Hey gang,Regarding big, DP tires...I know most adhere to this rule and some prefer to replace tires within 7 years or so of date code. Others replace the steers every 5 and the drives every 10. Others still will have them all removed and the interiors inspected before giving up on them. Etc, etc...I'm inclined to err on the side of caution, myself, but I'm curious to hear your thoughts. And to see if anything has changed in the last 5 years since this thread.So given...6 - Toyo M-154 265/75R22.5 tires with 10,000 milesInstalled March of '13, but approaching 10 years of date codeBabied and covered most of their lives, in beautiful (where visible) condition with no checksEntire lives in Santa Cruz with a very mild climate. Last couple of years undriven and parked without the jacks down and uncovered with driver's side facing south (the sun... and Central California coastal fog) On a Freightliner/Cat chassis running fairly close to GVWR / tire maxReplacement cost - $3,100What would you do?EDIT: Here's a good read posted by dougrainer 5 years ago. The study indicates 6 years is the maximum for safety. Though it appears to be general tire specific. No mention of commercial, one way or the other.http://www.ntsb.gov/news/events/Documents/2014_Tire_Safety_SYM_Panel_4b_Kane.pdfAlso... some seem to indicate that commercial truck tires are more robust than RV tires, despite the size. I can say this... the Toyos are spec-ed at 99 lbs vs 90 for the OEM Michelins. All that said... they also undergo more severe punishment..

I would replace them. $3100 sounds like a lot, but when you figure out how much reparing all the damage done by an old tire blowing, it's cheap.

I'm told that in some states tires over 8 years are considered hazardous. (NOTE I have made no effort to verify that. I replaced the tires shortly after being told that for other reasons. (They needed it) but that is what I was told. I've seen both 5 and 7 as the recommended replacent intervialJust now the motor home is in a bone yard (Long story. but not unhappy)And the car the insurance check paid for in full.. Tires are like 7 MONTHS old.

wa8yxm wrote:I'm told that in some states tires over 8 years are considered hazardous. (NOTE I have made no effort to verify that. I replaced the tires shortly after being told that for other reasons. (They needed it) but that is what I was told. I've seen both 5 and 7 as the recommended replacent intervialJust now the motor home is in a bone yard (Long story. but not unhappy)And the car the insurance check paid for in full.. Tires are like 7 MONTHS old.Wow!I feel like that rig has been in your signature the entire time you've been a member here, no?When did this happen?

I wouldn't take the chances - replace them. I've seen tires that look brand new but are aged out go. That $3100 will give you another ~7 years of service so consider it a $37/mo insurance policy.

I replaced my DP tires a month or so ago--2 fronts were 6 years old and 4 rears were 7 years old--with Hankooks. $2500 out the door, BUT, I sold my take offs to a contractor for his low boy for $700 right at the tire store so it ended up costing me $1800 out of pocket for peace of mind.

Tires - The 10 Year Rule | Good Sam Community

mike_brez
Explorer
Oct 17, 2021
My 10 year old Samson’s. Kinda looks like a sign post.
Big Bang at 65mph no damage inside rear passenger dual.
larry_barnhart
Explorer
Oct 17, 2021
I just help a class C owner level his rv. Older and they were young so I told him I don't know what you know so I want to help by telling you are so out of level I can't believe you can stand it that way. After we fixed the issue I told him about old tires and he said the fronts are new. Date was 3318 so I explained how I buy tires to get as fresh as possible and never had any tire issues since we started in 1996. never went over 5 years. chevman
crawford
Explorer
Oct 16, 2021
Desert Captain wrote:
"The one thing that has yet to be mentioned is locale. Heat, in the form of ambient temperature, plays a HUGE role in how long tires last. Obviously tires operating around Phoenix experience a lot more heat history that tires operating around Minneapolis. So if you live and/or operate in the desert SW, you need to use a more rapid replacement schedule than someone living/operating in the northern midwest."

Actually I brought this up back on the second page of this discussion, just sayin...

"Admittedly Arizona is a tough environment on all tires but these had been meticulously maintained and always run at the correct psi for the loads they carried. Obviously opinions vary but IMHO if your tires are over 5 years old you are rolling the dice... place your bets."

Clearly we agree. I have spent long days driving in 112 - 115 degrees and cannot even imagine just how hot the road surface actually is. Conversely as winter appears ready to pounce early this year freezing temperatures, snow and ice are all too common throughout most of Arizona {the average elevation of Arizona is north of 4,000' and we have lots of 9,000'+ passes to negotiate}.

The truth is in the real world there is no arbitrary ten, seven or even five year rule per se. One must always take into consideration not only how but where your tires are being used and then decide, as in "Do ya feel lucky punk? Well ,do ya???" :S

Here is a shot of us in the "Dead Zone" 30 miles west of Phoenix on I-10:

This is the reason I go rid of my C Class 16 in LT tires do not belong on those rigs ........

:B
KendallP
Explorer
Oct 14, 2021
For the record, the rig now has 6 new Toyo M-154s. Date codes around 4 months ago.
KendallP
Explorer
Oct 12, 2021
CapriRacer wrote:
The one thing that has yet to be mentioned is locale. Heat, in the form of ambient temperature, plays a HUGE role in how long tires last. Obviously tires operating around Phoenix experience a lot more heat history that tires operating around Minneapolis. So if you live and/or operate in the desert SW, you need to use a more rapid replacement schedule than someone living/operating in the northern midwest.

And why don't today's tires last longer?

1) Law of Physics (and Chemistry) don't change over time.
2) They didn't, but we have the Internet today and that changes how people perceive things.
3) Then there is this odd thing that our brains do: We think the Good-Old-Days(TM) were better - somehow. Actual statistics don't bear this out.

I think he meant that tire technology has improved and tires last longer than they did in those days of yore.

Also... this from the OP...

"Babied and covered most of their lives, in beautiful (where visible) condition with no checks

Entire lives in Santa Cruz with a very mild climate. Last couple of years undriven and parked without the jacks down and uncovered with driver's side facing south (the sun... and Central California coastal fog)"
Desert_Captain
Explorer III
Oct 12, 2021
"The one thing that has yet to be mentioned is locale. Heat, in the form of ambient temperature, plays a HUGE role in how long tires last. Obviously tires operating around Phoenix experience a lot more heat history that tires operating around Minneapolis. So if you live and/or operate in the desert SW, you need to use a more rapid replacement schedule than someone living/operating in the northern midwest."

Actually I brought this up back on the second page of this discussion, just sayin...

"Admittedly Arizona is a tough environment on all tires but these had been meticulously maintained and always run at the correct psi for the loads they carried. Obviously opinions vary but IMHO if your tires are over 5 years old you are rolling the dice... place your bets."

Clearly we agree. I have spent long days driving in 112 - 115 degrees and cannot even imagine just how hot the road surface actually is. Conversely as winter appears ready to pounce early this year freezing temperatures, snow and ice are all too common throughout most of Arizona {the average elevation of Arizona is north of 4,000' and we have lots of 9,000'+ passes to negotiate}.

The truth is in the real world there is no arbitrary ten, seven or even five year rule per se. One must always take into consideration not only how but where your tires are being used and then decide, as in "Do ya feel lucky punk? Well ,do ya???" :S

Here is a shot of us in the "Dead Zone" 30 miles west of Phoenix on I-10:

:B
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Oct 12, 2021
LandYacht35diesel wrote:
DOESNT the speed of what you cruise at AND PROPER air pressures determine much of this ?

"

under/over inflation reduces tire life.
Excess speed likewise
But none of this has anything to do with the age rules. which may be 10 or less (one state law is 8 years I'm told but have not verified)
CapriRacer
Explorer II
Oct 12, 2021
LandYacht35diesel wrote:
DOESNT the speed of what you cruise at AND PROPER air pressures determine much of this ?

And OTHER THINGS to consider is ... that all this is just a tire company GAME to sell more tires. AND WHY ... don’t tires last way WAY longer than the yesterYEAR ones did ?

Yes, there are a lot of variables when it comes to tire aging - operating speed and inflation pressure among them.

The one thing that has yet to be mentioned is locale. Heat, in the form of ambient temperature, plays a HUGE role in how long tires last. Obviously tires operating around Phoenix experience a lot more heat history that tires operating around Minneapolis. So if you live and/or operate in the desert SW, you need to use a more rapid replacement schedule than someone living/operating in the northern midwest.

And why don't today's tires last longer?

1) Law of Physics (and Chemistry) don't change over time.
2) They didn't, but we have the Internet today and that changes how people perceive things.
3) Then there is this odd thing that our brains do: We think the Good-Old-Days(TM) were better - somehow. Actual statistics don't bear this out.
LandYacht35dies
Explorer
Oct 11, 2021
DOESNT the speed of what you cruise at AND PROPER air pressures determine much of this ?

And OTHER THINGS to consider is ... that all this is just a tire company GAME to sell more tires. AND WHY ... don’t tires last way WAY longer than the yesterYEAR ones did ?
dougrainer
Nomad
Sep 25, 2021
Years ago, a retired Tire Engineer from I believe Goodyear used to give Tire seminars at FMCA and Good Sam rally's. He used a Potato salad analogy to let people determine how good a tire looks versus its age or mileage(lack of mileage) I will Readers Digest the tale
1. Wife makes the Potato salad for a large Family gathering and puts it out that mid morning ON A WARM DAY.
2. Later that evening Wife tells Husband to put Salad in refer
3. Husband forgets
4. The next morning Husband walks out and sees the Potato salad and realizes he is in deep trouble with wife
5. He covers the Salad and puts it back in the refer and tells no one.
6. WOULD ANY NORMAL PERSON THEN EAT THE POTATO SALAD?????????
7. SAME with Tires that show no deterioation but are old and have very few miles

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