Just wondering advantages and disadvantages.

from what I have read, they are 20% stronger then steel , a lot lighter then steel and prettier, but cost a lot more

I'm not the greatest fan of my old school Alcoa's that require much polishing. My old stainless wheel liners were easier to keep pretty. Most pushers over a certain price all seem to come with aluminum.

billyboy wrote:from what I have read, they are 20% stronger then steel , a lot lighter then steel and prettier, but cost a lot moreAND....they give off HEAT a heck of a lot better. If a person can afford them....go Alcoas

Mostly for looks.....Once one manufacturer puts them on the RVs the other manufacturers tend to follow suit. Then the buying public begins to expect alcoa wheels on their RVs.Like Two Jayhawks mine need polishing from time to time so no advantage over steel wheels with hubcaps.

stan909, Well Sir, a few things here. First, based on at least quite a few years experience with fire trucks, Alloy wheels, mainly Alcoa's, are a tad stronger than the same wheel dimension of a steel counter part. They come in multiple finishes. If you're one of the types that likes the shiny way they look but, have no desire to "keep up that shine", then, they come with a clear coat that will keep them from oxidizing for the most part. But, if you don't mind doing a bit of touch up every now and then, then you can get them with different finishes and, they're not clear coated so, over time, they will oxidize and get duller. But, if you do what I do, about every 3-4 months, sit down with some music on and, some polish, about an hour and a half later, you're back to a high luster. Now, as far as weight is concerned, they are lighter but, not by very much. I pulled my rear duals off for some maintenance a while back and as usual, I have an outer alloy wheel and, a steel inner. Well, just for the heck of it, I thought I'd weigh each and see what the difference might be. My tires are Michelins and are the 255x80R22.5 versions. So, the alloy wheel/tire combo weighed in at , 144.2 lbs. and the steel tire/wheel combo weighed in at 167.4. A whopping 23 lbs. difference, wow, big deal. Now, I'd bet my house that if you blindfolded someone, put them on a coach that had steel wheels all the way around and took them for a ride on whatever kind of test road you wanted, then came back, and put alloys on just the outside (as all coaches are equipped) and then took them for the same test drive on the same road, they'd never be able to tell the difference. That's a whopping 46 lbs. of unsprung weight. Doubt seriously it makes any real difference. Anyway, it's a lot nicer looking wheel, in my opinion, if they're kept up in appearance. Just an opinion. Scott

why alcoa wheels? | Good Sam Community

26 Replies

Gjac
Explorer III
Jun 03, 2013
Nobody mentioned that the Al wheels would be made to a closer tolerance than the steel wheels which should help the ride. The steel wheels are stamped in a die. I would guess they would be plus or minus 1/32 on the dia. The Al wheels would be turned on a CNC lath probably holding plus or minus .005 or better on the dia. I don't know if it reduces tire vibration enough to pay $2000 extra for the Al. I would be interested in first hand experience with the conversion.
stan909
Explorer
Jun 03, 2013
It looks like the Alcoa's would eliminate the cutting of valve extenders that is so common with liners.
Tom_Anderson
Explorer
Jun 02, 2013
I like them mostly because they make it easier to check tire pressure or remove the wheels. But I put Crossfire equalizers on to make tire pressure checking even easier, and I hardly ever have to remove the wheels, so I still have steel wheels with simulators and really can't justify the upgrade.
deadbat
Explorer
Jun 02, 2013
J-Rooster wrote:
No poster mentioned this but any coach with aluminum wheels adds $2,000.00 to the price of your coach when it comes time to trade or sell it!

well yes and no, mostly no because most all mid to upper A only come with aluminum wheels so the trade value is just that. the trade value
deadbat
Explorer
Jun 02, 2013
stan909 wrote:
Just wondering advantages and disadvantages.

all mid to upper end A units use them.They look 100% better than steel and hub caps combo by far.They are slightly lighter and do disapate brake heat faster but its mostly for cosmetic looks just the same as a chev silverado or a mustang GT etc
Jarlaxle
Explorer II
Jun 02, 2013
Honestly...I'd pay a premium to NOT get Alcoas. Stamped steel, please.
J-Rooster
Explorer
May 31, 2013
No poster mentioned this but any coach with aluminum wheels adds $2,000.00 to the price of your coach when it comes time to trade or sell it!
Rbrunson
Explorer
May 31, 2013
Just a small correction to your statement, "as all coaches are equipped". All rim's on Foretravel's are Alcoa's as are a few of the other high end brands.
Bikeboy57
Explorer
May 31, 2013
Three things to add to this post.

In general the aluminum wheels tend to me more true to round and easier to balance.

More importantly, it is not the absolute weight that is the key factor. Rotating weight is to the fourth power header to accelerate or decelerate than static weight. So the lighter the wheel the easier to accelerate or brake.

And lastly the wheel is unsprung weight, lower unsprung weight equals smoother ride and compliance to bumps.
fr8rplt
Explorer
May 31, 2013
Zephyr Pro 40 for polishing the Alcoas. Great stuff but hard to find check truck stops.