I asked the dealer about going to a 14" wheel and they didn't know if it would fit. It should only be 1/2" closer to the fender in theory, but no idea how much clearance there is at full compression of the torsion axle.
Personally, I have never had a trailer tire fail except when punctured by road debris so maybe I wouldn't have issues with a China tire. I have only used Maxxis or Goodyear Marathon for a long time. Not sure if the most recent Marathons were China or USA. (Only thing Walmart had when on the road.) I have TPMS on my trailer tires and keep them aired up. Maybe the folks with failures were not keeping them inflated.
I might just go with Maxxis and hope they are still made in Thailand. If I switch to 14" wheels to go with Goodyear Endurance I have to buy three wheels and tires to have a spare.
