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tireman9

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Everything posted by tireman9

  1. tireman9

    Tire upgrade

    Dual Spacing is a function of wheel offset and tire width. You might read THIS post on the topic on my blog.
  2. tireman9

    Tire inflation

    Sorry been busy traveling for work ( 2 trips to CA + MIA + KY in 16 days) The number of tires at the end of an axle establishes single (1) or Dual (2) when reading tire charts.
  3. tireman9

    Tire inflation

    You should at least be able to get the tag load separate from the drive duals with a second weigh after pulling forward so only the tag is on the scale.
  4. This may affect some Class-A motorhomes. Click the link if you need more detail info. NHTSA Recall ID Number : 18T012 Synopsis : Continental Tire the Americas, LLC (Continental Tire) is recalling certain Conti Hybrid HS3 tires, size 11R22.5 LI 146/143, Load Range H with DOT codes A33TKWUY 0818 through A33TKWUY 1318. These tires may have cords visible through the innerliner. Tires that have cords visible through the innerliner can have sudden air loss, causing a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash. Continental Tire will notify owners, and dealers will provide replacement tires, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in September 2018. Owners may contact Continental customer service at 1-800-726-7113.
  5. Ross, I think you may be out of luck trying to match that size & load capacity with a Toyo. They do not seem to have a broad a selection of sizes and HD Load Range as some other tire companies.
  6. Once you get alignment fixed You should be able to run them out. I would not recommend "truing"
  7. Good, well lit, sharp pictures of tread-wear conditions always help in understanding the question. Yes, one side wear is many times an indication of an alignment issue. If when you check alignment the "before" measurements confirm out of spec then it is reasonable to conclude the wear issue was caused by alignment and not an early indication of some tire issue. In that case, it is probably reasonable to rotate tires. If the "before" numbers indicate the alignment was in spec then you must have the tire looked at by a truck tire dealer for the brand tire in question. NOTE. Once a tire has some irregular wear, it is almost impossible to make it go away. You might make it less noticeable or not get a lot worse. Also depends on how "bad" the wear is
  8. As the resident tire engineer. I really don't like the "Best tire" questions. IMO that's almost like asking what is the "best" Pizza or "Best" beer. All the major tire manufacturers make good tires. People may have individual issues and many times think it is a design or manufacturing problem but most, not all but most issues are a function of the specific coach and how it is maintained and loaded. I agree with the suggestions to get the alignment checked and set first. See if you can get a "4 wheel" check too, just to be sure your rear tires are pointed in the right direction and you have no "dog tracking" as is sometimes seen in HD truck/trailer situations. You can do a rough check with a long tape measure and help from a friend. Confirm the wheelbase on both sides of the RV measures out to be identical. Sounds like it has been a while since you checked your weight. Even if you can't get a "4 corner" weight at RVSEF or Escapees you can get on a truck scale and compare current axle loads with the last "4 corner " numbers. We all need to get on a truck scale once a year to confirm not too much "weight creep" You know, a bit like waistline creep we see over the years. You mentioned ride height and its effect on handling. The suggested tire size change would affect ride height and could affect handling too so you need to be careful about that.
  9. I am considering offering a new seminar aimed at FMCA members who pull any form of a trailer. While big heavy fifth wheel trailers are more of concern, I would cover all towables. My regular seminars on tires "Basic tire knowledge for the RV owner" and "Advanced knowledge for the RV owner" touch on trailer application they have more focus on Motorhomes. With towables now a growing part of the FMCA family I want to offer more focused information as some of the needs for trailers, such as proper inflation, are different. Setting aside your plans to attend Perry or Minot in 2019, I would like a seminar title that would get your interest and make you feel you should attend this seminar. So assuming you were looking at a list of seminars, what works best for you? If you have ideas please feel free to make a suggestion. "Tire information for trailer owners" "Important trailer tire information" "What trailer owners need to know about their tires" " How to get better life from your trailer tires" Thanks in advance for considering the options and letting me know.
  10. When considering a TT or TV purchase you need to do some math and NOT depend on the salesperson to have your best interest at heart. Watch THIS video and be an informed owner.
  11. My comparison of internal set "A" vs external Set "B" was done on one set of tires. I followed up with Internal set A vs external set C I also was able to get a direct pressure reading comparison with a special test fixture that provided same pressure to 12 sensors. My report goes live tonight on my blog. I hope it helps a few people.
  12. The concept of comparisons is nice in theory but I do not recall ever reading any review that involved simultaneous testing of two or more TPMS systems or components. The best most can come up with is "A couple years ago I ran system X. Now I run system Y. I got better readings on system Y" How do they know they got better readings? Were loads, tires, speeds, roads and ambient temperatures identical?
  13. There are a number of posts on FMCA forum and on many of the different RV forums on the Internet that point out the advantage of learning the load on each individual tire position but we all know that it isn't easy to find those locations. The alternative is to find a scale big enough to weigh each axle on your RV or tow vehicle and apply a margin of error calculation Here is a website for CAT truck stop scale locations. Certified truck scales can be found here. Another locator of scales. You can also use the internet to find local building supply houses or grain elevators or sand & gravel pits that might also have large scales. Knowing the total load on an axle does not tell you how much un-balance side to side you have on each axle and your goal is to ensure your tires are not overloaded/underinflated. Obviously, there are only a small portion of the RVs out there that have a perfect side to side load balance, so it is suggested that we assume that one end of an axle has a higher portion of the load. There are suggestions to use various percentages ranging from 51% to 60%. The higher percentage is the most conservative but can create other problems. Personally, I have been suggesting a compromise and that we calculate 53%. So we can go to any truck scale, learn the actual load on each axle when the vehicle is at the anticipated heaviest weight apply our calculated safety margin figure, look up the minimum inflation needed to support that load and then confirm the inflation is sufficient to support the heavier end load. There are other things to be considered when trying to learn your personal proper cold tire inflation and those considerations are covered in other posts.
  14. I have been doing an internal TST vs external Tire Traker comparison since March and post data on my blog. When pricing, don't forget the install cost with an internal system. I prefer dealing directly with MFG or dealer as they can answer any technical questions you may have While all you will get from AMAZON is sales. Bought my TT500 at FMCA event.
  15. Weighing video and info HERE Locations with scales HERE I have seen some say they called their state police and asked where their compliance officer was and explained they wanted to have their RV checked. Grain & gravel and some building contractors have small platform scales and will let you get 4 corner weights for a low fee. You still need to do the math though. Calculation worksheet HERE
  16. Cupping and Rivering are not the same thing. Taking a close look at all your tires annually from new should alert you to any wear issues early enough to address before the issue becomes more than just cosmetic.
  17. I still think that at a minimum you need to get the RV on a truck scale when you have all the "stuff" you expect to normally carry = Full water & propane and food and clothes etc. Related info but also valuable information few think about in THIS video. Not saying you have to get a new truck or replace the trailer but it covers important things on weight and load that many don't always consider. Having tires and wheels that are not overloaded is important but you know about the weakest link. Maybe taking a hard and realistic look at the "stuff" you carry along is in order.
  18. I always suggest the inflation be increased by at least 10% above the minimum needed to support the actual or calculated load. (Calculated load is almost never 50% of the truck scale axle readings) While some RVs have been found with 1,000# side to side un-balance I am suggesting you calculate one end of each axle to have 53% of the total on the axle. So your front 8940 x .53 = 4,739 and 9095# for the rear heavy end ( yes I always round up) Michelin table shows 95 psi for the single load of 4,805# and 100psi for a 9,050# load but that is lower than your calculated 9095 so we go up 9370# 105 Psi I then add 10% to the above inflation and get 110 and 115. Obviously, two different approaches and yes I am probably more conservative (asking for more inflation) but I am coming just from the increased margin on the tire loading side of the topic. I think you can see what happens if we don't know the actual loads. We do need to be on the conservative side with our estimates. Some suggest using s 55% figure rather than a 53% My +10% on the inflation found in the tables works well when we know the actual load on the tires. Hope this helps and isn't confusing.
  19. Here is an excellent video on how to learn the various weight ratings for the truck (tow vehicle) and the trailer (travel or 5th wheel). Walter Cannon of RVSEF ( Recreation Vehicle Safety & Education Foundation ) or his crew are at many FMCA conventions and as a Tire Engineer, I strongly recommend attending one of his seminars. This video does not get down to the loading and inflation of the individual tires but if you are the average RV owner, there is a good chance you are exceeding one or more of your safety ratings. If you are you are also probably exceeding the safety rating on one or more of your tires. To learn more about tires you need to review the "Tires" part of this forum.
  20. I have no personal knowledge of the MultiZ but looking at the Michelin web site I see they mention the arrows on the sidewall. This is a "semi-directional" tire meaning it should rotate in the direction of the larger arrow unless you have an irregular wear problem when you can reverse the direction. They also say " Improved all-position radial optimized for RV chassis and specialty trailer in regional and line haul applications " Sounds like a good application
  21. For Class-A I suggest you carry a used tire not mounted and have road-side service. Having the used tire is always going to save you money vs paying for whatever the service guy has. No need to have it mounted as service can do that on the side of the road. This also means you can store stuff inside the tire. Not all Class-A have a basement large enough (Shame on the MFG). Class-C and Class-B can carry a mounted spare BUT be sure you have the tools that can handle the weight of the RV. I would be concerned for some units as you may not be able to jack up an axle on the side of the road so having road service is a good idea. I have changed my tires at home so I know the tools and jack are strong enough. Also have a 8"x8" plate to give the bottle jack extra stability. maybe this is a topic for a Tech Tip ?
  22. There is no problem running a LR-E at 65 psi if that is the rating for your wheels. BUT Simply stating the GVWR is no indication of the actual load on the tires. I have covered proper inflation of Trailer tries a number of times, in detail in my Blog. Basically, run the inflation on the tire sidewall. BUT in your case, that would be 65 psi. You also need to confirm your actual load is less than 85% of the Max load capacity for your size tire (at 65 psi). or 2,083# on the heaviest loaded tire. You can PM me if you need clarification for your situation. BTW, when you upgraded your tires did you get bolt in metal valves installed too?
  23. I have a small Husky 750Watt "modified sine wave"inverter I use to occasionally run AC powered items. The AC items do not seem to be putting out their full power. Using a small digital multi-meter the inverter output shows 91V with load or no-load. Checking with a small AC analog gauge that I use to check the voltage at outlets in the RV when plugged into shore power the Inverter shows 128 V with no-load. Is the low reading to be expected as the meters are giving the RMS value?
  24. OK so now we have two completely different types of failure. The one from Mike L. has a suspect mark I would need to see up close before I can offer my expert opinion. I have requested a couple of better pictures. The tire from csiemen is clearly a belt/tread separation and no TPMS is going to provide warning of this type of failure. es 5 years is shorter than I would expect for tires that had always been inflated to 75/80 psi. You didn't mention what your scale readings for the coach.
  25. Please click on the following NHTSA Recall ID links to view the recall information. Note: If you did not receive a notice directly from NHTSA or Continental tire then your tire dealer failed to properly register you as the owner as required by Federal Regulation. I covered this topic in my RV Tire Blog HERE. If you have a Michelin, BFG, or Uniroyal you can go HERE to register your tires or contact your tire dealer and ask them for the appropriate form. NHTSA Recall ID Number : 18T008 Synopsis : Continental Tire the Americas, LLC. (Continental) is recalling certain Conti Coach HA3 tires, size 315/80R22.5 157/154 L, with DOT codes A372KWUU 3517 through A372KWUU 1618. These tires may have cords visible through the innerliner. Tires that have cords visible through the innerliner can have sudden air loss, causing a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash. Continental will notify owners, and dealers will install equivalent tires, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in July 2018. Owners may contact Continental customer service at 1-800-726-7113.
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