Community Forums

1940FRED · 08-26-2015, 05:36 PM

My 2006 34' Newmar with 19000 mi has been kept in a garage for life. So my question is the should the tires be replaced now or is tire life extended because of the storage out of the sun.

Fred, toad 2006 GMC Yukon with READYBRAKE Surge Brake and love it,

BandBRetired · 08-26-2015, 06:14 PM

Hi,

You didn't mention brand, but Michelin says 10 years is the most you can expect under ideal conditions. I would replace them now.

Mac99 · 08-26-2015, 06:42 PM

The Michelin tire guide says you can go past 5 years with annual inspection.
For that, the tire should be removed from the rim to be inspected.
My opinion is that past 7 years from the manufacture date, you are
inviting trouble. When it comes, it may be at a time and place that
are very inconvenient, and with consequences/damage that could
become very expensive. As a preventive maintenance item, it
is my opinion that tires beyond 7 years should be replaced as a
safety precaution. Others will disagree, and some, perhaps will say
that 7 years is too long. The variables are UV deterioration, damage
from curbs, sitting for long periods of time, under inflation/overloading.
You must check the date code on your tires, a 2006 model could
have tires made in 2004 !
Good luck with your decision.

Selah · 08-26-2015, 07:40 PM

"Do you feel lucky today punk? Well do ya?"
Oh sorry, is was just watching Dirty Harry.
Your tires could be as old as 10 years. The coach may be a 2006 but the tires could have a production date of 2005.
They might be good for another year, then again you could have a serious blowout on the next time out. How lucky do you feel?

Smitty77 · 08-26-2015, 09:28 PM

I'd say the answer is yes, an RV stored indoors, will have tires with less UV damage. To me, this could get you safely from 5 out to 7 years old. And as mentioned, that is by the tire DOT born date, not coach model date.

And, if I was trying to go from 5-7 years, I'd pay the costs to have the tires dismounted and inspected, and then remounted and possibly rebalance, each of those last two years.

The 'Do you feel lucky?' line is not just for you, and potential damage from a blowout, or even injury. It's also for others on the road that maybe near you if a blowout takes place.

Please, draw a picture of a tire with a skull in the center hole that the wheel should go on. Place this on all sides of your coach, and drive with your Emergency Flashers on. This way, those around you, will have a chance to get the heck away from your rig on the road!!!

OK. I did answer that I feel yes, indoor storage could add to the life of your tires. But, at that age, get them replaced ASAP - would be my recommendation.

Best to you, an those around you

!
Smitty

LSC9901 · 08-27-2015, 04:05 AM

I think we all want to get the most we can for our dollar. Anyone who doesn't is either a fool or has to much money !!! I recall 30 plus years ago (pre RV'ing) stopping for gas and seeing an RV at the pumps. Just to create some chatter I asked what it cost to fill that thing up. His answer was, and now mine, "if you have to ask, you can't afford it." If you have gotten into RV'ing and you are trying to stretch tires then my simple answer is that you cannot afford this luxury. It is generally accepted that tires have a good life of 5 years. Some or maybe even many will survive 10 years. I'm hoping for the later but at the same time it is already in my mind that in 5 I will be a lot more cautious than I am now with the inspection process of my tires. There are just to many things with RV's that need attention (AKA $$$$) To fuss over tires when we should be well aware of their life is senseless.

Extra protection of your tires does pay off. How much cannot be assured by anyone. I use 303 Protectant and I always cover my tires. Even when we do just a weekend I cover them. It takes 5 minutes and if it adds a few months or a year over their lifetime then it was well worth my time.

Do all you can to protect them but understand that they have an end of life point. They may not look bad but once you have that blow out the $XXX you spent seems trivial. Tires are a common sense issue. The problem is that not everyone has it and brand makes no difference.

dsbear · 08-27-2015, 05:28 AM

I too chime in on the replace them now side. Personally I change mine at the 5 yr mark. I started doing so because I had a left inside dual blowout on 7 yr old Goodyear's, and that cost about $15k in damages.

David, Heidi, M and Moose(the lab)
2011 Damon Astoria
Pulling an'09 Chevy CrewCab.

Arizona · 08-27-2015, 05:29 AM

After a front drivers blowout in 96 I buy new tires every 5 years. I Don't worry about miles driven or covering them any more. If you don't use them much then all bets are off. All six of my boat trailer tires dry rotted with a four year old date code. Discount tire warranty you pay extra for is only good for 3 years for dry rot.
New tires are just the cost of doing business.

Gary RVRoamer · 08-27-2015, 12:46 PM

I'm not quite as conservative as the others, but still cannot disagree with their sentiments. I think the chances are excellent that you can get 9-10 years of use out of those well-protected and seldom used tires. The operative word, though, is "chances". Both age and lack of use are the enemy of tires after around 7 years the odds begin to get steeper against you. The risk is damage to the RV body, wiring and plumbing, so it can be expensive if you lose the gamble.

I've got one front tire right now that has a 2908 date (August, 2008), so it just turned 7. It has no signs of issues, so I plan to run it at least a little while longer. It's companion got replaced in 2010 after a road accident, so I'm not ready for a front pair yet. Will re-evaluate in the spring and decide whether to gamble another summer travel season, or bite the bullet on just one tire.

Jim Woodard · 08-29-2015, 09:45 AM

My Michelins say DOT HA 11 AVX H 1910. The 1910 is in a kind of oval box all its own, and I confirmed with a bunch of folks, as well as my N. Trail RV rep, that my tires were born in April/May of 2010. My RV is a 2004, so I'm assuming previous owner(s) got about 6 or 7 years out of the previous set. They are in excellent visual shape, although I only started using covers a few months ago. I purchased the RV in October of 2013, still looks brand new, so I'm guessing it was housed, and I sit in partial shade. Like one member, I'm a big fan of 303 Aerospace Protectant. I have also used Meguiar's "black shine" product. It has another eye-catching name, but has anyone ever heard that the "black shine" products are not good for the rubber?

Jim Woodard
2004 Dutch Star
Fort Myers, FL