Sailun Tire Failure

JIMNLIN wrote:

I don't mean to sound like I'm bashing the XPS/Rib. In fact I ran them for many years. My point was that if you ask Michelin (as I have done several times) if Michelin will warranty the XPS/Rib when used in a trailer application. The answer I always get is the XPS/Rib is an LT tire and not suited for trailer use - Michelin will not warranty the XPS/Rib when used on a trailer.

Yours and others problem with Michelin is you may have backed them into the liability corner by the way you ask your tire question. What Michelin says has been going on for several years now so we know it all depends on how the question is phrased.
Lots of emails from Michelin floating around as this one. Notice the question doesn't back them into the liability corner such as asking does the Ribs replace a Load E ST tire/others. Sure we know a ST E has 3400-3600 lbs capacity so the LT E Ribs at 3042 lbs is not a replacement for the higher capacity tire.
.....Paste and copy from rv.net files....
In regards to the email you sent stating: Question..
I have a 2006 Montana 5th wheel Trailer that has two 6,000 lb Dexter axles and 4 deluxe aluminum Rims each rated at 3,042 lbs. I would like to install your Michelin XPS® Rib™ LT235/85 R16/E's on this 5th wheel. Will the tires be fully waranteed in this application?

Answer..--------
We appreciate your request for information regarding the Michelin XPS Rib. The XPS Rib, size LT235/85R16/E, part number 13080 would be a good fitment for your 5th wheel. The tire carries 3042Lbs at 80-psi max pressure. For best pressure recommendation, run at maximum pressure until you can weigh your axles either call or reply to this email for a pressure recommendation.
It is a good application, so there are no warranty issues. Your tires are covered under applicable warranty.
We appreciate your business and thank you for choosing Michelin**

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

For you guys that haven't been around the trailering industry long this is a old add from Michelin XPS Rib that was ran for many years and still good today.

****Michelin® XPS Rib® tires are the best value per mile in the Michelin commercial tire lineup and an ideal choice for commercial trailers because of low rolling resistance (for better fuel economy), a long-wear tread design and retreadability. These tires also have the strength of a reinforced all-steel construction for lasting durability.
Responsive handling helps you negotiate through tough traffic
Greater durability and puncture
resistance from a third steel belt.
Easily retreadable all-steel casing
Lowest cost per mile in this category
Resists sidewall damage with the sculptured sidewall protector.
Sidewall: black serrated
outline lettering.
Load Range: E
Service Description: 120/116Q ****

There has been a number of posts over the years asking the question about warranty. Some have been warranted and others have not been covered. Same happened to me on several BFG tires. Warranty denied.

Jim's post, as he said, is several years old. He contends that the wording is critical to be covered with a warranty. I believe that one shouldn't have to pose the question the way he said.

SOoo, I copied and posted his question to see what the latest answer is. I received this response today 3/4/2019.

"The Michelin Consumer Care Team is here to help with case number:14854783.

Hello Charles,

Regarding your email stating:

I have a 2006 Montana 5th wheel Trailer that has two 6,000 lb Dexter axles and 4 deluxe aluminum Rims each rated at 3,042 lbs. I would like to install your Michelin XPS® Rib™ LT235/85 R16/E’s on this 5th wheel. Will the tires be fully waranteed in this application?


Thank you for your email and your interest in our tires. Your 5th wheel trailer requires what is called an ST (special trailer ) tire which are fully rated for trailer application. This means ST tires can carry the full weight rating branded on the sidewall when used on a trailer application. Unfortunately Michelin does not manufacture a ST tire for your 5th wheel, using our products in the incorrect application will void its warranty immediately.

We hope that your issue has been resolved or addressed to your satisfaction. If we can assist you further, please respond to this email or call us at 866-866-6605 (toll-free) between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. EST Monday through Saturday. Sunday 8:30am - 4:30pm chat only.

We appreciate your business and thank you for choosing Michelin.

Sincerely,
Roberto
Consumer Care Department
Certified Michelin Product Expert"

fj12ryder wrote:

laknox wrote:
You also have to realize that you're not getting the same level of after-sale service with the Sailun as you are with the GY. Part of GY's price is the "insurance" you're buying since they are, in many cases, willing to step up and pay for damages caused by a tire failure. So far, I've not heard of Sailun stepping up like this. This is NOT meant to be a knock against Sailun or a promo for GY, just stating part of the cost difference.

Lyle

To be honest, in all my years of buying tires, about 45 years, I've never had any dealings with any tire after-sale service. So after-sale service is nothing I'm even familiar with when it comes to tires.

Except for the 2 tire failures of the horrible Carlisle ST tires, I've not had a tire fail on any vehicle I've owned. I have had a couple flats due to nails, which were fixed for about $15/tire. So any extra money I would have paid out for higher priced tires, i.e, "insurance", would have been money wasted. And yes, I do consider excess money spent for insurance also wasted. The only insurance I carry on my vehicles is mandated by the state, and a CMyA.

Personally if I had tires I paid big bucks for and they failed, I'll be darned if I'd buy another even if they did pay for repairs. Why buy something, and pay extra for it, when you expect it to fail? I suppose the people that pay extra for their tires also have extended warranties on everything they own.

And FWIW perhaps no one has heard of Sailun "stepping up" because there has been no need. I dunno about that, but I've heard of nothing. The Sailun failures I've read of seem to have occurred with no resulting damage to the trailer.

I guess I'll just have to be considered a Sailun "fanboy". LOL

Personally, I've had plenty of tire failures over the years, fortunately, none were catastrophic. Most were simple flats. I had one tire on my old Komfort go bad the 2nd year we owned it, but I caught it before the tread did more than start to wrap around the axle. Replaced it and the other 3 went bad the next year with separations. Again, fortunately, no damage. Total miles was < 2500 in just over 2 years. Next set went bad after another 3 years, all with starts to separations. I got smart and put on E tires instead of Ds and got 5 years out of them (Carlisle RH), then sold the trailer going into the 6th year. On my truck, I ran BFG Long Trail TAs, then Rough Trail TAs. I had 6 of 8 go bad with tread separations in 8 years and replaced with Coopers from Discount. Discount did step up and warrant all the bad tires from BFG since all were within mileage and age specs.

Lyle

laknox wrote:
You also have to realize that you're not getting the same level of after-sale service with the Sailun as you are with the GY. Part of GY's price is the "insurance" you're buying since they are, in many cases, willing to step up and pay for damages caused by a tire failure. So far, I've not heard of Sailun stepping up like this. This is NOT meant to be a knock against Sailun or a promo for GY, just stating part of the cost difference.

Lyle

To be honest, in all my years of buying tires, about 45 years, I've never had any dealings with any tire after-sale service. So after-sale service is nothing I'm even familiar with when it comes to tires.

Except for the 2 tire failures of the horrible Carlisle ST tires, I've not had a tire fail on any vehicle I've owned. I have had a couple flats due to nails, which were fixed for about $15/tire. So any extra money I would have paid out for higher priced tires, i.e, "insurance", would have been money wasted. And yes, I do consider excess money spent for insurance also wasted. The only insurance I carry on my vehicles is mandated by the state, and a CMyA.

Personally if I had tires I paid big bucks for and they failed, I'll be darned if I'd buy another even if they did pay for repairs. Why buy something, and pay extra for it, when you expect it to fail? I suppose the people that pay extra for their tires also have extended warranties on everything they own.

And FWIW perhaps no one has heard of Sailun "stepping up" because there has been no need. I dunno about that, but I've heard of nothing. The Sailun failures I've read of seem to have occurred with no resulting damage to the trailer.

I guess I'll just have to be considered a Sailun "fanboy". LOL

TXiceman wrote:


So you can save $700 on a set of 6 tires, BUT how much will it cost to repair a trailer after a thread separation. It will cost several times your $700 savings plus no use of the trailer for weeks or months. Consider it insurance.

Ken

You act like every set of tires is going to have one separate, generating a claim. GY doesn't pay =every= claim, either. So, in 3 sets of GYs you can buy a set of Sailuns and, likely, you won't have any damage in =any= of the sets. So, where does that extra $700 get you? Do you also buy fuel at a name brand dealer, or do you buy at Costco, for virtually the same stuff?

Lyle

TXiceman wrote:
After reading all of the praise and glory for Sailun tires and the 5 years of goos service from my Hankook G rated F19 Maxivantage. I decided to go with the Goodyear G614 235/85R16 tires for our 3 axle trailer.

Shopped them hard and found I could get them for $270 a tire plus installation, etc. Found a couple of tire dealers that would not sell a Sailun as they had trouble with them.

At least I kept my money in America. Bbbbut you can go do what you want with your $$$$.

Ken

And how much of your RV was built outside the U.S.? Likely every appliance, light fixture, light bulb, decorations and maybe even a lot of the wood came from outside the U.S.

Lyle

fj12ryder wrote:

JIMNLIN wrote:

philh wrote:

JIMNLIN wrote:
The quality of a factory product is just as good as the company or mgment wants it to be.

It.s as good as customers will tolerate and are willing to accept.

LOL yeah you make a good point. In fact we have a thread going right now on a member wanting to by cheap priced wheels and tires on ebay with no brand names....just a cheap price.

That may be, but a higher price is no real indication of higher quality either. The tire referred to in this thread is an excellent indication. If we go by the credo "Higher cost equals higher quality", we should be buying Goodyear G614, but, so far, the Sailun S637 is equal to or better than the Goodyear, at about half the cost. And we would never have known because no one would have bought them because they were cheap.

I'm not saying this is true in all things, but one cannot base a choice of product on only one criterion.

You also have to realize that you're not getting the same level of after-sale service with the Sailun as you are with the GY. Part of GY's price is the "insurance" you're buying since they are, in many cases, willing to step up and pay for damages caused by a tire failure. So far, I've not heard of Sailun stepping up like this. This is NOT meant to be a knock against Sailun or a promo for GY, just stating part of the cost difference.

Lyle

JIMNLIN wrote:
The quality of a factory product is just as good as the company or mgment wants it to be.

That statement, right there, says all we need to know about the RV industry, as a whole! :M

Lyle

My 2005 Goodyear G614 was a disaster from 4 tire 3 fail THAT RIDICULOUS.

TXiceman wrote:
So you can save $700 on a set of 6 tires, BUT how much will it cost to repair a trailer after a thread separation. It will cost several times your $700 savings plus no use of the trailer for weeks or months. Consider it insurance.

Ken

I have insurance already on my trailer. You're saying I should buy more insurance by paying more for my tires? I think I'll rely on my own insurance, and just put the money I saved to a better use. And since there seems to be no instances of serious damage caused by a Sailun tire going flat, I'd say I made the right decision.

JIMNLIN wrote:

That may be, but a higher price is no real indication of higher quality either. The tire referred to in this thread is an excellent indication. If we go by the credo "Higher cost equals higher quality", we should be buying Goodyear G614, but, so far, the Sailun S637 is equal to or better than the Goodyear, at about half the cost. And we would never have known because no one would have bought them because they were cheap.

I'm not saying this is true in all things, but one cannot base a choice of product on only one criterion.

Howard and Peggy

Your G614 vs Sailun S637 scenario has nothing to do with my point about nameless tires and wheels and quality on the ebay thread in my reply to philh.

Actually it does in a way. You're saying since the tires and wheels are "nameless" they are probably no good. I'm saying, that at one point, Sailun tires were also "nameless" since no one had ever heard of them. People took a chance and bought unknown tires and they turned out to be fine. This could prove true in this instance, albeit a bit unlikely.