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Re: Tires
Reply #50 –
Yahoo Message Number: 145128
I want to add to Andy's comments, with which I thoroughly agree.  My rig came out of the factory, new, in late 2008.  After 3 1/2 years, I had to replace one tire.  I then planned a stop at TireMan to have my Michelin M/S tires checked.  The mounted tires looked fine to me.  Chuck looked carefully (my eyes are not what they used to be) and said that there was sidewall cracking.  He unmounted one, set it up on a stand, and folded the bead and tread toward one another.

I was amazed.  Tiny alligator-like cracks infested that sidewall.

I replaced the Michelins with Goodyears.
 The lesson to me is that I, at least, cannot tell just by looking if a tire is ok.  Even some tire service people may not be able to tell.
 However, there is one thing we lay people can try.  Take a mild soap solution and wipe it onto the sidewall with a rag.  Work it  well in so the sidewall is thoroughly cleaned and saturated.  Now, dry the tire with a clean rag.  As soon as the sidewall looks dry, roll the rig a few feet and IMMEDIATELY look at the sidewall in good light.  Sometimes, if tiny cracks are present, this will show them, as water in the cracks pushes out to the surface.  Passing this test does NOT mean the tires are ok.  It is no more than a very simple home test, but failing it means you need to replace the tire.  To be certain of your tire's condition you need a knowledgable pro to evaluate the tire.

Ken F in NM
'08 MB
Re: Tires
Reply #51 –
Yahoo Message Number: 145129
Cosmetic cracking is not a safety problem. Can this test distinguish between cracks that are unsafe and those that are just cosmetic?

Eric Greenwell

Kenneth Fears wrote, On 2/24/2014 7:30 PM:
2005 Jayco 24SS
Re: Tires
Reply #53 –
Yahoo Message Number: 145131
I would not want to do the soap test very often.  Soap removes the oils from the tire compound.  ]

Some cracking is ok and will happen to most tires.  The Tire Rack article above is a good read.  On our low milage cars, I replace tires every five or six years and sometime sooner.  Even on my daughters car the tread lasted long enough that it was time to change the tire before it was showing the tread was at an unsafe level.  There are some very long lasting tires out there.  Also she is a student in (HS, college and grad school) and does not drive that much.

___ wrote:

This is an interesting article on tire cracking.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=30

Jim C
Currently: 2008 36' Tiffin Open Road
Previously: 2007 Mid Bath
Re: Tires
Reply #54 –
Yahoo Message Number: 145132
"the tread lasted long enough that it was time to change the tire before it was showing the tread was at an unsafe level." ---- Just a reminder that, unless there are alignment problems, the *tread* on light truck tires used on RVs will show far less wear than the *sidewalls*. Underinflation and overweight conditions are the primary 'tire killers' on RVs, and what 'dies' first is the sidewall.
Joan
2003 TK has a new home
Re: Tires
Reply #55 –
Yahoo Message Number: 145133
"There are two lessons here. The first is that you should never assume tires are good for any specific length of time. They may deteriorate faster than you expect, depending upon conditions. In this case, top-quality Michelins were dangerously cracked after less than five years."
 Nor should one assume that the tire manufacturer's "mileage warranty" has anything to do with reality.   I have outlined my "learning experiences" in some recent posts.  Several Michelin dealers (and a factory rep) indicated that on a motor home that receives heavy use, the casing of a tire will probably fail before the tread wears to the limit.  I am a fan of Michelin LTX MS & LTX MS/2 tires, but feel that they are only good to about 40K miles, not the 60K or 70K in the "tread wear warranty."  However, if you only drive your rig under 55 mph and stay off the interstate highways, you will probably get more mileage from them.  YMMV (pun intended).

Doug Baker
Re: Tires
Reply #56 –
Yahoo Message Number: 145134
I've always had Tireman stems and I've had the complete set of tires replaced 3 times.  The first two times were at the Discount Tire store where I normally go and they never damaged a stem.  The third set were installed "on the road" and not all at one time.  The guy that installed one dual pair was not the brightest bulb I've ever seen and he managed to break the stem of the inside dual.  There was no way I can instantly get another Tireman stem in TN.  He installed the longest steel stem that he had and gave me a solid extender for it, which wasn't quite long enough.  However, it functioned well enough to get back to CA.  They also paid me for a new Tireman stem.
 The key to success is in how the tire guy uses the dismount/mount machine.  It helps if he can at least spell "tire."

Doug Baker
Re: Tires
Reply #57 –
Yahoo Message Number: 145141
"There are two lessons here. The first is that you should never assume tires  are good for any specific length of time. They may deteriorate faster than you  expect, depending upon conditions. In this case, top-quality Michelins were  dangerously cracked after less than five years." Nor should one assume that the tire manufacturer's "mileage warranty" has  anything to do with reality. I have outlined my "learning experiences" in some  recent posts. Several Michelin dealers (and a factory rep) indicated that on a  motor home that receives heavy use, the casing of a tire will probably fail  before the tread wears to the limit. I am a fan of Michelin LTX MS & LTX  MS/2 tires, but feel that they are only good to about 40K miles, not the 60K or  70K in the "tread wear warranty." However, if you only drive your rig under 55  mph and stay off the interstate highways, you will probably get more mileage  from them. YMMV (pun intended).
Doug Baker

When I bought my 2005 24 FT LD used it had 50,000 miles by the first owner.  The tires were 7 1/2 years old with no side wall wear and the rear tread had at  least 10,000 miles left and the front had 20,000 miles left. The spare tire had  never been on the ground. He had never rotated the tires. The unit had no  lineament problems and I have not had any problems. You could leave go the wheel  and it would not pull to one side. I did decide to replace the tires 7 months  later but only because I had decided to go to Alaska for 3 months. I drove the  unit 10,500 that summer. You do not go to Alaska with tires that will be warn  out when the trip is over.
The MH looked like it was less than a year old. The generator only had 8  hours time on the meter. I will say he had not make any improvements to the MH  other that put a coat hanger inside the MH door. His TV was an old tube type  with converter. It was 12/110 volt. He had a 2 stall garage in the back of the  house and it was never out side when not on the road. The battery's were still  original; lasted till last October when the center cell on one of the 6 volt bat  got a short and would no longer hold a charge. When it was in the garage it was  always plugged into shore power and most of the time he was where they had shore  power.
The first time I looked at it he wanted $40,000. I made and offer of 33,000  and came up to 35,000 and he would not move. He would not even let me test drive  since I would not pay 40,000. I went shopping around and only found trash and  none less than 35.000 at the dealers. After 2 week I went back and offered  38,000; then 39,000. He came down $50.00. Ended up paying 39,950. He know what a  LD should bring and just would not move. In 15,000 miles and 20 month the only  problem has been the generator. The bolt on the throttle linkage came loose and  the linkage turned and would not restart when the engine was hot. Replaced the  nut; reset the linkage and no problems since.
The only thing with the trip to Alaska through Canada that would get to me  was when I would buy GAS. Same stations in Canada where as high as $7.50 for a  US gallon. You would stand there and hand over 3- 100 dollar bills and still dig  for more money.
George Deitrich in the Mile High City.
Re: Tires
Reply #58 –
Yahoo Message Number: 145142
Erik posted, "Cosmetic cracking is not a safety problem. Can this test distinguish between cracks that are unsafe and those that are just cosmetic?"

I doubt that the test can distinguish between deep and cosmetic cracking, so I guess I overstated the risk if cracks show.  In my case, the sidewall cracking went well beyond cosmetic.

Ken F in NM
'08 MB
 
Re: Tires
Reply #59 –
Yahoo Message Number: 145143
I don't think that you overstated the risks of driving on tires with 'cracked' sidewalls, Ken; it's a matter of degree, and accurate assessments of the seriousness of the cracks are often lacking.

While it's true that tiny surface 'web' cracks are usually cosmetic, I've seen plenty of tires on RVs with severe 'alligatoring', chunks of rubber missing in the sidewall and on the bead, extremely dry, cracked-to-the-belting sidewall surfaces, blistering on the sidewalls between the inner and outer duals, and nicks, cuts, and *bulges*! In several of these cases, the rig's owners professed to be either *unaware* of or unconcerned by the condition of his/her tires, and felt that the damage was simply 'cosmetic'.

As ever, YMMV.
Joan
2003 TK has a new home