Tire age

[doopbreathno]

how old is old for class a motor home tires, when should they be replaced?

[CLIFFTALL]

The general rule of thumb is 6-7 years , however you'll see some that wait 10. Of course sooner if the wear requires it.

[MSHappyCampers]

I won't let the front tires go beyond 7 years, but feel comfortable with the rears at 10 if they're still in good shape.

[vsheetz]

It's not only the safety factor to consider but also the additional damage to the coach that can occur when a tire lets go and launches pieces of itself into operational parts of the coach.

I use 7-8 years for all tires. A couple years less if I don't know full history of how they have been maintained.

[Falcon35]

I asked a Michelin Tire representative at the FMCA rally when there tires need to be replaced. His advice was after five years they should be inspected yearly by a truck tire dealer. But he told me never to run them more then ten years.

[Tom N]

I'll quote Michelin's RV Tire Guide below.

SERVICE LIFE FOR RV/MOTORHOME TIRES

The following recommendation applies to
RV/Motorhome tires. Tires are composed
of various types of material and rubber
compounds, having performance properties
essential to the proper functioning of the
tire itself. These component properties
evolve over time. For each tire, this evolution
depends upon many factors such as
weather, storage conditions, and conditions
of use (load, speed, inflation pressure,
maintenance, etc.) to which the tire is
subjected throughout its life. This service related
evolution varies widely so that
accurately predicting the serviceable life of
any specific tire in advance is not possible.

That is why, in addition to regular inspections
and inflation pressure maintenance
by consumers, it is recommended to have
RV/Motorhome tires, including spare tires,
inspected regularly by a qualified tire
specialist, such as a tire dealer, who will
assess the tire’s suitability for continued
service. Tires that have been in use for
5 years or more should continue to be
inspected by a specialist at least annually.

Consumers are strongly encouraged to be
aware not only of their tires’ visual condition
and inflation pressure, but also of any
change in dynamic performance such as
increased air loss, noise or vibration, which
could be an indication that the tires
need to be removed from service
to prevent tire failure. It is
impossible to predict when tires
should be replaced based on their
calendar age alone. However,
the older a tire the greater the
chance that it will need to be
replaced due to the service-related
evolution or other conditions found upon
inspection or detected during use.

While most tires will need replacement
before they achieve 10 years, it is recommended
that any tires in service 10 years
or more from the date of manufacture,
including spare tires, be replaced with new
tires as a simple precaution even if such
tires appear serviceable and even if they
have not reached the legal wear limit.

For tires that were on an original
equipment vehicle (i.e., acquired by the
consumer on a new vehicle), follow the
vehicle manufacturer’s tire replacement
recommendations, when specified
(but not to exceed 10 years).

[jerichorick]

Originally Posted by doopbreathno

how old is old for class a motor home tires, when should they be replaced?

All the above answers are valid and very good. But I have one question for everyone. Why Michelin as your only choice? Many class A's are equipped with that odd RV tire size produced by Michelin and finding a replacement in a pinch can be a big problem. One that leaves you stranded for an extended period of time.

I now have a set of Continental HS3 steer tires and Toyo M154 drive tires. The reason for the mix is a story in its self. Steers were put on last year. Drives are a few weeks old. I went from the 275/80 size to the 295/75 without a hitch. The first thing I noticed is the speedometer is reading as close to correct as reasonably possible for the first time. It is tracking very close to the GPS speed now. And the ride comfort is great!
One other advantage is the $$ factor. The 4 Toyo's were ~$1905 total. I had automatic balancers installed on the rear for and additional ~$185. The big advantage is in finding a replacement is a pinch. These new tires are of a common truckers size and more easy to find. And, no more sidewall checking! I see nothing but wins for me here.

But, keeping the air on the inside of the tire is most important.

Happy trails,
Rick Y

[jacwjames]

I bought my first RV new, a 1997 Class C that came with Firestone tires. This was during the Firestone tire tread seperation. Guess what, I had 4 tires with this problem within 3 years, no compensation from Firestone because it was on a motorhome.

I had had good luck with Michelin's on passenger vehicles so I went ahead and had a set installed. After ~4 years the tires were cracked so bad I was afraid to run the Class C. I installed Uniroyal's, and sold the rig in 2009. They are still on the rig after +10 years, I've advised the new owners to change due to age but they haven't to date.

I now own a 2002 Monaco Windsor, I bought in late 2008. It had the original Goodyear tires on it and the front had a bad wear pattern on them so I had the alignment checked and new Bridgestones installed. I then installed a TPMS system to ensure proper inflation ( I check it before the RV is ever moved) I ran the rear 4 tires until 2011 so the were just shy of 10 years, I inspected each tire as they were removed and found no exterior problems and the interiors looked like new, no cracking etc.

I working in the mining industry and our tire budget for the year was huge, because of this I paid particular attention to the fleet of equipment. We usually had major tire manufactures/venders provide our tires and part of the contract was frequent tire inspections and reports. The would also provide a report of the condition of the carcasses and any failures. They also provided classes to our supervisors and mechanics as to maintenance etc. I would review the inspection reports with the venders and then with my people. We were successful in reducing our tire costs. Point is I am not ignorant on tires.

I now have 7 years on the front tires and 5 years on the rear. They all look like new with even wear and no sidewall cracking. The tires have never been run low of air and I run ~10 psi higher then the recommended tire pressure all the way around.

I will now rotate the front to the rear to try and get a couple more years out of them and put 5 year old tires on the front.

This is what I do, it's up to the individual as to how they manage their tires. With proper care you can prevent failure and extend life.

[doopbreathno]

Thank you for your input, it has been very helpful

[Mr_D]

Our '09 rig still has the original tires on it, planning on replacing them ASAP but the DW's liver cancer treatment/transplant comes first!
Will be using the FMCA Advantage pricing since our front and tag tires (365/70) seem to be only made by Michelin but I haven't really looked that much for others either since I'm very happy with the service I've gotten out of the Michelins.
I figure the next set of tires will outlive our RV'ing time anyway.

[Smitty77]

I go with the replace at 7 years, based upon tire born on date, not service date.

However, if buying used RV. I would immediately pay to have the tires unmounted and inspected. A tire can look great on the outside, but due to being run at too low of PSI's for the load, and or, damaged from abuse. (Jumping curbs, off roading over borders, etc.)

We just replace our tires at 6 1/2 years of age, though the TCI Truck Center inspected them and said they would be good for another season. (I trusted this person, and have no doubt that they would have been safe. And in this case, all 6 our of the 8 tires being replaced, were on the rear.). As we would be traveling for 5 months this year, and I've been caught in the middle of tire shortages before. They had the tires I wanted in stock, and they were very young, so I went ahead and pulled up the replacement by 6 months.

Once you get to 6-7 years of age, the money saving per month going out to say year 8, 9 or 10 - really does come down. So look at it as cheap insurance on replacing at age 7 range, and the feeling of confidence while driving.

$.02!

Best to you, and all,
Smitty