5 Easy Steps to Change A Tiny Home Tire

What happens when your tiny home’s tires suddenly blow out? Can I use a car jack? Do I even need to change it?  The question remains, “How do I change this tiny home tire by myself?” Don’t worry, it’s not impossible! We’ll walk you through the whole process from start to finish, address your common questions, plus offer a few helpful tips for maintaining your tiny home tires. Ready to tackle the challenge of changing your tiny home tires? Let’s go! 

*Disclaimer: Many of the videos we use are for campers and towable tiny homes. Even though these are different than park model tiny houses, the same concepts apply.  

1.) Preparation 

First things first, preparation is the key to success. Start by finding a safe space to park, whether at a rest stop or a good distance off the road. Enable the parking brake and block the wheels with heavy-duty wheel chocks. Back up the tiny home onto the jack before adding the wheel chocks only if you use an Andersen Rapid Jack. If a hydraulic bottle jack is your choice, put the wheel chocks down first for extra stability and use wooden blocks if necessary to ensure the proper height. For additional visual support when using an Andersen Rapid Jack, you can watch this video explaining its proper usage.  

2.) Loosen the Lug Nuts 

Before lifting the tiny home, use a high-quality lug wrench to slightly loosen the lug nuts in a star pattern while the tire is still on the ground. Doing this step now instead of when the tire is in the air will eliminate struggling to remove the nuts while dealing with excessive wheel spinning.  Plus, they are slightly easier to remove when the tire is on the ground. Remember to only loosen them, not remove them entirely. 

3.) Lift the Tiny Home 

Once the tire is ready and the lug nuts are loosened, use the jack of your choice, like a 12-ton hydraulic bottle jack or a more trailer-specific jack like the Andersen Rapid Jack to jack up your tiny home. Remember to always secure the jack underneath the trailer frame, never the axle, to avoid damage to your tiny home. 

Once the wheel is off the ground and you can see daylight under the wheel (usually 2-3 inches off the ground), support the frame with scissor jacks, wooden blocks, or jack pads. This will reduce any risk of the trailer shifting, plus the extra space will make it easier for you to work. 

4.) Switch Out the Tire 

After removing the lug nuts and carefully pulling off the old tire, line up your spare tire with the lug bolts, making sure the spare tire matches the load rating and size of your old tire. Push the tire firmly into place and hand-thread the lug nuts, again following a star pattern. While it may be tempting to just throw the lug nuts back on in a circular motion, putting them back on in a star pattern will ensure an even torque and consistent weight on the tires. After properly securing the lug nuts, slowly lower your tiny home down, removing any extra wooden blocks. Just like loosening the lug nuts, you want the wheel on the ground to tighten them without dealing with spinning wheels. You’re almost done! 

5.) Torque Tire and Secure Tiny Home 

When your tiny home is back on the ground, use a torque wrench to slowly tighten the lug nuts (in that star pattern again) to the correct specifications—usually between 90 and 120 ft-lbs for trailer wheels. However, different types of wheels will require different torque weights; for more information on the specific torque requirements, consult this chart.

Don’t forget to also check your tire pressure with a digital gauge and inflate it more if necessary. Lastly, carefully drive a short distance (15-20 miles) then recheck and re-torque each lug nut. While it might seem unnecessary, it is an essential step, especially with a tiny home because the wheels can shift slightly after you switch the tires, and re-torquing will guarantee your safety plus test the new tire’s capability. Depending on your wheel type, you may need to stop again after 50 miles to re-torque once more. Your specific manufacturer should be able to assist you in knowing how many times you need to re-torque the tire. 

Congratulations, you just changed your tiny home tire! Keep reading to learn more about the essential tools for the tire changing process and how to troubleshoot common problems that may arise. 

Essential Tools for Changing Tires 

Changing out tiny home tires is no easy DIY and it requires the proper high-quality equipment. Before proceeding with a tire swap, look over this list to ensure you own (or have access to) the tire-changing essentials. 

Tools/Materials	Purpose	Approximate Cost
High Quality Jack – most experts recommend the Andersen Rapid Jack or a hydraulic bottle jack	To lift the tiny home safely	$40-$90
Scissors Jack	To stabilize the weight of the tiny home. Note: Do NOT use the scissors jack as the main lifting jack, they are designed only as support.	$30-50
Spare Tire (correct size/rating)	Replacing old tires.  Note: Try to use the spare tire for emergency use only, especially if you only have one.	$80-250
Torque Wrench	Tightening lug nuts correctly	$50-200
Lug Wrench	For removing and installing lug nuts	$20-150
Wheel Chocks	For stabilizing wheels and preventing them from spinning	$10-25

Additional Tool Tip: Keep an air compressor on hand at all times for emergencies! 

Troubleshooting Common Problems When Changing Tires 

Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, things just don’t go completely right. Maybe the lug nuts won’t budge or the jack isn’t lifting correctly. The biggest key is to remain calm and address the problem using the knowledge you’ve gathered. Here are several common problems and mistakes that may arise when you change your tiny home tire and easy solutions for each one. 

1. Stubborn Lug Nuts: Lug nuts can get overtightened, rusted, or corroded—especially if exposed to weather without regular checks. If you attempt to loosen the lug nuts and they won’t budge, try implementing the use of a breaker bar or an impact wrench for more leverage. Or apply a penetrating oil like PB Blaster and wait 10-15 minutes before trying again. Don’t reach for the WD-40 in this situation because it was not designed for this type of intense torque application. 
2. An Incorrect Jack Height: Sometimes certain jacks won’t lift the tiny home to the proper height. If that happens, ensure that you have a high-quality 12 ton or higher-rated hydraulic bottle jack before proceeding. As mentioned previously, double check that you are always lifting from a reinforced frame point, not the axle or trim. If those factors are in place, you can then add several wooden blocks or jack pads to place directly under the jack for an extra height boost. 
3. Ill-fitting New Tire: It’s critical to check that your spare tire fits properly for your tiny home. You can do that through double-checking the tire size, load range, and bolt pattern on your current tires before purchasing a new tire. Also match the ST (special trailer) rating and ply rating to your GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating) needs. 
4. Forgetting to Re-torque the Lug Nuts: This is an essential part of the process that some people forget to do. Don’t panic if you realize you forgot this step, simply stop as soon as it is safe and go to check them. Inspect the tires thoroughly for signs of loosening—if you can move the wheel by hand, the lug nuts have probably started to loosen up. Take out your torque wrench again to tighten all lug nuts correctly. Listen for the warning signs while driving, like strong vibrations or consistent clunking noises. To help you out in the future, set a reminder on your phone to re-torque the lug nuts after a short drive. 

Maintaining Your Tiny Home Tires 

A crucial aspect of preventing an unwanted tire change is high-quality maintenance. Routinely taking care of your tiny home tires can save hours of headache and unexpected costs further down the road. Keep reading to learn 5 top tips for maintaining your tires. 

Check tire pressure regularly 

Underinflated tires can cause severe damage and wear and tear to your tiny home, so you should inspect them regularly. This should happen monthly and also before undergoing extended trips. Use a digital tire gauge to make the process painless and check the manufacturer recommendations for the ideal PSI (typically between 50-80 for trailer-type tires). 

Inspect for damage routinely 

Don’t just look over the wheels when you know something is wrong. Make it a habit to check the tiny home tires every month for worn patches, bulges and cracks, or uneven tread wear. You can check the tread wear with a tread gauge or even a penny! Before leaving on a long traveling spree, inspect each tire thoroughly for your ultimate security and reassurance. 

Protect against elemental damage 

Sun, snow, and rain can all slowly wear down tiny home tires over the years and cause unwanted damage. When your tiny home is parked, invest in some high quality wheel covers to keep the wheels hidden from the elements, resulting in happy tires and a headache free experience for you. 

Re-torque lug nuts after extensive travel 

Re-torque lug nuts shouldn’t just take place after changing a new tire. A long trip can loosen them up and it’s important to inspect them to ensure they are remaining tight and secure. This simple and fast step will go a long way in keeping your tiny home tires in excellent condition. 

Rotate tires annually 

To improve your tiny home tire’s performance, rotate your tires annually. If you keep your tires  in the same position year after year, certain sections will start to slowly experience more wear.  Front tires on certain axles typically experience more pressure when braking and turning, which results in more damage on them. But, if you rotate your tiny home tires consistently, you spread that wear more evenly across all the tires, which will save you in the long-run. It also gives you a regular chance to inspect for other issues like bulges, cracks, or uneven tread. Even if you don’t drive your tiny home often, simply sitting in one position under the constant load can wear down certain tires faster than others. Bottom line: rotate your tires for a low-effort but critical maintenance that protects both your tiny home investment and your overall peace of mind and safety. 

When you follow all these maintenance tips, your tiny home tires should stay in tip top shape. If you’re interested in more general maintenance on your tiny home, check out the following video for additional helpful information. 

Going Forward From Here 

Feeling confident now in your ability to change a tiny home tire? We here at Zook Cabins sure hope so! At first, it may feel intimidating to change a tiny home tire, but armed with the right tools and correct knowledge, you are fully capable of doing it.  If you are looking for more information on park model homes, ADUs or other luxury mobile homes, we would be thrilled to assist you. Contact us today or get a free quote to find out how you can live in the tiny home of your dreams!