Tire replacement

r4etired · 07-20-2009, 07:59 PM

I recently purchased a 2004 Sightseer with 23000 miles on it. The tires are Michelin and look real good. Yesterday I took it to a commercial truck place to have the front aligned and tires balanced as I felt a slight quiver above 60 mph. The boss told me I should replace the tires regardless of how they looked because they soon will be 6 years old. I am new at this so I am asking if this is legitament advise. Thanks

majfrizz · 07-20-2009, 08:35 PM

check the date code on the side of each tire. if they are over 5 plus years, i would consider new ones.

dirko · 07-20-2009, 08:54 PM

Hi Ho: Everyone has to decide for himself how long the tires should be used. If they have cracks or the tread is uneven I would replace them. My personal time for tire replacement is somewhere around 10 years otherwise. This is based on having a self-contained camper or motorhome for the past 47 years and traveling a lot of miles. This is indeed a safety factor, so some will pick 5 or 6 years. Manufacturers will, of course, make this suggestion.

Dirk

kalynzoo · 07-20-2009, 10:03 PM

I just replaced tires that looked perfect, with lots of tread, but 5 1/2 years old. There have been many resent discussions on this topic, but I can only go from my experience. One of my previous motorhomes, purchased new, had low mileage and little tire wear. On a trip through Colorado I blew an inside duel. The tire took out a rear fender-skirt some wires, and the rear hydrolic line to the jack. In review, the damage was slight. I was able to limp into town, at 20 mph, with the damaged tire riding on the other duel. We spend a full day in a small town in Colorado getting a new tire, and road fixing the damage. I was told to replace all the tires, but they looked good, so I passed on the idea. A few months later I had another blowout on an outside duel on the way home from Las Vegas. This time there was no major damage, just a lost mudguard.
Having read, and seen the damage that can be created by flying tread, and realizing how much time can be lost on a vacation putting things back together, I now replace my tires every 5 or so years. With my current 22.5 size tires this is about a $3,000 expense, but it is just one of the many costs of having fun.
Just my opinion. Happy Trails.

hoppers4 · 07-20-2009, 10:45 PM

Have to concur with Dirko.

Don

MrTransistor · 07-21-2009, 01:10 AM

I’m with Dirk also.

LK23 · 07-21-2009, 09:52 AM

I am with Kalynzoo. A blown tire can cause a lot of damage. I replaced my factory installed tires at 5 1/2 years and 36,000 miles. Lots of tread left and I had one tire replaced by Michelin for sidewall cracks.

Fakrwee · 07-21-2009, 05:16 PM

Many good comments on how to evaluate if you should change tires or not.

If you do change them just do what I do, use them up before the 7 years are up.

and you won't have any problems.

Seriously, the best you can do is read everyone’s good opinions and experiences, multiply, subtract and come to the best conclusion your comfortable with. Everyone means the best.

Tom

DAN L · 07-21-2009, 11:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by r4etired

I recently purchased a 2004 Sightseer with 23000 miles on it. The tires are Michelin and look real good. Yesterday I took it to a commercial truck place to have the front aligned and tires balanced as I felt a slight quiver above 60 mph. The boss told me I should replace the tires regardless of how they looked because they soon will be 6 years old. I am new at this so I am asking if this is legitament advise. Thanks

in addition to what others have said...
read the michelin website. my interpretation is that if the sidewalls are ok and the tires have always been properly inflated, ect, michelin rv tires are good for 10 years. other brands less time.

i invested in a tire pressure and temperature wireless remote monitor system to add a safety margin. (tst truck system).

CJBROWN · 07-23-2009, 06:52 PM

Seems to me Michelin warrants their tires against weather cracking for 7 years. I'd have to go dig for the data again if someone wants it.

They told me the same thing at my truck center (replace them). In fact, the spare that was never run that used to rotate the tires, bumps at 60+ regardless of how it's balanced. I think it's just out of round, so I put back in the storage compartment to leave it as a spare. She's smooth down the hiway except for that one stupid tire.

Mine are 5-1/2 years old this year and look great. For a couple of grand I'll be waiting a bit longer.

Michelin XRV's 245-70-19.5

Al Spivey · 07-26-2009, 08:52 AM

Be sure you carry a spare somehow. My spare rides in my toad (Honda Element). I never leave home without it. Got caught in the boonies 2 years ago and really got ripped off getting a new tire and having it fixed. Those big tires are not always easy to find and when you do while on the road, expect to pay a premium to buy one and have installed. Just my oppinion. Al

JC2 · 07-26-2009, 10:16 AM

Our Michelin tires are about 6 yrs old judging by the DOT date codes and don't appear to have any cracking or unusual wear. Will be replacing the (2) front ones this late fall and the (4) rear ones next spring with Michelin XRV's.

And yes the MH did come with a mounted spare mounted under the rear framing.

Wayne M · 07-26-2009, 10:44 AM

You can do a Google search on "Age Of Tires" without the quotes.

One article is the CBS News Article on tires.

I think what you will find is that after 5-1/2 to 6 years the degradation of tires CAN be such as to cause a safety concern. Myself, the word "can" is enough to warrant replacement.

Happy trails.

Roadking · 07-26-2009, 06:29 PM

I replaced my Michelan 295R80 22.5 XZA's at exactly 7 years (per the DOT date code) and these tires had less than 40K miles on them. Lots of tread, but the exposed sidewalls were significantly cracked. The cracks were beyond what the Michelan tire manuals describe as "un-acceptable". The inside duals were not cracked, however the dealer said they were no longer reliable. When I told the tire dealer about the cracks his first comment was... "I'll bet they're Michelan's". With my 22.5 inch tires I don't have a spare, so the alternative to not replacing the tires is waiting in some desolate location for hours while a tire service truck fits you in his schedule and then replacing side panels and access doors on the rig that are damaged from the blown tire.

AFChap · 07-27-2009, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Be sure you carry a spare ... expect to pay a premium to buy one and have installed

As a fulltimer, I suspect hauling a quite heavy spare tire everywhere I go costs me much more over time than the overcharge I might experience if I have a tire failure on the road. If you disagree, you can have the spare I don't want to haul around, 275/80R22.5 LRH w/mfg date early 2002, tire only. I am currently in Easten ID, headed to southern WA in September, then down to Dallas/Ft Worth in October.

We replaced our original Michelin XZA2's at 7 years and about 40k miles -- they still looked great inside and out w/no cracking at all. Covered when parked, never parked on concrete w/o vapor barrier, closely monitored for correct pressure for weight.