Rubber tires

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

I have a couple of single-wide trailors on my layout located in rural Arizona circa 1950’s/early 60’s. A friend of mine, who grew up in rural Arizona, was over a little while ago and he sternly chastized me because there were no rubber tires on the roofs. So, I did some surfing and found some HO scale tires, Goodyear by brand, for $6.95 for 24, a lot more than I really need. But, shipping, etc is another $12. I can afford it but I really dont want to spend over $3 per tire for the 6 I really need. I suppose that I could create a junk tire area with the rest of them but I still think that they are outrageously priced at $0.75 each. I am not trying to dis the vendor.

Any ideas on a substitute. I have been thinking about small rubber O-rings.

2

Scale Structure LTD and J.L. Innovative have tires. Some are metal castings, but properly painted they look fine.

3

I have used orings,they look more like inner tubes,might pass as tires as a stack in a corrner, further back.

What if you got a cheaper car/truck, took off tires for the roof,and still had car/truck on blocks in back

4

What are the trailers sitting on? Put the trailers on blocks and throw those tires on the roof.

5

Thank you folks. Maxman, a brilliant idea but the trailers are already on skirts, thus no wheels. I have decided to go with the JL Innovation product, reasonably priced including shipping.

6

Silly question, but why would there be tires on the roof?

7

The tires weigh down the metal roof so it wont rattle in the wind. Actually, the question is not silly but obvious.

8

Cant say that i have ever seen tires on the roof of a mobile home. Looked on google maps, at some mobile home parks here, dont see any tires on the roofs. Maybe a local thing where you live.

Will ask my wife about it she grew up in tuscon.

If you have set of tires and need more have you thought about casting your own? I have done that before on some parts ether using resin or durham water puty.

9

Cant say that I have either, but, as I indicated I was sternly chastized for the omission. And, it could be a local thing. Interestingly enough, I went to the WGH show here in Phoenix this past weekend and one of the layouts from an Albuquerque club had some tires on one of the buildings, not a trailer, that had a metal roof.