Community Forums

jjb4100 · 04-20-2012, 11:41 AM

We have a class A motorhome. We are looking to replace the 2 front tires. There are michelin xrv tires on there now. Do we have to replace with xrv tires or can you use truck tires? Which are the best and what is the difference?

Sky_Boss · 04-20-2012, 11:49 AM

I'm very interested in opinions on this. I have older XRVs on back(235/80 22.5) and newer Goodyear truck tires on the front (245/75 22.5). According to the Goodyear site, the tires I have (G149 RSAs) are for steerer/non-drive use.

**JohnRR** · 04-20-2012, 11:51 AM

If you want fast, Pro, Con, not to mention views of any kind try this link of past posts here at iRV2 on the subject.

Be fore warned there are posts galore on the subject.

Steve N Sal · 04-20-2012, 12:00 PM

You don't have to replace with XRV's. There are plenty of tire mfr. out there. Goodyear, Toyo, Hankook etc. For me when it came time I decided to stay with the XRV's. If they were good enough for the chassis mfr. to use then why change? They are size specific for your speedometer and odemeter as well. Some folks have gone to the XRZ's I believe which are more of a truck tire but a bit more money as well. JMHO

Dacotah · 04-20-2012, 01:22 PM

Having just replaced 4 of our 6 tires last week, I can give you some pointers that might help. Michelin tires have a greater slip angle than other brands; this gives you a softer ride which is desirable on a motor home. If you are keeping Michelins on the rear, then replace the fronts with the same ones. Our coach had Michelins on the front and Bridgestones on the rear when we bought it used; this caused the front to track differently then the rear because of the higher slip angle. This was very noticeable in a cross wind. We replaced the fronts with Bridgestones and the oldest rears, now all tires are the same construction and the handling is very good. If all prices were the same we would have replaced all 6 with Michelins.
What is also important is to weigh your coach loaded for travel, each wheel separately if possible; or front and rear separately if not and set your tire pressures by the tire manufacturers chart. Do not let the installer put the maximum side wall pressure in or the tires will be over inflated causing a rough ride and wear in the middle of the tire. DACOTAH

shoreco · 04-20-2012, 02:00 PM

I changed all 6 tires on my coach. I kept the Michelins.

I did them in pairs..

First the fronts..(August 2011)

Then drivers rear..(October 2011)

Then passenger rear..(April 2012)

Surprisingly, the date code ranges from 2711 to 3711

I'm good for the next 7 years at minimum...

Out the door price was $505.00 each

**CLIFFTALL** · 04-20-2012, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shoreco

I changed all 6 tires on my coach. I kept the Michelins.

I did them in pairs..

First the fronts..(August 2011)

Then drivers rear..(October 2011)

Then passenger rear..(April 2012)

Surprisingly, the date code ranges from 2711 to 3711

I'm good for the next 7 years at minimum...

Out the door price was $505.00 each

What size are those $505 tires?

shoreco · 04-20-2012, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clifftall

What size are those $505 tires?

They are 235 80r 22.5

**CLIFFTALL** · 04-20-2012, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shoreco

They are 235 80r 22.5

Same as mine. They are getting pricey.

ZMasterFish · 04-20-2012, 02:44 PM

$500 for a tire is ridiculous. Just sayin'.

JBDISCOVERY · 04-20-2012, 02:45 PM

The XRV's are designed for use on RVs. The sidewalls are not as stiff as the XRZ's because they are designed to carry the lower weight of the RV versus use on a commercial truck. I would recommend staying with the size and rating of the original manufacturer's recommendation.

Michelin has always give me the best service. If you are a member of FMCA, there is a tire purchase program that has saved me a good deal of money in the past. I would recommend looking into the program.

Regards. Always have good, newer tires on your rig for safety sake.
JB

J Walker · 04-20-2012, 03:29 PM

I switched to XZE tires for the stronger and thicker sidewall construction. XZE is a little harder ride. If I could not get XZE tires I would buy XRV in spite of zipper failure problems wit XRVs in the past. I feel that Michelin has corrected that.

wa8yxm · 04-21-2012, 10:48 AM

There are two good posts I will second above. One is JBDiscovery's.

The XRV's are designed to give a smoother ride, they flex a bit more than truck tires and thus make the ride 'Softer" as it were.. Very nice.

The other is Dacaotah's post about "Slip Angles".. (DO not know exactly what that means, will by tomorrow more than likely)

Though I can not verify what he says.... It makes sense.. the stiffer sidewalls of the truck tire would make a difference in handling. In truth I think it might IMPROVE handling, but.. not necessarly if you are just doing one axle.

Dacotah · 04-22-2012, 11:53 AM

Back in the mid 1960's, I was a design engineer with Firestone. Tire design has changed a lot since then but certain characteristics are the same. Slip angle refers to the amount the tire tread surface moves in relation to the side of the rim during lateral forces such as wind and cornering. Soft sided tires like the Michelin XRV moves much more than a truck tire so it is not a good idea to combine them on the front with truck tires on the rear; you will be creating a poor handling coach. The best answer is all Michelins or all truck style, not a mix. Either type of tire works when properly inflated by individual wheel weighing. Hope this helps. DACOTAH