Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
RV Trip Planning Discussions

Go Back   iRV2 Forums > MOTORHOME FORUMS > Class A Motorhome Discussions
Click Here to Login
Join iRV2 Today

Mission Statement: Supporting thoughtful exchange of knowledge, values and experience among RV enthusiasts.
Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on iRV2
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 07-02-2017, 02:01 AM   #1
Member
 
the4scotts's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 34
Confused about tire ratings

We need to replace the tires on a 1996 Bounder 28ft. The tires that are on it now are 235/85r16 Michelin xps rib. From the research I have been doing regarding load rating it looks like an E range/120r tire would not be sufficient if we were at max weight and towing a vehicle. The GVWR is 17000 which would make that rating ok without a toad.

While searching I have not found a tire that size with a sufficient load rating. There were a couple but the speed rating was very low. So does this mean that if we plan to tow a vehicle do we need to make sure we are light enough in the mh itself to come in under the combined weight. Or is it just not possible for us tow a vehicle?

My other question is that I have noticed different sites listing different load ratings for the same tire. What's up with that?
the4scotts is offline   Reply With Quote
Join the #1 RV Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

iRV2.com RV Community - Are you about to start a new improvement on your RV or need some help with some maintenance? Do you need advice on what products to buy? Or maybe you can give others some advice? No matter where you fit in you'll find that iRV2 is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with other RV owners, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create an RV blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Old 07-02-2017, 04:30 AM   #2
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 3,400
Quote:
Originally Posted by the4scotts View Post
So does this mean that if we plan to tow a vehicle do we need to make sure we are light enough in the mh itself to come in under the combined weight. Or is it just not possible for us tow a vehicle?
The short answers are yes and yes it should be possible but.....

I know this is a bit long, but I have posted this before & I think it will help you. I'm not addressing your tires per se but once you understand this weight thing, you'll have the knowledge to buy the proper tires, and how to air them up properly to carry—your—load and load your MH properly. Just apply these principals to your situation.

I know for me—when I first began trying to figure this all out—it was difficult to understand how all this weight stuff works by reading a whole bunch of short tips from 50 people. It was hard to connect all the dots so that I understood it all.

• You have your basic MH weight as it stands unloaded when you bought it. And then you put all your stuff in it. Then add people, pets, water, fuel and everything else as you are going to travel with. You can keep doing all that until you max out your weight and achieve your GVWR. Your "Gross Vehicle Weight Ratio" is the MAX you can "CARRY" on board OR on the chassis.

• Now, concerning the tow vehicle and what you put in it. Your toad has a factory weight too—BUT—make sure it has everything in it too. When you go to the weigh station, you'll have the toad hooked up to your MH. When you weigh, you'll be weighing everything including the toad....like, the tow hitch, maybe an additional braking system in the toad, the toad itself, it's fuel, spare tire, maybe extra camping gear, etc. The MH, the toad and everything concerning your toad is your GCWR - Gross "Combined" Weight Ratio.

So for example our MH:
• Our MH has a GVWR of 22K - so that means I can load the MH/chassis up to 22K max amount and also making sure I don't overload the front & rear axles doing it.
• Our GCWR is 26K, so that means, if I max out my GVWR at 22K, I can only tow 4K max, "EVEN THOUGH MY HITCH AND MY MH IS RATED FOR 5K". So, if I want to tow a 5K toad, I'll have to shed 1,000lbs off my GVWR, instead of maxing it out at 22K. In other words, I'll have to get my MH/chassis weight down to 21K to tow that 5K toad.

• The next thing to watch for is that while your loading up your MH and then go weigh it, make sure you don't exceed your front and rear axle weights. This is why you want a 4 corner weigh. That will accurately show you your total axle weight, how the weight is distributed throughout your MH and will inform you how you'll have to adjust and redistribute your weight so that your axles are not over loaded and whether your side to side weight is heavy on one side. Then, once you've distributed your weight and got your final weight, THEN you'll know what max you can tow. This weight info will also be valuable on how to inflate your tires to the proper PSI to carry that weight.

Now for me, I always like to be a little more conservative and not max out everything just because it's capable. It's easier on the entire drive train, better MPG's, better braking (especially down hills) climb better, hopefully run cooler etc. We are preparing to FT soon and we're working through all these issues as we speak. Our goal is to try to run 80%-85% of GVWR or around 21,500lbs. max and we chose a Ford Fiesta as our toad which will have a total loaded weight of somewhere around 2,800lbs. So at the end of the day "rolling down the road" we're shooting for around 24,500 or so which will be 1,500lbs. UNDER our GCWR.

Having this information will equip you to know what type of tires you need—and their load rating—to carry that weight. You'll have several people recommend tires that will do this for your MH. Once you figure all this out for your scenario you'll KNOW where you stand and you've taken the precautions to be as safe as possible not only for you but those driving around you.

Hope this helps.
marjoa is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-02-2017, 04:38 AM   #3
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 3,400
For future posts you should do this also

Put your MH information into your signature
Take a couple of minutes to fill out your signature with information about your motorhome (MH) so we can better offer advice. You do this by:
1) Going to the top of this page and click the top left tab named “User CP”
2) Scroll down and click “Settings & Options”
3) Click “Edit Signature”
4) In that text box type all the information about your MH. Year, model, length, mileage, any aftermarket extras installed and so on.
marjoa is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-02-2017, 05:12 AM   #4
Senior Member
 
Brockx's Avatar
 
Fleetwood Owners Club
Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Port Charlotte Florida
Posts: 2,721
Quote:
Originally Posted by the4scotts View Post
We need to replace the tires on a 1996 Bounder 28ft. The tires that are on it now are 235/85r16 Michelin xps rib. From the research I have been doing regarding load rating it looks like an E range/120r tire would not be sufficient if we were at max weight and towing a vehicle. The GVWR is 17000 which would make that rating ok without a toad.




I started out with a 33 foot 1996 Pace Arrow Vision, pulling an Acme Dolly with a Kia Soul. The first week I bought it I installed Toyo 235/85/16E LT tires never had a problem. I am assuming you have a Ford Chassis, those rims are limited to 80 PSI. If I still had the Pace and needed tires I would go the same way again.
__________________
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]2008 Bounder 38P F53 24/30K V10, 2013 Kia Soul Basic 6 speed manual, Ready Brake Elite tow system (previous equipment 1996 Pace Arrow Vision w/Acme Dolly)
Brockx is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-02-2017, 07:38 AM   #5
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Lake Havasu City, AZ & Plover, WI
Posts: 6,403
As I read your post, it sounds like you are trying to include the toad's weight into the GVWR. You do not have to do that. What is the GCWR? That is the total weight that your MH and toad can not exceed. As you said the 235X85/R16 LR E is fine for the MH. Towing a toad 4 wheels down will not add weight to the MH. marjoa explained this very well.
__________________
2006 Monaco Executive 44 Denali
2013 43 QGP Allegro Bus ( SOLD )
2013 Avalanche
Crasher is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-02-2017, 08:07 AM   #6
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Kansas City Mo
Posts: 1
I would like to ask an additional part to this question, I am replacing the the tires on my MH that are old and came with it, the dealers are asking if I want steer tires all around ? I know if this was a commercial truck I would say no but they say its OK for a MH. What do you say?
Thank you
__________________
Mike Jenkins
Kansas City Mo
1999 Coachmen Catalina 31
nkc914 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-02-2017, 11:53 AM   #7
Senior Member
 
TommyHarris's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Ormond Beach, FL
Posts: 201
So - do the weigh stations on the interstates typically do "four corner weight", or do I need to find a public scale to perform that?
__________________
[FONT="Georgia"][B]Tommy and Rita
Ormond Beach FL
TommyHarris is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-02-2017, 05:43 PM   #8
Member
 
the4scotts's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 34
Thanks for all the info. Still a little fuzzy on the GCVR in relation to tire load rating. So do the tires not have to be rated to support the combined weight?
Click image for larger version

Name:	20170702_183837.jpg
Views:	82
Size:	60.8 KB
ID:	167283
the4scotts is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-02-2017, 06:31 PM   #9
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 3
I can't remember the capacity but the letter rating on the tire in your case"E" is the number of plies which relates to its weight capacity. there are many disadvantages to stepping up to an F. Ride being the biggest 1. You can also look for this size. You could use a 245/80/R16, then of course you need to check for clearance. 95% of the time you won't have an issue. The advantages are great. You can usually run 3 - 5 PSI less than the smaller tires- better ride- load capacity is directly related to the tires ability to hold air. So they will run cooler- handle better- and to do nothing with the speedometer or anything like that because the outside diameter Remains the Same. I work for Goodyear for many years. One last thing, make sure it's a motorhome Tire. I can't tell you when I work for Goodyear how many vibration, pulling and all sorts of problems you'll get from just putting a truck tire on it. The store thought the tires were defective and called me in to look at it. 90% of the time they were running regular old truck tires. By the way they might be expensive but good year make some mighty good motorhome tires. It may even help with my stock. LOL
czander475 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-02-2017, 06:41 PM   #10
Member
 
the4scotts's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 34
Quote:
Originally Posted by czander475 View Post
I can't remember the capacity but the letter rating on the tire in your case"E" is the number of plies which relates to its weight capacity. there are many disadvantages to stepping up to an F. Ride being the biggest 1. You can also look for this size. You could use a 245/80/R16, then of course you need to check for clearance. 95% of the time you won't have an issue. The advantages are great. You can usually run 3 - 5 PSI less than the smaller tires- better ride- load capacity is directly related to the tires ability to hold air. So they will run cooler- handle better- and to do nothing with the speedometer or anything like that because the outside diameter Remains the Same. I work for Goodyear for many years. One last thing, make sure it's a motorhome Tire. I can't tell you when I work for Goodyear how many vibration, pulling and all sorts of problems you'll get from just putting a truck tire on it. The store thought the tires were defective and called me in to look at it. 90% of the time they were running regular old truck tires. By the way they might be expensive but good year make some mighty good motorhome tires. It may even help with my stock. LOL
How do you know if its a motorhome tire?
the4scotts is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-02-2017, 07:23 PM   #11
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 3,400
Quote:
Originally Posted by TommyHarris View Post
So - do the weigh stations on the interstates typically do "four corner weight", or do I need to find a public scale to perform that?
When u go to a weigh station like for an example a "Flying J" gas stop on the interstate, you usually just drive up to the scales and there is a speaker there that you talk to them inside the bldg. Push the talk button and just tell tell them you want a 4 corner weigh and tell them you're going to weigh the left side first. Pull left front & rear tires on the 2 scales, go back to the speaker and tell them your moving to the right side. Then back up and put right front & rear tires on the 2 scales. They will respond that they have your weights. Go inside and pay and they'll give you a receipt with your weights. You now have a 4 corner weigh. Should cost about $12.
marjoa is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-02-2017, 07:43 PM   #12
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 3,400
Quote:
Originally Posted by nkc914 View Post
The dealers are asking if I want steer tires all around ?
Thank you
No. Typically you want different tires for steers than the rear. Read up on this forum about tires (millions and zillions of posts) and you'll gain a lot of understanding about the whole issue about tires. Probably the most asked question on this forum.
marjoa is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-03-2017, 08:18 AM   #13
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Lake Havasu City, AZ & Plover, WI
Posts: 6,403
Quote:
Originally Posted by the4scotts View Post
Thanks for all the info. Still a little fuzzy on the GCVR in relation to tire load rating. So do the tires not have to be rated to support the combined weight?
Attachment 167283
The tires do not have to match the GCWR. THe tires should be rated for what they are actually carrying which would be the GVWR. ( the total weight of "Just" the motorhome) Load range "E" is just fine for your coach. After the coach is loaded with what you are going to be carrying including people, get a four corner weight to make sure you are not exceeding the GAWR (gross axle weight rating) or tire rating. Do the weight "without" the toad. If you are towing a toad with 4 wheels down, you only have to be concerned about not exceeding the GCWR (the total weight of the MH and toad). The GCWR is based on the motorhome's brakes, engine and transmission performance. It has nothing to do with tire ratings. Each vehicle has it's own GVWR and tire specs.

Edit: In your case, if you load the MH up to 17,000# you can only tow a 3500# toad. If your MH only weighs 16,000#, you can tow a 4500# toad.
__________________
2006 Monaco Executive 44 Denali
2013 43 QGP Allegro Bus ( SOLD )
2013 Avalanche
Crasher is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
fuse



Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Tire Weight Ratings okie143 Class A Motorhome Discussions 5 03-02-2015 06:00 PM
Tire speed ratings Gorlininc Monaco Owner's Forum 4 02-05-2013 05:49 PM
Confused about tow ratings Rogerl Trailer Towing and Tow Vehicles Discussion 18 01-18-2013 08:06 PM
educate me on tire wt. ratings Bigdaddy Workhorse and Chevrolet Chassis Motorhome Forum 7 02-01-2011 10:03 AM
Safety Cable Ratings - I'm confused Brian_R1 Toads and Motorhome Related Towing 12 02-09-2009 02:05 PM

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 08:44 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.