Tire size

[caymann]

I have to replace tires this year...at some point
My date code is 2nd week of 2007 ...so time's up and ticking

The tires on the coach are 295/80/22.5 w/H rating
When i started calling around, various shops said that is an odd size and hence not a lot of choices.

So i looked up Monaco's book (online as well) and it said :
Goodyear 295/75R/22.5 Steel Belted Radials w/H Rating

Shops are saying there are plenty of choices at this size.
Should i use 295/75/22.5?

So i am now a little bit confused.
What is the right size?

thanks
jim

[Steve Ownby]

Originally Posted by caymann

I have to replace tires this year...at some point
My date code is 2nd week of 2007 ...so time's up and ticking

The tires on the coach are 295/80/22.5 w/H rating
When i started calling around, various shops said that is an odd size and hence not a lot of choices.

So i looked up Monaco's book (online as well) and it said :
Goodyear 295/75R/22.5 Steel Belted Radials w/H Rating

Shops are saying there are plenty of choices at this size.
Should i use 295/75/22.5?

So i am now a little bit confused.
What is the right size?

thanks
jim

Jim,

Following build suitable tires in 295/80R22.5. Don't change to a 75 profile as you will lose both ride quality and load carrying.

1. Goodyear
2. Michelin
3. Bridgestone

Most likely others, these are just the ones I have direct knowledge of. They are all steer or all position tires. The metric sizes tend to be not quite as available as the non metric sizes. The 295/80 falls between the 11R (smaller) and the 12R (larger) in size.

If you're a Michelin fan, check out the FMCA national account program which will save you a few $$.

[caymann]

Steve
I have the Goodyear 670s. I have had no problems so far.

I was thinking about doing the tires in phases...8x700 approx= $5600 for Michelin XZA2

I thought maybe steer tires first and later drive tires and last tag tires.
Not sure if this is ok.

Also thinking about changing out the SmarTire system...sensors are mostly dead
to a PressurePro or something. Any thoughts?

thanks
jim

[Steve Ownby]

Originally Posted by caymann

Steve
I have the Goodyear 670s. I have had no problems so far.

I was thinking about doing the tires in phases...8x700 approx= $5600 for Michelin XZA2

I thought maybe steer tires first and later drive tires and last tag tires.
Not sure if this is ok.

Also thinking about changing out the SmarTire system...sensors are mostly dead
to a PressurePro or something. Any thoughts?

thanks
jim

Jim,

I did exactly this. I started with the steer axle 3 years ago, then the drive and last year the tag. It was a way to spread the pain and replace the most critical first. I have no experience with the Smart Tire System. I bought my PP system in '03 and traded in the original sensors for new ones in 2010 before a trip west. PP sold me the sensors on an exchange basis for $32/ea. and traded me a new monitor panel for $100. Both the old system and the update have been problem free. I recently put PP new O rings on the sensors.

[2-Nickels]

If you haven't looked into the FMCA / Monaco International tire programs I suggest you do. Once you are a member the Michelin deal will save you well more than the prices you indicated. I just ordered 8 295/80R 22.5's to be installed in LV when I am there in a couple of weeks.

[Yahooligan]

Originally Posted by Steve Ownby

Jim,

Following build suitable tires in 295/80R22.5. Don't change to a 75 profile as you will lose both ride quality and load carrying.

If his coach came with 295/75R22.5 from the factory then he's not going to "lose" capacity. He will have just as much capacity as the weight placard says when it rolled out of the factory. Kind of silly to say someone is going to lose capacity by replacing the larger non-factory tires with factory-sized tires, IMO. People shouldn't exceed the vehicle ratings, as long as the tires they have installed meet or exceed those ratings then they'll be fine.

Ride quality is a different factor altogether. The 295/75R22.5 I put on ours are a bit larger than the factory tires on the placard, I wouldn't worry about ride quality with a 295/75 vs a 295/80. That's a difference in sidewall height of roughly 0.29".

The pricing and availability of 295/75R22.5 are much better as well, whenever a tire size has to be special ordered and takes days to get I always pause and think about what will happen if I end up on the side of the road and need a replacement. Would I want a tire that's larger than factory with a higher load capacity than I need or would I want a common size that's easy to source and likely has a lower price due to being more common?

I also see no reason to go with Michelin and pay thousands more, even with the discount. The tires are going to age out before they wear out. I'm sure there are plenty of die-hard Michelin people here, and that's fine. Your money. But I've yet to see anything that says the Michelins are going to be any better than something like a Toyo for our application so I can't justify the extra cost.

As long as the tires meet the factory specs then you're fine, anything extra is just that. Extra.

FWIW, the 295/75R22.5 tires I put on our coach have a combined capacity of just over 35,000lb. The coach's GVWR is 28,000 and its scaled weight is about 22,800.

[Steve Ownby]

The OP, Jim, stated the size on his coach was 295/80R22.5. It will ride better and have a higher weight capacity than the 75 profile.

[denochs]

Try a Google search of "truck tire specifications" and use the brand name. You will find that 11R22.5 truck tires are so close to the so called RV tire you will not see or feel any difference. Our rig is a heavy 42' approaching 40K lbs and I run truck tires all around.

They call the 295/75 or 80 a low profile tire. In other words the sidewalls are not the same height.

The truck tires have been on our rig for three years and 24K miles. No problems.

Dave

[Yahooligan]

Originally Posted by Steve Ownby

The OP, Jim, stated the size on his coach was 295/80R22.5. It will ride better and have a higher weight capacity than the 75 profile.

He also said that those are not the factory size. Putting larger, higher rated tires on does not increase his load capacity over what the manufacturer has certified, just like putting a class IV hitch on a vehicle with a 5,000lb tow rating doesn't increase it to 10,000lb. He would still have the same load capacity if he went back to the factory sized and rated tires.

As for ride quality, I don't think 1/4 inch less sidewall is going to have a noticeable impact on ride quality. But, that's a personal observation. YMMV.

[Steve Ownby]

Originally Posted by Yahooligan

He also said that those are not the factory size. Putting larger, higher rated tires on does not increase his load capacity over what the manufacturer has certified, just like putting a class IV hitch on a vehicle with a 5,000lb tow rating doesn't increase it to 10,000lb. He would still have the same load capacity if he went back to the factory sized and rated tires.

As for ride quality, I don't think 1/4 inch less sidewall is going to have a noticeable impact on ride quality. But, that's a personal observation. YMMV.

I did not read closely enough. Looks like the 2nd set of tires on the coach had been changed to 295/80s. Monaco switched to the 80 profit the next year and changed to a heavier steer axle. Obviously Jim can elect to stick with the current size; go back to the OEM size or switch entirely to a 11R non metric. A lot more possibilities.

[patmsp]

I replaced all my tires through the FMCA program last year and would like to suggest something. My 2 duals in the back started leaking and needed to be taken off within 6 months. The culprit was the valve extension for the inner tire. They both started leaking and the only place you can get these extensions are on line or at RV shop. Do yourself a favor and replace both when you get the new tires. You'll save yourself from a potential headache.

Pat