Re: Camping World trying to sell me RV with 7yr old tires

NY_Dutch said:

CW just bought two more dealerships, I wouldn't write them off just yet.

Click to expand...

LOL, they do seem to have deep pockets full of $$$

If they change the tires, crawl underneath and check the inside duals.  Make sure they have been changed.

The tire industry does not subscribe to the 7-year max tire age notion, so it's not surprising that CW and many other dealers don't feel they need to change out tires for that reason.  Nor is the FHTSA going to come down on anybody for selling a vehicle with 7 year old tires unless there are more obvious signs of deterioration. I don't think CW is violating any law or even any ethical principle by selling a vehicle with aged tires.

The 7 year age "limit" is a rule of thumb for a prudent and trouble free RVing experience. Seeing a 7 year age on a tire is like seeing high mileage on an engine and transmission. It's a warning sign of future problems that are more likely to be near term than far, but it's mostly an economic matter. I'm not suggesting that anybody accept an RV with old tires - I wouldn't either. But to me it's a matter of negotiation for price vs value received.

Ned said:

Tell them that they must include new tires in the deal, or discount the price enough to cover a new set of tires.

Click to expand...

Let me put it this way: Ned often gives good advice, And this is no exception, He has given good advice.. X2

7 year old tires which regularry on on 20 or 100 mile rolls down the freeway... Might still have some life.

1 year old tires that have spent that year sitting on a sales lot... Not so much.

Gary RV Roamer said:

The tire industry does not subscribe to the 7-year max tire age notion, so it's not surprising that CW and many other dealers don't feel they need to change out tires for that reason.  Nor is the FHTSA going to come down on anybody for selling a vehicle with 7 year old tires unless there are more obvious signs of deterioration. I don't think CW is violating any law or even any ethical principle by selling a vehicle with aged tires.

The 7 year age "limit" is a rule of thumb for a prudent and trouble free RVing experience. Seeing a 7 year age on a tire is like seeing high mileage on an engine and transmission. It's a warning sign of future problems that are more likely to be near term than far, but it's mostly an economic matter. I'm not suggesting that anybody accept an RV with old tires - I wouldn't either. But to me it's a matter of negotiation for price vs value received.

Click to expand...

There is a lot of wisdom in that post Gary. What is repeated often and quoted as "fact" sometimes needs to be brought back to reality. I recall a post on one of the forums 6 months ago or so that had changed the "7 year rule" to a 5 year recommendation. It took 20 or 30 posts to convince some folks that the tire manufacturers sites did not recommend replacement at 5 years as stated in one of the posts. We're all free to change tires at our own comfort level. If 5 years makes some more comfortable, then they should use that guide. If visual inspection with a good healthy dose of experience and common sense makes you happy, then that's a good guide too.

Just for a reference point, I change the tires on some of my cars on age rather than mileage too. My 1957 BMW's tires get changed when cracks start to show. It's low mileage (has 23,xxx since new, yes 55 years) and gets only low speed around town usage. The wifes 1999 Toyota started developing cracks in the tires at 6 years. They got replaced. Now at 7 years later there are no cracks and they will stay a while longer. Again a low mileage car, 21,xxx since new. So, it's not just RV's that change on a time schedule but other vehicles too.

Ken

And to go along with that thought process, Michelin has stated that their tires that have been used REGULARLY and maintained well can remain in service for up to 10 years.  But I would only consider running a tire that long if I was the one using it.  I have put 30,000 miles on my tires in just over 2 years, so I know that they have been used and maintained.  A unit on the lot you would have no idea on how the tires were treated. 

Like Lou said, a wash job and some tire dressing can go a long way in hiding a worn tire. 

I have appreciated the discussions on tires because over the years, I was taught that tires can wearing out on the inside and not be apparent from the outside.  Cracks on the outside are certainly an indication of wear, but tires can be ready to blow out and not be cracked.  If you judge the health of your tires by only the appearance of cracks, you could be missing something.  I found it good to learn about the way a tire wears and goes bad.

Well, I might suffer the fire of hell for this comment, either now or later, but, I feel that the popular wisdom that is oft stated regarding New tires vs Old tires is quite frequently wrong.  I grew up literally and figuratively in the fifties and early sixties.  My father was a partner in an old fashioned gas/grocery/tire/sporting goods, you name it we sold it.  All those years, it was my observation that the most likely tires to blow out were either brand new tires or very wore out tires regardless of age.  A quality tire that had not been damaged by a road hazard or something of that nature with plenty of tread, not run low, etc would hardly ever have a blow out.  How else can they recap a tire carcass over and over and over again?  And put hundreds of thousands of miles on them.  Huge trucks that travel the most rocky roads at high speeds under terribly hot conditions? 

chronic said:

How else can they recap a tire carcass over and over and over again?  And put hundreds of thousands of miles on them.  Huge trucks that travel the most rocky roads at high speeds under terribly hot conditions?

Click to expand...

Because they have 18 wheels and a blowout on one of them won't be an issue. On a motorhome a blowout can cause thousands of dollars worth of damage to the fiberglass and to the many systems an RV has that a truck does not have.

No one is telling you that you have to change tires at 7 years. It is merely a suggestion. For those of us that put safety first we will be replacing our tires at seven years and not playing Russian Roulette.

I have never seen a truck travel the most rocky roads at high speeds. Where does this occur?

Those trucks are the ones leaving the many "alligators" along the highways because they run their tires until they fail.

Ok, you got me on the "most rocky roads" comment.  I should say very rocky, washboard gravel roads that can really shake a guy up in a pickup or so. 

My other point is that in a way you "are" playing russian roullete every time you go out and buy a new set of tires instead of driving on your perfectly good, old, tested tires!

How else can they recap a tire carcass over and over and over again?  And put hundreds of thousands of miles on them.

Click to expand...

The hundreds of thousands of miles is the key factor.  Truck tires are pretty much continually in motion while motorhomes tend to sit for days, weeks or months at a stretch. 

If you haven't worn out the tread on a tire after 7 years, it's an easy bet it has spent much more time sitting in one place than it has rolling down the road.

Rubber that is in motion releases compounds that keep it flexible.  Tires that sit stationary for extended periods become stiff and brittle and prime candidates for catastrophic failure.

chronic said:

My other point is that in a way you "are" playing russian roullete every time you go out and buy a new set of tires instead of driving on your perfectly good, old, tested tires!

Click to expand...

Good old tires is an oxymoron. Tires wear out from the inside out also and it is not really practical to inspect the inside of your tires.

bucks2 said:

There is a lot of wisdom in that post Gary. What is repeated often and quoted as "fact" sometimes needs to be brought back to reality. I recall a post on one of the forums 6 months ago or so that had changed the "7 year rule" to a 5 year recommendation. It took 20 or 30 posts to convince some folks that the tire manufacturers sites did not recommend replacement at 5 years as stated in one of the posts. We're all free to change tires at our own comfort level. If 5 years makes some more comfortable, then they should use that guide. If visual inspection with a good healthy dose of experience and common sense makes you happy, then that's a good guide too.

Just for a reference point, I change the tires on some of my cars on age rather than mileage too. My 1957 BMW's tires get changed when cracks start to show. It's low mileage (has 23,xxx since new, yes 55 years) and gets only low speed around town usage. The wife's 1999 Toyota started developing cracks in the tires at 6 years. They got replaced. Now at 7 years later there are no cracks and they will stay a while longer. Again a low mileage car, 21,xxx since new. So, it's not just RVs that change on a time schedule but other vehicles too.

Ken

Click to expand...

Speaking of cars... last time we drove to PHX via I-40... which has emerged as a minor racetrack between NM and Flagstaff with the "average" speed well over 80mph...I heard a speed sensitive sound coming from the passenger side rear wheel.  I would have testified that it was a wheel bearing starting to go.  Anyway, when we stopped for gas along the way I inspected the RRear Tire/wheel area and noticed nothing amiss... no leaks, no tire cracks, no tread issues, no loss in tire pressure... figured it was the bearing.  No reason for immediate concern...bearings tend to degrade slowly, getting louder and louder over time so we continued to PHX.  BTW, the car is a 2007 Ford with 29,000 miles and the tires are the OEM Michelins, low profile R17's with 50% of the tread depth remaining.

Took the car to the Peoria Ford Dealer, most shops can't work on the AWD version of the rear axle/bearing assembly.  They could find nothing wrong but agreed that something was making the worrisome sound.  Finally one tech suggested that they pull the tire off the wheel and take a look... sure 'nuff the tire had a blister on the inside that was causing the noise. 

Put a new set of Michelins on, all is fine again.  I guess no matter which guideline you follow, there's gonna be an exception.  Maybe we can get 5.5 years out of these, LOL.

The tires on my RV are 7 years 6 month old.  I've been wondering if they will last till next spring or if I need to replace them this fall before we head south.  My  tires look good, 40% tread and no cracks.

The decision was made for me.  We returned from a three week trip through BC Canada on July 27Th  and was parked in front of our house, when ten minutes after we arrived home, the inside drivers side dual tire blew the sidewall.

Boy am I glad the tire blew at home.  We limped a few miles to a tire dealer with a flat dual tire.  I didn't worry about damage to the remaining tire as it would soon be replaced.

We now have a new set of tires manufactured in April of 2012.

I would try to work a deal for new tires from camping world, perhaps at cost, or look elsewhere.

JD

You sure are fortunate.  Imagine what COULD have happened if the tire had blown at speed.  Just no way to know, most of the time.

Gary RV Roamer said:

The tire industry does not subscribe to the 7-year max tire age notion, so it's not surprising that CW and many other dealers don't feel they need to change out tires for that reason.  Nor is the FHTSA going to come down on anybody for selling a vehicle with 7 year old tires unless there are more obvious signs of deterioration. I don't think CW is violating any law or even any ethical principle by selling a vehicle with aged tires.

The 7 year age "limit" is a rule of thumb for a prudent and trouble free RVing experience. Seeing a 7 year age on a tire is like seeing high mileage on an engine and transmission. It's a warning sign of future problems that are more likely to be near term than far, but it's mostly an economic matter. I'm not suggesting that anybody accept an RV with old tires - I wouldn't either. But to me it's a matter of negotiation for price vs value received.

Click to expand...

Does anyone know just what the tire industry DOES subscribe to?

My Michelin book says 10 years. They want to sell me tires so I always assumed they would last longer than that until joining this forum. I'm going from MA To ME for a week and then to FL for the winter. All cool weather driving. I plan to change my tires in the spring at 8 years and 18000 miles

Fifty4F100 said:

Does anyone know just what the tire industry DOES subscribe to?

Click to expand...

Probably "run 'em till they break, then buy new ones".

I believe that Michelin says 10 years only if the tires are dismounted and examined on the inside every year after 5 years.  How many people do you know that do that?