Community Forums

ernest917 · 02-22-2019, 12:21 PM

I see FMCA offers Michelin, Hankook and Continental fires in their tire-buying program....

I currently have Michelin’s on my class A coach that are starting to show a tad bit of cracking but if I could a save s few dollars and still get a decent tire in either of the other two brands I’d consider switching.....

Any opinions on them.... I’d appreciate any feed back....

RightUR · 02-22-2019, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ernest917

I see FMCA offers Michelin, Hankook and Continental fires in their tire-buying program....

I currently have Michelin’s on my class A coach that are starting to show a tad bit of cracking but if I could a save s few dollars and still get a decent tire in either of the other two brands I’d consider switching.....

Any opinions on them.... I’d appreciate any feed back....

without a doubt those are some fine tires. But the only pair of "expensive" tires on my rig are the Michelins. And those are my steering tires up front. the other 6 were michelins too, but I reasoned that since I have air suspension and air bags, 6 tires in the back from a "generic" brand can't be that much of a change for the worse. So I got me 3 pairs of Iron Man's from Hercules, usually 18 wheeler tires and have not regretted it so far. They ride beautifully. They were $1800 out the door, instead of $5000+ for name brands.

Neverenuff · 02-22-2019, 02:44 PM

I changed out my aged out Michelin’s for comparable sized Sumitomo’s. I like these. I could be imagining it but I think the ride is a bit better if any thing.

Crasher · 02-22-2019, 02:51 PM

I used to be a loyal Michelin supporter, but a couple of friends had been using Toyo's with excellent results. So I looked at them and was impressed with them. On eight 295/80/22.5 LRH Toyo's, I saved $2600. These Toyo's have a deeper tread than the Michelins and the ride is smoother. As a side benefit, in the first 4000 mile, the mpg increased from 7 to 7.6. I also sold the M's to a trucker for $500. Michelins are a great tire, but they are not $320/ tire better that several other brands. It's your money, so you can spend it where you like.

theroc · 02-22-2019, 03:25 PM

There used to be many die-hard Michelin advocates on this and other RV forums but I think the tide has now turned where most of us do not want expensive Michelins for use on motorhomes. You are going to be paying a premium for first-tier tires. Michelins especially are way too expensive for what you are getting (just my opinion and many still will disagree) and you're paying for that reputation and all the their advertising expenses, etc.

With that said, if you just have to have Michelins because as many here contend "I don't want to sacrifice my family's safety by putting anything but Michelin tires on my motorhome," then you'll find out by reading through some of the threads on the FMCA program that you will be able to purchase the same Michelin tires for a lower price than by going through the FMCA program. But if you're one that doesn't want to bother with shopping around and possibly negotiating with tire dealers, then using the FMCA program is fine to use.

It's just like a friend of mine said that he buys his cars through the Costco car-buying program because it's less hassle than going to a dealer and spending hours negotiating even though he knows he may be paying a bit more going through Costco. In all cases, however, I think even a unskilled negotiator can purchase the car for less than by going through the Costco program.

For tires, if you read through the threads here, it's evident that Toyo will probably be the most popular tire that many motorhome owners are using. I really like Toyo tires. I also like tires from other Japanese and South Korean manufacturers ...e.g. Toyo, Yokohama, Sumitomo, and Hankook.

jackreno · 02-22-2019, 10:58 PM

I just replaced my 5 year old Hankook's with Firestone FS561 and boy what a difference in the ride, so much softer and smoother of a ride for the same price as the Hankook's were..

So much so I am now a Firestone tire fan..

sbleiweiss · 02-23-2019, 07:47 AM

For what it is worth for comparison sake, I just bought a 22.5 inch Michelin tire for $499 installed in Sedona AZ. I shopped Simple Tire and three local tire dealers, but that is all.

oscarvan · 02-23-2019, 08:10 AM

I have to ask..... There's a lot of people reporting a better ride after they replace their tires with a brand XYZ......

Could it be that if you replace a years old tired, dried, worn, cracking tire of ANY brand with a nice new fresh one of ANY brand you get a rejuvenated ride?

Just sayin'......

Greyeagle · 02-23-2019, 08:15 AM

Look at BF Goodrich, owned by Michelin tire, same tire, better price..
Don't take my word for it
Look it up

Crasher · 02-23-2019, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sbleiweiss

For what it is worth for comparison sake, I just bought a 22.5 inch Michelin tire for $499 installed in Sedona AZ. I shopped Simple Tire and three local tire dealers, but that is all.

I'm guessing your tire is the smaller 235/80 or 245/75. Just for comparison, my 295/80/22.5 Toyo's were $50 less/tire mounted and balanced. They have a 7830# capacity. I'm guessing the smaller size Toyo would be in the $375 range mounted.

Crasher · 02-23-2019, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oscarvan

I have to ask..... There's a lot of people reporting a better ride after they replace their tires with a brand XYZ......

Could it be that if you replace a years old tired, dried, worn, cracking tire of ANY brand with a nice new fresh one of ANY brand you get a rejuvenated ride?

Just sayin'......

I agree with you. Much of my improved ride was probably due to that. I just can't explain the improved economy.

lwmcguire · 02-23-2019, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crasher

I agree with you. Much of my improved ride was probably due to that. I just can't explain the improved economy.

On almost every vehicle car/truck/tractor and so on over the years that I have monitored closely, the only factor that was common in increasing mileage was tire pressure. Running on the low side always uses more fuel and when changing tires most start out at the correct psig. On some smaller ones like 19.5's the extremely stiff tires always beat the softer side walls in mpg. Ever notice the UPS truck tires, they are similar to what we found got great mileage and tire life but rode harder.

This tire deal will always be around and interesting since we all need them

Crasher · 02-23-2019, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lwmcguire

On almost every vehicle car/truck/tractor and so on over the years that I have monitored closely, the only factor that was common in increasing mileage was tire pressure. Running on the low side always uses more fuel and when changing tires most start out at the correct psig. On some smaller ones like 19.5's the extremely stiff tires always beat the softer side walls in mpg. Ever notice the UPS truck tires, they are similar to what we found got great mileage and tire life but rode harder.

This tire deal will always be around and interesting since we all need them

That's very true, however, I am meticulous with tire pressure and have several six position weighs. I always carry 3-5 psi above what the load inflation chart called for with both brands. Have never ran them low.

geordi · 02-23-2019, 03:12 PM

Best mileage and load carrying will always be at the sidewall max. On heavy truck tires, that is usually around 110psi - although anywhere from 90 and up is good. There's not as much quality or ride variation in heavy truck tires as you might think - they are all carrying massive loads so it is all about that weight rating. The closer you are to the rating, the stiffer the tire needs to be. So aim high, and you can soften them up a little for a better ride since the tire isn't working as hard. Otherwise... Black and round is pretty much what you are looking for!

I replaced the factory Goodyears on my Diplomat a few years ago before evacuating from Hurricane Irma. On my coaches, I buy used truck tires and evaluate each tire as an individual rather than brand first, b/c I know they are going to age out long before they ever run out of miles.

The factory goodyear tires were from 2002 (yes, they were 15 years old!) and didn't have any sidewall cracking, and had a ton of tread for having 85k on them. But the age was a huge concern to me. I got a complete matching set of "Wind Power" Chinese shoes off of a car hauler, for $75 each and mounted for another $75 each. They were a little shorter than what came off, but at the time I didn't have a lot of options. They ride fine - but I'm not counting on their durability at all. When they hit 5 years old next year, I'm going to start looking for another set.

For anyone with time to search rather than being in an urgent need, look around at local truck tire shops and try to find the one that handles the fire trucks for your local area. Because of the severe service nature, fire departments will swap their tires out after only like 25k miles or so - and the shop will sell them to you for a song! Certain sizes of fire truck use 19.5, and the larger ladder and engines use 22.5. So options are available.