of tires?

Here are the best brands of tires:

• Michelin.
• Continental.
• General.
• Pirelli.
• Nexen.
• Goodyear.
• Hankook.
• Bridgestone.

Which brand is better, Michelin or Pirelli?

The Pirelli works the same as the Michelin, but the touch is more inert and therefore less attractive. The third fastest are the Dunlops. Effective, although not very pleasant: it is best to ignore the squeaks and the soft steering feel and mistreat them to get through all the vertices.

How to know if a tire is of good quality?

To know if a tire is of good quality look at the year of manufacture. The rims have a useful life of about five years, so it is very important that you know when the tire you will buy was manufactured. To find this information, look for a digit of 4 numbers on the rim; the first two indicate the week and the last two the year.

References

• Mobile Home Tires and Axles On Trailers – YouTube
• Mobile home tires vs trailer tires – Yesterday’s Tractors
• Trailer Tire Basics | West Marine