Another Tire Question

[sharring]

Beings tires seem to rot on the rims of RV's instead of from miles would it be wise to by a less expensive Chinese brand tirew compared to a name brand tire. It seems the price difference is about 40 percent. At this difference in price one could put tires on the rv every 5 years instead of 8 or 9 years. Also would a new Chinese tire be better or safer than a 6 year old name brand tire?

[okgc]

A couple of our friends got less that one year before their chinese tires blew out.
I would take a 10 year old American tire before a brand new chinese tire.

I am willing to spend my $ for a quality product to protect my family.

[94-Newmar]

In my own opinion I would want my tires to be a fairly common name brand.

Since more people are using the common name brand tires then the problem reports would be more likely to surface quickly and you're more likely to have a company here in the US to resolve any issues with - quickly. I can't imagine filing a claim with WeeSockItooEm tire company in Beijing and being able to get anywhere. Besides, Im not sure a 10000/15000/25000/50000/100000/200000 dollar coach and my family's well-being are really worth cheapskating on tires. I wouldnt mind Chinese made decorations inside the Motorhome though! On second thought perhaps they may have too much lead in the paint.. nevermind.

[DutchStar38]

Considering the weight being slung around on the road and of course your family inside this box rolling down the road, do you really want to scrimp on the most important part of the vehicle stability? If you want to scrimp then do it on something that doesn't effect the safety of the vehicle. Use paper plates and plastic ware.

[BryanL]

I think you'd do best if you forgot manufacturing location or brand and instead focused on retailer.

Find a good tire store that sells a lot of RV tires and will stand behind what it sells. Consider the price and warranty they offer and what they suggest for you.

As for the scare stories, make sure your tires are properly inflated, that they run at 140F or less checked when you stop for fuel or lunch with an IR thermometer, and let your tire store rotate and inspect your tires at the interval they suggest.

[greystroke]

Just had a blowout last month on my 7-8 year old Michelins. Zipper. Inner rear. Not a Michelin to be found of my size in Jackson. It would have taken a long time to get them in and I had to get to Birmingham so I did something I said I would not do. By Cheap Chinese tires. Only tires available with out waiting 4 or 5 days. I changed sizes also to match the front. Now I at least have a spare. These tires are rated about 1000 lbs more than the Michelins. I watched them change tires and the Michelins were rotten. You could not tell it until they put put the tire iron on and bent the sidewall and then it was obvious. A couple had no cracking or tell tale signs including the one that blew. A Michelin dealer installed the tires.

It is a good thing I don't drive over 60. No damage or control problems from the blowout.

The previous owners put Wanli's on on the front. For the last three years they have been good but these tires are not exactly cheap.

So now I am driving on eggshells. Time will tell.

[RVhauler]

If you compare the cost of El Cheapo's versus a quality tire plus the cost of chassis damage when the cheapie lets go then where is the savings not with standing the safety factor

[Renden]

I have Michelins XVR 305/70/R22.5, dated 17th week of 2005, on my 2006 Dutch Star - 18, 000 miles. If I follow most advices on various RV Forums and on Michelin info, they should be changed in 2012 (at 7 years) - Do you agree (unless exam of tires do show abnormalities in usage)

............and I would never put chepos on my Rig - Safety comes numero uno

[sharring]

Thank you all for the great advice. I think I will go with a know tire brand. Cheap doesn't always mean that the product is of poor quality. (I know a good rule is to remember you get what you pay for) People who drove new Ford Explorers that had accidents due to tire failures probably would have been better off with Chinese tires instead of Firestones. (Opps maybe those are made in Japan) A Hyundai automobile is a cheaper car but it is a quality car. My RV only makes a couple of 250 mile trips per year so I am fighting wear from aging more than from miles on the road. Beings I am a United Steel Worker Union member I should keep my brothers and sisters working by buying American.

[greystroke]

Personal experience say Michelins are unsafe after 7 years. Then again they might make it to 10. Drivers choice. Learned my lesson. Right before I left I was reading about the Michelins zipper blowouts. My outside tires showed aging signs while the inside did not.

Before the trip I removed two tires on one side and did a thorough inspection. I ran out of time so I could not do the drivers side but I did spend a lot of time on them. The inside drivers tire blew. Yes I did take IR measurments at every stop. It just went Bang.

The front tires are a lot easier to inspect for cracking or bulging. The Wanli's are their premium steering tire. I kind of like them. But hey are not so cheap. Forum search does not bring up anything but it does not bring up anything on my cheaper tires.

If something happens to these tires I will report it to the fourms immediately.

I wish I could have got the Michelins in Jackson but it was not meant to be. 235/80s are just hard to find according to Coachnet. So now I am running 255/70s with a spare.

[PFMCDM]

I would stick with a name brand tire like Michelin or Goodyear. About a year ago I replaced all 6 of mine with Michelin XZA3s...

[AFChap]

Quote:

Beings tires seem to rot on the rims of RV's instead of from miles would it be wise to by a less expensive Chinese brand tirew compared to a name brand tire

Well, from what I have read about Chinese tires, you won't have to worry about them rotting on the rims !!!