Wheels on 303RLS Reflection

When I bought my 303 RLS I was to told tha 16" wheels would fit and exchanged the 16" wheels and 235/80 16 tires from my old 5th wheel. There is not enough vertical clearance and one of the left side (whch carries 600lb more weight empty and contains most of the storage) tires has made contact with the trailer but done only cosmetic damage so far. I am now looking at ways to get the clearence without losing the correct trac feature. Some people have gone to a 225/75 LT tire which has a 1.5" smaller diameter.

This is a somewhat frustrating issue but otherwise, we have been very happy with this rig so far and not regreted our choice.

PaulCW wrote:
So had you been told by the dealer that the trailer had been constructed to fit the 16 inch wheels? How level did your rig sit with the 15's and /or the 16's. My truck is the 2005GMC duramax 4x4.

Paul, I never spoke with the dealer or the manufacturer about the wheel/tire change. I'd already had the trailer for 2 years when I did this. The trailer sat perfectly level with both the 15's and the 16's. I have air bags so I could make minor adjustments. There was very little change in how the trailer sat. The larger combo was taken up mostly in the tire to trailer bottom gap, if that makes sense.

Bottom line is that the upgrade to 16's is totally worth it but you need to be prepared to make some change to the trailer suspension if the tire gap gets below 3". The more, the better. Maybe someone can measure what the gap is on a stock 303 for you.

On a side note, once you get this resolved you will absolutely love your new Grand Design trailer. Ours is hands down the nicest RV we have ever had.

I replaced the 15 wheels on my TT with these 16 inch wheels: Ultra Type 62 rims with Bridgestone Duravis R500 tires (E load range LT tire). I bought them from TireRack. You have to pay for shipping but mounting and balancing is free.

I definitely like the upgrade because they're an LT tire. I won't go into ST vs LT...

If you want 16" tires check these out. I am running them now. Original tire on rig 2010 from the factory with many miles.Click here. Good luck with your choice and your new rig!!!

Poppy's 5th Wheel wrote:
Here's where I bought mine when I did the same upgrade on my last trailer. They're very friendly and helpful if you have questions.

http://www.trailertiresandwheels.com/

The biggest thing is to make certain you will still have at least 3" between the top of the new wheel/tire combination and the floor of the trailer. I did not do this and it was a real problem. Solution was having a 2" sub-frame fabricated and welded in place between the trailer frame and new hangers.

So had you been told by the dealer that the trailer had been constructed to fit the 16 inch wheels? How level did your rig sit with the 15's and /or the 16's. My truck is the 2005GMC duramax 4x4.

Here's where I bought mine when I did the same upgrade on my last trailer. They're very friendly and helpful if you have questions.

http://www.trailertiresandwheels.com/

The biggest thing is to make certain you will still have at least 3" between the top of the new wheel/tire combination and the floor of the trailer. I did not do this and it was a real problem. Solution was having a 2" sub-frame fabricated and welded in place between the trailer frame and new hangers.

You might post the question over here http://www.granddesignowners.com/forum/forum.php

PaulCW wrote:
We are getting a new 303RLS soon. Have struck a deal here in Canada on a 2015 model and will pick it up as soon as we can.
For those who have changed the 15's to 16's what exactly did you put on your trailer for wheels and tires (size and rating, material etc) and where did you get them ?
Do you think the 16's are worth the extra, does it make a difference in towing?
Its not an option for us to order a trailer with the tire option becuz of the American dollar now, the cost difference would be punitive. So I am on my own if I want to switch.

Thanks for your help

Biggest issue with swapping wheels is to be 100% sure that you get the exact same offset as the OEM wheels. Most are zero-offset, but there are a few oddballs, or so I've read/heard. Also, you'll need to be sure to get ones that will handle 80 psi, if you're going to E-rated tires.

Lyle

The main difference is that in 15" You dont have much choice on a good quality tire. Everything comes out of China with the exception of Maxxis and I think they are Taiwan. I had some Maxxis 8008 on my last trailer and they were pretty good well after 3 yrs did have a few seperations.. But in 16" you can get Michelin XPS Ribs or Bridgestone R250 those are the tires that I can recommend from experience and they are Great. Enjoy your new 303 .