Used Tires Inspection

[captcurt]

GM List:

We would like to spread out replacing all of the tires on our 26' flair over 2 seasons and will be putting 2 new Michelin XZA on the steer axle now. I have found a couple of different sets of take-offs that I am thinking of buying to get us thru this season and wondering if there is any advice on evaluating the condition of a used tire. Date-wise these are nearing the end of their "recommended" lifetime of about 5-6 years but have been stored indoors dry and have only 1500 miles on them. There are no visible weathering or cracking--they are aired up and mounted on wheels.

So...any thing else I should look for?

I'd love to just have a full new set, but this is our first venture into RVing and and with all the extra "stuff" we seem to need and some other maintenance and repairs to the RV, we need to divide up the substantial cost of the tires if possible.

Thanks

Curt

[wolfe10]

Curt,

Buying used tires is always a risk-- usually an unreasonable risk.

You really don't know if the tires have ever been run low on air, overloaded, etc.

[five]

Curt,

Buying used tires is always a risk-- usually an unreasonable risk.

You really don't know if the tires have ever been run low on air, overloaded, etc.

Too big of a risk and unknown for me. I don't put used tires on anything.

[rmartin6600]

I agree, you are buying someone else's problem. But, check the FMCA Michelin tire program. We just put 8 on the Bus and the program worked perfectly. Save a little over $100 each. You do not have to buy a full set, just what you need. Richard

[tireman9]

You didn't mention the age or condition of the tires currently on your coach.

Putting two new on the front is a smart move. Have you had a dealer inspect the 6 tires you have and does he say, in writing, there are 4 that are good enough for 1 year service?

Tires stored indoors for a number of years can have hidden issues as moisture has not been "driven" out of the tire so the steel could be corroded but not visible externally.

[andyshane]

I posed notion of just replacing the steers at 5 years, running the drivers/tags for another year or so and replacing them incrementally.

He said that was a bad choice.*

His logic: that while a blowout in the rear is not likely to send you careening into oncoming traffic, it is likely to cause a lot of damage. In the interest of full disclosure, I'm on vacation now with 2006 Goodyears on the rear tires, brand-new Michelin XZE Energy tires on the steering wheels. New XZEs for the tag and drivers are on back-order.

*Manufacturers' recommendations reign supreme, tempered by UV exposure history. I was running 2006 Goodyears with pristine sidewalls and 50% tread depth, which the company says are fine to keep, but my tire pro buddy didn't like. Goodyear won't give a specific age for recommending replacement; conventional wisdom is that the blowout rate in Goodyears leaps at the seven year point. They address the many factors that affect tire longevity HERE. Michelin, on the other hand, says tires can be used up to a decade if they are inspected annually after the first five years.