Community Forums

rrtribble · 05-03-2018, 12:55 PM

This has been a subject addressed repeatedly over the years but I just ran into a new kink.

I've always changed my tires on the Trailer and Motorhome every 5 years but now I'm being told as I look at a replacement DP that tire life is now 10 years.

The DP I'm looking at has tires with a DOT of 4511 which I read as the 45th week of 2011 which makes them almost 7 years old. When I brought this to the attention of the sales person and later to the service manager both told me the tires still had over 3 years life BEFORE I should be concerned.

I'm old school so I haven't clinched the deal yet.

Which are we to apply? 5 or 10 years.

Thanks for your input.

Waiter21 · 05-03-2018, 01:00 PM

Probably 7 - 10 years.. Depending on UV cracking, etc..

I assume since the tires are nearing the end of their life, this is being reflected in the price..

Now might be a good time to negotiate tires... See if they will put some new skins on it, maybe even split the cost..

Tireman9 · 05-03-2018, 01:12 PM

There is a difference between "end of life" and "have them inspected"
The 10 years is end of life. No matter how much tread is left or what they look like. This is because the weakness if any is buried in the tire and is only discoverable with X-Ray or similar very expensive inspection equipment as is used by the truck tire re-tread businesses.

5 years is hwen they need to be completely inspected by a tire dealer. This does not mean a walk around and check of tread depth. A complete inspection would include removing tires from coach and even better dismounting to inspect for damage only visible in the air chanber.

wildtoad · 05-03-2018, 01:25 PM

Agree with... Negotiate for replacement tires now. The 5 year swap has been bogus for a long time, but some still do it, just like the change your oil every 3,000 miles. At 5-7, have tires inspected annually, it’s money well spent versus having a failure. If all looks good at the inspections, it would be fine to keep them until 10 years, but then it’s really time to get new ones, and then be careful what the tire dealer puts on as new.

FIRE UP · 05-03-2018, 01:37 PM

The GENERAL normal consensus for RV tire life is 7 years. Michelin states theirs are good for 10. There are thousands and thousands of RVers out there that have ran theirs anywhere from 5-11 years old and never had any issue. But, it's a matter of your own perspective. You may have some that look fantastic at 7 but, you have no idea what kind of core condition any one of the ones you're running on, have. Without some form of x-ray, it's impossible to tell. I recently through away my 6 year old Michelin XRV 255s because of the infamous sidewall cracking and, some odd wear patterns. Everyone's got their own choice but, I will never own another set of Michelins in my life.

So, as for your potential D/P, well, these rigs are heavy, and our roads (all of them all over this nation) are less than perfect and, won't get any better, anytime soon so, I'd think about the safe way out and, maybe go with between 5 -7 years. Your choice.
Scott

cjthedad · 05-03-2018, 01:39 PM

I travel a lot for work and in my quest for a DP I stopped at RV dealers all over the US and found one 35 miles from home, funny how that happens. But back to the topic at hand. I could not believe the things I was told by sales people. 95% of them said you don't have anything to worry about until after 10 years. My favorite was if the MH is kept inside you never would have to replace the tires. Just remember sold for maximum profit means maximum commission. Buyer Beware!

Crasher · 05-03-2018, 01:50 PM

Neither you or the dealer have any idea what care if any, those tires have had for seven years. Without that info, you should assume they were not covered when parked and that they were possibly run under inflated at times. Did they hit a pothole or curb and cause unseen internal damage?? No one can say for sure. If it were me, I would not take the coach unless it had a new set of tires paid by the dealer or the cost negotiated to your satisfaction. If not, every time you are on the road doing 60 mph in 90+* heat, you'll have that nagging thought in the back of your mind, "What if or When will" a tire fail. Replacing tires TOO soon is never a bad thing. Replacing them TOO LATE is always a bad thing

**Lt Dan** · 05-03-2018, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crasher

Neither you or the dealer have any idea what care if any, those tires have had for seven years. Without that info, you should assume they were not covered when parked and that they were possibly run under inflated at times. Did they hit a pothole or curb and cause unseen internal damage?? No one can say for sure. If it were me, I would not take the coach unless it had a new set of tires paid by the dealer or the cost negotiated to your satisfaction. If not, every time you are on the road doing 60 mph in 90+* heat, you'll have that nagging thought in the back of your mind, "What if or When will" a tire fail. Replacing tires TOO soon is never a bad thing. Replacing them TOO LATE is always a bad thing

Ivylog · 05-03-2018, 04:07 PM

X3 on you have no idea of the history...at a minimum replace the front tires and maybe use the best one to replace rear that do not pass inspection. I've gone 10 years on the rear when I've put all the miles on them and use the rig often...only 7 on the front usually putting them on the tag for another 3 years.

slickest1 · 05-03-2018, 06:16 PM

I just bought a used coach and the tires were 7 years old but over half worn. I negotiated a new set with the dealer and now won't worry about it.

PatriciaM · 05-03-2018, 07:54 PM

Michelin extended their tire warranty from 5 years to 7 years for all truck/RV tires in July 2017, effective from date of installation (or date of vehicle registration if it is a new motorhome). Michelin eliminated ozone cracking from the "what is not covered" section.....and in addition, the warranty is grandfathered to tires currently in service (versus starting July 1, 2017 and forward).

If you know the history of the tire, then you can feel confident in at least 7 years of tire life... but I heard someone once say, "A tire is like an elephant. It remembers what happens to it from day one".... if you don't know if it has been overloaded/underinflated, then I would look for trade value at a tire dealer.
Good luck.

**TonyDi** · 05-03-2018, 09:16 PM

Changing tires at 5 years is just throwing money out the window. 7-10 is more like what you can expect if you've taken care of the tires.

wa8yxm · 05-04-2018, 05:59 AM

I have heard 5 years 7,8 and 10

I do 10
Some states if you crash and the tires are over 8 I'm told there can be legal issues.. Have not verified and suspect it only applies to COMMERCIAL rides not RV's but.. Key words are Have not checked and SUSPECT.

winniman · 05-04-2018, 06:57 AM

I agree with the statement of keeping my steer tires less than five years old. I dont mind the rears getting a few extra years on them. You can always keep the fronts for spares. I just dont like the idea of having a front blow out. Could be coming down a mountain or something.