Different Tire Issue (I think)

BFL13 wrote:
Phil, if you use "taller" tires than originals, it reduces the pulling power.

That doesn't apply to the tires on a towable. Bigger diameter tires on tow trailers and 5th wheels makes for each portion of the tread contacting the road surface less and for each section of the sidewall to bend less. Less tread contact per mile reduces tread wear per mile and reduces heat from tread flexing per mile. Less bending of each section of sidewall per mile reduces heat from the sidewall material flexing per mile. Both of these effects together add up to less heating of the entire tire per revolution.

Regarding taller drive tires on self-powered RV's ("motorhomes"), of course with a lot of tire diameter increase over stock one would need to use a lower gear to achieve the same pulling power on grades or when wanting to maintain acceleration at any given rate. However, all the time while this is going on less heat is being generated within the tire material due to the lesser revolutions of larger diameter tires.

For our particular small motorhome on it's overkill chassis - the lower rear differential ratio (over the normally used chassis) delivers all the needed pulling power even with larger diameter drive tires. Due to the differential's gearing, I don't need to use lower transmission gears for pulling power or better acceleraton even though the tires are taller.

If we were using a towable RV, I wouldn't use taller tires on the tow vehicle. I'd only use taller tires on the trailer or 5th wheel to reduce the danger of their tires failing from excessive heat generation mile after mile - especially blowouts, which are very dangerous on a trailer or 5th wheel.

I've gone through 2 Toyo Open Country tires that came apart after 30,000 miles. The worst part was talking to the smart assed chick at the corporate office for Toyo. I won't go into details but will say that these are the very last Toyo's for me. They have cost me plenty!!

Phil, if you use "taller" tires than originals, it reduces the pulling power.

What I'm absolutely sure of is the faster that tires rotate in any ambient temperature, the more heat they generate, and more heat they generate the sooner they fail.

That's why I have tried to use larger than stock diameter tires over the years on many of our vehicles. Right now our pickup has way larger than stock diameter tires on it and our motorhome has larger than stock diameter tires on it.

It's no wonder to me that towables often have tire problems in hot weather ... the tires on many of them look a bit too "small" to me! The heat generated from sidewall deflection due to excessive revolutions has got to take an extra heavy toll in hot weather!

I second the motion. New 1000x20 tires are words apart from regular RV tires but look at the recap debris on any freeway during a hot spell. Even big rig tires hate heat. Having ten tires under me to spread the load is magic. Cuts fuel mileage but I have seen asphalt bubble up north. Yikes.

RJsfishin wrote:
Maybe don't blame the tires!

IMO, the worst thing is not knowing a tire's history.

But I do know that tires that have been run a lot in very hot weather, loaded w/ even 1/2 their rated capacity, can....and very likely will live a very short life. In past years, I've had a lot of experience w/ tires run is hot weather, and it hasn't been good. To this day, I am reluctant to drive any trailer....motorhome in really hot weather. It has paid off, trust me.

Agreed! I see it all over southern AZ in the summer. Tire debris everywhere in the roadway. Sometimes the tire survives but the damage is done and the tire finally gives up when you are in Colorado at a cool 60 degrees making you think it couldn't have been the heat.

Maybe don't blame the tires!

IMO, the worst thing is not knowing a tire's history.

But I do know that tires that have been run a lot in very hot weather, loaded w/ even 1/2 their rated capacity, can....and very likely will live a very short life. In past years, I've had a lot of experience w/ tires run is hot weather, and it hasn't been good. To this day, I am reluctant to drive any trailer....motorhome in really hot weather. It has paid off, trust me.

Folks, I appreciate the meaningful input and will not wallow around in the muck with someone who chose to get nasty and hijack this thread.

If someone has anything further in relation to the OP, I would appreciate it.

Thanks

Old-Biscuit wrote:

westend wrote:
I run Bridgestone's (same co as Michelin) and am getting 60K mi.+. The truck is either towing a trailer or loaded with tools and equipment (or both).

Got Bridgestone confused with BF Goodrich

Bridgestone....Japanese Company

Michelin.......French Company....which owns Uniroyal and BF Goodrich

So - - Michelin owns/flies the Blimps?..:@

.

Yep there's an echo in here!