MarvinM Report post Posted November 18, 2016 I need to purchase tires for my 2001 Travel Supreme. Dry Rot is taking over and I had one Michelin go flat with the nearest assistance over 100 miles away. Dry rot was the cause and examination of the tires shows all tires have dry rot. My main question is what brand to purchase, I am getting various answers from different people for various reason. I inquired about FMCA discount and got the name of a shop near home but they said because of the small amount of driving (2-3 trips/yr) I didn’t need expensive tires and was strongly suggesting Yamaha at about 2/3’d the cost of Michelin. To me, that was a little scary. I have 4 Michelin (275.70 22.5) as drives and 2 Goodyear( 670 RV) as Steers. I am open to any suggestions. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfe10 Report post Posted November 18, 2016 Marvin, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. What is the age of the tires on the coach now? The last 4 digits molded into one sidewall of each tire indicate the WEEK and YEAR of production. So 2401 would have been made the 24th week of 2001. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted November 19, 2016 Brett, I suspect some (2) go back to 01...scary! Dry rot, is way beyond cracks in side wall. Carl Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kaypsmith Report post Posted November 19, 2016 Almost any new tire is better than a dry rotted tire. Michelin, then Goodyear will most assuredly give a better ride than some of the cheaper ones. But the call would still be up to you as to how much you are willing to pay. My personal thought that a safe ride would be my goal, and if on a limited budget, and you don't travel that much, a cheaper tire may do just fine, but please keep those dry rots off the road for you, your family and others that you may encounter going down the road. I know that this happens rarely on motorhomes, but DOT does have the authority to inspect any vehicle's tires and can levy a hefty fine if found to be unsafe. I have used Toyo, Sumitomo, Kumho, and several others over the years with very good results with all of them. Happy and safe travels to you. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MarvinM Report post Posted November 19, 2016 I can't get a good view of the date stamp on all of the tires but the Michelin that that gave out was 2007 and the Goodyear that is close to going out is 5208. Marvinm. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfe10 Report post Posted November 19, 2016 At 8-9 years old, it is time to replacement them-- period. Even with excellent care they are at the end of their useful life. And, if not kept out of UV light, properly inflated 100% of the time, etc.... well they may be way beyond their useful life. And, sorry, never heard of Yamaha tires. Check again on the brand recommended-- there are a number of good choices. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MarvinM Report post Posted November 19, 2016 Was not able to talk to the same sales person today but was told the shop does handle Yokohama tires for RVs. That's most likely the name I was given and I couldn't read my own shorthand. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kaypsmith Report post Posted November 19, 2016 Yokohama is a tire brand, but google does not bring up a Yamaha tire brand. I have seen many of the Yokohama brand on automobiles, but not on heavy tire applications, doesn't mean they don't make them, just unseen by me. Most MH tires still look good treadwise because of the reasonably low mileage that is usually put on them, so many of us know to replace them because of age. My coach uses a very popular truck tire size, I have stated on the forum before that I have a routine of replacing two tires every two years, not allowing any tire to become more than six years old, I have a deal with a local trucker that buys the two from me because the tread always looks very good. I usually get 150.00 per tire, but was paid 200.00 each last month. I was typing at the same time as your reply came up Marvin. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfe10 Report post Posted November 19, 2016 Yes, Yokohama is certainly one of the options. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted November 19, 2016 Marvin. Their OK as long as it has the load rating that you need for your axels, fit your rims and don't rub together on you dual application. Carl Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tireman9 Report post Posted December 3, 2016 One thing many do not think of when buying tires is checking for general availability. This goes for size, load range and brand. If you only travel in a 100 mile radius then anything from "Billy-Jo-Bob's Cheap Tire Emporium and bait shop" might be OK but it might be a challenge finding a replacement "Mud-Wumper XL" if your are 1,000 miles away. Some brands have a strong presence with many outlets but only in a couple of West coast states. so getting a replacement in GA might be a challenge. Go on line to the tire brand you are considering and check the list of store locations across the country. You might even consider calling one or two and just check availability of the specific tire you are considering. Does anyone even have one in stock or quickly available? Remember you are making a purchase you hopefully will be living with for 6 to 8 years so initial price is only part of the lifetiime cost. You might save a hundred initially only to end up spending 400 extra in time and money to get a flat replaced a couple years down the road. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jleamont Report post Posted January 14, 2017 Well the time has come to begin shopping for new drive tires. 295/80R22.5. I wanted to wait another year but I just discovered my drivers side outer is almost flat and the inner is resting there carrying all of the weight. Not worth the risk, they are already the wrong size and weight rating and 4 years old. so it's time to say goodbye and see what brand. I think I am going to put two of the four new on the steer and bring them to the rear inner so I have fresh tires up front. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfe10 Report post Posted January 14, 2017 If you are going to replace 4 tires, move the front ones to ONE SIDE IN BACK. That way the two tires mated on that side are the same height. Mark the front ones so you put a side facing inboard in front facing outboard in back so the same side is not exposed to UV light. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted January 14, 2017 That's a good thought, Brett. Joe, you may want to go with the 315 up front, I found it to be a smother ride, besides that it's getting difficult to find new 295's! Wish I had done all of mine at 315 in OR. instead of 6, 295's and 2, 315's! I only got all, because OR has no Sales tax...that saved me a bundle! Carl Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jleamont Report post Posted January 15, 2017 Brett, thank you for the idea, that was a good one. Carl, my thought was to buy 5 and keep one for a spare. I want them all to match in size, especially if I'm going to keep a spare. My steers are three years old now with 19,000 miles on them so buying seven is not an option, too much life left in them. Not many manufacturers out there in this size. I'm going to call our tire supplier Monday and see what's available and pricing. my drives are dated December 2012. Still look new, no checking on the side walls. Maybe sell the good two on Craig's list, common tractor trailer size 295/75R22.5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jleamont Report post Posted January 19, 2017 Still tossing this around. I am considering switching to a different size so if I should need a tire on the road one would be readily available. Well I am striking out. I considered switching to a 315/80R22.5 but my wheels are 8.25" wide and will not accommodate the 315/80R22.5. I thought about a 12R22.5 which will fit on my wheels but is 1.3" taller and .4" narrower. Tireman, any thoughts? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jleamont Report post Posted January 19, 2017 Update; the BF Goodrich ST230 in a 12R22.5 is a closer match in height and width, and its much more price attractive. So now I will be 1.1" taller and .5" narrower, and with respect to weight carrying capacity I am loosing 160 lbs on the steer axle and gaining 100 lbs on the drive axle. Which isn't a concern as the tires when calculated are over my axle GVWR rating, which is a positive. The 12R22.5 should be much more accessible if I should need one on the road. Expert thoughts? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillAdams Report post Posted January 20, 2017 As an owner of 12R 22.5 tires I can tell you that they are NOT readily available. When I needed new tires they had to be ordered and it took well over a month for the dealer to finally get them in stock. Truckers use 11R 22.5 but these are not good for you. The metric tires are much more readily available as a general rule. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted January 20, 2017 I remember you waiting in Dallas. Joe. Just make sure they don't rub together on the drive axel...have you looked at BF Goodrich or TOYO or Continental? If I remember right, there's also Yukohomas (not spelled right)! Carl Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jleamont Report post Posted January 20, 2017 I am planning on purchasing the BF Goodrich ST230. Pricing was fantastic and I had my tire supplier run a search nation wide on 12R22.5 and they were readily available. Now the 315/80R22.5 had more available but that would require a wheel change (not going to happen) and my stock size 295/80R22.5 almost none, just small pockets, they are expensive and have to be ordered in. Another problem only limited companies produce this size. Since they are slightly narrower spacing will not be an issue. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted January 20, 2017 Joe, I had 295 Michelin (8), now I have 315 on front. No new rim. Got about 18,000 miles on them since August 2014. Carl Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jleamont Report post Posted January 20, 2017 Carl, depends on what wheel the coach was built with, some are 9" wide and others (like ours) are 8.25" wide. I called REV got the wheel part number then called Accuride (wheel manufacture) and got the specs for the wheel. Since none of the tire manufactures recommend installing a 315/80R22.5 on a 8.25" wheel I am not going to chance it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tireman9 Report post Posted January 25, 2017 RE tire sidewalls rubbing together. The industry terminology is Minimum Dual Spacing. You can read more on my blog on the topic If changing brands and definitely if changing size you need to get that dimension for tires you are considering. If your current tires had say MDS of 12.50" you could safely go with tires with a lower MDS but if you are considering tires with a larger number you will need to do some measurements and calculations or you could end up with problems. The dimension is controlled by both tire size and wheel width and wheel offset so it isn't an easy thing to measure BUT a competent truck tire dealership will know about this and how to confirm appropriate clearances. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jleamont Report post Posted January 25, 2017 Tireman9, thank you for the input. I spoke to one of the tire dealer's (large east coast truck tire installer) we use at work. They recommended the 315/80R22.5 however my wheels are too narrow. I inquired about the 12R22.5 we both looked at the specs online and they are narrower .5", so I can have them safely mounted on my wheels and I have plenty of clearance for the extra 1.1" taller. 12R22.5 Seems like the path to take. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tireman9 Report post Posted February 21, 2017 For those looking for tech info on Yokohama or other brands and the Load Inflation tables I have a post with many links. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
