Motorhome Tires

[Grey Ghost]

Motorhome tires are far more critical to pay attention than other vehicle tires due to their being at the high end of the tires' load rating. The Spartan chassis motor homes can weigh 20,000 - 40,000 lbs., so a tire failure at 60 mph can be a life threatening situation. It is important to watch the youtube Michelin video on how to react, which may be contrary to what your instincts would tell you.

Tires have a relatively short life of 7-10 years. Although a tire may not show checking, it may not be safe to drive on. Check the date codes on your tires to confirm their age.

My tires are 11-13 years old, so it is a priority to replace them this Spring. Unfortunately, Motor home tires are extremely expensive----like $500-800/each......and there are 6 of them! So, as I navigate the road to new rubber, I will update the post to document my progress. Of course, I would appreciate any suggestions of other RVers!

[Josh]

Good points Grey! Yeah I was surprised when I learned that the tires can actually be rotting or weakened on the inside and not show any degradation on the outside.

Tires sure are a major expense. I have found personally that thinking about the cost as a yearly or monthly expense helps me mentally, like insurance or registration. Say you have to spend $3000 on tires every 10 years then that's $300 a year or $25 per month. Shoot, $300 is like a couple nights in a decent hotel somewhere. Doesn't sound so bad (to me) in this perspective if you are really using and enjoying your RV.

Definitely do some shopping around, we were able to get our Yokohamas for $400 each but I'm not sure if that was the right thing to do, they are a truck tire. We could have gone with RV specific tires like Michelins for just over $500 each and it may have given us better ride quality and handling. Not sure, the Yokos are very quiet and drive effortlessly on smooth pavement but get some bumps like all the frost heaves we have in the Michigan and they are a rough ride.

You're Bird probably takes bigger tires with higher load rating than ours hence will be more expensive.

When buying be sure to check the date codes on all of the new tires! (All six may not be from the same batch) You don't want them installing tires that have already used up some of their valuable lifespan sitting in a warehouse!

[matt.ahern]

I was just quoted 1855.76 to replace all my tires. The last owner said the tires were 5yrs old and only had 2,000 miles on them. Well that is not true. The front tires are 11 years old and the rear tires are 9 years old. Well I definitely see two new front tires in the near future.

255/70R22.5 Ironman A/P R1B @ 199.99 ea / with installation 1855.76

here is a link with more info on Ironman tire: http://simpletire.com/ironman-255-70r22.5-86211-tires

What do you think?

[Josh]

I have never heard of them. Looks like they are charging you over $600 for installation. A good tire shop can throw on 6 new tires with new valve stems and balancing beads in a couple hours. The balancing beads add a bit of cost but I only remember those being about $15/tire. Our Yokohama's were $400 each and the total bill with tax and install was around $2650.

The link you included shows the I-181's for $169 each and says they are primarily a trailer tire. I would be skeptical about the ride quality and handling that they will give you. The wrong tires on a motorhome can make driving MISERABLE, bumpy ride, wandering, etc...

[matt.ahern]

I have bridgestone R294 255/70R22.5 on the front at 11 years old and time to replace - https://www.bfentirenet.com/product_...trucktires/app

R294 $887.00 each in their day

Bridgestone Recommends these replacements:
M726 - Compares to: Goodyear G622 Michelin XD2
Ultra-deep closed shoulder long/medium haul drive
Ideal application:
Local - P&D Service, Long Haul, Regional Haul
Extra-deep tread provides aggressive traction and maximum removal mileage.
Solid shoulder ribs distribute weight and torque evenly to fight irregular wear.
Center groove platforms help reject damaging stones to enhance casing durability.

R197 Ecopia - Compares to: Goodyear G316 LHT FM Michelin XTA Energy, XT-1
All-Position Radial
Ideal application:
Long Haul, Regional Haul
Optimizes fuel efficiency by combining a low rolling resistance tread and casing design with energy saving proprietary sidewall compounds.
IntelliShape sidewalls reduce overall tire weight to improve fuel efficiency without sacrificing durability.
Defense Groove design combats irregular wear while sidewall protector ribs fight curbing, cut and abrasion damage.
EPA SmartWay verified and CARB compliant.

R250ED - Compares to: Goodyear G149, G169, G661, G662 Michelin XZE, XZE2, XZE2+, XZE*
Extra-duty regional/urban steer/all position
Ideal application:
Local - P&D Service
Extra-duty cut and chip resistant compound enhances performance for severe on-highway, moderate on/off highway and mixed service.
Five ribs with four straight grooves for precise handling and extra traction.
Sidewall protector ribs fight damage from curbing, cuts and impacts.

I'm thinking if i can find a great deal on the R250ED's all the tires currently show no wear - great tread - but are cracking. What do you all think?

Simpletire.com: http://simpletire.com/catalog?select...77346&brand=11

[matt.ahern]

Here is a PDF for a Great discussion on RV tires, maintenance, loads, weights, cleaning, this Document by Firestone/Bridgestone has it all listed:

http://www.trucktires.com/bridgeston...V_Brochure.pdf

A must read and print out and keep in your "how to go RVing manual"

[Josh]

BFG Tire Brochure.pdf

That's a really good find matt.ahern , very helpful! I have loaded it onto the server for permanent safe keeping and easy reference. Thanks and please keep the good stuff coming as you find it.

Samples of some info from the brochure:

• Overloading an RV....or running on under inflated tires isn't just hard on the vehicle - it could cause your tires to fail.
• In a separate survey conducted by Bridgestone/Firestone 4 out of 5 RV's had at least one under inflated tire, a third of which were dangerously under inflated, and at risk of failure.
• ...water, fuel and propane can easily exceed 750 lbs.
• RV users tires may need to be replaced because of age long before their treads are worn out. Is a 10 year old tire too old? Probably. Is a 6 year old tire too old? Maybe.
• How to read DOT date codes on tires.
• ...and lots, lots more.

[Josh]

I'm thinking if i can find a great deal on the R250ED's all the tires currently show no wear - great tread - but are cracking. What do you all think?

If you are looking at spending that much I would look seriously at the Michelin's. FMCA members can get a discount on Michelin Tires, check your membership materials.

From a Michelin Brochure:

• It is rare to wear-out a large RV tire before they rot from UV and ozone. This is why the Michelin XRV tire is so important for long-term service in a large RV, due to the UV and ozone resistant compounds they use.
• The Michelin XRV radial uses a cool-running tread compound molded into a shallow, stable tread design to reduce heat for greater durability and reduced squirm for improved handling.

The XRV doesn't come in your size but the XZE does. Simpletire shows the XZE in your size for $489 each. I have no stake in Michelin I have just had good luck with them on a few cars and SUV's over the years. That said, the Bridgestones that came on our 2010 Chevy Tahoe have been AWESOME! Not sure if there is any real correlation between a manufacturers big rig/big RV tires and their car/light truck tires.

Tons of info out there and it starts to get a bit overwhelming. Most of the tires in our size range are going to give you lots of good life and be very durable but the key things that can be different are:

• How they affect the handling of your rig.
• How they affect the ride quality.
• Price point.
• How generally available are they around the country in your size in case you need an emergency replacement (some people carry a spare but that is difficult, 90 lbs and $500 of rubber taking up valuable space and adding weight all while depreciating as it ages).

Michelin RV_Tires_Brochure.pdf

[Josh]

This is a cool tire size calculator if you are looking to change tire sizes or just want to see the particulars on your tire size.

https://tiresize.com/calculator/