I'll be watching this pretty closely as I plan on doing pretty much the same thing. Right now I have 9 yo Toyos all around and am planning on replacing the fronts with Hankooks shortly. Can't imagine the coach cares if the tires are differant on the front but......?
I put on Michelin Steers and am very pleased with the ride and handeling. They ride better and seem to track better than the Goodyear G670's they replaced.
Jim, There is no problem with running a different brand of tire on the front of your coach as compared to the rear. As for your choice in brands, the only on that I have experience with is Bridgestone. I have been running Bridgestone tires on my coach for four years with excellent results. The ride and handling is excellent with no uneven thread wear. One point of caution when comparing tires, make sure that you are comparing tires with the same load capacity, and that the load capacity is adequate for the weight of your coach. If you do not know what your coach weighs, weigh it and buy tires accordingly. Never assume that the weight placard on your coach is accurate.
Dick, If your tires are nine years old, you need to replace all of the tires, not just the front tires only. The life expectancy of your tires is six years and some owners will stretch that to seven, but nine year old tires need to go to the landfill or a suitable substitute.
I'll be watching this pretty closely as I plan on doing pretty much the same thing. Right now I have 9 yo Toyos all around and am planning on replacing the fronts with Hankooks shortly. Can't imagine the coach cares if the tires are differant on the front but......?
If you think tires are expensive, wait till you have to fix the blowout damage from those 9 year olds.....
Dick, If your tires are nine years old, you need to replace all of the tires, not just the front tires only. The life expectancy of your tires is six years and some owners will stretch that to seven, but nine year old tires need to go to the landfill or a suitable substitute.
Gerald
Gerald,
I've been unable to find any source that states tire life expectancy is 6 years. I've heard 5,6,7, and etc but the only manufacturer info I been able to find is the Michelin data sheet which says inspect yearly after 5 and replace at 10. Goodyear and Toyo say the same thing except omits the 10 year comment.
I did have mine inspected right after buying it and the were results were "no problem" but should be replaced at 10 years. That was a Schwab store.
I would love to see some definitive information on this topic.
Still, I'm being a bit proactive and repacing at least the front tires soon and the rears a bit later.
If you read the Michelin tech bulletin, it says that you need to inspect at least annually after 5 years, and if any issues are found replace them. Then, if any survive to 10 years, replace them good or not.
If you read the Michelin tech bulletin, it says that you need to inspect at least annually after 5 years, and if any issues are found replace them. Then, if any survive to 10 years, replace them good or not.
Yep, that's what I was referring to. Can't figure out where the 6 years come from....or 5 or 7???
I agree with Butch, the damage a blow-out can cause could be very pricey. I was lucky with my (2) rear blow-outs, minimal damage. BTW, I inspected my tires before that trip and those 5 year old Goodyears looked great!
I'm running Michelin XZE2+ all around and am thrilled with them. They are "approved" for RV use, and have far more "cross swipes" which gives them great handling and performance. They are also quiet and have a really nice ride.
Sandie & Joel 2000 Patriot Thunder Princeton CAT C-12
The six year guideline on tire replacement comes from the trucking industry were six year old tires are automatically replaced. The failure rate on tires rapidly increases after six years in RV usage. That is probably the reason that Michelin will only warranty a truck tire on a motorhome for five years. http://www.michelintruck.com/assets/pdf/MLN_Truck_Tire_Warranty.pdf
If the manufacturer is only willing to warranty a tire for five years, there is no way that I am going to drive on it for ten years. Because a tire failure can be anything from expensive to deadly. To me that makes new tires look cheap.
Gerald never needs any backup here. The 6 year guideline comes from many sources. I don't know if I can add much to this discussion. But, it is Saturday morning and I have more coffee to drink.
I've gone to a couple tire seminars at big rallies. A Goodyear rep presented that RV tires are a challenge. We never wear them out. They age from exposure to sunlight and ozone. To slow the aging process, he said that extra quantities of certain compounds are put into tires designated for RV use. In order to get the most out of those anti-aging compounds (whatever they are) the tires need to be worked frequently. The motion and heat are needed for the compounds to be effective. I guess it is kind of like grandma kneading the bread!
In other words, if you drive frequently your tires will last longer. If you are a snowbird that makes two trips a year, your tires will not be safe as long. If you buy a motorhome that has been in storage for awhile you might consider buying new tires before you drive it at all! (As I recall, Marty had a couple blowouts on his drive home after buying his Thunder.)
The Goodyear presenter also said that a proper tire inspection requires removing it from the rim and looking at the inside. He added that there are few tire handlers that have much experience, training or knowledge about what to look for.
I replaced my first set at 6 years. I'll replace the second set at 6 years. The motorhome will be 18 years old when I need the third set and I might be too old to drive it then!
For a pair of front 11R22.5's, where do you recommend on the East Coast?
Are there issues in going to say, a Hancook, Bridgestone, or Sumitomo for the front, with Michelins on the back?
Thanks
Jim
The issues are: 1. Hankook don't make a 22.5 with my needed load capacity 2. Bridgestone require 9" rims versus 8.24" on mine according to Monaco support 3. Sumitomo also don't make a 22.5 with my needed load capacity
Michelin's only suggestion is a XZE2+ which will carry my required load, fit my wheels, both front and duals, and comes under the Michelin Advantage (FMCA) and the National Accounts Program (Monaco Int RV Club)
Dick, I don't have the tire seminar experience, but I have had two tires blow on my previous coach. I bought a 2001 Discovery in 2005 with less than 10,000 miles on it. In 2007, I loaned it to my son to take his family, and very pregnant wife, to a funeral in Kansas City. (she was too far along to fly). On the way, he had the left steer tire blow on the interstate, which cost over $2000 to replace the tire and repair the damge to the air brake lines and fender area. On the way home, a rear dual blew, that one did no real damage, but when he called and asked what to do, I had him replace all the rest. We inspected those tires before he left, and found no cracks or checks, yet they were obviously dry-rotted. My tires on the Beaver are dated 2006, have 40K on them and look like new. I store it inside a barn, out of the sun, but still worry everytime we use it. I have actually already replaced the steer tires due to uneven wear caused by an alignment problem, but will replace all of them before our trip next summer. I consider my son very fortunate that he was able to control the Discovery when it blew the steer tire. He's a good driver, and traffic was light. He still said that it took 5 minutes after he got it stopped before his rear end released the seat. The cost of the new tires is far outweighed by the possible cost of a blow-out. Since then, I've had problems on two seperate trailers with tires that looked fine, were properly inflated, but failed. One blew, ripping the fender off the trailer ( I didn't even know it was gone until a passing motorist flagged me down. It was a light trailer with the golf car on it), and the other threw a chunck of tread about the size of a football. I now replace every tire on every trailer when it gets to be 5 years old, regardless of how it looks.
Gerald, Bridgestone Tech Support told me initially that the R250F would work in a 295/80/22.5 to carry the load but if you look at the spec table for the R250F https://www.bfentirenet.com/product_catalogs/trucktires/app it shows a 9" rim size, and the Tech Support guy said all their 295's required a 9" rim.
Now i just need to see if the dual spacing fits the 13.2" shown on the page you pointed me to. ....And that will allow me to consider a lower priced Michelin as well.....the XZA2 Energy. It would be nice to have three choices!
Man, this stuff is complicated! Gerald, every time I read one of your posts I learn something. Thank you!
And that will allow me to consider a lower priced Michelin as well.....the XZA2 Energy.
When I made my purchase the XZE2+ was slightly cheaper than the XZA2 for the 275/70-22.5 which really surprised me when I discovered how well they rode.
Sandie & Joel 2000 Patriot Thunder Princeton CAT C-12
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