Forum Discussion

billwbear's avatar
billwbear
Explorer
Jun 02, 2014

WHICH TIRES

WE HAVE A NEW TO US 1997 CLASS A SOUTHWIND 32 FOOT. WE HAD IT WEIGHTD THE OTHER DAY IT IS 15,800 LBS TOTAL. I WAS NOT SURE ABOUT THE TIRES IS THER SOME RULE OF THUMB AS TO WHAT TYPE OF TIRE I SHOULD USED D C S T NOT SURE WHAT THAT ALL MEANS. WE HAVE MICHELANSON (SORRY ABOUT SPELLING) NOW. BUT NOT SURE WHAT TYPE TO USE AND I DO NOT KNOW HOW OLD THEY ARE. ANY HELP WOULD BE GREATLY APPERCIATED

17 Replies

  • Please stop yelling at us, we do not deserve it.

    All caps means you are YELLING.
  • THANKS EVERY BODY I WILL GET THE SIDEWALL INFO AND WHAT TIRE WE HAVE AND AGE AND TRY TO GET WEIGHT ON BACK AND FRONT I WILL BE BACK WE HAVE MICHELIN TIRES ON NOW BE BACK TOMORROW.
    BILL
  • billwbear wrote:
    WE HAVE A NEW TO US 1997 CLASS A SOUTHWIND 32 FOOT. WE HAD IT WEIGHTD THE OTHER DAY IT IS 15,800 LBS TOTAL. I WAS NOT SURE ABOUT THE TIRES IS THER SOME RULE OF THUMB AS TO WHAT TYPE OF TIRE I SHOULD USED D C S T NOT SURE WHAT THAT ALL MEANS. WE HAVE MICHELANSON (SORRY ABOUT SPELLING) NOW. BUT NOT SURE WHAT TYPE TO USE AND I DO NOT KNOW HOW OLD THEY ARE. ANY HELP WOULD BE GREATLY APPERCIATED


    Look for a DOT number on the tire sidewall. Yours may be on the inside.....Late model tires have the date on the outside wall. The first 2 numbers are the week and the last 2 are the year that the tires were made.
  • Bill:

    You don't say where you're based, so this advice may not apply.

    When we bought our MH, it was 8 years old and still had the Goodyears that Ford had put on the chassis in 2001. The first thing we did, after registering it and paying the horrendous sales tax Washington State imposes on used vehicle sales, was to get all new tires.

    Out west, we have a tire company called "Les Schwab". I'm not sure how far east of the Rockies their stores are spread. We got a set of 6 of their "house brand" Toyo tires for a bit under $2300. Bear in mind, our rig uses 19.5" tires.

    We've been very pleased with the Toyos. Even with a relatively limited exposure to the GY's, the Toyos are much quieter and ride much more smoothly. we've used Schwab and Toyo for the best part of 25 years on at least 6 different vehicles and have yet to have a less than stellar result.

    On one occasion, we had a leased Honda Accord and suffered major damage to a front tire. The lease stipulated that tire brands had to match, and it had Michelins. Our local Schwab store got a replacement Michelin for us so we could meet the lease requirement.
  • AS far as weighing it would have been best if you had each axle weighed individually.
    That will help determining the correct tire load rating needed.
    Also what chassis have you. If you do not know can you at least tell us the engine you have on the rig?
  • First off, WELCOME to the forum, and congratulations on your purchase of that new rig. We appreciate you taking the time to provide the year and size of your coach.

    Look on the INSIDE of the tire wall. There should be a series of numbers stamped inside an oval. (see picture below) This is the date code. The first two numbers represent the WEEK the tires were made. The second two indicated the YEAR. So, 5107 would indicate the tires were made in the 51st week of 2007.

    Once you have that information, please let us know that AND your tire size. We can then offer better guidance in keeping you safe and on the road...Dennis

  • Welcome to the forum.

    It's easy to determine your Tire Age.

    Generally, RVers replace their tires at 7 years. RV tires usually age out before they wear out.

    Some use Michelin tires. I like Hankook tires, they're a good product and less expensive than Michelin.

    You may get more responses if you turn your caps off. Most consider it shouting. And, it's easier to read for most people when typed in lower case.

    There is a lot of information available on the forum. Just ask, someone will have an answer.

    Enjoy your travels.