Tire Opinions

[Jack1234]

Hey Tulsa

No offense, but in my opinion tires are one of the most important "things" on your MH and not a place to pinch pennies. For a few $$$ more you can get the "right tire" & if you look after then they will last you +10yrs and also keep you Safe & Alive. Even if you spend $1000 more than your $2000 budget this is only an extra $100 p/yr or $0.30 p/day!

Add my $0.02 and inflation over 10yrs & you're talking pennies p/day to keep you & your family safe.

[ga traveler]

I think the fact that the original Goodyears lasted 12 years are a testament to them. I pushed mine to 10 years with no failures. I like Goodyear and would pay a little more for the peace of mind. Remember if you have a failure there can be a lot of damage to the coach.

[njs42]

Originally Posted by tulsacars

OK. I have narrowed it down to either the 245/70R/19.5
Kumho KRS03 14ply G load 133L 75MPH for $2000 total for 6 mounted and balanced
or
Hankkok AH11 14ply G load 133L 75MPH for $2035 total for 6 mounted and balanced
Out of these two what do you guys think?
Thanks.

I think you got apples to apples so it only counts what you think at this point-----roll the dice, flip the coin and be happy with your choice.

[jdr37]

I've used several brands over the 28 years we've been RVing and had just as good service from Cooper as Michelin and Goodyear. What I have found to be of UTMOST importance is the load range rating. F is not enough for most class A units if you drive over 55 to 60 mph because the tires get much more heat from the flexation of the lower air pressure tires.
I have had multiple failures from all the different brands with load range F and not one failure with G (32' to 35' coaches).
JDR37

[dieharder]

I'm happy with my Chinese Coopers.

[jdr37]

Interesting: I've got two Coopers and two Goodrich all made at the same plant in China. I have two Heritage (a Chinese owned brand) made by a plant in India. Interestingly, these are all "E" range load (now referred to as "10 ply"). The Coopers and Goodrich only have 7 plies, the Heritage have 11 plies. Even more interestingly is that the Feds put a huge tariff on the Chinese brand tires -- so high they are no longer marketed in the USA -- but the other "American" brands, even though made in China did not get the tariff. Go figure??!!

[Old Trucker]

Originally Posted by tulsacars

I am a newbie. I recently purchased a 1999 Damon 34 ft. It still has the original F rated 245/70/19.5 Goodyear G159s on it. They look like new both tread and sidewalls, but according to the date codes, they are well over 12 years old. So... I am looking for new tires. If possible, I want to spend under $2000 total for all 6 mounted, etc.
I can get a set of Kumho 963 for $1778 (Korean made?)
or Kumho KRS03 for $2231 (Korean made?)
or Cooper/Road Master RM170 for $1674 (Some places say these are US other say China???)
or Hercules H902 for $1767 (Some places say these are US other say China???)
or Toyo (unsure of the model) for $2465 (Japan I assume?)
or Hankook (unsure of model) for $2035 (Korea?)
or Double Coin RT500 for $1525 (China, I hear in a Michelin joint factory?)

Leaving political thought out of it (buy only American), what do you guys thinks? Especially those with actual experience with these particular tires. Any other brands/models not listed I should look into? I looked in to Sumitomo, but the 19.5s are only 65 MPH rated. I would prefer 75 MPH or better to be safe. My usage will be very infrequent.

I am leaning towards the Kumho 963. Kumho seems to be a good Korean made tire. The odd thing is that the 963 shows up on the Kumhon Canada site, but not the Kumho US site. What is different between the 963 vs the KRS03?

Thanks for any insight.

There are lots of good brands. Apparrently you know how to read the DOT # It tells you the week & Year the tire was manufactured. Just because tires are new.... do not mean they ARE NEW.....they may be new but the date tells you they may have the wharehouse time on them. Look before you buy. Old Trucker

[jdr37]

Attached is a pretty complete description of all the sidewall markings.
jdr37

[tulsacars]

I ended up getting a set of 6 Kumho KRS03 mounted, balanced, etc. total out the door $1870.
The Kumhos were readily available compared to the Hankooks, and were about $200 cheaper.
Although I was a little disappointed that the date codes were 0711 (Feb. of 2011). So they are already a year old. But they were in a climate controlled warehouse.
I feel much more confident heading out to South Padre now.
Thank you all for your comments and feedback.
Being a newbie to RVs, these forums have helped me a LOT!
I also signed up for the Good Sam Emergency Road Service and the free Pilot/Flying J RV Advantage to get gas and propane discounts.

Thanks.

[UltraKen]

Originally Posted by jdr37

I've used several brands over the 28 years we've been RVing and had just as good service from Cooper as Michelin and Goodyear. What I have found to be of UTMOST importance is the load range rating. F is not enough for most class A units if you drive over 55 to 60 mph because the tires get much more heat from the flexation of the lower air pressure tires.
I have had multiple failures from all the different brands with load range F and not one failure with G (32' to 35' coaches).
JDR37

Why would your F rated tires have lower air pressure than G rated?

Have you done a four-corner weighing of your coach? Have you used those numbers to check the Load/Pressure tables for your tires?

To carry the same weight an F rated tire will require MORE pressure than a G rated tire.

BTW, radial tires are designed to have side-wall flex. They will definitely have more side-wall flex than comparable bias-ply tires (if you can even find them nowadays.

[jdr37]

Ken,
This is a very interesting subject -- one that neither tire nor coach manufacturers care to discuss. There are two issues involved in this subject.
First, coach manufacturers often use tires that are weight rated right at the limit of the gross chassis weight rating which allows no “safety” margin. I will say this seems to be less of a problem today than it was in years past.
Secondly, the higher the tire load rating the higher the air pressure allowed and the higher the pressure the less the sidewall will flex. Load range F tires can NOT be inflated with enough pressure to carry the maximum weight of a G tire! This sidewall flex has been known for years by many tire experts to be a major factor in radial tire failures. The problem is relatively simple: the greater the amount and rate of flex the hotter the belts become and more prone to early failure. The solutions to this problem are 1) slow down the rate of flex (vehicle speed) and/or 2) reduce the amount of flex which can be done by increasing air pressure. The higher the tire load rating the higher the pressure allowed. Additionally, using a tire load rating above the minimum required will provide a very comfortable degree of “safety” margin.
I am convinced from my many years of experience and research of this subject that tire ratings do not sufficiently take into account the combined factors of a) being constantly loaded to the maximum weight rating and b) constantly driven at maximum speed raring in 100 degree heat. I will simply say this: I have often experienced premature tire failures when utilizing the “minimum” required load range tire and driving at 70 mph. I have NEVER experienced such failures when utilizing the next higher load range tire.

I agree that being sure you do not overload any tire is advisable. I also believe it is equally inadvisable to lead motor home drivers to feel confident that so long as their tires are properly inflated, not excessively old, and are not over loaded they need not be concerned about the conditions I have stated above. One last note: I absolutely disagree with those that suggest one should only pressurize a tire to meet the actual load on the tire -- this only serves to maximize the sidewall flex. All for the sake of a perceived softer ride? No thanks, I’ll take my margin of safety, particularly at 70 mph!
Dave

[Eagle123]

Not sure what model kumos I had that rode harse, but I always felt they were safe. That's the main thing. They guy I sold the rv to really liked them.
Bill
2000 american eagle