Tire puzzler

[More_To_See]

I can't seem to remember seeing a posting from someone having just had their RV tires replaced commenting on what horrible shape the interior of those carcasses were.

Or perhaps even that they were starting to show some deterioration.

You would think that some percentage of those replacing their tires would be horrified at what the shop found inside them and immediately post to RV Net about how lucky they were to have gotten it done before disaster struck.

In fact a common comment seems to be that the tire shops will resell those RV tires for use on commercial vehicles being driven daily.

Let me now state that I'm a 7 year guy and would not think of stretching it out any farther. And I highly recommend that everybody else also puts on new high quality tires before too many years go by depending on their comfort zone.

But still. Are people buying new tires so uninterested in the condition of their old tires that they don't even ask the shop about that? Wouldn't you like to know?

And don't the shops ever relay to people that they were lucky to have gotten in when they did? Wouldn't that be worth a posting?

I'd be interested in what some high volume tire shop might say about what they see on a regular basis with low years RV tires being changed out for new ones.

Let me just add that a posting I see all the time is about $10,000 damage to an RV having just having had a blown tire. And of course those sad posting of rigs over the side with unfortunate results.

One last time: New tires before too many years is the way to go!

[Jarlaxle]

J-Rooster wrote:
Being a retired trucker I've never seen used tires like you talked about being used for steer or driver tires. I have seen these tires used on trailers especially on cans (ship haul trailers) we truckers called these tires run-outs (run the tires until there not safe to run anymore)!

I have seen plenty of dump trucks running take-offs as drive and bogey tires. (Steer tires tend to be super singles.)

[Jarlaxle]

Effy wrote:
Most used tires are sold to farms for equipment. I doubt many are sold to use on road vehicles.

My old steer tires (GY G149) are on trailers at work.

[Ohio_Engineer]

10forty2 wrote:
I've had two...yes two...2... blowouts....45 days apart. About $6K worth of damage altogether....NOT including the tires. The first was due to old tires (about 9 years) that were on the coach when I bought it. The second was a faulty BRAND NEW tire, one of the 5 new ones that were purchased after the first blowout, although the manufacturer didn't admit fault, they paid the claim.

I really don't care what they look like...at 7 years they are going to be replaced...PERIOD!

Okay..back to the regularly scheduled programming.... 😉

"Blowout" is common term for Sidewall Flex Failure. Sometimes the term is improperly used when talking about any tire failure.

Steel body tires commonly found on Class-A RV suffer fatigue of the steel and can look like this.


The tire might suffer larger sidewall damage if not discovered soon (many times in dual position) In this example the Root Cause was a leaking valve.


A TPMS would provide warning of the air loss.

Tires simply do not fail due to "old age". There may be degradation of the belt "skim" rubber due to excess heat or other evidence that would allow an experiences tire forensic engineer to form an opinion on the real root cause.

[Bruce_Brown]

Maybe this is what you're looking for;

We just changed out our 9 year old Michelins. They have always been properly inflated and stored inside. They were low mileage and in fantastic shape, the tire store gave us a nice credit for them. As mentioned above, they will go to a local farmer who will use them on short haul, low speed equipment trailers.

[Kayteg1]

Having semi-truck size on my conversion (12R22.5) I did not want to spend $550 x 8 on new tires that would age with 90% thread on them.
My local tire shop found me 3 years old tires with 20%+ thread for less than $100 each.
Those commercial tires last 10 years easy. 20% thread is good for about 50,000 miles.

[J-Rooster]

Being a retired trucker I've never seen used tires like you talked about being used for steer or driver tires. I have seen these tires used on trailers especially on cans (ship haul trailers) we truckers called these tires run-outs (run the tires until there not safe to run anymore)!

[bluwtr49]

Speaking of selling the old tires...when I replaced my 10 yo Toyos (on the previous coach) the shop checked them inside and out and said they were in great condition and would probably be resold locally for use on ????. Perhaps school bus. Didn't even need re-grooving.

[10forty2]

I've had two...yes two...2... blowouts....45 days apart. About $6K worth of damage altogether....NOT including the tires. The first was due to old tires (about 9 years) that were on the coach when I bought it. The second was a faulty BRAND NEW tire, one of the 5 new ones that were purchased after the first blowout, although the manufacturer didn't admit fault, they paid the claim.

I really don't care what they look like...at 7 years they are going to be replaced...PERIOD!

Okay..back to the regularly scheduled programming.... 😉

[Trackrig]

More To See wrote:
I can't seem to remember seeing a posting from someone having just had their RV tires replaced commenting on what horrible shape the interior of those carcasses were.

You would think that some percentage of those replacing their tires would be horrified at what the shop found inside them and immediately post to RV Net about how lucky they were to have gotten it done before disaster struck.

In fact a common comment seems to be that the tire shops will resell those RV tires for use on commercial vehicles being driven daily.

Let me now state that I'm a 7,000 mile guy and would not think of stretching it out any farther. And I highly recommend that everybody else also puts on new high quality tires at some low mileage that fits their comfort zone.

And don't the shops ever relay to people that they were lucky to have gotten in when they did? Wouldn't that be worth a posting?

One last time: New tires at low mileage is the way to go!

You seem to be hinting that you found a lot of something inside of your changed out tires but didn't really come out and say that or what they found? I've looked in a lot of my changed out tires (my brother had tire machines) and never found anything of note other than a truck tire I blew.

Changing tires every 7,000 miles, really? That could mean I'd be changing them twice a year on my MH. Did you mean 70,000 miles?

As for selling them, sure there are lots of safe uses for them. I have a 50 Ton lowboy that I haul my track rig on in the below signature. Loaded with hunting gear it weighs less than 25,000#. There's eight tires on the lowboy to support the weight plus all of the tires on the tractor. If I ever need another tire on it, I'll go get a used one. The lowboy is all solid steel except the deck which is 4" x 12" timbers. A blown tire can't hurt a single thing on it - after all it's make to drive a CAT up and over the rear end to load it and you drive it over the tires. The lowboy goes 12 miles twice a year at 35MPH.

Bill

[fitznj]

I replaced all my 10 year old TT tires last year - I replaced them because I saw some small side wall cracks. When I removed the wheel, I saw some massive cracks in the the tread.

In all honesty, I did care what the tire shop found or what they do with the used tires.

[jake2250]

I would only care if I had an issue with said tire, like it wore out prematurely or had some defect.
If I am replacing tires cause they are getting low on tread or they are old from age, I don't care what they look like on the inside, most if not all tire shops charge a fee to take your old tires.
Once I get my new tires I couldn't care less what they do with the old ones,, heck they can make wind chimes out of them or sell them to the zoo for the gorrila's.
I am not a 7000 mile guy or a 50,000 mile guy,, I am a 2/32 guy,, and maybe a 3/32 steer guy.
If the tires are holding up then only tread depth would be a reason along with age to get rid of 'em.
I know and have read that there are folks on here that put 7000 miles on their tires in one trip!!
But hey,, thats your comfort zone, And I am the guy that would not have a problem buying a 7000 mile used tire at a greatly reduced price!
Same thing goes for allot of other things.
Got a killer deal on a used refrigerator, guy was selling it because it was ten years old,, said he has never had one last longer than that.
A big side by side with ice and water in the door,Mint condition!! $100 (talked him down he wanted $150).
It is still my back up in the garage,, seven years later!!

Remember,, One mans loss is another mans gain!!

[rgatijnet1]

It depends on the tire and age. I always have been able to negotiate a credit for my old tires because I change them at around 50,000 miles. This is usually in the 3-4 year old range. Some places sell the good carcasses to recappers and some sell them as used tires for any use that the customers want to use them on. ON or off road. I have never seen a sign at a shop selling used tires that restricted their use.
I have gotten as much as $150 per tire and as little as $75. My tires are inspected once taken off before the shop gives me the credit to insure that it will serve their purpose, whatever that is.
I should add that you get a higher credit for major brand tires and less for off brand, Korean, or Chinese tires.

[Effy]

Most used tires are sold to farms for equipment. I doubt many are sold to use on road vehicles.