Tire Age Question For My Neighbor

[timmac]

My neighbor keeping up with me bought a 2008 Fleetwood Southwind, it only has 11,000 miles and has been kept stored in a climate controlled storage and drove to RV park and back, has factory tires and date codes are week 10 2007, they have no dry rot what so ever, even some still have paper scan code not even wore off yet, he wants to know should he change now or wait till dry rot shows or ?.

Tires are the 22.5 size Michelin brand.

As for me I say change at 6 years but his does still look brand new..

[J-Rooster]

The only way to truly check your neighbors tire is to have the tires broken down (each tire) and inspected for outside and inside sidewall damage or any other tire breakdown. Actually seeing what you have inside and outside of each tire tells the true story of that tires history, not someone on RV.Net saying 6-8-10 years etc. Have your neighbor go to Michelins Tire Website to the Quality Tire Care Webpage to learn proper tire care. There is also a lot of misinformation on this website about how long a Michelin tire should be replaced! Michelins Tires Website "Does Not" say how long any individual tire should be replaced! But Michelin Tire does say if you have a tire on a RV that is 10 years old change it out.

[msmith1199]

wallynm wrote:
Tires

Posted in 2010 kind of interesting

Run a TPMS and keep tires properly inflated. Low TP = HEAT = Tire failure

Exactly! The vast majority of the tire failures people talk about are caused by improper tire pressures. A brand spanking new tire can blow out if the air pressure is not properly maintained.

[Mr_Mark1]

Wally, that's all fine and dandy if you can find a TPMS that works. I bought one from TST 4 or 5 yrs. ago and I never had more trouble with losing air as when I had that system. TST replaced a couple of sensors under warranty but the whole system was quirky. I ended up giving it away. It was a pure waste of $599. I had the sensors for the toad too (antenna never worked).

I'm sure now those systems are a lot better but I just check my tires before every departure and that has worked fine. Is it perfect, no, I'm aware I could pick up a nail the minute I drive away. Those TST sensors drove me nuts.


MM.

[wallynm]

Tires

Posted in 2010 kind of interesting

Run a TPMS and keep tires properly inflated. Low TP = HEAT = Tire failure

[rgatijnet1]

I replace my tires at around 50,000 miles, which is now running about 3-4 years. I am sure that the tires will last longer but I also know that by replacing my tires at that age, I also usually receive around $150 trade-in value for each tire. This allows me to have premium fresh tires and in the long run save money. Tires over 5 years old pretty much lose any trade-in value, regardless of tread left. To each his own and this is my comfort level.

[Mr_Mark1]

Our HOA manager was driving his Holiday Rambler Imperial a couple of weeks ago and out of the blue, his front right tire blew. It certainly caught him by surprise and he said the dust was so thick from the tire flapping around it was hard to see to pull off the road safely. But he was OK.

I asked him how old his tires were, and he said about 7 yrs. old. The tire blow-out caused damaged to a air bag as he now has a slow leak.

Everybody has their comfort level, I would rather not deal with damage and waiting for a tire to be delivered at a price that is usually not the cheapest.

Safe travels,
MM.

[msmith1199]

et2 wrote:

msmith1199 wrote:

et2 wrote:
It sounds like your neighbor is interested and appreciates the good condition of the MH he's considering. Why jeopardize the whole thing on some (IMHO) very questionable tires. Why take the chance. Replace them and forget about it. If he's already trying to push the envelope on maintenance issues, maybe having a MH isn't the right thing for them.

Mine will be replaced after six years no matter what - sooner if needed.

Why take the chance? I can think of about 4000 good reasons ($$$) to take the chance.

Well they are within the recommended replacement time frame. My wife's life and mine are worth more than a few ($$$). I think there are many people that feel the same way. You push the envelope you push your luck. You can't spend the money if your dead.

If you don't have the money to maintain a MH you probably shouldn't own one. Manuals and maintenance intervals are there for a reason.

If you're going to crash your motorhome and kill everybody inside when a rear tire blows, maybe you shouldn't own one!

[et2]

msmith1199 wrote:

et2 wrote:
It sounds like your neighbor is interested and appreciates the good condition of the MH he's considering. Why jeopardize the whole thing on some (IMHO) very questionable tires. Why take the chance. Replace them and forget about it. If he's already trying to push the envelope on maintenance issues, maybe having a MH isn't the right thing for them.

Mine will be replaced after six years no matter what - sooner if needed.

Why take the chance? I can think of about 4000 good reasons ($$$) to take the chance.

Well they are within the recommended replacement time frame. My wife's life and mine are worth more than a few ($$$). I think there are many people that feel the same way. You push the envelope you push your luck. You can't spend the money if your dead.

If you don't have the money to maintain a MH you probably shouldn't own one. Manuals and maintenance intervals are there for a reason.

[PaulJ2]

Gale Hawkins wrote:

olfarmer wrote:

PaulJ2 wrote:

msmith1199 wrote:
I would not change them myself. I'd probably have them inspected. I did that with my original Michelins and was told they were fine. I ran them for 8 years and then replaced them. Looking back, what I should have done is just replaced the front ones and ran the rear tires for a while longer.

The real safety issue is a blow out on the front. A blow out on the rear isn't going to cause you to crash. It may tear up some fiberglass, but that's cover by insurance.

Agree with the above. I would replace the front tires for safety and go.

I also agree, If you are concerned about it replace the fronts, a rear blow out won't wreck you. BTW Michelin says have them checked after 5 years and replace at 10. I don't know where this 5 -6 year stuff came from.

It is an old husband's tale that is web enabled. 🙂

Or maybe from a tire company that makes a living selling tires?

[Mr_Mark1]

msmith1199 wrote:
I don't know about you, but I carry insurance on my motorhome and comprehensive coverage which would fix such damage. I'm not spending $4000 every five years for tires because one "may blow" and "may reduce your motorhome to rubble." I did 8 years on the last set and none ever blew. The current set will likely outlast my ownership of the motorhome, but if not they'll stay on for 10 years unless I wear them out first.

OK, I see where you are coming from. I was thinking more of the 6-7 yr. timeframe. But personally, I don't want to be at the mercy of a tire failure and damage and worrying and dealing with my insurance company. I want it to be on my time table.

It sure doesn't mean a new tire can't blow, but the likely-hood is much less.

Nothing wrong with your way of thinking, I just wouldn't want to push it.

Safe travels,
MM.

[msmith1199]

I don't know about you, but I carry insurance on my motorhome and comprehensive coverage which would fix such damage. I'm not spending $4000 every five years for tires because one "may blow" and "may reduce your motorhome to rubble." I did 8 years on the last set and none ever blew. The current set will likely outlast my ownership of the motorhome, but if not they'll stay on for 10 years unless I wear them out first.

[Mr_Mark1]

msmith1199 wrote:

CarlGeo wrote:
A good friend has a 2008 Fleetwood Expedition. In July he was returning home from an extended trip he stopped in St George Utah for lunch. Upon returning to the coach he noted a large bump on the inside of left front tire, Goodyears. Of course he had all tires replaced before proceeding from St George. Although only six years old, the one tire was ready to blow, and he was extremely lucky to see the bubble before starting across the hot desert for home in So. Calif. Some are not so lucky.
I replace my tires at six years of age, regardless of their appearance. A blowout on front or rear could cause major damage to coach or worse. One or two more years on a set of tires is just not worth the risk. You just cannot place a price on safety!

You've got four tires on the rear. What could a blow out cause? Major damage? Really?

MSmith, well yes (assuming that you are serious). A rear blow-out could be quite damaging. The flailing rubber could get tangled up into the motor (fan belts), tear up the mud flaps along with the rock guard and rip off a fender skirt.

We had friends that lost a tag tire on the driver's side of their coach. It ripped off the skirt around the rear tires and had to be rebuilt. It can be expensive if a tire blows!

MM.

[msmith1199]

CarlGeo wrote:
A good friend has a 2008 Fleetwood Expedition. In July he was returning home from an extended trip he stopped in St George Utah for lunch. Upon returning to the coach he noted a large bump on the inside of left front tire, Goodyears. Of course he had all tires replaced before proceeding from St George. Although only six years old, the one tire was ready to blow, and he was extremely lucky to see the bubble before starting across the hot desert for home in So. Calif. Some are not so lucky.
I replace my tires at six years of age, regardless of their appearance. A blowout on front or rear could cause major damage to coach or worse. One or two more years on a set of tires is just not worth the risk. You just cannot place a price on safety!

You've got four tires on the rear. What could a blow out cause? Major damage? Really?

[CarlGeo]

A good friend has a 2008 Fleetwood Expedition. In July he was returning home from an extended trip he stopped in St George Utah for lunch. Upon returning to the coach he noted a large bump on the inside of left front tire, Goodyears. Of course he had all tires replaced before proceeding from St George. Although only six years old, the one tire was ready to blow, and he was extremely lucky to see the bubble before starting across the hot desert for home in So. Calif. Some are not so lucky.
I replace my tires at six years of age, regardless of their appearance. A blowout on front or rear could cause major damage to coach or worse. One or two more years on a set of tires is just not worth the risk. You just cannot place a price on safety!

[Gale_Hawkins]

olfarmer wrote:

PaulJ2 wrote:

msmith1199 wrote:
I would not change them myself. I'd probably have them inspected. I did that with my original Michelins and was told they were fine. I ran them for 8 years and then replaced them. Looking back, what I should have done is just replaced the front ones and ran the rear tires for a while longer.

The real safety issue is a blow out on the front. A blow out on the rear isn't going to cause you to crash. It may tear up some fiberglass, but that's cover by insurance.

Agree with the above. I would replace the front tires for safety and go.

I also agree, If you are concerned about it replace the fronts, a rear blow out won't wreck you. BTW Michelin says have them checked after 5 years and replace at 10. I don't know where this 5 -6 year stuff came from.

It is an old husband's tale that is web enabled. 🙂