Any benefit to upsizing my tires/wheels?

hawkeye-08 wrote:


The mfgs put the smaller tires on to save money. They put the cheapest ones on that meet the requirements.

It is likely that a larger tire will contribute positively to the 3 items you mention above and more,

1. Safety - larger may not fit and rub/cause damage. Handling may be affected in adverse conditions, if the larger tires fit okay, then likely they would be safer. They would likely have more capacity and since the circumference is bigger on larger tires, would turn slower at the hub and reduce bearing issues and run cooler since they would likely have higher load capacities.
2. Handling - taller profile, catch more wind and be more prone to sway (corners, wind etc)again, taller does not mean softer sidewalls, they may have stiffer sidewalls and handle better
3. Economy - Will sit higher, catch more wind, use more fuel. Also the tires themselves cost more later for replacement. I doubt that you would notice a difference in economy with an inch or two higher trailer. It often costs less to purchase more popular tires and wheels rather than the small sizes that are not that popular. A taller tire will pull over things easier and may even avoid damage from low clearance of the smaller tires.

Yes, there are limits to what you can gain to larger tires and wheels, but I would change in a heartbeat to 15" if available and they fit. You may need to adjust hitch for level trailer when towing...

Go for it

I'm guessing you've never towed with 13" tires. I have for many years, see above post.

Everyone of those points is marginal at best. It's really just the prevailing thinking, i.e. opinions. No numbers to back it up. Larger tires are just a "feel good" to give you a nice warm and fuzzy. When the tires actually do need to be replaced, that's the time to consider a bigger tire. But to replace perfectly good tires and wheels for the very small gains you might get just isn't worth the hassle.