tireman9

I'm coming from Ohio. Was was planning on I80 to Scranton area where I will spend night, then I84 E to Hartford the I91 N to W Springfield. Where do I find the FMCA route info with details around W Springfield? I have 24' Class-C and only need 11'-2" clearance My GPS map program gives - From I-91 N, Take exit 3 in Mass. to the right onto US-5 N towards Rt-57/Columbus Ave/W. Springfield, then - Take ramp to the right towards Rt-147 W/Agawam/W. Springfield, 1.71 mi,. - Enter roundabout Roundabout, 811 ft, - Take the 3rd right onto Memorial Ave, 587 ft, - Turn left onto Circuit Ave, 0.78 mi, to The Eastern States Ag & Ind Expo, 0.25 mi

See previous discussions in the "Tires" section. Bottom line is that for trucks that need max cargo weight and that drive 70 to 100k a year with very little time on secondary roads the "Super Single" may be a reasonable investment. The lower weight of four to eight Singles rather than 8 to 16 normal size tires and wheels can be significant in more load which can mean more income. I also doubt that many are converting existing trucks and those that do run these new tires are ordering on new trucks or trailers. If you and your RV have the same needs as the trucks outlined above and if you can order a new RV with these special tires then it might be a reasonable item to consider. Otherwise I do not think making the change is worth the $$$$.

Having been to a number of Family Reunion Conventions, I thought I might pass along a suggestion on what seminars to attend. With 100 seminars to choose from at West Springfield, making a selection can be daunting especially for a first timer but in my opinion you can make attending seminars both enjoyable and educational. Others will have some alternate suggestions but this would be my generic list. Once I get the detail list of seminars and the schedule I would try and match my generic list to what is offered at this convention. Even if I had attended a similar seminar in the past I have found that there is always something new to be learned. So in no particular order of priority: 1. First time attendee orientation. This gives you an overview of current FMCA member benefits 2. Chassis seminar (list various chassis i.e. Freightliner, Spartan, etc. If no seminar offered by a MFG then list the chassis specific FMCA Chapter seminars i.e. Bounder, Diesel club, Tiffin etc) might be a good bet for finding a support group when you have questions on your RV. 3. "Fire & Life Safety". I have attended this seminar a couple of times. It is entertaining and informative on the topic of personal safety when it comes to fire and RV ownership. Do you know how to get out your emergency Exit? 4. "RV Weight & Tire Safety" and/or "Tire Knowledge for RV owner", Ya this is a plug for a seminar I give on tire knowledge but if you can't attend my seminar then definitely put the Weight & Safety seminar on your must attend list. 5. "Ask the Experts" Always entertaining and informative. Even if you don't want to ask a question, you will learn some stuff. 6. Area Gatherings. Get to know fellow RV owners from your geographic area. Learn about upcoming area events. 7. "The RV Doctor's Top 10 RV Facts Of Life " by Gary Bunzer RV Doctor The following seminars may or may not be offered at West Springfield. A non-product seminars with an emphasis on basic information that would be educational to first timers and good reminders to experienced RVers 8 "Water in to Waste out" RV Plumbing an overview (Winterizing, Sanitation, preventive maintenance) This info is many times covered in RV Doctor's seminars. 9. "The shocking story" RV Electrics. Shore power, Generators and RV electrical systems overview & preventive maintenance and how to decide if you can repair it yourself. I am not aware of any such current seminar but learning about RV electrics is a good thing. 10. RV driving, an introduction and refresher to RV life. Topics to look for: Driving a motorhome is not like driving a car. Things to learn and Things to remember . There is a special course on driving an RV. Completion might earn you an insurance discount. As I said this is just my personal list. What do you think? Anyone want to start a Poll to help first timers develop their own list? Maybe another list for "refresher" seminars to attend.

Downside of having an unusual size. I have suggested in this video that people investigate the ease of getting replacement tire in the size they run. If your size is not common you might consider carrying an un-mounted spare tire for emergencies. You can store a lot of stuff inside an un-mounted tire.

First I need to clarify my +105 and go up 5. The +10% is correct My intent of rounding to 5 is to end in a pressure that is easier to remember and easier to read on many non-digital tire gauges. In your example that means 70psi is min per table +10% = 77 and then round up to 80psi. If your +10% had given you 82psi I would have suggested round up to 85. With these numbers it looks like Load Range F is sufficient so not much reason to spend the $ on LR-G tires unless your GAWR numbers would require greater inflation. Your placard numbers 90 & 80 were based on the RV company estimate on how much "stuff" you would be carrying. It looks like you carry less stuff than they expected. If you think your tires look better by increasing the pressure to 90 & 80 I see no problem with that since we have confirmed the inflation needs with actual data. I do need to say that I do not trust or approve inflating tires based on appearance and usually the person doing the visual inspection is off by 20 to 40 psi. You didn't say what your GAWR is for F & R but I am guessing it is higher than 5500 F and 10,000 Rear. Hope this clears stuff up.

To start off I have to say you have done a good job of learning the facts by getting the "4-corner" weights. You are also lucky in having a coach so well balanced. If you review some of the posts on my RV Tire Blog you will see a number of examples where we did a step by step through the calculation and setting of pressure. Since you have the tables, I think it better to have you (student) do the homework rather than me (teacher) do it for you. I am a firm believer that one of the best ways to learn a subject is by doing. So your "homework" assignment is as follows. What do the tables show as the minimum inflation needed for your front tires to support 2750# ? Min infl for rear in dual to support 2500#? What inflation do you get if you increase these inflations by 10%? and what is the final answer if you round up to the next full 5psi increment? Extra credit question. What should you set your TPMS warning pressure for F and for R tires?

Steel body tires do not change volume to a meaningful level so it doesn't really enter into this discussion.

OK folks Have to jump in. Quick answer: Don't worry about tire pressure change due to altitude change. Its Measurable but not Meaningful as covered in my blog Engineering analysis in my blog Sorry for just pointing to my blog but I don't have time to write the two posts again. And you can just ignore the pressure change if you don't want to read the blog posts.

Yup you got it. As I said some TPM are easier to set the warning levels than others so we each need to stop and think about our own personal system rather than simply do something like what you read on a post.

In real life, I see no advantage to balancing the air between duals with a hose. I do see some serious disadvantages. The issue I have is that some consider this a substitute for TPMS, which it is not. I also wonder about taking air out of a tire that is having its load increase as it's companion looses air. Those systems are suppose to limit the transfer of pressure if one tire gets a leak but you still are taking air out of a running tire that may have only a few psi to spare before it is in overload condition. Some truck companies may feel that completing the delivery run, even at the expense of two failed tires is worth the effort.

Yes there are a couple steps I would suggest for everyone once you get the RV weighed and consult the table to learn in MINIMUM inflation you should ever see in your tires. - The +10% is to avoid chasing your tail with adding 1 or 2 psi when temperature, elevation or even barometric pressure and normal air permeation result is a loss of a pound or 2. Some think they must always run exactly the pressure in the tables. This could mean they are adjusting inflation daily which I am definitely opposed to unless you are running a race car which is a different story. With a 10% "window of opportunity" you can tolerate day to day variation without any worry. Too much worry or attention to tire pressure will drive you crazy and can lead some to just give up and to stop doing due diligence for tire maintenance. - With a good TPMS you need to figure out how to adjust your settings (different for different systems) such that the -15% will be no lower than the minimum inflation needed to carry the load ALL THE TIME. If you can't figure this out you should contact your TPM dealer and ask how to set the TPM such that it will warn when you hit xx psi. .

Thanks for the numbers. For the fronts we look for 4860 and find 80 psi is the minimum so I would suggest +10% or 88 rounded to 90psi for your CIP set point. Rears (duals) we see the capacity for two tires in dual to be right at 9080 with 80 psi so I would again suggest +10% or 88 for your CIP set point Since you were right on the nose I would actually consider the minimum to be 85 so the CIP would be 94 rounded to 95psi. I used the Michelin RV tire guide pub 04/15 for the above numbers. Have you confirmed your digital pressure gauge is accurate to +/- 2 psi or better from a certified gauge? When I check gauges at events I normally find 10 to 15% are off by 5 psi or more and fewer than 10% are accurate to +/- 1 psi. The above variations are one reason i suggest a +10% over your minimum inflation. That way when cold weather or altitude or just air permeation add up and you start to see - 3 or -6 psi you still have a margin above your minimum needed and can top up the air at the next fuel stop and never run at or below your minimum inflation.

WildBill and Brett have it right. While I have posted the process a few times on my blog I am willing to do a personal calculation and analysis if rpButtery could provide the tire size including the Load Range, brand and the 4-corner scale weights I would be happy to look up the numbers and post the process so all feel a bit more comfortable.

While responding to a different question I found a potentially very useful web site for those in the market for new tires for Class-A RVs. The EPA has a program called SmartWay that many may not be aware of. This program identifies tires that can provide better fuel economy than tires not on the list. Here is the web site with the tire brand and design name of tires that are certified as meeting the minimum requirements of this regulation. Being on this list vs not being on the list is about the only tool available to tire owners to compare tires where claims have been made about improved fuel economy.

Looks like the info on the new Michelin has been posted. Yes "Rolling Resistance" is what tire companies use to compare the fuel use efficiency for tires. 5% better between two tires does not translate to 5% better mpg but under controlled conditions I would think you would see some improvement. Here is some general info on RR. and Here on truck tire RR There is no way to compare RR from one company to another as each company has it's own test conditions and specifications. However there is a way to compare tires using the new EPA "SmartWay" program. You can review the list Here. Basically you would get better MPG if all your tires meet the SmartWay regs than if your tires do not.

Have to wonder what the exclusions are re "covered claims". Are non-repairable punctures and cuts covered? What about run low flex failure i.e. "zipper" failures, leaky valves? The list goes on and on unless the warranty offers 100% coverage for any reason including road hazards. Another item is the time it might take to locate the correct tire to match the failed tire. Hours, days, weeks? "Close in size" isn't good enough in many instances such as matching duals etc. A review of many posts here shows that some brands/designs/size/Load Range can take weeks or longer to locate. Does the warranty mention about what they will do if you are on the Interstate with a failed tire and they don't have the correct replacement? Tire warranties sound fine for normal passenger & LT tires that have less critical fitment requirements but I'm not so sure about 22.5 sizes. You say you don't have space to carry a spare. Do you mean you don't have a space large enough to hold a tire or that you have too much "stuff". Remember you can always carry just an unmounted tire and put a lot of "stuff" inside the tire. This spare can also be a worn out tire (low cost) that is good enough to get you off the Interstate and to a truck tire service center.

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Assuming the yellow (pollen) washed off but the rough texture remains I would assume it is probably a bit of dirt that was cured onto/into the tire surface. This is unusual for Michelin but I have seen similar in numerous other brand tires. You didn't identify any cracks or depth to the spots so IMO this is just a cosmetic condition and would be of no worry to me. If it makes you more comfortable you could stop at a Michelin dealer but again I wouldn't consider this a condition needing urgent action.

The link and web site provided by Wayne has a lot of reasonable accurate dimensional information but it neglects to mention two important and critical dimensions. The Minimum Dual Spacing that when followed provides the needed clearance between duals. It also fails to mention the necessity to confirm rim width as tire wear problems can occur with the use of UN-approved rim widths. Not sure where the post is that mentions the 315/295 size mix on an RV but if all the load and dimensions are properly considered I see no problem with that application as it might address some front axle overload issues. Of course it would be good to know if the RV manufacturer has tested this size mix for acceptable handling and braking performance on an RV.

IMO if I ran into a tire dealer that told me a 275/80R 22.5 was "exactly the same size" as a 295/75R 22.5 I would be shopping for a more knowledgeable tire dealer. Beside the obvious difference in over-all width a more critical dimension is the "Minimum dual spacing" which is controlled by your wheel offset. This dimension is critical to avoid tire sidewalls contacting each other which can lead to tire failure. The 295 has a MDS of 13.19" and the 275 has a MDS of 12.24 Also the 275 is only approved for 7.50 or 8.25" wide rims while the 295 is only approved for 8.25 or 9.0 wide rims. Do you know what you have for either MDS or rim width? Now the tire load capacity at any specific inflation for a 275 and 295 is the same for most tire companies but I would be very concerned about the physical dimensions and fit on the wheels and MDS.

Really have to wonder what the real advantage to such a system would be. Given that tires only lose 1% to 3% pressure per month unless there is a puncture or a component failure such as valve leak. This system is pretty expensive substitution for getting air at a truck stop two to four times a year. Adding hoses and connections would certainly result in some folks experiencing air leaks and potentially even a tire failure if they were not running TPMS and doing timely inspection and maintenance of their tires. IMO this is a solution looking for a problem. IMO tire inflators are only of possible value for applications that have numerous tire leaks due to severe usage such as trash hauling or rough off-road service.

Herman Yes I will be at Perry Two different tire seminars Thurs & Fri as I recall Plus I give 3 seminars on Genealogy I will do another check for lights etc tomorrow. What is strange is the factory battery switch is "off" so I would think the drain is something that is bypassing the switch. Will post info tomorrow

Thanks for reply but this is not the chassis battery but coach battery. With the factory battery disconnect switch in OFF position I am wondering why there is any drain. I have looked for a light on but will double check. Yes this is new Class-C. I have written Coachmen to ask what could / should be "on" with the switch in OFF position. Am not holding breath for answer. That's why I'm here

2016 Coachmen 22QB Class-C I bought in July 12v "Marine" coach battery. When I was connecting battery in prep for the season I noted a strong spark even with the battery switch Off. Tested and found 2.24 Amp drain on the battery. Does this mean the switch is defective or that there was a mistake in the wiring? 2.2 Amp is enough to kill a battery pretty quickly. I think the only reason the battery lasted it's first few months (July - Sept 2015) was I have using the coach every couple of weeks. I have installed my own battery disconnect switch till I can figure this out. -- Roger Marble Check out my Blog www.RVTiresSafety.com

Sorry for slow reply but just back from trip out of the country. It looks like the above post covers most of the items that would be of interest. A couple of comments. Not sure about the tread width dimension difference as this is not listed in the Michelin RV booklet. It's important not to confuse the tire width i.e. 235 or 255 with tread width. It is entirely possible to have two tires of the same "size" have different tread widths. I did note the difference in tread depth. Depending on which sizes are being compared the XRV has shallower tread than the XZE. This is one reason for the cost difference with more tread rubber costing more $$. More tread depth can give sightly lower fuel economy but I note that Michelin uses the term "Fuel Efficient" and "Extra Fuel Efficient" on some lines of tires while no mention of fuel efficiency is mentioned for other lines. These terms can be used to understand the "relative" levels of fuel economy but as they say your mileage may vary.