Replacing Tires In Omaha

[tricializ]

Hi all:
I appreciate all the knowledge on this site.

We have Michelin 275/80R22.5 XZA3s currently and love the ride of our coach. But we hardly use it. I mean the past few years, we took it out 1 weekend a year. I want to use it more and am going down to Disney and the original tires (2005) are still on it.

Stored inside and have been getting them inspected and the tire dealer kept saying they were good. Anyway, I just am not comfortable traveling on them anymore.

I have heard good things about Hankook and Toyo and am having a hard time finding anyone in the area with them. We will probably end up doing the Michelin Advantage program but in that we use it so little, it would be nice to save some money too.

The one tire dealer we have been having them inspected on has Continentals and recommended their General Tire. They also have Michelins but say they aren't part of the program.

Anyone with experience in this area and with some of the other brands would be really appreciated.

Thanks so much. 

Trish

[desertdeals69]

I have used Toyo's with good success.  The ride may be a little harsher because the sidewall are a little stiffer.

[wayne77590]

Whichever you decide to go with make sure you check the specifications for diameter, width, etc.

Here is a web site that once you have the numbers you can find out the differences in the tires.

Tire Size Calculator

[tbutler]

We ran Goodyear tires for years.  Now I have Michelin all around.  The ride difference is quite noticeable.  The coach handles better, rides smoother and I know I can trust the tires.  A key part of the process is finding someone who will mount the tires like they would for a car, balancing, checking for round, torquing the lug nuts if you have aluminum wheels is important.  If they sell large tires, they service mostly trucks.  You will likely have to stress to them that this is not a truck unless you love to "feel the road." 

I have tried it both ways and it does make a difference to balance the rear tires.  Have all tires balanced!  I've never had a problem with Michelin tires being out of round but Goodyear tires had to be checked for round.  Some shops don't even have equipment to test for round.  Once mounted, the tire should be rotated on a stand and the roundness measured.  If it is more than .006 inches out of round, have it rotated a quarter turn and remounted.  One way to avoid this problem is to have them set the bead with the tire horizontal.  Lay it down with the wheel inside then inflate until the bead sets.  This helps keep the wheel centered as perfectly as possible in the tire.  Michelin tires have tested well within tolerance for all six tires I have purchased.  Goodyear tires were always near the limit or needed to be adjusted to get within limits.  It really does make for a smoother ride. 

Omaha to Disney and back is a long trip that will be made much longer on rough riding tires.  And yes, your tires are 11 years old, a long trip like this will likely result in one or more of the tires failing.  That means delay, possible damage or worse.  You will be running them long days in hot temperatures, check the pressure each day and adjust as necessary to keep them within specifications.  Know your individual wheel position weights and consult the tire manufacturers weight and inflation chart to find the correct pressure. 

You have saved a nice pile of cash by running these tires as long as you have.  Now, spend that on some good new tires and for good measure and peace of mind, install a tire monitoring system on the coach and the toad if you have one.  Consider what is at risk (the cost of our coach and the lives on board when you are traveling) and the safety equipment makes sense.

[tbutler]

Finding a Michelin dealer that can handle the FMCA Michelin tire program shouldn't be a problem.  Here is a link to Michelin Dealers.  There are six truck tire dealers listed in Omaha.  Four of the six service National Accounts (the FMCA program).  You can go through the six one at a time, fly the cursor over the key and find the symbol for national accounts and then check with the dealer to be certain.  Most we've contacted are familiar with the FMCA program and will ease your way through the process.  If you don't find one that you like, widen the search area to include Lincoln and Council Bluffs or any other area you want included. 

Once you have the dealer and give them the tire size you need.  Tell them you want tires that are no more than three months from manufacture date (stamped on the tire) and have them order them for you if necessary.  If they don't have them in stock, they should be able to get them in a week or two.  A good dealer will meet your needs.  If they hesitate to get recently manufactured tires, talk to another dealer.  Make certain they can mount them the way you want, balanced, checked for round, mounted for a motor home, not a truck (see my post above).

A caution.  I went to the general Michelin site which itakes you to auto tire dealers by default and could find no national account dealers.  I had to find the way into the truck tire dealer finder (see my caution above) to find the national accounts. 

[tricializ]

So interesting to mention the balancing. We got new tires all around today and I was driving it out and as soon as I got up to 55, boy was that steering wheel shaking. Turned right around and had the tires re-balanced (or maybe balanced right?) and when doing so they found a small imperfection in one of the front tires. Took it off and put a different one on and driving home the coach felt good again. But my day that was supposed to be a quick 1 hour go get the motorhome and drive home turned into about a 5 hour trip. Oh well. I do feel better now that I have new tires. Thanks for all the help. 

 

[tbutler]

Glad it all turned out OK!  We've done the turn-around after leaving the shop with new tires.  Good move, they would never have gotten better!

[tricializ]

Thanks. I was convincing myself I was crazy and maybe it was ok the entire way back. But no. As soon as I left the second time it was nice and smooth and felt like I was used to. 

[manholt]

robShapiro30.  We do not allow advertising on the FMCA Forum!  Sorry, but I'm turning you in to our moderator, who will be in touch!