Tires with 1/2" designations (ex: 191/2"

[ToledoCharli]

My new coach has 19 1/2" Continental tires. I went today to purchase spare and lo and behold was told by this major tire store that they will not mount any brand with a 1/2" designation as there are to many documented failures. None of my pre-purchase investigation brought up anything related to tires falling in this category as being a consideration for not purchasing a particular brand coach. I then called our companies primary road service company and was shocked to hear that they won't air up a tire in this category due to pressure issues and high blow out statistics. Comments?? I won't name the specific national tire chain by name but I have never been able to get a discount from them that I'm aware of.

[Big Bear Local]

So what you are saying that a 19.5 tire will not be mounted by them. That's ridiculous.

[Mr_D]

The problem is that some tire people don't know the difference between a 19.5" and a 19" tire and try to mount them on the wrong rim especially if it has a split rim. People have been killed by the resulting explosion.

[ToledoCharli]

Mr. D- I presume that the 1/2" has the split rim that your refering 2?

[LadyFitz...]

Any tire with the .5 in the size (i.e. 16.5, 19.5, 22.5, 24.5) are tubeless tires and should never be used on a split rim. I've know shops that wouldn't mount or air up split rims because of the danger of the tire blowing off the rim but not tubeless. I can see a road service not wanting to air up a tubeless since if they are low enough (doesn't take much) or have gone flat, they need to be broken from the rim and the bead reseated which is a chore without the right equipment. I drove and reinflated 16.5s for several years without problems on an old F350. I have seated and inflated 22.5s with nothing more than an air compressor and a bead expander made of some sturdy rope and a piece of pipe (the contraption is technically known as a Spanish Windlass although there are more colorful names for it, most involving the word "redneck"). It worked but it was a chore.

[Big Bear Local]

Originally Posted by Mr_D

The problem is that some tire people don't know the difference between a 19.5" and a 19" tire and try to mount them on the wrong rim especially if it has a split rim. People have been killed by the resulting explosion.

I have never heard of a 19" or a 19.5" split rim. There is a 16.5" split rim. The 16" solid rim replaced it 30 plus years ago.

Mark

[bbeane]

ToledoCharli, 19.5 tires are a common tire on many medium duty commercial vehicles. As the other posters said 19.5, 22.5 24.5 are tubless tires any good truck tire shop is equiped to properly mount these tires, if not they would not be around long. Tube type tires are just about the way of the west.

[Outlaw45]

you need to go to a good truck tire shop and get mounted. never heard of such a thing. guess some places make too much money and are doing real good and don't want to be bother with RV's. way too funny.

Outlaw

[wa8yxm]

Well, a song writer told you what to do back a long time ago, The title: My Mamma Told me, To Do the Shop Around.

Shop elsewhere.

[ronspradley]

The last set of 16.5 tires I bought for my 1982 Midas Class C were from a national tire chain with no "discounts" available. That was 4 years ago. Never heard of a bias against .5 before............

Just comply with this guy's request. He told you he did not want your business..............You do not want him to give you the business either.............ronspradley

[RustyJC]

If his concern is split rims, that's one thing. The 1/2" size designation is another. My 5th wheel has 17.5" aluminum wheels fitted with Michelin XTA tubeless radial trailer-specific tires, and I see no difference in rim design, mounting difficulties or dangers, etc. between these 17.5" wheels and tires and the 16" wheels and tires they replaced.

Rusty