2008 Hi-lo M1508t tire size, water capacity

[goyer]

Hello. I bought a used 2008 M1508t a few years ago. I recently had a flat tire and could not reinstall the tire because of it's size. What is the correct tire size for my trailer, 13" or 15"?
Also, my trailer has a water tank capacity of 15.5 gallons. Is there any way to install a 30-gallon tank into the existing space and system? Or, is there a way to manually refill the tank without hooking up to a hose?

Thanks, Jerry

 

[JackandJanet]

Jerry, the brochure for 2008 models shows a 13" wheel for the 15 ft Towlite. If yours has 15" wheels, I imagine that might have caused you problems. It also shows 15.5 Gals for the fresh water tank and I doubt a 30-gal tank would fit in the reduced space.

To fill my tank, I bought a small, self-priming 12V water pump online and ran plastic tubing from the inlet to a 5 gal water container and another tube from the outlet to the filler port in the trailer. Then, I had alligator clips on the ends of two wires that I ran from the pump terminals to the trailer battery posts. It takes about 3-4 minutes for the pump to pull all the water out of the plastic water container and into the trailer's tank.

I actually have two water containers and a folding hand cart I can put them on to bring the water back from a spigot to our campsite. So, I can add about 10 gals of water at a time and this is generally enough for a bit more than a day.

I've also permanently mounted the little water pump inside the battery compartment now and hardwired the pump to the battery with an on/off switch to make things easier.

- Jack

 

[Usagi5678]

Replacing tires.

Perhaps you need to let some air out of the tire to be able to change the tire out. Bad engineering. Best of luck in all your RV adventures.

 

[goyer]

Thanks for your help, Jack. I'm a little concerned that the trailer won't handle well if I switch to 13" tires.

 

[goyer]

I think your right; that's why I was able to remove the 15" tire when it was flat. Strangely, I was able to install the same size 15" spare. I'm not sure if this is because of a different manufacturer or a different rim.
Thanks for your response.

 

[JackandJanet]

Jerry, there's always ways around removing and replacing the tires, but does the tire on the 15" wheel fit properly in the wheel well? Was the spare tire really the same sized tire and wheel? My concern is that a larger tire/wheel combination would rub the wheel well at some point - possibly on the top when going over bumps.

If you CAN use a larger diameter tire, it will certainly hold more weight and will run cooler, since the rotation speed will be lower. I would go that route if you can.

- Jack

 

[goyer]

Thanks for your response, Jack. I haven't noticed any sign of excessive or abnormal wear on the 15' tires we've been using, so I assume they fit OK. It's very weird, though, that the spare is the same size (275-15R, different make and wheel style) as the other tires, but is able to fit into the space with little problem. Also, the wheel that was flat and removed (while flat) is too large to fit on the spare tire rack.
I'm gonna consult with a tire place and, perhaps, an RV dealer.
Thanks again, Jerry

 

[JackandJanet]

It sounds to me like the spare tire itself is smaller than the ones you had mounted on the axle. The tire size that was OEM on my 17 ft HiLo is 205/75R15 and that number is what is found on the tire sidewall. I don't know what a 275-15R tire is, but the 205s have a tire diameter about 27.1". I now have 225/75R15 tires on it after adding spacers between the axle and the frame that allowed the larger size and their diameter is about 28.3".

I'm seeing lots of 275/60R15 tires and they have a diameter of about 28" but they are wider. A wider tire would be harder to get on and off the axle.

You can mount different tire sizes on a 15" wheel. Compare what is on the sidewall of your axle tires and your spare to see if they are different.

- Jack