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Not the best experience for my first attempt at the tire store. Everything they could find was passenger tires, no LT, and the best they found was passenger van tires.

What works for these? I'd like to give this place business, but it seems like they're limited by their suppliers, and knowledge...

I'll give you the door tag sizes, and the size I have on it now...:

Stock: front- 14x7.5 14x5 rims

rear- L60x14. 14.8 rims

On it: front- 185/70 r14

back- P255/60 r15

I plan to get new tires all around, and new rims for the rears. If I have to order tires over the Internet I will, and I'll take suggestions as to what tires. But I'd like to go through this shop. They're local, and have been good to me. If I could go back in there armed with "ok, this is what I know WONT work (like car tires), and here are some ideas for what WILL, can you help me?", that would be cool.

I don't care if I stick with 15" rear rims like are on it now, or go back to the stock 14". Whatever works best for the tires and vehicle.

Any help?

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Ask them if they can order any of the following in 185R14 Load Range D (8-Ply):-

Hankook RA08

Yokohama Y356

Continental Vanco 2

Sumitomo SL726

If they say they can't, I'd suggest you move on to a better store. Or buy them online .

If you've currently got 255/60x15, they must be the original super wide rims. I've read of people on the Yahoo Toyota Chinook Group that use 295/50x15 in the back and 185R14 up front. Seems that's what one of their Gurus (Tuffy) used/suggested.

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Original tires for your Chinook were 185 SR x14.in the front. No I don't know what the SR stands for. Steel radial? Rear tire was 700x14 which is about a 215/75/14. You didn't start out with 15 inch rims in the back just wider 14 inch rims. Plenty of tires in sizes close enough to work that have the right load rating but you need to decide if your going to get matching rims or keep wider ones on the back or get 15 inch ones for the front. All depends on what you do.

Linda S

Your tire shops lack of ability to find or even know about d load range tires concerns me. If tires are your business you should know tires, not just plug some info into a computer and hope. Nice doesn't always equate to capable

Well I read that tire size equivilant for the 700x14 on the Samba but the section width should be 7 inches making it more like a 185r14 tire. See that's why you need a real tire person to find you the best tires

Well I still got it wrong. here's a thread on this site describing the correct tire size and some newer size options.

http://toyotamotorhome.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=3037

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Not the best experience for my first attempt at the tire store. Everything they could find was passenger tires, no LT, and the best they found was passenger van tires.

What works for these? I'd like to give this place business, but it seems like they're limited by their suppliers, and knowledge...

I'll give you the door tag sizes, and the size I have on it now...:

Stock: front- 14x7.5 14x5 rims

rear- L60x14. 14.8 rims

On it: front- 185/70 r14

back- P255/60 r15

I plan to get new tires all around, and new rims for the rears. If I have to order tires over the Internet I will, and I'll take suggestions as to what tires. But I'd like to go through this shop. They're local, and have been good to me. If I could go back in there armed with "ok, this is what I know WONT work (like car tires), and here are some ideas for what WILL, can you help me?", that would be cool.

I don't care if I stick with 15" rear rims like are on it now, or go back to the stock 14". Whatever works best for the tires and vehicle.

Any help?

The 185R-14" tires are the same as Volkswagen camper vans use. When you search on-line you must opt to leave the box for the middle number blank.

Winnebago Lesharo and Phasars are use 6-8 ply 14" tires.

http://www.roadhaus.com/tires/guideline.html

$57 each -

Nexen SV820 LT185R14 D/8PR

http://ssl.delti.com/cgi-bin/rshop.pl?details=Ordern&cart_id=61808904.135.20257&typ=R-135363&ranzahl=4&Breite=185&Felge=14&weiter=0&kategorie=6&Ang_pro_Seite=15&Transport=P&dsco=135&LoadRange=Load Range D

$69 each -

Sunny SN223C 185R14C D/8PR

http://ssl.delti.com/cgi-bin/rshop.pl?details=Ordern&cart_id=61808904.135.20257&typ=R-178815&ranzahl=4&Breite=185&Felge=14&weiter=0&kategorie=6&Ang_pro_Seite=15&Transport=P&dsco=135&LoadRange=Load Range D

$85 each -

Hankook Radial RA08 185R14C D/8PR

http://ssl.delti.com/cgi-bin/rshop.pl?details=Ordern&cart_id=61808904.135.20257&typ=D38360&ranzahl=4&Breite=185&Felge=14&weiter=0&kategorie=6&Ang_pro_Seite=15&Transport=P&dsco=135&LoadRange=Load Range D

$95 -

Yokohama Y356 LT185R14 D/8PR

http://ssl.delti.com/cgi-bin/rshop.pl?details=Ordern&cart_id=61808904.135.20257&typ=R-120469&ranzahl=4&Breite=185&Felge=14&weiter=0&kategorie=6&Ang_pro_Seite=15&Transport=P&dsco=135&LoadRange=Load Range D

$128

Kumho 857 185R14C D/8PR

http://ssl.delti.com/cgi-bin/rshop.pl?details=Ordern&cart_id=61808904.135.20257&typ=KH_5750&ranzahl=4&Breite=185&Felge=14&weiter=0&kategorie=6&Ang_pro_Seite=15&Transport=P&dsco=135&LoadRange=Load Range D

$89

Firestone CV 3000 185R14C D/8PR

http://ssl.delti.com/cgi-bin/rshop.pl?details=Ordern&cart_id=61808904.135.20257&typ=39234&ranzahl=4&Breite=185&Felge=14&weiter=0&kategorie=6&Ang_pro_Seite=15&Transport=P&dsco=135&LoadRange=Load Range D

$92

Continental Vanco 2 185R14C D/8PR

http://ssl.delti.com/cgi-bin/rshop.pl?details=Ordern&cart_id=61808904.135.20257&typ=R-143170&ranzahl=4&Breite=185&Felge=14&weiter=0&kategorie=6&Ang_pro_Seite=15&Transport=P&dsco=135&LoadRange=Load Range D

$66

Achilles LTR 80 185R14C D/8PR

http://ssl.delti.com/cgi-bin/rshop.pl?details=Ordern&cart_id=61808904.135.20257&typ=R-171671&ranzahl=4&Breite=185&Felge=14&weiter=0&kategorie=6&Ang_pro_Seite=15&Transport=P&dsco=135&LoadRange=Load Range D

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So the guy in the thread Linda linked ended up going with the same size tire all around. If stock says to go wider in the back... What do people think? Does the reasoning hold up still, to go wider in the back? Or is there good reason (other than the issue of having to carry two spares) that I could go with more narrow tires than they recommend, and go the same size all around?

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I'm seeing part of their problem. If you search 255/60r15 or 295/50 r15, all you get are muscle car tires... Same with L60x14...so what should I do for rear tires?

255/60x15 tires have a Load Capacity of 1885lb, almost exactly the same as our 'proper' tire. I'm pretty sure at least part of the allure of that size is looks. I'm not in a position to say if the handling will be better or not. Probably a question better asked to the Chinook Group. Maybe someone there has tried both.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=BFGoodrich&tireModel=Radial+T%2FA&partnum=56SR5RADTARWL2V2&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes

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It DOES look cool with those wide rear tires. BUT, it also calls for wide rear tires on the stock door tag. So it seems like there's a function...

I'm ok with using the same size tire on all four, I was just hoping someone might know whether or why it might matter.

Just for more information, the same door tag on my Chinook says "GVWR 4600lbs. Front 1850lbs, Rear 2900lbs"....

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So the guy in the thread Linda linked ended up going with the same size tire all around. If stock says to go wider in the back... What do people think? Does the reasoning hold up still, to go wider in the back? Or is there good reason (other than the issue of having to carry two spares) that I could go with more narrow tires than they recommend, and go the same size all around?

If it was mine - I'd consider several issues. Proper rear tire diameter to match the speedometer-sender gears so the speedo reads properly. Correct diameter so road height is near as designed. Weight load capacity. HD sidewalls (used in truck rated tires). Matched front to back so one spare fits all. My 1978 Chinook calls for tires with a 25.1" diameter and that's what I'd stick with (at least close). The book says 7.50-16" which is more-or-less the same size as an F78-14", 205-75-14", etc. Tires that match that diameter close enough are 205-75-14", 185R-14", 195-75-14", 215-70-14", 205-65-15", 205-60-16", 215-70-17", 245-45-17", etc. My four-cylinder single-wheeled Winnebago Phasar has a 6500 GVW and it calls for 215-75R-14D which is a size I did not even know existed until I got it. That are a hair bigger diameter then what my Chinook calls for at 26.7" and they have a 1870 lb. load capacity.

From all the specs I've seen - as soon as load-range D 14" radials became common - Toyota called for the 185R-14D tires or something equivalent.

I don't know why your Chinook paperwork calls for L60s in the back but I assume because they were one of high weight carrying tires in 14" at the time.

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It DOES look cool with those wide rear tires. BUT, it also calls for wide rear tires on the stock door tag. So it seems like there's a function...

I'm ok with using the same size tire on all four, I was just hoping someone might know whether or why it might matter.

Just for more information, the same door tag on my Chinook says "GVWR 4600lbs. Front 1850lbs, Rear 2900lbs"....

My Chinook is rated exactly the same and calls for 7.50 X 14" 6 plies front and back. Weight is 3470 lbs. (with no gear or passengers). GVW of 4600 lbs. Front axle max of 1850 lbs. and rear axle max. of 2900 lbs. Four fat people and a six pack of beer and it's legally overloaded.

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Interesting. Good to see that the earlier chinooks weigh the same as my Newport. Surprising that mine doesn't weigh a bit more, though.

Well..."cool factor" of having tires that look like racing slicks aside...I guess going with the same tires (185/r14, load rate of D?) all around might be my best bet.

That what I'm hearing?

I just want to be totally sure no one can see a reason, since my Newport is a bit wider than the pop top Chinooks, why I should stay with the manufacturers recommended wider rear tire size? I have my tax returns, and am ready to spend them on some tires! :)

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Ok, gotcha. Looks like from your email in the Chinook users group, then, the wide muscle car tires actually have a proper load rating for these things? I will admit that because of

a. the fact that Chinook recommends a wider tire in the back

b. the thought that a wider tire might give more stability (please correct me if that's wrong!)

c. It actually does look kinda cool

I'm hoping to go with a wider tire. But NOT at the expense of handling and performance. Plus the whole having to carry two different size spare tire issue. I would also guess that even though the Chinook will rarely see snow, I'm sure the wide rear tire is terrible in snow.

So I'm completely ready and willing to go with the same size tire all around, probably 185/70 R14, load rate D. But if Chinook knew what they were talking about with the wider rear tire, and it in any way makes good sense to stick with it, that's what I'd like to do. I'm just completely uneducated about this stuff.

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Well, the people in the Yahoo Group are probably the best educated on the difference between wide and skinny on the rear. See if anyone has made the switch and can offer a direct comparison in the ride and handling.

From a practical point of view, having them all the same would be better. Only 1 spare!

And the size you want is 185R14 Load Rand D. :)

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i wonder what tires type they used were available back in the day what kind of rating the tires had . maybe they thought wider to handle more wt i would think the 14 inch D rated 8 ply rated a single tire would be ok on a CHINOOK

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"GVWR 4600lbs. Front 1850lbs, Rear 2900lbs"

These are numbers assigned by Toyota as the MAXIMUM allowed. It doesn't mean that your Omega/Newport weighs the same. You'll notice that the same year Dolphins have the same numbers.

The Chinook paperwork also gives the actual wet weight. Mine is 3470 lbs. Here in NY the titles also must show the actual weight.

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Ok, gotcha. Looks like from your email in the Chinook users group, then, the wide muscle car tires actually have a proper load rating for these things? I will admit that because of

a. the fact that Chinook recommends a wider tire in the back

b. the thought that a wider tire might give more stability (please correct me if that's wrong!)

c. It actually does look kinda cool

I'm hoping to go with a wider tire. But NOT at the expense of handling and performance. Plus the whole having to carry two different size spare tire issue. I would also guess that even though the Chinook will rarely see snow, I'm sure the wide rear tire is terrible in snow.

So I'm completely ready and willing to go with the same size tire all around, probably 185/70 R14, load rate D. But if Chinook knew what they were talking about with the wider rear tire, and it in any way makes good sense to stick with it, that's what I'd like to do. I'm just completely uneducated about this stuff.

I doubt the wide tire is based on anything other then more load capacity. The original 1/2 ton axle is already wider then the front. And if you were to add a 1 ton rear or newer 1/2 ton rear - it would be even another 4" wider then the front. That because the later trucks also got wider in the front.

Also keep in mind that there are two gains with HD truck tires. Weight capacity is one and HD sidewalls is the other. If you install larger car tires they might have the load capacity you want but will not have the HD sidewalls.

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And going with wider tires seems to = going with car tires, it seems. Right?? They cannot find those wide tires in truck or van class.

So your advice is to go the same size all around (which means skinnier tires than stock in the rear), and do LT, load range D?

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And going with wider tires seems to = going with car tires, it seems. Right?? They cannot find those wide tires in truck or van class. So your advice is to go the same size all around (which means skinnier tires than stock in the rear), and do LT, load range D?

If you look for LT tires you won't find the right ones. Just 185r14. No middle number. The guys already gave you many links to find the right ones. If you want to use your tire guy, write down the names of those tires and see what he can get them for.

Linda S

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Ok. Well, I can find good tires for the front, in load range D, no problem. I'm beyond that. It's the rear tires and whether or not to go wide, as Chinook recommends. The recommended tire size for the rear seems to only come up in muscle car tires. Good weight rating, but not many-ply sidewall.

I guess what I'm really wanting to know now is what people feel the reason for the wider tire recommendation is, and whether I should

A. Follow Chinooks recommended size, even though it seems to mean car tires with a good weight rating but only I think 3-ply sidewalls or

B. say that whatever Chinooks reasoning was for the wider tires probably has more to do with what was available back then than anything to do with really needing wider tires, and I'm just fine with skinnier tires back there.

I don't know enough about weight load, stability, and RVs to take the available info and make my own, informed decision.

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Ok. Well, I can find good tires for the front, in load range D, no problem. I'm beyond that. It's the rear tires and whether or not to go wide, as Chinook recommends. The recommended tire size for the rear seems to only come up in muscle car tires. Good weight rating, but not many-ply sidewall.

I guess what I'm really wanting to know now is what people feel the reason for the wider tire recommendation is, and whether I should

A. Follow Chinooks recommended size, even though it seems to mean car tires with a good weight rating but only I think 3-ply sidewalls or

B. say that whatever Chinooks reasoning was for the wider tires probably has more to do with what was available back then than anything to do with really needing wider tires, and I'm just fine with skinnier tires back there.

I don't know enough about weight load, stability, and RVs to take the available info and make my own, informed decision.

If the wider tires were an important issue just due to the width - seems it would of shown up other Toyota RVs. We all know that weight load is an issue. To me the sidewall rating is also a big issue. Alpha-number tire rating system was a bias-ply, glass-belted designator and not for radial tires. Swapping the letter and the number was a crude method to determine how to keep diameter the same but get more load capacity with added width. There was a time in the USA when the "new" (to us) radial tires were not trusted in HD usage and wide letter series tires were used instead. When radials finally became accepted for heavier use - it was a big advantage. The old HD bias-ply tires would often get flat spots when parked and you had to drive them for awhile and get them hot before they got round again. Just out of curiousity, what year are the specs for tires you are reading from for your Chinook? My 1976 Chinook book shows 6 ply 6.50 X 14" tires. That is a 27" diameter tire. An L60-14" is probably around 28" diameter.

Seems the only thing the tire size is going to affect on your Toyota is how the speedometer reads. Trucks are usually given stickers that show proper tire size to match the speedo. If your truck actually has stickers for L60-14" tires on the back -then your speedo is calibrated for 28" tires. Maybe - if you care -you ought to drive with a GPS in hand and see how accurate your speedo is with the tires you now have.

My 1976 Chinook book shows 7.50 X 14" truck tires (6 ply). That is a 27.3" diameter tire. Other tires of that size are . . F78-14", 195-14", 205-75-14", 215-70-14", etc. The HD 185R-14" truck tires are a bit smaller at 25.6" diameter. Using them results in a little more then a 4% difference in speedo error. No big deal as far as I'm concerned. But my Chinook is a 1978 and I've never found any exact specs for that year.

If your truck is actually calibrated for the L60-14" tires (28"), then putting on 185R-14" (25.6") HD tires will result in the speedo reading around 6%-7% too fast. If that IS the case - you'd be better off buying HD 14" tires like my Winnebago Phasar has. 215-75-14" HD 6-ply. It would result in less then a 1% error in your speedo. The problem is these small HD 14" tires are esoteric and not used on many things so selection is not good except in trailer-only tires. Thus the reason I think that the 185R-14" HD have become the primary option for Toyotas, Phasars/Lesharos and Volkswagen camper vans.

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Thank you. I'm getting the tire size info off the Chinook tag inside my drivers side door. So yes, that's why I'm saying its the stock size Chinook is calling for on my camper. Wider than in the front.

When I drive by one of those radar/speed limit signs they're starting to put up around tow, my speedometer is right on with them. The radar might not be perfect, but clearly it's within an ok margin of error. Of course this is at 25-30mph speeds...not sure where I'd be at with highway speeds.

I'll do a little more looking around. Sounds like in the end, we just don't know if I should go wider in the back.

But I'm hearing that if the choice is between the "correct", according to Chinook, tire size in the back, with car tires, non-D rating, or going with more narrow than what chinook recommends, but in a D tire, I should choose the more narrow than stock, D rated tire?

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Thank you. I'm getting the tire size info off the Chinook tag inside my drivers side door. So yes, that's why I'm saying its the stock size Chinook is calling for on my camper. Wider than in the front. When I drive by one of those radar/speed limit signs they're starting to put up around tow, my speedometer is right on with them. The radar might not be perfect, but clearly it's within an ok margin of error. Of course this is at 25-30mph speeds...not sure where I'd be at with highway speeds. I'll do a little more looking around. Sounds like in the end, we just don't know if I should go wider in the back. But I'm hearing that if the choice is between the "correct", according to Chinook, tire size in the back, with car tires, non-D rating, or going with more narrow than what chinook recommends, but in a D tire, I should choose the more narrow than stock, D rated tire?

If you drive on any highway with mile markers - just drive a certain speed, time how far you go in one minute, and count the markers, etc.. I know many highways in NY and MI have areas that are marked every 1/10th of a mile and that's how I used to check. Now I've got a hand-held GPS that makes it even easier.

Again I seriously doubt what Chinook put on there for rear tires was based on anything else besides what was available at the time. And that keeps changing. Many of the HD 14" tires are now sold as 'trailer only." When demand is near zero for car-truck use, it's cheaper to rate them just for trailers. Some might still be fine for cars and trucks but there is no good way to know that I am aware of.

A wider tire is going to have more rolling resistance and result in slightly lower MPGs - another thing to think about. My Chinook with the 7.50-14" tires was EPA rated for 16 MPG mixed and 29 MPG highway which is very high. I assume that's an exageration unless they slipped in Canadian gallons into the MPGs. 29 Canadian MPG equals 24 MPG USA MPG which is still pretty high.

One more thing. If you DO put on new tires and wind up with speedometer error - it is easily fixed. You can order a little gear-box that goes between the end of your speedo cable and where it hooks to the transmission. It will correct the error. Some cars and trucks came with them new OEM - like my 1992 Dodge W200 diesel truck.

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Alright, thanks.

Well...roadblock #2!

Tire guy agrees that what I've got on there now is not good, mostly because of the sidewall ply. Nothing available in that width tire, other than the same kind of car tire ie thin sidewall.

Ok. Fine. I'll get new rims and tires in 185 r14, all around.

Nope... For the bolt spacing and size, they do not make rims that fit anymore.

Anybody want to unload some chinook rims? I could sure use some.

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So everybody's into these Hankook ra08? And they're trailer tires, right?

Here again, I would need to trust your expertise. Tire guy thought there truly is a difference, and he strongly recommended against putting these on a passenger vehicle. I already know you disagree. What's the reasoning? Why are they only trailer tires?

I had no idea this would be so difficult...

Looks like its time to hit Craigslist and the junkyards.

Would I be correct in assuming that any 75-78 or so 2wd toyota pickup rim would work?

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Alright, thanks.

Well...roadblock #2!

Tire guy agrees that what I've got on there now is not good, mostly because of the sidewall ply. Nothing available in that width tire, other than the same kind of car tire ie thin sidewall.

Ok. Fine. I'll get new rims and tires in 185 r14, all around.

Nope... For the bolt spacing and size, they do not make rims that fit anymore.

Anybody want to unload some chinook rims? I could sure use some.

I've got 5 extra Chinook rims. They are no different then what any other older 1/2 ton Toyota uses. I converted my Chinook to the 6 lug with duallies on the back and have the 5 originals.

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So everybody's into these Hankook ra08? And they're trailer tires, right?

Here again, I would need to trust your expertise. Tire guy thought there truly is a difference, and he strongly recommended against putting these on a passenger vehicle. I already know you disagree. What's the reasoning? Why are they only trailer tires?

I had no idea this would be so difficult...

Looks like its time to hit Craigslist and the junkyards.

Would I be correct in assuming that any 75-78 or so 2wd toyota pickup rim would work?

The older Toyota trucks use 14" wheels with a 5 X 4.5" (5 X 114.3 mm in metrc) bolt pattern. It's probably one of the most common of any wheel pattern. Ford, Honda, Lexus, Kia, Subaru, Dodge, etc. all use it on some vehicles. There are many other wheels with that pattern, width and offset that fit fine.

Any tire rated for car/truck service can be used on trailers if it has the proper weight capacity. That doesn't work the other way around because when tires are sold for auto/truck use they have to go through extra certifications that cost more money. If a particular tire size becomes uncommon on cars/trucks but is still used on trailers - many makers stop spending the extra bucks making them for cars/trucks or dual-purpose and just sell them as trailer-only.

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