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Old 01-07-2012, 01:35 PM   #1
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Chinese Tires

This info covers almost all types of RVs. While trailers seem to have the largest % of isues with Chinese made tires if you read the following and follow the links I also cover Class-A tire failures too.

If you have a friend that has had a tire failure please forward this info to them.
++++++
On my Blog RVTireSafety
I have two brand new posts that address the question of Tire Quality.
The first is "How good are Chinese tires??

and the second responds to some comments from individuals that took exception to my first post. It is titled "Why are bad tires on the road"
In the second post I issue a challenge to the RV community to actually make the effort to report accurate details and information to the US Dept of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety administration on any tire failures they have experienced.

If you believe the posts about "China Bombs" you will be especially interested in both of these blog posts.

If you have had a tire failure, a link to the appropriate form to file an official complaint directly to NHTSA is provided.
All I ask is that if you file a report, please make the effort to provide complete and accurate information.

Note I have examples of information on 84 failure claims on Michelin tires mentioned too.
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Old 01-07-2012, 03:36 PM   #2
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When I went o replace the bias ply LT tires on my vintage trailer, I found that no one made a NON-Chinese tire. So I went with a well known manufacturer and went with a bit heavier tire to make sure I am about 75% of the max load rating and installed a TPMS.

A lot of the tire problems are caused by the RV manufacturer putting on tires that have little reserve capacity and also owners that never both to weigh the rig.

Now there are real world tire problems...we had a class C with the world renown Firestone Steeltex. Those tires were never overloaded and always had the correct air pressure. Any time you ran the tire near capacity with some heat, it would fail.

So, in order to help yourself, make sure you have enough tire, weight the rig and keep the tire at the correct pressure.

We replaced one of the 7.00-15 LT tires a few months back with the only replacement I could find at Discount Tire on a weekend (cheap Chinese tire). I did not want to be without a spare. The tire is carried in a rear trunk on the trailer and the odor stunk up the whole trailer. I scrubbed the tire with soap and water, applied a tire dressing and it still could not be left in the trailer. I finally took it back to Discount and got a tire to match the others on the trailer that do not stink.

Ken
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Old 01-11-2012, 08:54 PM   #3
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Ken thanks for a bit of good info ffom the new guy on the block!
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Old 01-12-2012, 12:26 AM   #4
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Personally I don't care if Chinese made tires are horrible, bad, OK, good, great, the best thing since sliced bread. I don't want them. Period. If I can, I going to spend my dollars on merchandise, including tires, that are manufactured in America. I know that is getting harder to do every day, but I still try. I also know that some things are assembled in America from part obtained overseas. That's better than the thing coming from overseas. I particularly don't want anything from China.
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Old 01-12-2012, 06:26 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by historyljc View Post
Personally I don't care if Chinese made tires are horrible, bad, OK, good, great, the best thing since sliced bread. I don't want them. Period. If I can, I going to spend my dollars on merchandise, including tires, that are manufactured in America. I know that is getting harder to do every day, but I still try. I also know that some things are assembled in America from part obtained overseas. That's better than the thing coming from overseas. I particularly don't want anything from China.
I agree
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Old 01-12-2012, 08:56 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by historyljc View Post
Personally I don't care if Chinese made tires are horrible, bad, OK, good, great, the best thing since sliced bread. I don't want them. Period. If I can, I going to spend my dollars on merchandise, including tires, that are manufactured in America. I know that is getting harder to do every day, but I still try. I also know that some things are assembled in America from part obtained overseas. That's better than the thing coming from overseas. I particularly don't want anything from China.
Whether one agrees or disagrees, it is personal choice. A better reason than misinformation disseminated over the internet or over a beer. The major tire brands including Michelin, Goodyear, etc have plants all over the world including China. I less concerned with where they are manufactured and definitely concerned with the design, rating and reputation of the brand. I also prefer to buy American Made when possible. Just that it is not the first or greater rule in my purchase decision.
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Old 01-12-2012, 09:08 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TXiceman View Post
When I went o replace the bias ply LT tires on my vintage trailer, I found that no one made a NON-Chinese tire. So I went with a well known manufacturer and went with a bit heavier tire to make sure I am about 75% of the max load rating and installed a TPMS.

A lot of the tire problems are caused by the RV manufacturer putting on tires that have little reserve capacity and also owners that never both to weigh the rig.

Now there are real world tire problems...we had a class C with the world renown Firestone Steeltex. Those tires were never overloaded and always had the correct air pressure. Any time you ran the tire near capacity with some heat, it would fail.

So, in order to help yourself, make sure you have enough tire, weight the rig and keep the tire at the correct pressure.

We replaced one of the 7.00-15 LT tires a few months back with the only replacement I could find at Discount Tire on a weekend (cheap Chinese tire). I did not want to be without a spare. The tire is carried in a rear trunk on the trailer and the odor stunk up the whole trailer. I scrubbed the tire with soap and water, applied a tire dressing and it still could not be left in the trailer. I finally took it back to Discount and got a tire to match the others on the trailer that do not stink.

Ken

Are you staying with Bias to keep the "look" of the vintage trailer? If so I doubt you will find any US made tires from the 50's or 60's as there is no volume to justify the expense. I checked the listing at Coker tire (maker of antique and vintage tires) and did not find any LT 15" tires. He does have a passenger tire at $175. His market is for those doing restorations and having their cars in shows.

If you are jsut looking for new tires and can accept radials I may be able to help if you can provide the load capacity you need. You will probably need to change to wheels as I doubt the "vintage" wheels you have are approved for radial tire use.
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Old 01-12-2012, 09:19 AM   #8
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Just to help clarify. The intent of my posts was not to promote tires being made in China or by any specific brand. I was trying to address the claims (not supported by data) that if a tire was made in China it was automatically bad.

Buying products "Made in USA" is certainly a reasonable goal. One just has to remember that we, the consumer, in our never ending quest for lower prices are the ones driving the market. As long as a significant portion of the population buys with price being their #1 concern then manufacturers will do whatever necessary to lower prices.

We shop for new RVs with price being a major factor not quality or durability. We accept stuff that even the manufacturer doesn't believe will last much more than a year or two.

I personally believe that the RV manufacturers for the most part have the same lower cost is job #1 and quality be D*m&d attitude "Detroit" did in the 60's and 70's. Don't forget it was foreign companies that showed the American public the advantages of good quality cars which forced "Detroit" to change their tune.
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Old 01-12-2012, 03:17 PM   #9
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I was told by several tire dealers in my conversations over the past two months on tires that all the big US Manufacturers have plants in China as well and that some of the dealers sell them as being made in the USA. Personally, I prefer MADE IN THE USA on whatever I buy, but besides Kitchenaid mixers and Bic Lighters, I am not sure anymore of anything. Dont the tires have to say where they were manufactured?
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Old 01-12-2012, 08:30 PM   #10
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Quote:
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I was told by several tire dealers in my conversations over the past two months on tires that all the big US Manufacturers have plants in China as well and that some of the dealers sell them as being made in the USA. Personally, I prefer MADE IN THE USA on whatever I buy, but besides Kitchenaid mixers and Bic Lighters, I am not sure anymore of anything. Dont the tires have to say where they were manufactured?
Yes by Federal law the country of MFG is required to be on the sidewall. If you can identify a dealer that is telling you the tire was "Made in USA" and that dealer works at a major tire company store I am sure the Corp office would like to know about it. This is not the DOT but Federal Trade Commission regulation.

There has been more than one case where hundreds of tires were recalled and replaced for free for improper and illegal tire markings.
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Old 01-12-2012, 09:09 PM   #11
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Thank you for your time and effort. Hope to see more of you on here with facts as opposed to opinions.

I have two Michelin XRV 22.5 tires I removed at 50,000 miles (five years old) for an alignment problem. The sidewalls have some pretty good sized cracks in them. The interior of the tires are as smooth as can be and show no signs of cracks or damage. However my thought is with the tire not inflated any small cracks wouldn't be apparent.
What do you look for on the interior of a tire to determine whether it is time to replace it?
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Old 01-13-2012, 08:19 AM   #12
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I have Double Coin tires on my26K lb rig. I like em. Made in USA anything does not mean anything to me anymore, especially if made in a union shop as unions are the modern adult gangs IMHO.

Ed
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Old 01-13-2012, 08:43 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Arch Hoagland View Post
Thank you for your time and effort. Hope to see more of you on here with facts as opposed to opinions.

I have two Michelin XRV 22.5 tires I removed at 50,000 miles (five years old) for an alignment problem. The sidewalls have some pretty good sized cracks in them. The interior of the tires are as smooth as can be and show no signs of cracks or damage. However my thought is with the tire not inflated any small cracks wouldn't be apparent.
What do you look for on the interior of a tire to determine whether it is time to replace it?
Arch
Excellent question. Will give shore answere here but will use your question (no names) in a future post on my blog.

The cracks in the outside are for the most part an indicator of the integrity of the structure of the tire. I have seen statements on a limit of 2/32 crack depth and certainly any crack that exposes cord is an indication to get the tire replaced very soon.
The air chamber (interior surface) is a completely different type of rubber. If it develops cracks they will grow very rapidly and no longer retain the air.
The area of concern can't be seen. It is at the edges of the steel belts which is buried under 1/4" to 1/2" of rubber so all we can do is to use the cracks as an indicator.

Think of it as taking your temperature. If you have a fever it is an indicator and probably means you have an infection and need to see a doctor if the temp is high enough or doesn't go away soon. The temperature is just an indicator that somethnig is wrong. It doesn't tell you exactly what is wrong. Your Dr is trained and has additional tests that can be run to help determine why you have a temperature and exactly which meds or procedure is needed.

Hope this helps.
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Old 01-14-2012, 02:19 PM   #14
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So for longevity, what type of tire cover material works best?
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