tireman9

Skipped over this first time around. Not sure what you mean when you are talking about "trailer tires". While a majority of travel trailer tires of "ST" type come from China that is not 100% true. I understand one large mfg, Maxxis, is not made in China. Now if you are talking large Truck/Bus radials i.e. 19.5 and larger rim then that claim is certainly not true. Many TBR tires are identified for their intended application. Some for fronts, some for drive, some for trailer and some "all position". I have not read about any general trend for TBR size "trailer" tires to be made in China. In fact I am pretty sure some are made in the US. Note I do not have access to all production data and am not sure if I have ever seen tire type by country in a published manner.

Yup, That's why you want to get the OC measurement with the tires inflated and when comparing tires be sure both have same psi. Sorry if I wasn't completely clear in the above psots about measuring inflated tires. Sometimes I forget that others don't do things I consider "automatic". Down side of having a lot of experience.

If Brett's suggestion doesn't provide an answer You might need to look at alternate brand tires for the coach. If you go that route it is suggested that all tires on an axle, especially the front, be the same size, brand, design, Load Range and carry the same CIP based on the measured load on the heavier end of that axle. I further suggest a +10% on the inflation so you aren't running the minimum needed.

Correct. It is very difficult to accurately measure OD but OC is relatively easy. You don't need to match front tires other than it is suggested they be marked as the same size, brand, Load Range and design, and inflated to the same PSI based on the heavier axle end. Each pair of tires in "Dual" application in addition to being same marked size, brand, design, load range and inflation need to have their OC measures and confirmed to be +/- 3/4" OC of each other. Yes a brand new tire will grow a bit so if I had to match a new and warn pair I would want the new tire to be smaller and closer in size. Usually duals should be replaced as a "set" of two tires but this is not always possible if you aren't running a fleet of trucks.

I'm not aware of any rating numbers or stars or letter grade that cover tires from different companies. BUT I would consider all tires of the same size & Load Range that carry the "Smartway" rating to be essentially equivalent and better than tires that don't have the EPA rating. Just as "your mileage may vary" when talking about car fuel economy the same goes for TBR tires but at least these large tires have been separated into two catigories. SmartWay and not SmartWay.

A review of the tire Load - Inflation charts would tell you when you need to increase your inflation by the next 5 psi incrament. BUT it is generally recommended that you use the heaviest expected loads for your basic minimum inflation. You should probably not be playing a game with lowering inflation to the bare minimum needed to carry the load. Personally I prefer to see people have a minimum of 10% extra load capacity with 15% or greater being better. Most car companies have a "reserve load" (excess capacity) of 13% to 20%. Currently I suggest: Weigh the corners of the coach when it is at its heaviest. Consult the tables to learn the MINIMUM inflation needed to carry the load on the heavier side of each axle. Consider that pressure to be the MINIMUM you should ever run. Set your TPM warning to that pressure not 10% or 15% below the minumum Your CIP should be at least the minimum + 10% and as long as you don't exceed the max for the tire or wheel you would round up to the next 5 psi increment. Ensure your digital pressure gauge is accurate to +/- 2 or 3 psi. I have covered gauges and how to do the calculations in a number of posts on my RVTireSafety.com blog

I would be careful about any claims for any performance characteristic made by any individual tire company. Its all to easy to claim Our tire is better when you don't really know what the other tire is that they are using as a reference. Now for Fuel Economy there is a rating that all tire companies can apply for. EPA Smart Way I think a good question to ask your tire dealer is "Do your tires meet these standards."

Not sure what your exact question is. The dimensions and load capacities at the stated inflation are very similar. What is your measured load on each side of your rear axle?

While there are many posts on the difficulty many are having finding the specific brand & size they want, shortages are not always limited to a single brand or a line or size. Some general guidelines to keep in mind when shopping for other options. You can mix brands on a vehicle. If doing this, you should still keep the sizes the same or very close to the original size and Load Range. You should not mix tires on front axle. BOTH should be same tire.(i.e. brand or size or type or design or Load Range) You should not mix tires in a pair of duals in addition to being the same brand or size or type or design and Load Range, you need to match the physical OD within 1/4". I have a couple of blog posts showing how to properly measure the OC to meet the measurement goal. How to match duals and How to replace duals. Mis-match size can result in a tire wearing out in a couple thousand miles or even a tire failure due to load imbalance. While it is possible to have the left pair of duals a different brand or design than the right side duals this is not a desirable situation but some times there is no alternative.

Ran Firestone Transforce HT 16" for 28,000 miles (7 years). One of 6 had sidewall stress crack @28k (long term parking during Winter) so it needed to be replaced. Many / Most Firestone & Bridgestone LT and TBR tires made in one of two plants in USA. Similar tires (BS or FS) would most likely be made in same plant to almost identical specifications.

You say tire pressure is "OK". I assume you mean you know the load on the tires and have enough inflation to carry the load. What Cold Inflation Pressure do you use? What are your actual loads for each corner or for each axle. The 2 body plies is actually more than what many have in their LR-E LT type tires as in my experience 1 ply is used in many tires of this size. How many miles on the tires? I would give them 500 mi to get all the mold lubricants off the surface. What speeds are you talking about?

Thanks for the input. Yes I have EZPass and know it can save $$$. Based on input will NOT do 90 Seem to recall doing I294 years ago as I thought I355 too far West or something. Will give I355 a shot. Herman RE Saying HI. Will try and keep an eye out. Note I am giving 5 different Seminars. 2 on Tires and 3 on Genealogy Check the schedule for exact times and locations.

Expect late afternoon Monday to be South of Chicago on I90, so I would expect that the I90 might be heavy with commute traffic. Am leaning toward i294

Headed to Madison Monday see that I have 3 choices. We have a Class-C I90 through downtown Chicago I294 or I355 Thoughts?

While I was waiting to get my new coach on the alignment machine I watched the shop finish up a front end on vehicle spin balance on a big dump truck. Balancing on the vehicle will help with out of balance hubs & brakes as well as make out of round tire, OOR tire mounting or OOR wheel to hub condition. Brett talks about balancing an egg. I prefer to think of balancing a cinder block. Can be done but don't ride worth a darn. Hope to see some of you in Madison at my tire seminars.

Can't answer the size / Load Range question without knowing the actual loads on the tires. While actual corner loading is best we at least need individual axle loads and can apply a 47/53% side to side unbalance estimate.

Agree its disturbing but not surprising. Just another example of an RV company saving a few bucks up front which will cost the owner hundreds and maybe thousands a few years down the road. This will be something I look for on the new MH we are picking up Monday.

Just to give folks a heads up, I am scheduled to give two different seminars on tires at Madison. The first is "Basic Tire Knowledge" for the RV owner. Thursday 3:00PM Tire size, load range and inflation needs are the focus. The second is "Advanced Tire Knowledge and Failure Analysis" Friday 1:30PM Now don't be put off by this.as all that is required is that you be interested in learning more about tires than "I gotta put air in them". The Failure Analysis part will show numerous examples to show that "Blowout" isn't the correct answer to every tire failure. I believe that if you don't know the real reason "WHY" a tire failed simply replacing the failed tire with a new one or with a different brand may not solve the underlying problem. I will stick around and do Q&A after both sessions till there are no more questions. My presentations are company neutral and I have nothing for sale other than knowledge and that is FREE. I am hoping to again offer tire pressure gauge calibration check after the seminars but won't know when or where till I confirm I can set up my portable compressor so I have adequate pressure to check your gauges. My "Master Gauges" read to 0.5 psi and have been checked against ISO Laboratory certified gauges. But bring your gauges if you would like them checked. See you in Madison. Note anyone that is reading this that has attended my seminars is encouraged to add a "review" of my seminars to this thread.

I understand the desire to keep initial price low but why can't I get more than 12 months coverage, which in reality is more like 5 or 6 months as I do not full time it. I would think that if an RV dealership in cooperation with one of the brands they sell offered say a $500 - $1,000 "Tune-Up package once a year which would extend the B2B warranty for another year, there would be some who would buy the program. Obviously a 22' gas Class-C would be less expensive than a 40' diesel pusher but you get the idea. You can do a fare amount of PM for $500 and this would keep the dealership staff busy in the slow months. Some customers would be happier and I for one would be more inclined to pay for this rather than some extended service contract that only covers the generator but not the wires that connect to the generator. The water pump but none of the water lines, The Refrigerator but none of the propaine or electrical connections to it etc etc. This would also get the customer back into the dealership and who knows maybe even build some customer loyalty. With the proper PM I would also think most components would last longer so there would even be lower warranty costs to component suppliers.

I hear the excuse but based on personal experience working as a QA rep of a supplier to a number of car companies the reality is that the RV company does have some leverage with the suppliers of major components. They also have 100% responsibility for some parts of the "coach" where there is IMO absolutely no excuse other than they know they do sloppy work and don't want to be held accountable for it. Lets look at the 12v wiring. This is all installed by the RV company in their assy line and connects the house battery to various components such as the Converter/inverter, water pump, and interior lighting etc. Clearly 12v wiring and connectors are mature products in the auto industry with most of that industry offering 100% coverage of the wiring and the connection to components for 3 to 5 years. Now if Born Free offers 3 years coverage I say good for them. My question remains for all the remaining RV companies. Why aren't they willing to stand behind the work on the 12v wiring their employees do as they assemble an RV? I understand that the companies offering "Extended Warranties" are in the business of making money. Clearly they are not going to offer coverage on systems that they expect to fail based on claims history. The refusal of apparently all these companies to offer meaningful extended coverage without a long list of exclusions sends the message that confirms my belief that the output of the RV workers and companies is significantly worse than in the auto industry. Regarding components supplied to the RV "assemblers" Yes currently many of these components have their own warranty coverage. Some for 12 months, some for 24 and a few for 36 months. But it is possible for the RV company to "raise the bar" by informing the component suppliers that they need to step up and offer better quality components with longer warranties if they want to sell to the RV company. This is how it works in the auto industry where over the past few years various car companies have included every component including tires under their umbrella warranty. I can attest to the fact that a tire with a manufacturing defect that is "adjusted" under warranty by the car dealership to the customer if confirmed to have a defect is replaced by the tire company along with appropriate costs associated with the adjustment. These "warranty costs" are something tire companies really try to avoid and have gone to significant effort to try and eliminate any defective tire from leaving the tire plant. Born Free claims "Highest Quality, Best Built" and with a 3 year warranty they clearly are industry leaders. Now do you think that the Born Free RV company is absorbing all costs associated with component failures or do you think it more likely that any warranty costs are passed back to the component supplier? If Born Free can do that they why can't much larger RV companies with significantly loarger purchasing power do the same? The list screw-ups I have personally observed in RVs is long and I have evidence of things such as bare electrically hot wiring, paint cans left rolling around under the bathroom floor, water pumps in contact with wood frame members which turn the coach into an echo chamber. electricians tape being used to secure water fittings. openings in interior body work being bashed with a hammer rather than cut with a hole saw. bad and broken welds on exhaust system hangers, misaligned holding tank lines that result in valves being broken, the use of admittedly defective graphics that resulted in the necessity of a re-paint of the side of an RV at owners expense, broken 12v ground strap connectors, unit being sold with front end alignment problems resulting in abnormal tire wear, and corrosion of all brake lights due to failure to tighten screws. Just how are these defects excusable and not the responsibility of the RV company? Maybe while at some future RV show I will check with some of the various suppliers there and ask the length of their warranty and if it isn't 3 years then I might follow up with a question about how they feel about selling a product that they themselves expect to fail before the "new wears off".

OK, Now that the server problems have been handled... This really belongs in the Tires forum but lets see if we can handle it quickly. Based on actual weights with slight rounding and adjustment your Front Axle carries 5,100 vs GAWR of 6,000 Drive 9,500 vs GAWR 11,000 Tag 3,300 vs GAWR 3000 BUT we don't know the axle side to side split. I like to assume a 47/53 to 45/55% split and we need to carry the heavier side so lets look at the range IF 53% Front 2,703 (single loading) 70 min Drive 2,518 (dual loading) 75 min Tag 1,750 (single loading) 40 psi min If 55% Front 2,805 for 75 psi min Drive 2,613 for 75 psi Tag 1,815 for 40 psi Also I suggest a +10 % above the Minimum cold inflation for your AM set pressure so you don't have to worry about the pressure change due to temperature variation. We also need to limit the CSP ( Cold Set Pressure) to no more than the wheel rating which in this case I believe is 80 psi So we end up with a CSP Front 77 to 80 psi Drive 80 psi Tag 44 psi To make things easy I would go with 80 for Front & Drive and 45 on Tag as I like to round to 5 psi. Now When you re-distribute your loading and get the pressure on the tag suspension resolved and get the actual corner loading you may need to tweak the inflation on the TAG. Hope this helps Sorry to sidetrack this "Weight" thread into a Tire Inflation thread.

First, Glad the FMCA computers are back on line. Second re slides. It sure would be nice if RV companies made information on type and details of slides available to potential buyers. I think I understand the different types of systems i.e. hydraulic vs gear drive and single motor vs dual. With some research I might even be able to make an informed purchasing decision but since the RV companies seem to have zero interest in providing information on the mechanical aspects of their products and appear to want to keep us "Blinded by the Bling" I guess we will just have to take our chances and if there are problems simply blame the RV company for their poor design and purchasing decisions and make broad brush recommendations to others to stay away from Company X. Not the best way to build a loyal or supportive customer base. To me this would be like Ford & Chevy refusing to provide information on their chassis having disk or drum brakes or having power or manual steering. My experience with a few salesmen at a couple of dealerships makes me wonder if they are much more than glorified order takers. Now there probably are a few sales people that take pride and an interest is what they sell but I just haven't met any. I think I will do a bit of research on product knowledge at Madison and ask the representatives a couple of questions. Seems like the posters here are more knowledgeable that the salesmen I have met. If you were going to ask two questions about slides, what would they be?

Quick post as I have errand to run. 16" tires? I am surprised that there is a 34' RV with tag on LT tires. What is the OE tire size & Load Range? What does your tire placard say for size & tire inflation. Your tires need to be rated to carry at least the full GAWR or 3000# + on front and 2650+ on rears (dual load rating) and I would be surprised if you want different sizes. We are getting a bit off topic on this if we get into too much tire talk. Will check back in a few hours. We may need to move the discussion.

Bill I plan some such or at least something in writing as to who is responsible to pay for an alignment. I'm willing to pay for the alignment check and the dealer should be willing to pay for the adjustment and then they can go back on the RV company to collect the cost of the RV company for not doing a better quality job in the first place.

Normally I would let Brett Wolf handle this one as I know he knows a lot more than I do on Tag axle set-up. But he is on the road and asked me to jump in. First off you get points for making an effort to learn the actual weights on your axles. Too often people just look at the specs and guess for the rest. It does look like the tag is not shifting much weight to or from your front which i find a bit surprising. BUT those are the numbers. Are you sure your GVWR is 17,000 + 3,000 I normally expect the GVWR to be less than the sum of the individual GAWRatings but lets go with that number for now. Based on the scale readings on the tag it looks like 35 psi or a little less is where you should be as you should not exceed the tag GAWR at all. 8480 on rear seems like the correct number so if you can place the load over rear axle then you should be OK One thing to consider is the side to side balance on each axle. You seldom see 50/50 with 47/53 being more likely so this brings in the question of potential overload of tires as you approach 100% of each GAWR.