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The tires on my 2001 Teton 5th wheel are almost touching


WICindy

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I just noticed that the tires on my 2001 Teton 5th wheel are almost touching.  I had a hard time even putting my tire protector covers on.  I have searched the internet for answers and how to correct this,  but have come up empty.  I am on my own for this problem as my husband passed away last September.  Thank you in advance for any help. 

WI Cindy.........

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Hey Cindy

A number of triple axle (tridem) trailers have the tires close to each other. (e.g. Teton, Travel Supreme). The reason is to help reduce the scrubbing that occurs with multi-axle systems. (tandem - 2 axles close to one another & Tridem - three axles close to one another)

If you have Dexter Axles, the minimum space between tires is 1 inch, which is not much. Mor/Ryde IS spacing between tires can be (0.7") - confirmed by Mor/Ryde personnel. These two brands/types of axles are the most common found on larger trailers, but we have seen a variety of axle types on Tetons.

So, unless you see something significantly different between one pair of tires that is not the same for all the rest of the pairs of tires, then it might be OK. That does not make it easier to put on the tire covers but it may ease your mind about the closeness of the tires. Tire covers really just need to protect UV light from the sun so they do not really need to go all the way around the tire so you may be able to secure them or cover them differently.

But if you are concerned then it would be best to contact the axle manufacturer and talk directly with them, first. Then you may need to go to a service location if they give advice. Pictures of all of the axles would help them.

Dexter - Warranty and service - 574-295-7888 - or Email Contact Form 

Mor/Ryde - (574) 294-4936 - Try to talk to Gary Wheeler if available 

Glenn West (posted above) has a Teton, so his experience is closest to yours, so you can see that they can be very close as designed. 

We have a Travel Supreme and when we had tires with larger diameter (LT235/85R16 - Diameter 32.2") there was a 1" distance between the tires. We now have different tires with a smaller diameter (215/75R17.5 - Diameter 30.5") so there is a little bit more distance between the tires now.

Susan & Trey Selman | email | HDT: '01 770 VED12 | 5er: '02 40' Travel Supreme RLTSOA | '16 Piaggio MP3 500 | '15 Smart Cabrio | Personal Blog | HHRV Resource Guide | HHRV Campgrounds | Recreation Vehicle Safety & Education Foundation |

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What is the distance between the tires?  If you have at least an inch I wouldn't worry.  Is the gap the same on both sides of the unit?  If one is closer than the other it would be a sign of some suspension issue making an axle shift.  This would also mean the axles are no longer aligned with each other and you would get premature tire wear.

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Are the tires the same size as what is recommended on the tire placard or certification label? How old are they?

Here is a picture of what can happen to a tire that has a tread separation but not yet lost the tread. Both of the tires in the picture have the same size designation and are from the same manufacturer. It's amazing how much larger a tire can get before it throws the tread. 

http://www.irv2.com/photopost/showfull.php?photo=27625

On Edit: The distance between tires is normally a question the axle manufacturer can answer. Dexter says for their axles the minimum is 1".

38' fiver - Dodge Dually

AKA: FastEagle

USN Retired - DOD Retired - SSA Retired

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