Replaced the front tires last spring when we purchased '96 40' U320. Ready to replace my rear duals. Anyone have a preference or recommendations
Best answer from me is to get tires that fit and are rated for the weight of your coach. Lot's of people have a brand preference but getting good quality tires to do the job you want is important, so do your homework. Not having any more information than your post above I am curious as to why you wouldn't want to replace the rears with the same tires on your steering axle??
Best of luck............... ^.^d
I run YOKOHOMAs on the MH and all cars and the pickup. My experience is that they don't get flat spots as bad when setting for some time. They run quietly and and smoothly. They don't have the sidewall give in the corners like some other brands that I have had. It really boils down to personal preference and economics. You might put a set on some other rig if one needs them, and drive it hard to see how they perform before putting them on your MH. Have a great day ---- Fritz
I like steer or all position tires with a minimum flex sidewall. Search for brand reviews.
Pierce
If the coach has not been weighed on all four corners with normal fuel/fluids and 'stuff', it's a moot point. ^.^d
Airbag pressure (ride height adjusters) on right and left rear will change weights all around the coach including the front L&R. Only one height adjuster up front. I have never weighted the coach.
Pierce
Last year I bought Continentals through the FMCA tire program and saved over $100.00 each off the discount Michelin program.
They now have Hankook tires available.
Bill
Michelin via FMCA discount, replace them about every 7 years. Stay with original size, always use load range H.
Every uni whatever that Foretravel built since 1988 had Michelin tires on it.
We still run them: a upgraded 255/80R/ 22.5 made for RV use. We run 85 psi in the bow and 80 in the stern. Do I like them? b^.^d b^.^d b^.^d
I noticed my XZA-3+'s lower rolling resistance has me using the brakes or retarder more than with the XZA-1's that were on the coach. They slowed the coach down more when coasting.
Noticeable improvement in ride quality, handling, noise and mpg also
Lots of excellent tires on the market. I just don't like Michelin's soft flex sidewall. I also like the lower profile that 295/75s have while keeping the same diameter. All things equal, wider tires stop, corner better plus were are only talking .75 inches.
If you search, there are several sites concerning tire casing life and cracking due to sun and smog.
Lots of peer pressure here. :) :) :)
Pierce
The trouble with buying at "Bubba's Discount Tires' are many: you don't have a choice of fresh tires; they may not be able to 'force balance', they may not have new aluminum valve stems, dual seal caps and wheel studs. They may also not have the tools or the knowledge to properly torque them! :facepalm:
As owner/operator, the knowledge is YOUR responsibility. Anyone who lets a shop torque their wheels is asking for trouble the next time they have a flat or try to have any maintenance done. Less than $100 allows you to be in control and not be stuck waiting for new studs in some small town. Tire shops are like going to a casino, sometimes you win but when you lose...
Pierce
The Michelin side wall was designed to shred at zero pressure to allow the tire to come down onto the tread belt. No flip flopping.
Othefr brands went to a stiff sidewall as a way to control the vechile so as not to lose steering control.
Works for Michelin as there steel belted casing has belts straight across. Directionally stable.
Most othe brands long ago has criss crossed casing belts. Not self centering.
Remember the old Michelin "X" billboards long ago that showed the straight across steel belts?
Drove every kind of diesel rv long ago and I made a personal game with myself to not look at the tires when I got into the coaches for test drives just to see if I could tell.
The Michelin's were noticeable, at least to me, back then.
I had forgotten my personal test back then.
May or may not apply as much anymore.
What tires does .spartan use on their chassis?
Edit: spartan big chassis use Michelin also
I think the biggest problem with small tire stores is getting current Date codes on the tires.
Just remember to keep foot off brake and quickly go full throttle when that tire blows out. . .
Same rule if any wheel position blow or if driving car or motorhome.
Been reading all these opinions about tires . This got me interested to do some checking , so I Phoned Prevost ,and Newell , which do Michelin tires only . The Newell guy said " we use Michelin because they are the best tire for our coaches " Prevost only said they are the best available tires on the market . To me that is fairly strong to hear . The third Foretravel I bought was a 2006 , 40 foot Phenix came new with Good Years and had trouble from the start . They would not stay round . Every 10 thousand miles , had to have them cut round as they got real bouncy . When I traded it for my present Phenix , Forretravel put new Michelin's on it before they sold it . I have Michelins on every thing I have except , two John Deer tractors which came with Firestones . Don't think everything else is bad but have drawn the line from my experience . Brad Metzger
I'm far from a tire expert, but I'll share my experience, too.
When we bought our coach the previous owner said that the tires were all pretty new. A check of the front tires confirmed that. After I drove 300 miles home (second time driving a MH and first time solo) I found out that only the front tires had been changed. The rears were 13 years old! I used the FMCA discount program to get four new Michelins on the rear to match the Michelins on the front. A little over a year ago (hmm, maybe two years now) I replaced the front tires with Toyos using a tire place that was recommended to me by a forum member. The Toyos were a LOT cheaper than the Michelins. So far I haven't been able to tell any difference. In November we got four rear Toyos from a tire shop in Nac that has been recommended here. Those tires were quite a bit more expensive than the front tires, even though they are the same tire. Two differences between the shops stand out. The first place gave me a trade-in allowance on the old tires, which lowered the overall price, but the tires were nearly a year old, so the cost per year went up. The second store made sure that the tires were as new as possible, but didn't give me anything for the old tires.
I replaced my michelins with toyos this year. I'm glad I did. The toyos are much better handling especially on bad road surfaces. I like the toyos a lot.
.
We did the same on our 36' last year and have been very pleased with these tires. Great handling in rain and ice and on the long, hot west Texas summer highway... and, they hold air pressure
very well!
Me too.
Most threads like this should define "preferred" IMO.
are you asking for our opinion of what might be the same overall quality as the oem Michelins but at a savings in price?
Most "price" threads here seem to be owners wanting less expensive. Period.
Almost all such choices normally end up with lower quality items that do not work as well or last as long as the oem parts our coaches were fit with new.
Rver's are notoriously frugal. My rv biz experience is that over the long run the cheaper price stuff was less satisfactory in use and did not last as long.
We are not rich but Foretravel fit the best available systems and parts new in our coaches.
And I tend to reinstall what they used myself.
I think ford had an issue a few years ago where they thought they had a great tire to put under a few of their SUV.. didnt turn out to well for them so OEM isnt always the best... sometimes money is the great motivator.
WHo would have thought Firestone of all names would ahve had such a problem.. Ive seen all brands lose treads or blow out. Sometimes it comes down to preventative maintenance and care. Cost in in there somewhere im sure
like I posted here I have driven hundreds of diesel coaches. Made a game of NOT looking at what tires were in the coach just to see if I could tell the difference and positively identify the brand tires just by driving it.
Almost all the brands felt pretty similar. Except the Michelin's.
Whether anyone believes me or not is ok.
I do not think I was ever wrong in my "feel"
Remember the Michelin straight across steel cord belt design and the thinner sidewalls for better control during a blowout?
Why else would and did Prevost, Spartan and Foretravel all use only the Michelin's? Like they want to waste money or have their products drive poorer?
And the tire thing goes on and on. Just my guess but the average person wouldn't know one from the other. The real fact is Most folks don't even check the tire pressure on a regular basis, much less know what the coach weights Not too many folks here drove hundreds of coaches. In the end it just ones opinion which tire is better than another. I'll run just about any tire other than Goodyear. But that's just me. Haven't had any one of them last over 7 years and I keep mine covered when parked, just sayin.
Bruce a agree. But what if you were in the rv biz and were sensitive to the difference in how things drove?
Enlightened self interest as my location had every high line manufacturers coach within walking distance from me and most customers drove the other brands back to back to mine.
And were paying new prices for nice coaches.
I switched my car this week to all season top of the line Michelin's and I swear their ride and drive feels similar to the coach.
Kind of "tucks in" at certain turn angles plus the tightly controlled smooth ride is noticeable.
DW noticed the ride difference on last weeks trip to Vegas. Calls the car our "couch" now.
I am an aggressive driver so maybe that makes a difference
My mistake was getting the H rated tires for a light coach. I am at or under the load chart weights and the pressures are very low . The bus was much better on the lighter G tires with more air.
Weigh the bus and use the right tires. I am 8500# or less on the nose .
Month after month after month. Don't think the average person could tell the difference like you say. Not many minds will be changed in the "search for security." Hey, I loved the Ford Pinto when I rented one.
Pierce
Why not just raise the air pressure.
Rides like poo over 80 psi
Put hydrogen in your tires...coach will float down the road like a Caddy limo! 8)
I run 110psi all around and don't have a bad ride even on California roads. How about your shocks? We are 36 foot and fairly lightly loaded.
P
Personal Opinion, (Dangerous) I prefere "H" rated tires in Front for the road hazard protection. The heaver side wall definitely will take a "pot hole" hit much better than a "G" rated tire. also less chance of a "Blow out". As for the Rear I currently run "G" Rated duals but I would have no problem running "H" rated tires.. As for Brands; I am not a big fan of Michelin Tires, they seem to dry rot faster then most other brands. I am very Happy with Toyo M177 all the way around.... ^.^d
I'll trade 2 very low mile H rated 295/75 for 2 G rated 9R . The weights are 12+- # per tire less.