Tires Dry Rotting

Make sure and get some tire covers when not using!

One more thing you can do to prolong the life of your new tires is to drive them frequently. The normal use flexing of the rubber is supposed to prevent the sidewall cracking. I don't have our MH insured in the winter but I make a point of exercising the tires a bit moving back and forth in the driveway at least once a month.

X2 - The MS2's ride better.

RVDisney wrote:
Thanks again guys.

Also for those of you that did the recall Michelin told me I can not get the same tires. What did your dealer tell you and what tires did you get? Are the tires you got better? Thanks

They don't make the M/S tires anymore. The new model is the M/S2 which is what they gave me.

Michelin picks up the whole tab including mounting, balancing, taxes, and disposal costs. Don't let the tire dealer make you believe you have to pay anything. You don't. (I did tip the guys doing the swap).

Thanks again guys.

Also for those of you that did the recall Michelin told me I can not get the same tires. What did your dealer tell you and what tires did you get? Are the tires you got better? Thanks

I am glad you are able to get your tires replaced for free from that recall.

The tires on our 2007 E350 are the originals, now 7 years old. They still look brand new with no cracking or other visual concerns, I assume because we keep the rig inside a relatively climate controlled garage when not on trips, and I have never used any kind of tire care product. They are the Michelin load range "E" tires so our light 9000 pound rig (10,500 loaded) with 60 & 65 psi does not "test" their load limit. So I plan to get still more years of use before replacing them.

I assume that your tires are cracking because of the elements, primarily the sun. I hear that many tire dressings can do more harm then good in preventing side-wall cracking. I would try covering the tires which are exposed to direct sunlight, and use NO tire dressing on any tires unless specifically formulated to prevent tires from cracking.

Also, I hear it is best to store vehicles with the tires inflated to the max psi as stated on them. For load range "E", that is typically 80 psi. That minimizes tire contact to the ground and maintains their shape. When deformed, they can develop cracking in those areas. I am not 100% sure of it, but it makes sense and does no harm.

With our first rig and now with our second rig, the front tires will need to be replaced before the rears due to uneven thread wear. I have a good wheel alignment, but the fronts wear funny regardless. I believe the cause is from consistent broad-side winds while traveling across country for days at a time. Holding the steering wheel at a slight angle to maintain going straight for so long chews up the front tires.

BTW, according to articles I've read (yeah, hearsay and I don't have a cite - so this point is just as good as wiki) - ArmourAll is NOT a good product to put on your tire sidewalls. Supposedly the chemicals cause a more rapid degradation of the sidewalls. There are some products that the tire companies support for sidewall protection...I just don't have that reference close at hand. Google should show results...

I found the MS2 road better too. I had the receipt from the M&S purchase. While not required having that paper made life at the tire store easier for the guy behind the counter and by extension me too. If you do not have the long metal valve stems by Borg or the Tire Man now would be a good time to get them.

Yep checked the numbers on the side wall both size and codes.

I can't tell all of you enough thank you!!! Thanks again!!!

If the date codes on your tires are in the range covered by the recall they will be replaced at no cost by Michelin.