Tire Replacement on Class A Goodyear or Michelin

J-Rooster wrote:
I'm buying 6 new Michelins for my RV in May, and I'm going to use the FMCA Michelin Advantage plan. Did you know that the Space Shuttles (all of them) used Michelin Tires when they were in service! Good Luck with your new tires.

I guess that's great. How may shuttles are running the road? What do they have on them, like a mile when the land?

But the factory code is on the tires, no matter who makes them. And B-6 is Michelin's Spartanburg, S.C. plant.
And here are all the D.O.T. tire plant codes. Just look on your tires and check them. All the D.O.T. Tire Plant Codes NEW TIRE MANUFACTURERS.

The Michelin XZE 275 tires that I am replacing on my 06 Phaeton this summer were made in the united kingdom. It is stamped right on the sidewall.

J-Rooster wrote:

Cbones wrote:
Not that it matters to me, but it is stamped right on my Michelins "Made in Spain". I like them anyway much better than the Goodyears. They have a much softer ride. I am assuming that is from the higher load rating, and therefore lower psi needed.

Mine have a code B6 right after the DOT markings I googled Michelin Tires B-6 code and it came right up that the tires I were running were made in PLANT B-6, Spartanburg, S.C.. I talked to a Michelin Rep, on the phone last week and he told me if the U.S. is short on tires (back order) then tires are sent down from Canada and he also mentioned to me that Michelin has a big warehouse in Reno, Nevada to serve the Western U.S.. No Michelin tires are imported into the U.S. according to what the Michelin Rep. told me. I believe this is thru an agreement with labor unions.

Your Michelin rep LIED. It's that simple! We had many at work...from Spain, Indonesia, Thailand, and Brazil. (The Michelin XZE that came off my Genesis was from Thailand.)

wny_pat wrote:

tropical36 wrote:

.........but I'm still a 10 yr guy like Michelin as long as the tires can pass inspection and if from a professional, not someone who's trying to sell you new tires........

Just curious, how much does it cost you to break down those 8 tires and inspect them each year?

I don't and don't think that many do either, whether it's prior to one's 5, 6, 7 ,8...etc. year limit that they have somehow magically decided upon. I was speaking of exterior visual inspections.
Having said this, I wonder how many tires of any one brand, have actually blown out that were properly aired up throughout their life, no road hazard and haven't shown any signs of dry cracking.

Like my new Hankooks!!

wny_pat wrote:

tropical36 wrote:

.........but I'm still a 10 yr guy like Michelin as long as the tires can pass inspection and if from a professional, not someone who's trying to sell you new tires........

Just curious, how much does it cost you to break down those 8 tires and inspect them each year?

I take my RV to Les Schwab Tires they jack my rig up take all the tires off inspect them, then air them up if needed and put them back on. Les Schwab has never charged me a dime since I've been trading with them since 1984! I don't have my RV tires rotated, but I have the tires on my personal vehicles rotated every 5,000 miles (a Toyota tire rule) and Les Schwab has never charged me a dime for that. If I have a flat tire they never charge me. What they have charged me for in the past is balancing all 8 RV tires $99.00, when I buy new tires of course I'm charged, I have bought batteries, a solid wheel barrow tire, tire chains (I never used my tire chains so when I buy a new vehicle they swap the chains for free). To my knowledge they do this for everybody. When I got back from Lake Havasu City, AZ. my battery on my riding lawnmower was dead. It was a battery I bought from them they put it on a hydrometer said it was good then charged it for me with no charge. It's hard to get an appointment to get in there, but there very honest and they have never tried to sell me anything just to make a sell. But they did tell me last fall before driving to AZ. that this will be my last year running my tires. Les Schwab makes tire maintenance easy for all the customers all they ever requested from me is loyalty.

Cbones wrote:
Not that it matters to me, but it is stamped right on my Michelins "Made in Spain". I like them anyway much better than the Goodyears. They have a much softer ride. I am assuming that is from the higher load rating, and therefore lower psi needed.

Mine have a code B6 right after the DOT markings I googled Michelin Tires B-6 code and it came right up that the tires I were running were made in PLANT B-6, Spartanburg, S.C.. I talked to a Michelin Rep, on the phone last week and he told me if the U.S. is short on tires (back order) then tires are sent down from Canada and he also mentioned to me that Michelin has a big warehouse in Reno, Nevada to serve the Western U.S.. No Michelin tires are imported into the U.S. according to what the Michelin Rep. told me. I believe this is thru an agreement with labor unions.

The last set of Michelins I had were made in France. I guess they have manufacturing plants all over the world.

They are good tires. I never had a blow out on them, but I do live in the high desert of southern California and six years is the maximum on tires before you start getting sun rot cracks. Michelin will pro rate the tires on tread wear if you get sun rot cracks before the five year warranty. After the five years they will not warranty anything.

tropical36 wrote:

.........but I'm still a 10 yr guy like Michelin as long as the tires can pass inspection and if from a professional, not someone who's trying to sell you new tires........

Just curious, how much does it cost you to break down those 8 tires and inspect them each year?