We just purchased our first camper today. It is a 2005 Starcraft Aruba 295-RKS. Unfortunately, it still has the original tires on it. New tires are at the top of our list of things to do immediately. The tires are ST225/75r15 and the GVWR of the camper is 11,690 lbs. I know there are a lot of crappy trailer tires out there and we would like to avoid buying them. I have seen that some people buy LT tires instead. What tires would you recommend for this fifth wheel?
Your on the right track by recognizing the tire issue:). Throw those original tires away today! All things being equal, I keep tires for 5 to 6 years then replace them unless their is a tire issue. IMHO based on 16 yrs. of RVing with a TT and now a 34' 5th. wheel weighing in about 12,600K when loaded, I only use LT tires. I have had good luck with Good Year tires that are 16' and at least "E" rated although now I am running "G" rated tires. I like Good Year's warranty policy for both replacing bad ties and paying for damage to your RV as the result of a tire blow out. I also read that a lot of RVer's use Michelin tires but they are a little pricer. I plan on putting some Michelin tires on my truck.
We will need to get insurance also. I remember reading somewhere that there is a difference in the coverage you get through your regular insurance company and the coverage you get through a company that specializes in rvs. I would be interested in hearing about the pros and cons of going with a regular insurance company vs rv insurance company. Recommendations for insurance companies would also be appreciated.
You are far from being a RV rookie based on your questions. Regular car insurance can be real different from RV insurance. Usually the difference is based on what is covered in the event of an accident and the emergency road service plan. As you examine different insurance policies, read very carefully what the exclusions are. Do a real through comparison of what each policy provides. For Emergency Road Side service I would not depend on a regular car insurance policy. The 2 most mentioned policies are Good Sam and Coach Net. I have had Good Sam for 25 yrs.
Then you are going to get into the whole topic of "Extended Warranty" polices. This is a
controversial subject. You will have 2 basic groups of RVers. a. RVers who believe that it is a waste of good $$ and that you should just put $$ a side in a savings account to take care of any break downs b. Rvers who figure that if your refrigerator or Air conditior/ heater have to be replaced, your extended warranty policy just saved you a bunch of money:). You will have to make that decision based on your own personal judgement. I have both the Emergency Road Side Service and the Extended Warranty. My decision is based on my experience with RV's----some part of the RV will break down or quite working at some point!!!!
Thanks for taking the time to help some newbies. Since this is our very first rev, we are a little confused and overwhelmed at the moment.
Based on your questions, your are not Rookies who will be confused or overwhelmed for too long. Let us know what you decide:)
