RVs have different needs and components compared to other types of vehicles on the road. Everything from engines to the battery can be different, all the way down to the tires. RV tires have their types, styles, sizes, and formulations.
It’s important to know what RV tire sizes and types work for your vehicle. Let’s look at different components of your RV’s tires.
RV Tire Sizes and other Information
What Type of RV Tire Size Do I Need?
You don’t have to place a guessing game or take your ride to a dealership every time your tires need replacement. Your RV’s user manual will come jammed with plenty of information on what RV tire sizes and types your RV needs, often a series of numbers and letters that you will need to match up, but what do all these letters and numbers mean?
Reading a Numeric RV Tire Size and Type
RV tires are wither classified with a numeric code or a metric code. You are much more likely to find numeric codes in the United States. Most people will look up the right code for their next set of RV tires but what exactly does the code mean? A numeric code consists of two numbers, followed by an R, followed by more numerals. These numbers aren’t random, they all correspond to the RV tire’s specifics. The first two numbers correspond to the tire’s width, the R stands radial construction, and the last numerals correspond to the diameter of the tire’s rim.
For example, if you had a tire with a code of 12R21.5 you would know that the tire is 12 inches wide, radially constructed and that the diameter of the tire’s rim is 21 and ½ inches.
The second popular type of tire coding is found in the metric code which is the most used outside the United States. The metric code will consist of three numbers, a backslash, two more numbers and an R followed by more numerals. In the case of the metric tire code the first three numbers represent the width of the tire in millimeters, the two numbers following the backslash represent the aspect ratio (we’ll get to that in a second), radial construction once again and the final numerals once again represent the diameter of the rim in inches.
What Does Aspect Ratio Mean?
You may have only heard of aspect ratio when referring to a TV or movie screen, but it also means something in the world of tires. In tires, aspect ratio represents the percentage of how tall the tire is compared to how wide it is with the percentage represented as a whole number. In the metric system, these numbers are available in the tire’s code. It is rare that you will need to know your tire’s aspect ratio offhand.
Can I Use Truck Tires on an RV if the Sizes Match?
This is a tricky one, while I wouldn’t recommend it, you can use truck tires on RVs. The trick is to make sure that everything matches up compared to the normal RV tire size and type you use. That includes the size, type, construction, load rating and all other information. If you can find a truck tire that works on your RV then that’s great though it will likely be much easier to find the correct RV tire size and type that was meant for your ride.
You may not now be an expert on RV tire sizes and types, but you learned a thing or two. Remember to consult and RV technician if you ever have critical questions about RV tire sizes or matching types.