# Motor home tires



## MHTOM (Apr 8, 2009)

Hello , I have been lurking for some time here , and I think i need to have a question answered   but i have been on other sights and they don't really seem friendly enough to answer a question   so i thought maybe i would try here  you all seem as if you know about rv's  but here is my question  I was told by my tire shop    that Michelin tires  have a 10 year spread   before you have to replace them   is this true   my tires are 8 years old    no cracking   or anything    but i don't feel that i am getting the true answers     i would like a second opinion   as it would be said    I hope that i am not asking a dumb question    or maybe i am not looking in the right place   but i hope i can come here with any problems i might have  i will wait for any response i may get


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## Guest (Apr 8, 2009)

RE: Motor home tires

well first off ,, welcome to the forums ,, and no ,, there is no dumb question ,, we have done it all ,, and still do it ,,, and wonder why ,, but back to u'r ?? ,, i too have michelin tires on my MH ,,, but i am not pushing the 10 yr mark as u ,, i have been told that the XPS Rib  tires will go 10 yr's ,, but ,, i believe in the 6 yr rule ,,, others may say yea or ney ,, but it's the lives of others ,, and u'rs or u'r family that counts ,,, if anyone can show that the 10 yr rule exist ,, then i may rethink my tire purchase also ,,, but i think not ,,, JMO ,, and other will have theirs ,, i am sure ,,, but stick around ,, heck u might even learn something on here ,, but i must warn u ,,, we get off topic quit a bit ,,, and clown around ,, but if u can put up with that ,, then u ok by me  :approve:  :approve:  
Oops ,, btw u did not say what michilen tire u were running ,,, my fault ,, i did not ask first off ,,, see what i mean ,, first post ,, and already forgot ,, oh well 
 :laugh:  :disapprove:
Another thing that might help is this   http://rveducation101.com/videostream/?clip=RV_Tire_Tips


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## vanole (Apr 9, 2009)

Re: Motor home tires

Count me in on the 6 yr rule.  I've run both Michelin and Goodyears on both M/H's I've owned.  Happy with both brands.  I've had one catostrophic failure of a tire on my previous coach did 7k worth of damage to wheel well and surroundig area luckily did not takecout either air bag.  Tire was less than 5 years of age but that particular GY tire G159 series had some problems.  Many articles on the web about them.

Very Respectfully,
Jeff
GO NAVY
Fly Navy


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## JimE (Apr 9, 2009)

RE: Motor home tires

I agree with the 6 year rule. I tried pusing it with the GY tires on my last coach and amost had a serious wreck after a blow out. One white knuckled experience is all it took me to learn.


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## TexasClodhopper (Apr 9, 2009)

Re: Motor home tires

One thing to remember about your 6 year old tires that you hand over when new ones are put on.

In most cases, those old tires of yours have a new life in the trucking industry.


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## H2H1 (Apr 9, 2009)

Re: Motor home tires

OK  I have been reading about tires for quite awhile now. And I was just on E-bay looking at a new set for $299 ea. doesn't sound to bad. But here is my question why the magic 6 year rule. AND IF THEY AREN'T GOOD ENOUGH FOR A MH then why are they good for trucker to use? ANY WAY JUST ASKING


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## *scooter* (Apr 9, 2009)

Re: Motor home tires

Well, last year I noticed some checking on my 02 MH  tires.  Then they were about 6 yrs old.  As I looked into it further I thought I'd do some tire rotation and get the rear inside tires placed on the outside and so forth.  As it turned out, the rear inside tires were more severly weathered/checked than any of the other tires.  So I decided to replace all of them.  Nothing is easy... I could only get 3 Michelin's locally and the 4th came from Oregon ( I checked with several dealers and no one had any, so I had to believe there were no Michelin's  to be had).  So the end result is 4 Michelin's on the rear and Toyo on the front.  The Toyo's have more steel belts on the side wall than Michelin, and have a very similar tire tred to the Michlin.  And lastly, the Toyo's cost were significantly lower.  The ride is great so no loss there..
I think 6 yrs would be a time frame to consider new tires.  I'ved been there when you have a flat because of tire age and no obvious physical signs, luckily I had a spare.....but the second flat on the same trip really did me in,      :blush:


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## Guest (Apr 9, 2009)

Re: Motor home tires

well scooter i agree ,, and as u i am in the same boat ,,, i waited to long to get tires ,,, and since i want to leave in less than 6 weeks ,,, well i want a matched set of tires ,, 9 to be exact ,, u know all the same date codes ,, well they have told me ,, to do that ,, it will take 8 to 9 weeks to round them up ,, so iguess that blows that ,, but my other option is ,, to get 8 ,, very close to the same codes ,,, which can be done in 6 weeks ,, well i know i will get ribbed about this ,,, it's only been 8months since i mentioned tires ,,, oh well ,, i 'll just cancel the trip ,,, hell only gonna get week anyway  :disapprove:  :disapprove:  :angry: 
Oh btw ,, did any of u notice ,, or is it just me ,,, the tom guy ,, made one complete sentence ,,, only had 2 commas in the whole thing ,,, oh well maybe that si the way he types ,, or she ,,, but i am sure as many as i use ,,, he/she can borrow some of mine ,,, oops forgot ,, TOM is gonna see this also ,, OH NO Â© ,, well now i done it      :disapprove:


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## MHTOM (Apr 10, 2009)

Re: Motor home tires

Thank you all, so many responses ,and 730 sorry for not using the proper punctuation, but i will watch and make sure all my comas are where they need to be , if i knew how to make those little cartoon things  i would  but i am new here and still learning , but as for my tires ,730 , i have 22.5 not sure of the rest all i know is 22.5 , but since i bought this motor home used i really don't know much about it   but thanks to all of you    i am going to replace the tires   since   all of you seem to think that the 6year rule is the way   but i am wondering    what did texasclodhopper mean about tires being reused on trucks is this for real   i thought they just threw them in a pile out back   but one other question  , my motor home has a generator   but i can not seem to  get it to power the things inside   my motor home , if i plug it in  all seems to work fine   but when i am not pluged in ,, and use the generator   nothing works   am i doing something wrong ? or is it because i do not have a clue about my motor home ?  thank you all for not telling me to go to this web sight and read about something   i know nothing about   i came here to learn  and everyone here seems to know something about rv's    well back too work   i am on my lunch break   well for most   they would be sleeping  but being a FAA controller   we don't get many breaks    thank you all TOM


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## Triple E (Apr 10, 2009)

Re: Motor home tires

I bought my, 1997, Motor Home used.  Have the Michelin tires on it. They look great but I too am worried about the age.   Do any of you know if there are numbers on the tires that will represent the date made?

You are doing all right MHTOM.  No one welcomed me to this site.


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## *scooter* (Apr 10, 2009)

Re: Motor home tires

Welcome Triple E.


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## TexasClodhopper (Apr 10, 2009)

Re: Motor home tires

Oh, Tom, just hit the ENTER key ever once in a while at random intervals. That will make your post easier to read!  :clown:  

And don't EVER take typing lessons from Rod (730) either!  :clown: 

About the tires, do ya'll REALLY think that someone from the tire dealership doesn't look at the tires being "traded in" to see if they could be SOLD instead of scrapped?

Also, if you hang around one long enough you'll at least see some old guy drive up in a truck full of old tires and put some more in there from the tire dealership.

At the very least, your old "trade-ins" could become trailer tires in the trucking industry, but I suspect that a truck driver would be more likely to push the 10 year rule.


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## vanole (Apr 10, 2009)

Re: Motor home tires

Triple E,

To answer your question on determining age.  Yes you can determine age.  The date of manufacture is indicated by the last group of digits in the DOT manufacture code on the sidewall of the tire. The number is often stamped in a recessed rectangle. The DOT code tells who manufactured the tire, where it was made and when. The last group of digits in the code is the date code that tells when the tire was made.
Before 2000, the date code had three digits. Since 2000, it has had four. The first two digits are the week of the year (01 = the first week of January). The third digit (for tires made before 2000) is the year (1 = 1991). For most tires made after 2000, the third and fourth digits are the year (04 = 2004)."

V/R
Jeff


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## H2H1 (Apr 10, 2009)

Re: Motor home tires

OK now ya'll have scared the hell out me on tires. So now I will go get some new one order. I guess it better to be safe than sorry


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## Triple E (Apr 10, 2009)

Re: Motor home tires

Jeff, Thank you.

All that I can fine is a string of letter and numbers.  (DOT B6 BJ BWR X 3603).  The 3603 is stamped inside of an indented oval.  So I assume, and never assume, that the tires where Mfg. week 36 of 2003.  Do you agree?  -Steve


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## H2H1 (Apr 10, 2009)

Re: Motor home tires

well mine is stamped 4602, which is the 46 week of 2002. now that means mine are 7 years old. but they are showing no ware except on the treads, the side looks good with no cracks at all. So other than being 7 years old  do y'all  think I need new tires. if so, going in the morning and get them ordered if they don't have 6/7 in stock with the same DOT stamp


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## Triple E (Apr 10, 2009)

Re: Motor home tires

Seems to me that a honest tire store would be able to tell you if your tires need to be replaced.  I am at the sixth year and I doubt if there is more than 15K miles on these tires.  Very little tread wear.  Wish I had a crystal ball.


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## H2H1 (Apr 10, 2009)

Re: Motor home tires

same here Triple E, if I had a crystal ball it would make life a lot easier. any way going tomorrow my tire store  and ck on price and delivery date   :approve:


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## Guest (Apr 10, 2009)

Re: Motor home tires

steve ,, u'r right ,, 36th week of 03 ,, that means u do have almost 6yr old tires ,,,   
As Jeff said ,, the weeks start out as 1 = january ,, but u know there are 4 weeks in a month ,, so it would actually be 1-4 = january ,,, 5 would start in febuary ,, u get the idea  :approve:  :approve:


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## H2H1 (Apr 11, 2009)

Re: Motor home tires

OK went this morning and got a price to replace all 7 tires plus balancing all. But before I tell u the price, I would like to know what you think of B F Goodrich Tires. I have heard that they were made by Michelin but I don't really know if that is true. maybe someone can enlighten me on that part. OK now the price for all seven plus balancing AND TAX COME TO $ 2255. and some change. So are the BF good and is this a fair price? thanks for your reply


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## TexasClodhopper (Apr 11, 2009)

Re: Motor home tires

Remember, Hollis, that just because one company buys another doesn't mean that the products from the bought out company will change. Actually, they probably will get worse.


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## H2H1 (Apr 11, 2009)

Re: Motor home tires

WELL TEX do you care to say if they are good,medium or fair tires? I just want to hear from someone who has run BFG tires on there MH. and how well they did and was they satisfied with them. I am looking at saving money of course, but that is not the driving factor. I can afford  the best, but why pay more if it not necessary, and you got to replace them in 6-7 years. Now if I was fultiming that would be different, I would put the best on but putting about 4k-5k miles a year is hard to justify the extra expense. Thanks


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## vanole (Apr 11, 2009)

Re: Motor home tires

H2H1,

I've seen BFG on some M/H's.  Think they make a good tire, never heard of any complaints.  I would suspect that this is not a M/H specific tire most like a regional truck tire which may (operative word is may) give you a bit of a stiffer ride.  I'd make sure load range is the same or greater than your present tires,  and the tires are within 4-6 months of manufacture date or I'd ask for some more money off the price.  After getting new rubber go thru the weigh the M/H game again.

V/R
Jeff
GO NAVY
Fly Navy


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## MHTOM (Apr 12, 2009)

Re: Motor home tires

here again i see that i have maybe put the cat in the fire  as it may be said 
I didn't think i would have gotten so many responses on a little tire issue 
thank you all   i am very happy with this sight    but i still have the generator problem 
Texasclodhopper   thank  you    i will use the enter key more
but before i get off here      what is this black and gray tank    
i don't have a clue    i think the gray tank would be for the water   i would hope 
but the black tank has me puzzled    and while we are on that
how do i go about filling up my water tank     i know i have one    but not sure on the operation of it    do i fill it where it says city water   or is there another place to fill it  i thought this rv stuff was easy but now i see it is not
how do you all do what you do     and not go crazy   
but i am the new one here   so i guess i will learn  and find out for myself 
thank you all    you have been more than willing to help a new comer like me


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## TexasClodhopper (Apr 12, 2009)

Re: Motor home tires

Yer welcome, Tom!

It is better to start a new post thread when you change topics (like from tires to black and gray tanks.) It is a lot easier later for someone to come up behind us and find answers to particular topics. Except if you are Rod (730), then there's no telling what might happen!  :clown: 

You are right, though, the gray tank holds the liquids other than those that go down the toilet. Those toilet liquids are for the black tank to hold and be dumped later.

The city water inlet is for the hose (a special white one) that provides potable drinking water to your RV.

Depending on your RV model, the water tank (that provides water with a pump when you aren't hooked up) could be filled up through the city water inlet by turning a valve. On my MH I have a separate inlet on the same side as the city water inlet that is used to fill the water tank.


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## vanole (Apr 12, 2009)

Re: Motor home tires

MHTOM,

Tex is spot on in his response.  Course a Navy guy like me can't shut up, concerning the hose as Tex mentioned (special white one) should say on it for RV/Marine use.  I bought many a cheap one and hated every one of them.  They all kink up and I played stump the chump many times while hooking up much to the delight of neighboring campers I suspect.  Confounded things would get me in a foul mood quick.  Look for the kink free type hose if you have a short aggravation fuse like me.  Well worth the couple of extra bucks in my wife/daughters opinion.

V/R
Jeff
GO NAVY
Fly Navy


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## Xlgcrplt (Apr 19, 2009)

RE: Motor home tires

OK, I know this is an older post, but wanted to answer a couple of questions on the tires being used by truckers thing. being a driver for 32 years & an owner operator for the  last 7 of them. The "trade in" tires probably will be put on Trailers to finish out there tread, then the casing if not blown apart will be recapped and sold again & again. These types of tires would Never have been put on my tractor, (never owned the trailer), But the BIG co.'s will use them. because there cheap & it's not the owners of these co.'s that have to drive on them. No used or recaps are allowed by D.O.T. to be put on the steer axle. as far as how many years, Well lets see they will last about 100,000  to 150,000 miles. So I put new ones on my rig every 12 to 18 MONTHS, depending on how much I went home, lol So if I can get 6 yrs out of a set of tires man will that be a blessing . I guess if I had a question it would be does Bridgestone make 19.5 tires because that has been the best brand for me the last 7 years.  FYI : Most of the big trucks run either 22.5's or 24.5's ,


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