Goodyear vs. Michelin

[kymfontana]

Cost notwithstanding, Goodyear vs. Michelin ... what is the "preferred" choice, if there is one?

Any feedback would be appreciated.

Kym

[wolfe10]

KYM,

What size tire and what do you have on it now?

Second question: Have you weighed the individual wheel positions (best) or axles and do the tires have extra capacity? Said another way, are your tires maxed out on what they can carry, or do you have some safety reserve?

Also, when buying new tires, make sure they are NEW, because you will likely replace them due to age, not tread wear. The last 4 digits of the DOT number tell you the WEEK and YEAR the tires were made. Best to get them within 3 or 4 months of new.

Brett

[Guest Wayne77590]

I personally prefer Michelin. I like the full steel jacket and the longer durability. Just a personal preference. Both manufacturers are good. Just buy from a reputable tire dealer and not a discount house.

[Cheverie@aol.com]

Not sure I understand why you couldn't deal with a reputable discount dealer, as long as they stand behind their merchandise, and athe DOT # tells you the tires are relatively new.

[Cheverie@aol.com]

Not sure I understand why you couldn't deal with a reputable discount dealer, as long as they stand behind their merchandise, and the DOT # tells you the tires are relatively new.

[srb1534bus@bellsouth.net]

Considering my experiance with Goodyear not withstanding the fact that I live in the City of Goodyears largest plant, I would not have them. I have had them ride like a square and hard to balance. Not to mention one failing. And no it had nothing to do with maintenance or air pressure as I'm a stickler on that. After changing my Class A to Michelin my problems were solved.

[Grandriver]

On our cars we've had good experience with Michelin. With our one motorhome that had them - YUK. I'd say stay away from the XRV's - all others are probably fine. We had GY on our first MH (used Triple E) and they were fine. Second was a 39Ft Winnie Journey DP and the XRV's were terrible. We concluded we would NEVER buy a MH that had XRV's.

Third was a heavier 41 ft Ambassador with GY's and they were fine.

Fourth is a Kodiak based C with GY's and they too have been fine.

At one time Freightliner did not allow any choice for MH manufacturers ordering its chassis - Michelins only. We took a tour of the Gaffney plant after all the XRV complaints were being reported on the forums and noticed a lot were getting GY's. When I asked they were reluctant to comment but made it clear that it was due to demand from dealers (and whispered - because of problems with the XRV's). Shortly after Michelin increased the inflation pressures by 10 psi. Ours had real difficulty holding air.

GR

[d_p2005@msn.com]

As I write this response, I am spending a few weeks on the Oregon coast in an RV community. Out of the 23 RV's here, only two have Goodyear tires, the rest have Michelin or some other brand. The Michelin's all have sidewall cracks that in some cases you could put a quarter in up to George's head. I myself have Goodyear's on my coach and all my rigs including my utility trailer tires. All tires have held up well with zero problems. Goodyear also has a special RV tire with compounds that deter UV, and ozone, which is what causes the deterioration. I will be replacing my tires within the next few months with Goodyear RV G670 tires in the recommended size for my coach. Also, Goodyear has a 5 year manufacture warranty from the date of purchase, if you keep the receipt, or form the date of manufacture if you didn't. I have had tire failures twice on Michelin's and will only trust my family's safety to Goodyear.

Hope this is helpful.

[wolfe10]

Yes, many more motorhomes ride on Michelin than any other brand. Therefore more trouble free miles AND one would expect also more problems-- even if their reliability exceeds others. I am not suggesting which is best, but from a statistics standpoint one should look at failure rate/mile or failure rate/tire, not total number of failures. Were we to just consider total number of failures, a cheap Chinese tire that has only been imported for a year or two would WIN???

We have 151,000 miles on our coach, all on Michelin (third set because of age-- 17 1/2 year old coach) with zero failures and very seldom that I even have to add air.

We are quite happy with Michelin.

One of the secrets to any tire's longevity is that it is properly sized to carry the actual load (see my post above). A tire that is carrying 100% of its designed capacity WILL be more prone to failure than one sized with a safety reserve. And a corollary: if it is carrying its maximum capacity ANY PSI less than full PSI will have the tire operating under inflated/over loaded.

One cost cutting measure at many chassis makers through the years is to spec a "barely adequately" sized tire. Save a few dollars times 6 tires on every chassis. THAT is why I suggested above verifying that you have a tire with some reserve capacity-- irrespective of brand.

Brett

[tlight]

I have run both Michelins and Goodyears. I found both to do the job intended. My current coach is equipped with Goodyear G670's. They have served me well and I am very happy with them.

[F277870]

What about Continentals HSR1 275/70r22.5? How do these compare to Goodyear 670rv and Michelin XZA2?

[jpgclg]

I have been using Goodyear on my vehicles for over 30 years and wouldn't use anything else. My motor home (a 2007 Tiffin 42 foot Allegro Bus) came with Michelins. We're full timers. I've been very happy with them on our Spartan chassis. I do remember that when Goodyear first came out with the G670 there was a lot of complaints, especially with people who were not full timers and kept their units in storage. Tiffin was using them for awhile when they first came out but there were so many complaints that they went back to Michelins. Don't know if he has restarted using Goodyears or not. I like the fact that the Goodyears have a five year warranty but I'd need to know that they corrected the original problem which was one poster stated, they rode like a square!

Jim

[Suptjoed]

Upgraded to a new pusher Dec. 2007 and had to replace my 2 front Michelin tires on a trip from Fl to the west coast ( tires had 21 thousand miles) and the sidewalls had large cracks, The motor home had set on the dealer lot in Florida for a year before I got it but to have 2 tires fail at the same time. My last motor home had Goodyears on it and I made two trips to Alaska and 5 trips to Ca. and over 50 thousand miles and just replaced them because they were 7 years old, with no problems. I will be taking off the back tires and replacing them with Goodyear before I start to travel next year.

[merv.forney@erols.com]

Great question with many diverse comments. We all have different experiences; good and bad ... Here's mine:

Bought the 2008 coach on a Freightliner chassis with Goodyear 670RV all around. Had each wheel weighed and consulted the Goodyear weight/pressure charts and kept them appropriately inflated. Regardless of manufacturer, this is the absolute best practice. BTW, we full time and have put 30K+ miles on the coach in two years.

Just this past June, we had a inside rear dual go flat (good thing I had pressure monitors, another best practice) and it appears the tread simply separated from the casing; a Goodyear defective tire. Also, I have never been completely satisfied with the overall handling of the coach.

I just replaced the steering axle Goodyear 670RV's with Michelin XZA2 Energy's. I cannot believe the positive difference in ride and handling. I am now a Michelin believer. Still running the Goodyear on the drive axle duals but when ready to replace those, I will go Michelin.

So, it may not make too much difference which manufacturer you choose. What is important is to have each wheel weighed, adjust pressure appropriately, strongly recommend pressure monitors, keep the front end in tip/top shape, drive defensively and enjoy the ride. Both companies enjoy great reputations.

Attached is the Goodyear with tread separation.

[slercel@yahoo.com]

What happened to to Bridgestone??? I have had bad experiences with both Michelin and GoodYear. One like to explode and the other sheds treads. This happened on both my class A Beaver and Gas Powered Overland until I switched to Bridgestones!!!!!! This is a fact not fiction!! I don't care how good they say the warranty is, what good does it do you on a Sunday or Holiday when you are in the middle of nowhere?? And also try to collect on your warranty from Michelin these days as I just went through that with them on my GMC Envoy Toad. Tires weren't even three years old!!!!!

[Guest BillAdams]

That's interesting. It may be the difference between what kind of coach it was installed on, but we replaced our GY fronts with Michelin and found no difference at all in ride or handling. We are due for new tires all the way around and we will be putting GY's on simply due to the large price difference.

[merv.forney@erols.com]

What happened to to Bridgestone??? I have had bad experiences with both Michelin and GoodYear. One like to explode and the other sheds treads. This happened on both my class A Beaver and Gas Powered Overland until I switched to Bridgestones!!!!!! This is a fact not fiction!! I don't care how good they say the warranty is, what good does it do you on a Sunday or Holiday when you are in the middle of nowhere?? And also try to collect on your warranty from Michelin these days as I just went through that with them on my GMC Envoy Toad. Tires weren't even three years old!!!!!

Have a friend that swears by Bridgestone. I have no experience. Price difference?

[merv.forney@erols.com]

That's interesting. It may be the difference between what kind of coach it was installed on, but we replaced our GY fronts with Michelin and found no difference at all in ride or handling. We are due for new tires all the way around and we will be putting GY's on simply due to the large price difference.

I priced Goodyear vs Michelin at Les Schwab in the Northwest and the Michelins were about $50/tire less expensive. Hmmmm ... go figure.

[slercel@yahoo.com]

I priced Goodyear vs Michelin at Les Schwab in the Northwest and the Michelins were about $50/tire less expensive. Hmmmm ... go figure.

You only get what you pay for!!! The only reason I change my Bridgestones is for age!!! Never had a problem with then on either Class A coaches I've had them on. I had to remove my Michelin's from my GMC Envoy due to dry rot and cracks in the tread after only a little over 3 years old. Michelin wanted Ramona Tire to send in all 4 tires so they could look at them and then they would issue a adjustment!! Well Ramona Tire installed 4 new Bridgestones and said they would handle Michelin for me as they said Michelin has gotten very bad on warranty. The new Bridgestones ride much better with less road noise. I've had the last set of Michelins on any of my vehicles!! I wonder why most RV ers only consider Goodyear and Michelin???? Seems to me that some of you are missing out on a good tire!!!!!

[dwilson787]

The tire guy I talked to, who has been in the tire business for 40 years, recommended the Continentals, so thats what I put on mine.

[Guest Wayne77590]

Not sure I understand why you couldn't deal with a reputable discount dealer, as long as they stand behind their merchandise, and athe DOT # tells you the tires are relatively new.

It is my understanding, and mostly from hearsay I have to report, that discount tire companies can get what some may call "seconds." That is they are not the first line and first choice of tire dealers. If, and I said "if," that is the case, then I personally would like to ride on the first run tires for my own safety. Each of us in life has to make a decision. Mine may not be correct, but it is mine, right or wrong. Only time will tell.

[gdlilja]

Interesting discussion re: Goodyear vs. Michelin. Any opinions about TOYO tires? I've had good luck with them on two 40' motorhomes.

[sgureasko]

I have used Goodyear and Toyo on my coach (1990 Wanderlodge) with no problems, BUT, as everyone said, you have to keep alignment and inflation in mind.

My coach is heavy (48000 lbs) so I watch inflation carefully(with tire monitors).

Some people swear by a certain brand, and some people swear at a certain brand, but it all boils down to what you like. It's just like buying a car,

there are many brands out there, it's what you like.

There will always be failures, and there will always be successes. At the end of the day, it's your choice, and your dollar.

[treedcougar@comcast.net]

My brother was also in the tire business for 40 years and also ran a Bandag recap shop for large truck/bus tires. He recommended I replace my 11R22.5 Toyos with Bridgestone R250 295/80 R22.5 and stay away from Goodyears. His choice would be Bridgestone first, Michelin second, and Goodyear third.

His logic was that Bridgestone has 1) similar ozone/UV repelling compounds (and they work best if you don't put tire shine on them); 2) a deeper tread depth and longer tread life, 3) the same or similar load rating, and 4) stronger casings that stand up to more abuse. His preferred used tire for recapping was Bridgestone, because of the casing, and he said it carried the most value in the used truck/bus tire market for that reason.

I replaced the Toyos with the Bridgestones 11,000 miles and a little over a year ago on our Coach and was amazed at the improvement in ride and handling. I was also able to lower the tire pressures from 120psi front, 110 psi rear, to 100 front and 90 rear. This helped the ride, but the different tire profile on the Bridgestones also helped the ride and handling. My Toyos were showing abnormal river wear on the tires by the time they 10,000 miles on them, and had to be rotated. The river wear continued up until I get rid of them at 31,000 miles. The Bridgestones, now at 11,000 don't show any abnormal river wear, so I don't plan to rotate them.

Since then a number of my friends with similar coaches have also replaced G670 Goodyears with the Bridgestone R250s and are very happy with them.

You might want to consider the Bridgestones instead of either Goodyear or Michelins.

[mtabery1@yahoo.com]

We have 255/70R22.5's on our 36' HR Endeavor. We had quotes of around $3400 to replace the 6 tires. After some checking around we decided on Bridgestone R250ED, the quotes were still in the $3400 range. Went to Speedco, the oil change folks, spent $2300 and change for all 6 tires! We saved about $1000 and LOVE the tires. They ride and track very well.

I retired from the tire business after owning a tire store and have sold most brands of tires. The Michelins were never a consideration for my replacement. I had a Michelin Rep once tell me "Michelin has never made a defective tire". I had to call BS. With all the tires they have made I gotta believe that defective tires have left their factories. The attitude told me that Michelin just may not have the best after sale service, should there ever be a problem.

Speedco only deals with OTR trucks and diesel MHs. They are equipt and seem well trained. I have had great service from the one in Eloy, AZ with the tires at a great price as well as oil changes for the RV and the Onan.

Jack