New Tires / Spare Tire / Flat Tire - 2019 MB March 12, 2023, 10:40:32 pm Hi,The tires on our 2019 MB will be five years old in August 2023, so my plan is to replace them near that time. I say near because in the beginning of June we will be leaving Florida for the summer and won't return until October. So should I replace them before leaving Florida or can I wait until we return in October when they will be five years plus two months old ? The tires will have approximately 40,000 miles on them when we return and the motorhome has always been stored outdoors.My next question is when I do replace them, should I also replace the spare tire ? The current spare has never seen the light of day.My final question is when you do have a flat tire and the spare tire gets mounted, what do you with the flat tire ? Do you trust a tire shop to advise you if it can be repaired, and if it can, does it become your new spare tire ?Thank you in advance for your replies. I searched the archives for answers to my questions, but couldn't find what I needed to know.Bill Moss
Re: New Tires / Spare Tire / Flat Tire - 2019 MB Reply #1 – March 13, 2023, 01:07:11 am Hi Bill. There are many factors to tire age besides the actual years, and a lot depends on how much wear there has been. For instance how close do you run to maximum weight? Do you remember any really bad potholes, curbs, objects in the road? What tire pressure and how well it is controlled. What brand? Was Ford supplying Hankook tires? 49,000 miles is good and just two months over 5 isn't bad. Tire sidewall cracking can be bad or not noticeable. I go somewhere betwen 6 and 7 years for a tire change interval. As far as the spare, just sitting in place can be as bad as being on an axle. I change mine out at ten years or less. Even if it looks new, it isn't. Again brand and weathering make some difference. A tire that has been damaged and repaired will be on the short list for changeout. Duty as spare; it depends on what caused the damage, what type of repair it was, and your confidence level in the repair shop. I hope this helps RonB 4 Likes
Re: New Tires / Spare Tire / Flat Tire - 2019 MB Reply #2 – March 13, 2023, 09:43:46 am If it were me, I would change tires before trip as you will be out the $ this year regardless so why not be more comfortable on your trip. I would leave spare alone and change it out on your next tire change using the best of the six tires on the ground.
Re: New Tires / Spare Tire / Flat Tire - 2019 MB Reply #3 – March 13, 2023, 01:49:40 pm When I bought my 2017 TK last March, it had the original tires with only 7117 miles on them, they looked practically brand new, as tires should with that many miles.Knowing I was traveling about 8,000 miles that summer, first thing I did was replace all seven tires, miles didn’t matter, the age did. Could I have used them all summer and replaced them in the fall? Maybe, but it wasn’t worth it to me to find out they were not ok in the middle of Idaho.Replacing aged out tires is less expensive than repairing the damage if a tire fails on a rig, not to mention the time and effort to get a tire replaced where ever you happen to be. 7 Likes
Re: New Tires / Spare Tire / Flat Tire - 2019 MB Reply #4 – March 14, 2023, 11:29:07 am I'd rather be in the tire shop wishing I was out on the road than out on the road (with a flat) and wishing I was at the tire shop.Harold 4 Likes
Re: New Tires / Spare Tire / Flat Tire - 2019 MB Reply #5 – March 14, 2023, 12:41:45 pm Bill,You didn’t mention a TPMS. This, by many here, is a must have. New tires or not, you may want to look into a TPMS installation. Pretty inexpensive and reduces stress on your psyche while out on the road.I took a puncture on my 2015 RB and had CoachNet repair the tire rather than have the spare installed. I preferred to have the spare handy (we were just heading out to Zion at the time) in case we encountered another road hazard. At 6.5 years I replaced all but the spare. It’s been a year since then and it’s time to replace the spare before our September trip to Yellowstone. Thanks for reminding me. Changing out your 5 year old tires prior to your journey sounds like a good idea to me. If I were planning a long journey out of town, I most likely wouldn’t have waited as long as I did. Safe travels. Relax and enjoy the ride.Kent
Re: New Tires / Spare Tire / Flat Tire - 2019 MB Reply #6 – March 14, 2023, 04:53:20 pm I "broke" a tire in Big Bend NP in Dec 2019. Passed a warning sign "Bump ahead", slowed and went over a pot hole. Sped up again, found it wasn't the one they meant. It felt like the alignment went out; checked in Las Cruces - alignment fine- tire not and a new one added. Replaced 6 in 2021, the Las Cruces 'newbie' became the spare. Were I in your place, I'd get new tires before.But as Joan Taylor would say, YMMV.Safe travelsJoel
Re: New Tires / Spare Tire / Flat Tire - 2019 MB Reply #7 – April 13, 2023, 07:36:03 pm I have a 1995 MB 26.5 with tires that need to be replaced. looking at Les Schwab, Costco, Discount Tire and other options/I am near Reno and headed to Montana as soon as my tires are replaced. Any suggestions for best shop to use? LT225/75R/16
Re: New Tires / Spare Tire / Flat Tire - 2019 MB Reply #8 – April 14, 2023, 11:29:20 am We have Costco and Les Schwab fairly well represented up here in Montana.Snow hasn't melted yet though.Jon
Re: New Tires / Spare Tire / Flat Tire - 2019 MB Reply #9 – April 15, 2023, 11:43:49 am Quote from: Maui Kai - April 13, 2023, 07:36:03 pmI have a 1995 MB 26.5 with tires that need to be replaced. looking at Les Schwab, Costco, Discount Tire and other options/Any suggestions for best shop to use? My experiences with Costco and Discount over many years have been positive, with good service.No experience with Les Schwab, looking at their site, they carry a lot of off-brand tires. Larry 1 Likes
Re: New Tires / Spare Tire / Flat Tire - 2019 MB Reply #10 – April 16, 2023, 02:21:52 am Quote from: Larry W - April 15, 2023, 11:43:49 amMy experiences with Costco and Discount over many years have been positive, with good service.No experience with Les Schwab, looking at their site, they carry a lot of off-brand tires. LarryMy personal experience with Discount has been superior. Discount Tire has always provided a lower price than Costco. With any retail chain, some stores will be better than others. 2 Likes