topflite51 wrote:
There are too many that never experience the problem. A retired tire engineer who is on his second or third set of Goodyear's explained to me the problem as pressure, pressure and more pressure. Now, is it all pressure probably not, but it probably contributes a large element. Tire inflation charts are meant to be used as a guide not as a law. Most, who I have talked to are inflating just to the actual weight and adding nothing for anything and ignoring the recommended pressure by the coach manufacturer.
I know you said the shocks are fine, but at 44,000 miles I have to question their performance. They may not be leaking, but I feel confident in stating they have lost some of their performance, it is only natural. Couple that with most MH's chassis are under shocked in the first place and you have a recipe for a problem.
I sold a lot of tires, in a lot of different brands and those who brought their cars in with similar tire wear patterns that people with MH's call rivering, we would say indicated suspension problems. I learned early on, that telling a customer he wasn't inflating his tires to the proper pressure was also a recipe for disaster. It is truly amazing how many customers especially the MEN get angry when someone ever implies that they are not doing what they should be doing, and there you have it. The real reason why every one is told that their suspension, alignment, shocks, air pressure or whatever is perfect. So it has to be defective tires.
I think I will put my flame suit on now.:b
I would just like to ask if ANYONE, who has ever worked in a garage, or a tire shop, EVER had a customer come in with a tire problem and tell them he did NOT maintain his tires properly and is tickled to death to pay for a new tire.
I can count on one hand the number of people I have ever seen actually check the air in their RV tires before they hit the road for the day. Those that have the TPMS are ready to go because the TPMS will tell them when the air pressure gets too low, BUT, as soon as one tire in a dual set loses a few pounds of air, usually before the TPMS sends the alarm, most of the load has shifted to the other tire, which is now overloaded. They do have systems that keep the duals balanced at all times. The people that I have talked to swear by their TPMS and never add air until the pressure gets close to their low limit. JUst too much hassle.
A lot of people had their coaches weighed at one time, usually years ago. In the meantime, they have added items and may have loaded their coach for a longer trip. They did not adjust their TPMS settings. The coach is now over weight but the tire inflation pressure has stayed the same. Some will set their tire pressure at exactly the pressure specified for their exact measured weight, supposedly for a smoother ride. They then make no adjustments for full fuel, waste tanks, or other things that shift weight from one axle to the other. These are the people that usually have a blow out because a tire is under inflated, and overheats.
Even the Firestone tires, that prompted a recall on the Ford Explorers, had no problems when they were properly inflated. From my experience, 99% of the time, a problem with ANY tire brand is caused by, or could have been prevented by, the owner. The exception would be the 250,000 Chinese tires that passed the DOT tests and then the Chinese removed an important safety feature to prevent tread separation, in order to make it easier to build the tire, and save them some money. Oh well, the tires were cheap.
