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Tire Dates
Yahoo Message Number: 66731
I just purchased six new Michelin XPS RIB tires from The Les Schwab Tire Company here in Southwest Washington. I had originally thought to buy these at Costco and had merely phoned Les Schwab to see what they would charge to install since Costco didn't really 'do' motor homes. Les Schwab explained that they could also order the tires from Michelin's stocking warehouse in Reno, NV. and that they would match any local price. Since I have had such wonderful service and trust with them over the last 15 years I went with it . . . but told them that I wanted "fresh tires" all of the same date. They did a nice install, but today, Saturday, when I checked the tires I discovered that they were not all of the same manufacturing dates, but were the following: ( week/year ) 1405 ( mid April), 1505 ( 3rd. wk April ), 2005 ( May ), 3105 ( Aug ), 3105 ( Aug ), with the sixth one not marked. Obviously I will find out about the one tire that is not clearly date marked - but given that the tires are manufactured in Germany with a corresponding lengthy shipping . . . what would you, knowledgeable group, consider "fresh" ? The only reference I have read was in the AAA magazine,"Washington Journey" where they advise "to stay clear of tires more than a year and a half old."  Your thoughts would be appreciated ?

Bill Atkins
Re: Tire Dates
Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66732
I just purchased six new Michelin XPS RIB tires from The Les Schwab Tire Company here in Southwest Washington.  ... when I checked the tires I discovered that they were not all of the same manufacturing dates, but were the following: ( week/year ) 1405 ( mid April), 1505 ( 3rd. wk April ), 2005 ( May ), 3105 ( Aug ), 3105 ( Aug ),  ... what would you, knowledgeable group, consider "fresh" ?


 Bill, personally, I would not consider a tire that was a year old (the April and May ones) to almost a year old, as being "fresh."  I would have wanted tires that were made in 2006, not 2005.

Linda Hylton

2004 Red 23.5' TK http://map.datastormusers.com/user1.cfm?user=1167 http://earl-linda.blogspot.com/
Linda Hylton
Re: Tire Dates
Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66735
Quote
I just purchased six new Michelin XPS RIB tires from The Les Schwab Tire Company here in Southwest Washington. I had originally thought to buy these at Costco and had merely phoned Les Schwab to
see?

Quote
Bill Atkins
Hi Bill, the same exact thing happened to me a few weeks ago.
Purchased 2 Michelin xps rib tires at a local truck tire place and when I got home the date was the middle of 2004.  I called them on it and said that basically they had no control over the manufacturer sending them more current dates.  I had wanted to order 4 more with a 2005 date at least and asked if I could decline them if they weren't more current?  They said sure.  They never called me back to tell me the tires were in.  I checked around and contacted a local car tire place that I have ordered from in the past.  She said she could get them and could get a more current date, they got me mid year of 2005, installed them and said if I got the extended valves later they would install them for nothing.  Also she told me that Michelin was offering a 50 rebate if I bought four Michelins's which they gave me the paper work for.  I got an 8 dollar cheaper price and on top of that a 50 rebate.  I guess the bottom line is there is places that will offer good service and check the dates.  I will no longer accept that they cant get a more current date than the 2004's I got stuck with.
Mary
Re: Tire Dates
Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66753
reciprocityfactor  wrote: "In general I don't think the public is savvy enough to demand newer NEW tires..." ----- Bill, I believe that this is accurate; whether it's out of ignorance of tire dating or just a desire to avoid extra expense, hassle, or waiting, most tire buyers will take whatever a shop pulls off the shelves. (Too) many customers will usually defer to the tire shop's "expertise" and let them put on whatever they have in stock or is cheap.  A tire shop, even a reputable one, is not likely to check the tires' manufacturing dates before installation, and most customers never see the tires before they're on the wheels. This is a "don't ask, don't tell" game; the customer doesn't ask, and the tire shop doesn't tell.
 Buying the "best" tires with the latest possible manufacturing dates can be done, but it takes knowledge, awareness, shopping around, pre- planning, and "polite insistence" that the tire shop procure and install appropriate tires whose manufacturing dates are within a "date window"; six months or so is OK. (Year-old tires are at the *OUTSIDE* edge of acceptable, IMO.)

Yes, "shoeing" the rig can be an expensive and "tiring" process (sorry ;-) )but I can think of few other purchases that are as critical to our safety.

Joan
2003 TK has a new home
Re: Tire Dates
Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66755
When I got my new tires two months ago, I talked about dates with the seller (Discount Tire) and they said, no problem.  I asked how fresh they would be and they could not answer.  I told them I would not take them if they were more than six months old.  They said no problem.  As it happens I could not be present for the install so I only know four of the tire dates.  Three are the end of February and one is the end of January.  Not bad but I'm not ready to maneuver the coach enough to find the remaining two tire dates.  They claimed they were all together.

Safe travels,

Dave 2000 RB Albuquerque
Dave

2017 TK
Re: Tire Dates
Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66759
This is an interesting thread.  However, in our position, we HAD to have six new tires.  We ordered them from Discount, six Micheline Ribs.  They gave us a great price with mounting, etc, and installed our Tireman set for not charge.
 We have been reading this thread and printed out the tire post in the file section.
 The date of manufacturing, though interesting to read and well thought out, does not help when you need six new tires right away.

We ordered them.  Discount tire had to order them in from Michelin.
They were here in a week and installed the next day.

If we were in the position to say "in six months, we will need new tires for the coach, let's work it out..." that would be within the realm of what we could do.
 ANYTHING was better than what we had.  We are thrilled to just be out and about without worrying about blow-outs...

CK
Re: [Life With A Lazy Daze RV] Re: Tire Dates
Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66761
We drive our RV a lot.  We put from 15 to 20K miles on it each year.  As a result, we wear our tires faster then most.  Just how important is initial tire age in this situation?  If we get 5 years on a set of tires, we are doing pretty well.

Allen
[Life With A Lazy Daze RV] Re: Tire Dates
Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66836
Allen,

Don't ask me, I don't know.

On the other hand, if you want an opinion, my thought is that there is not a sudden step function at the end of 5 or 7 years where the tires are suddenly dangerous.  It is a continuous change, going from 'very good' to 'very bad' with age.  (and if it is like most things, it is probably some exponential function, not changing much at first but getting worse faster near the end).

To put it