Will Tire Inspection Tell You Anything?

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arcticfox2005

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Apr 18, 2011
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Last fall we bought a 2015 Tiffin with only 9300 miles on it.

The tires are Michelin 235/80's and have no visible wear or damage.

My question is "Would it be worthwhile to have them broken down and carefully inspected", or to be safe, should they just be replaced? I have zeroed in on Toyo 245/75's.

Bill
 
arcticfox2005 said:
Last fall we bought a 2015 Tiffin with only 9300 miles on it.

The tires are Michelin 235/80's and have no visible wear or damage.

My question is "Would it be worthwhile to have them broken down and carefully inspected", or to be safe, should they just be replaced? I have zeroed in on Toyo 245/75's.

Bill
Click to expand...

Check the date code, first, though it sounds like they must be pushing five years, at least.
They could be fine for a couple of years, but if it were me, I'd replace them.
I prefer a known value, myself.
Breaking them down for a visual inspection could actually damage the seals, and create a problem where you currently have none.

 
SpencerPJ said:
5 years old, 10,000 miles, wearing well, why do you feel they need to be replaced?
Click to expand...


Agree. I would leave them on the rims, carefully inspect inner and outer sidewalls and between tread, and if all looked good start a budget to replace them in about 3 years. (Personally I'd avoid Michelin, just my opinion.)
 
I would not bother (or spend the $) to have them dismounted and inspected internally. While it's true that a crack or bruise could show inside an otherwise decent looking tire, I feel the chances that a typical tire shop jockey would spot anything other than a blatant fault seem slim. They are pros at quickly changing tires and fixing leaks, but seldom all that knowledgeable about tire construction and subtle signs of sidewall or tread body damage.  In other words, they aren't tire safety engineers.


If you could be assured that the inspection would be done by someone with actual training in tire inspection and who had the time to look carefully, I might change my mind.
 
SpencerPJ said:
5 years old, 10,000 miles, wearing well, why do you feel they need to be replaced?
Click to expand...

You don't really know how old they are until you check the date code. Our daughter's truck had 16 year old tires on it that they bought a couple of years ago.

I would reiterate the recommendation to check the date code before deciding how old they are. 
 
LarsMac said:
You don't really know how old they are until you check the date code.
Click to expand...
I agree 100%  :))

If the OP is uncertain how to check date codes, you will find a 4 digit number something like 2514.  In this case, it was manufactured in week 25 of the year 2014.
 
Gary RV_Wizard said:
I would not bother (or spend the $) to have them dismounted and inspected internally. While it's true that a crack or bruise could show inside an otherwise decent looking tire, I feel the chances that a typical tire shop jockey would spot anything other than a blatant fault seem slim. They are pros at quickly changing tires and fixing leaks, but seldom all that knowledgeable about tire construction and subtle signs of sidewall or tread body damage.  In other words, they aren't tire safety engineers.
If you could be assured that the inspection would be done by someone with actual training in tire inspection and who had the time to look carefully, I might change my mind.
Click to expand...
Gary RV_Wizard
I agree.
 
Long Periods of sitting is hard on the tires, regardless of visable wear. If it sat for a few years, I would replace. If it had periodic use, then they are probably OK. I had the same question when we bought our RV. Answers ranged from 5 to 7 years on average
 
I just bought my current Coach in January of this year. 2015 Fleetwood Class A and found the tires to be 6yrs old and I am anal about tires I replaced mine before we left for Florida, Gave me a good since of security. Don't risk your life or your Coach on old tires
 
Chances are real good, if it's titled as a 2015, it's most likely on a 2014 chassis so the tires are also probably 2014 (making them about 6 years old). Checking the tire date(s) will tell for sure.
My C class is a 2015 on a 2014 chassis, I replaced the tires last summer at about 22k miles.
 
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