Vehicle Fit
Travel Trailer Spare Tire Cover: Sizing, Mounting, and Material Selection
Mai
Travel trailers live a different life than the truck that pulls them. They sit for months between trips, parked in a driveway, storage lot, or RV park, taking sun and weather from every angle. The spare tire on the A-frame or rear ladder gets the same exposure the trailer roof gets — only without the protective skin and not as easy to replace.
The math on covering the trailer spare is different from a daily-driven Wrangler. The cover does not see weekly use. It sees relentless, low-grade UV exposure, occasional highway runs, and long storage stretches in the heat. The material has to survive both modes, which narrows the practical choices.
Sizing on trailer spares trips up a lot of first-time buyers. Trailer tires are Special Trailer (ST) construction, sized differently from passenger or light-truck tires, and the cover diameter you need is not the rim diameter — it is the overall tire diameter. The math is straightforward once you know what to measure.
Here is the practical guide to sizing, mounting, and choosing material for a travel trailer spare tire cover.
Travel trailer spare tires use Special Trailer (ST) construction tires, sized 14″ to 16″ rim with overall diameters of 27″–30″. Travel trailers store outside more than any other RV class, which makes Marine Grade Vinyl ($169) the right material — an up to 5-year UV-rated lifespan handles the storage exposure that defines trailer life.
Common ST tire sizes and cover diameters
- ST205/75R15 (most common 5th-wheel and travel trailer): 29″ cover
- ST225/75R15: 29″–30″
- ST205/75R14: 27″
- ST225/75R16: 30″–31″
- Boat trailer 14″ or 15″ tires: 14″–16″
The rim size on the sidewall (the “R15” or “R16” part) is the wheel diameter, not the overall tire diameter. The cover size is overall diameter. The how-to-measure guide linked at the bottom of this page walks through it if you are sizing for an unusual setup.
A-frame mount vs ladder mount
Travel trailers mount the spare in one of two places, and both setups use the same cover sizing:
- A-frame at the trailer hitch. Common on travel trailers and pop-ups. The spare is exposed face-out toward following traffic, which means it takes the full hit of road debris and weather on the road and full sun in storage. A cover keeps it protected through both.
- Rear ladder. Common on fifth wheels and Class C motorhomes with a rear access ladder. Spare faces backward and is exposed to direct sun whenever the trailer is parked nose-in.
Cover sizing is driven by tire diameter, so the mount type does not change which cover you need.
Best material for travel trailers
Travel trailers store outside more than almost any other vehicle category. Driveways, storage lots, RV park sites — the spare is in the sun for the majority of the time it exists. That pushes the material recommendation toward Marine Grade Vinyl ($169) for most trailer owners.
The up to 5 year outdoor lifespan accounts for years of storage exposure between trips. PU Leather and Polyester degrade faster in this kind of always-on UV environment, and they tend to look tired before the trailer does.
Frequently asked questions
Will the travel trailer colors fade in direct sunlight?
All five materials use fade-resistant UV printing, but they hold up for different lengths of time. Marine Grade Vinyl is rated for up to 5 years of outdoor life, PU Leather and PVC for up to 3 years, and Polyester for up to 2 years. Marine Grade Vinyl is the best fit for trailers that live outside.
Does the cover come with a backup-camera hole?
Yes — included free on every cover. Choose the “with camera hole” option at checkout. The hole is centered and sized to fit any factory or aftermarket camera position, including the modern Class C and travel-trailer rear-camera systems.
Can I customize the design with a family name, trailer logo, or RV-park identifier?
Yes. Free design proof, no extra cost, no minimum order. Send the wording or logo at checkout, or use the custom spare tire cover page.
My trailer’s spare is on the A-frame, not the rear. Is it the same cover?
Yes. The cover is sized by tire diameter. A-frame and rear-mounted spares both use the same cover sizing.
How does the cover stay on at highway speeds?
Drawcord covers (Marine Grade Vinyl, Polyester) tighten with a cord-lock clamp at the back of the spare. They are tested at highway speeds and stay put through normal travel. Elastic-band covers (PVC, PU Leather) grip behind the tread for the same effect.
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