Busting the Myth of 5 year tire life.

[Old_Spirit]

I sold tire pressure monitoring systems for 9 years and regularly presented lectures on tires. One of the most frequently heard statements was, "You should get new tires every 5 years." NOT SO! I had perfectly safe tires on one of my motorhomes for eight years. How did I KNOW they were safe? Each year I would go to a store that handled truck tires, in my case, and had the tires rotated. Cost was about $25/tire. I insisted that the tire tech carefully examine the entire inner surface for any kind of damage, including signs of aging (which was never found). If the interior is flawless and the exterior shows no signs of checking or cracks run it for another year. There is a time limit of 10 years placed on tires by all manufacturers. This is a more reasonable duration.

[ct78barnes]

I ordered my coach from Winnebago and am the only one to drive it .It will be 7 years old in May. For 3.5 years this coach was stored under our grand stand at our fair grounds. Pitch black for the Ohio Winters. When out un less I am driving it it has covers on the tires. I have used 303 treatment since day one and running the air pressure that Winnebago says to run . My tire maker says after 7 years have them checked every year and if no cracks they are good for 10 years. The French have made these 22.5 rv tires for years and I have 31,000 miles on them. At home I added a place by my drive way so no sitting in dirt for these tires. I think I will have them checked every 6 months till 10 years. This is just me but a lot of these old take off tires truckers buy our old tires and get a lot more miles out of them them. They really like the 5 year olds .I have heard them talking at Flying Jays lounge.

[Old_Spirit]

CapriRacer wrote:

Old_Spirit wrote:

CapriRacer wrote:
Just a thought:

I notice that folks aren't distinguishing between types of tires in this thread. Clearly, LT tires are different than ST tires which are different than medium truck tires (19.5", 22.5") - and they are used on different vehicles in different ways. I would also think that tires on motorhomes would react differently than tires on an over-the-road truck, even though they are the same tires.

Noting a distinction between types of tires is immaterial. Tires are designed and built for specific purposes. Although, some trailer tires are the same size as car tires, you wouldn't use them on a car. Your ride would be far too stiff.

Motorhome tires and over-the-road truck tires are subject to the same laws of physics and chemistry. When you read Load Inflation tables, there is no notation indicating that this or that tire should be used on a truck or a motorhome. To a tire it doesn't matter what vehicle it's on. Its main purpose is to contain enough pressure to support the load and enough traction to grip the road. That's it. Now,for the sake of the maker's reputation and his continued viability, he designs and builds tires to meet these needs while endeavoring to make them durable.

I don't understand your comment about the reactions of tires on a Motorhome versus one tractor trailer rig? .

Tires on an over-the-road truck are generally in constant use and wear out long before age can become an issue. Tires on a motorhome are frequently idle for long periods of time, so age becomes an issue.

There is a thing called the Arrhenius Rule which states that chemical reactions take place twice as fast for every 10°C increase in temperature. So while the over-the-road truck tire is heated up while operating, those same degradations take place on an idle motorhome tire - albeit at a much reduced rate. If we subject the motorhome tire to the same operating conditions, but have long periods of idle time, the motorhome tire will have more age effects when removed from service.

I understand. Thank you.

[CapriRacer]

Old_Spirit wrote:

CapriRacer wrote:
Just a thought:

I notice that folks aren't distinguishing between types of tires in this thread. Clearly, LT tires are different than ST tires which are different than medium truck tires (19.5", 22.5") - and they are used on different vehicles in different ways. I would also think that tires on motorhomes would react differently than tires on an over-the-road truck, even though they are the same tires.

Noting a distinction between types of tires is immaterial. Tires are designed and built for specific purposes. Although, some trailer tires are the same size as car tires, you wouldn't use them on a car. Your ride would be far too stiff.

Motorhome tires and over-the-road truck tires are subject to the same laws of physics and chemistry. When you read Load Inflation tables, there is no notation indicating that this or that tire should be used on a truck or a motorhome. To a tire it doesn't matter what vehicle it's on. Its main purpose is to contain enough pressure to support the load and enough traction to grip the road. That's it. Now,for the sake of the maker's reputation and his continued viability, he designs and builds tires to meet these needs while endeavoring to make them durable.

I don't understand your comment about the reactions of tires on a Motorhome versus one tractor trailer rig? .

Tires on an over-the-road truck are generally in constant use and wear out long before age can become an issue. Tires on a motorhome are frequently idle for long periods of time, so age becomes an issue.

There is a thing called the Arrhenius Rule which states that chemical reactions take place twice as fast for every 10°C increase in temperature. So while the over-the-road truck tire is heated up while operating, those same degradations take place on an idle motorhome tire - albeit at a much reduced rate. If we subject the motorhome tire to the same operating conditions, but have long periods of idle time, the motorhome tire will have more age effects when removed from service.

[Old_Man]

dougrainer wrote:

parkmanaa wrote:
"40 years in the tire industry; seen it all and done most of it"

Tell us where you find a "qualified" Tire Technician? ...AND, knowing how RV'ers are loath to spend any money for this type thing, what rv'er would take the time and money to do such a thing every year after that 5 years? Doug

I was amused to see what you had to say, and then see your name is Doug. When I flew light aircraft (3000+ hours in the air, 20 years an aircraft owner) my A&P was a guy named Doug, and he said the same thing about airplane owners. But he had a question he asked me every time I balked at spending big maintenance money...

"WTF is your life worth?"

I never take the word of people on the internet, even if they agree with me. I don't know if anyone has ever asked them, that question. Far too many self-proclaimed experts on this stuff, and by golly they'll be more than happy to tell you all about it.

So before you go cheap on those tires, batteries (why did someone think it'd be a good idea to name a battery company after a prophylactic company? People are weird) and other time-limited parts, ask yourself my A&P's question. Might save your life.

I'm retired, and I might just call the time manufacturers and ask them for a list of truly qualified tire technicians, and just the name of a tire retailer is NOT acceptable. See what I come up with.

The stuff about heat, the desert southwest in particular, is very relevant. For weekend warriors, some of these issues are more time-related than wear-related. When I see a rig with 20,000 miles, 20 years old and the same times, I know new tires better be in the acquisition budget, because I'll never trust tires with unknown time or very low mileage numbers, given the age of the tire.

It's the same with aircraft engines. The FAA has an "hours accumulated" specification, but the also have a spec for "years since new/overhauled" and it that engine has been sitting for 15 years, with zero run time, you have to tear it down all over again and at least put it through a lot of metallurgical testing (magnaflux or x-rays on steel, dye-P and maybe x-rays on aluminum) before you can put it back into service. CS propellers, too.

Inside an engine like that, corrosion will be a huge issue, just like rubber deterioration is a huge issue with old, low-mileage tires. So as my Doug asks...

[ncrowley]

I have heard that you should replace the tires every 7 years - not 5 years.

[Old_Spirit]

SidecarFlip wrote:
Under inflation and lack of timely maintenance is the leading cause of tire failure no matter where they are made.

You're Absolutely Correct.

[Old_Spirit]

CapriRacer wrote:
Just a thought:

I notice that folks aren't distinguishing between types of tires in this thread. Clearly, LT tires are different than ST tires which are different than medium truck tires (19.5", 22.5") - and they are used on different vehicles in different ways. I would also think that tires on motorhomes would react differently than tires on an over-the-road truck, even though they are the same tires.

Noting a distinction between types of tires is immaterial. Tires are designed and built for specific purposes. Although, some trailer tires are the same size as car tires, you wouldn't use them on a car. Your ride would be far too stiff.

Motorhome tires and over-the-road truck tires are subject to the same laws of physics and chemistry. When you read Load Inflation tables, there is no notation indicating that this or that tire should be used on a truck or a motorhome. To a tire it doesn't matter what vehicle it's on. Its main purpose is to contain enough pressure to support the load and enough traction to grip the road. That's it. Now,for the sake of the maker's reputation and his continued viability, he designs and builds tires to meet these needs while endeavoring to make them durable.


I don't understand your comment about the reactions of tires on a Motorhome versus one tractor trailer rig? .

[SidecarFlip]

Under inflation and lack of timely maintenance is the leading cause of tire failure no matter where they are made.

[rgatijnet1]

I get a kick out of people saying that truck tires will not work on an RV but whenever anyone says they may purchase Michelin or Goodyear RV tires, the very first thing that most people recommend on this forum is TRUCK tires, usually made in China.
The leading cause of tire failure, by far, is under-inflation and/or over-loading.
The people I saw ignoring their TPMS who continued driving until the beeping stopped would all probably swear that they never drove with their tires under-inflated. :B

[CapriRacer]

Just a thought:

I notice that folks aren't distinguishing between types of tires in this thread. Clearly, LT tires are different than ST tires which are different than medium truck tires (19.5", 22.5") - and they are used on different vehicles in different ways. I would also think that tires on motorhomes would react differently than tires on an over-the-road truck, even though they are the same tires.

[JaxDad]

You can’t make a blanket statement aimed at everyone based on your bad luck.

Lots of people run tires way past 5 years with no issues at all, I’m one of those people. A tire dealer near me does a LOT of m/h work and there’s a waiting list of people anting those 5 year old tires, most are medium duty trucks in regional service. Our fleet runs them too and has never had a bad tire yet.

[fortytwo]

For 19.5 tires -- 5 years and done!!! LT tires are TRUCK tires. Design profile is 150-200k miles in a couple of years; recap for another 150-200 and scrap the tire. They rarely reach 5 years in service. Don't need compounds to make the sidewalls last longer, so don't get them.

At 5 years on the tires (Goodyear 19.5 G159's) of a MH I bought new and picked up at the factory I noticed a bubble on the inside of a front tire while servicing the grease fittings. Local dealer had installed a two year old tire before I caught it. Had it removed and went to another large high volume shop 100 miles away and replaced both fronts. Three weeks later a rear dual blew out the sidewall. No damage. Replaced the 4 duals. Tires were Goodyear. Replacements were the allegedly RV designed 670's. Goodyear was hit with a 5.6 million dollar judgement for a 2004 accident caused by a blowout of a MH front tire, and was forced to admit that the G159's were truck tires not suitable for an RV operating profile.

Five years and one month later the 670 Goodyear inside dual blew unwrapping the tread. Had little pieces of fine wire all over the toad and bikes on the rear of it. Took out the Banks Exhaust, the generator exhaust, air bag lines, and dented the drive shaft. Damage more than the price of a new set of tires. I was 70 miles from a Les Schwab dealer that I had planned to have replace the old tires. In both cases the tires had never been run under inflated, nor excessively hot. I carry an IR thermometer and check temps at each rest stop.

Blowouts can be benign or catastrophic. Couple of years ago I saw a new Super C on a Freightliner chassis that had blown a front tire. Took out the entire front: fancy chrome grill, a/c, radiator -- over 10K in damage, and several weeks waiting for parts.

[SidecarFlip]

Lets hope the 'tire jockey' replaces the anti-corrosion ring between the aluminum outer and the steel inner rim as well. Nothing worse than locked rims from galvanic corrosion.

[Old_Spirit]

dougrainer wrote:

parkmanaa wrote:
OLDSPIRIT, you are addressing an area that has been near-and-dear to my heart for years. TIRE MARKETERS, not MANUFACTURERS, have been playing this age thing as a safety issue and it should be against the law. IMHO it is nothing but a gimmick to sell more tires, just like cereal makers, dairies and thousands of other industries started decades ago. They started by playing their message to kids and, being successful there, have also been somewhat successful in selling the same "theory" to adults.
People, seemingly especially RVers now see a blown tire on the side of highway, immediately assume "it was an old tire". I can tell you from many years in the tire industry, and many, many scrap tire analysis, you will find most blown-out tires are a)cheap, foreign made, b) obvious poor maint., with c)age coming in at a far distant third.
Again, IMHO OLDSPIRIT is doing exactly what smart RVers should do, and exactly as manufacturers such as MICHELIN recommend, AFTER 5 YEARS HAVE TIRES CHECKED ANNUALLY BY A QUALIFIED TIRE TECHNICIAN", REPLACE AT 10 YEARS AGE, REGARDLESS OF APPEARANCE"
This is the same basic message I have attempted on this forum for years. Take it or leave it, it's your money !

"40 years in the tire industry; seen it all and done most of it"

Tell us where you find a "qualified" Tire Technician. Does inspection require taking the rubber of the rim? If so, just how much do you think a qualified Tire shop would charge for dismounting 6 RV motorhome tires, remounting and then balancing? AND, knowing how RV'ers are loath to spend any money for this type thing, what rv'er would take the time and money to do such a thing every year after that 5 years? Doug

When you rotate your Class A Motorhome tires, the tech HAS to remove the tires from the rims. You have three different rims on that rig. The front rims are different than the outside dually and the inside dually is a utility steel rim (nothing fancy). Tires are normally rotated from front to back and inside dual to outside dual. You can't simply move tire and rim from one position to another as you do on a car.