Out of date tires

[Mitch52656]

Motorhome I am looking at has 2017 tires with 36,000.miles. the Motorhome is always stored inside climate controlled building and when out on trips the tires were covered when parked.I am hesitant about riding on them.

 

[Isaac-1]

2017 tires are likely not that bad, but are at or near their expected service life age, I would certainly be shopping for new tires soon though, and would want to have them installed before any major trips. If they were 2007 tires, then I would be getting them replaced immediately perhaps even on site vs driving to the nearest tire dealer.

 

[DonTom]

Motorhome I am looking at has 2017 tires with 36,000.miles. the Motorhome is always stored inside climate controlled building and when out on trips the tires were covered when parked.I am hesitant about riding on them.

Class A or C? You're more likely to get if home without a blowout on a Class A.

Be sure to check the tire PSI before driving it.

I have yet to buy an RV (new or used) that wasn't at least 20 PSI off.

Always check the tire PSI on ANY RV. New or used. My 2022 Class A had >20 psi too much in every tire the day I purchased it as new.

Always bring a tire gauge to check any RV you buy. Based on every RV I purchased in my life, ALL of them will be FAR from spec. Check the PSI info inside the RV and then check the tires. And if cheap rubber tire valves (should be illegal in RVs, IMO), be sure to wiggle each one to check for leaks there. And change them to metal at the first tire service.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Domo]

When we bought our MH and I asked about pressure, the salesman assured me they were at max... like printed on the sidewall. I kinda laughed. No wonder it drove like a truck! Dropping to chart psi was like a dream in comparison.

It's always a good story when it starts with; "My salesman told me..."

 

[DonTom]

No wonder it drove like a truck! Dropping to chart psi was like a dream in comparison.

Same happened to me with my 2022 Class A. But it took me around a year to even notice the sticker inside for the recommended pressure in my Class A was 82 psi on all six. All six were a little more than a 100 PSI the day I purchased it. So I bounced around a lot more than I should have for every tip for more than a year.

I agree with what you say about the salesmen. Not just with RVs but also with boats, motorcycles, cars. Don't ask salesmen. Just RTFM! Or check the sticker inside. Because the salesmen never do.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[DutchmenSport]

When I was in college, I worked in a hospital kitchen to help pay my way. The department head had a saying and he was insistent on it..... "If in doubt, throw it out!"

In other words, if the food, even remotely, looked or smelled questionable, throw it out, even if it meant a shortage of that item.

When it comes to RV tires, or tires on your primary driving machine ... the moto is equally as true!

Don't take chances. Remember that Michelin tire add with the baby sitting inside the tire with the moto... "A lot is riding on your tires." Think about that! Then decide if you want to run.... even a single mile, on the tires.

But... it's your choice! Good luck!

 

[Kirk]

I am hesitant about riding on them.

You should be hesitant. The tires are now 7 years old and you really don't know anything about them other than what you were told by someone who wants to sell for the highest possible price. Motorhome tires should be replaced somewhere between 7 & 10 years of age, no matter what they look like. Since you really do not know that the tires have never been driven when underinflated or overinflated, if they may have sat in damp conditions or somehow had the steel belts damaged, you will be taking a high risk if you do not replace them. As you think about it, consider the sort of damage that a tire blowing out at highway speeds can do to an RV. I have seen repair costs from those events that far exceed the price of a new set of tires all around.

 

[Racklefratz]

Motorhome I am looking at has 2017 tires with 36,000.miles. the Motorhome is always stored inside climate controlled building and when out on trips the tires were covered when parked.I am hesitant about riding on them.

If that RV is the one you want, aside from the tires, then go for it.

BUT....take tires very seriously, as you seem to be doing. Once RV tires reach 5 years of age, REGARDLESS of their appearance, they're suspect. Why? Because no matter how good they may look externally, there can be rot and damage INSIDE the tire you can't see, and that sort of thing can lead to blowouts.

If I was buying an RV with tires over that age, my first priority would be to replace them. I've had a blowout on a front tire on a Class A at highway speed, and trust me, you don't want that. A word to the wise...

 

[Ray-IN]

Michelin's RV and truck tire warranty is valid for 7 years. Michelin also recommends replacing their tires at 7 years with a maximum of 10 years. Coincidence or lawyer speak?

 

[Ray-IN]

forgot to include;
If DOT inspects a commercial truck and finds tires over 10 yrs old. the driver is written up.

 

[LarsMac]

I put new shoes on my outfit within a couple of days of buying it. The ones on it were obviously aging poorly and were ten years old.
That was in 2017. All the miles these tires have, I put on them. They look fine,
...
I will be replacing them before our next road trip. Why take a chance?

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

[In my opinion] 7 years of age is right at the cusp for large motorhome tires (19.5" or 22.5"). They are probably fine if there is no obvious wear or damage, but have reached the age where the possibility of a sudden failure increases substantially. They might last another year, or even two or three, but the odds of the gamble are increasingly against you.

Much is made of the family safety thing, as hyped in the Michelin ads, but I feel that is way overstated. Rare indeed is careening off the road out of control, and no more likely on a motorhome than your car. The primary risk is damage to the RV body and chassis wiring & plumbing when the tread separates from the tire body. That can mean $thousands in damage and weeks of repair.

I've run a tire for 8 years but probably would never try for 9. And I've replaced tires at 5 or 6 years because the condition was less than ideal, i.e.uneven wear or sidewall cracking..

 

[Isaac-1]

Same here, I replaced mine at a bit over 8 years in the spring of 2021, I had planned to change them out in the spring of 2020, though due to covid and 2 major hurricanes we only put 150 miles on the coach in the entirety of 2020

 

[Ray-IN]

Off-topic. Last week I had to buy a new tire for an old trailer made from a pop-up camper frame. I took the wheel to my tire shop and told the man I needed a new tire while replacing the broken valve stem. He looked at the cracked sidewall then the date code, it was 2300_ over 23 years old. He carried it around his shop and showed it to all his employees.
I never license or use that trailer on-road anyway, but flats seem happen at the most inconvenient time.

 

[Deano2002]

I wouldn't believe much about a tire corporation telling you about tire safety scaring you into another set of tires for thousands of dollars before they are actually needed. I bought my rig with tires cracks big enough to stick a pencil in them, drove it 50 miles home on 55mph roads because I had no choice. Now my tires with 15K miles are starting to show tiny cracking at 8 years old. I'm driving 5 hours south to Merrimac state park and not stressing about it, if I were driving across the country I might be concerned. BTW I have Hankook tires now. Funny thing, the tire up underneath is much older than 8 years and looks brand new with no signs of cracking

 

[Isaac-1]

Tires fail from the inside out (chemical reactions happen faster at higher pressures, a tire at 65 psi has about 4 times as much pressure inside as it does outside), I hope you have good insurance, because when one lets go it is common for them to do $5,000+ worth of body / wiring / plumbing damage to an RV.

 

[Onyrlef]

I wouldn't believe much about a tire corporation telling you about tire safety scaring you into another set of tires for thousands of dollars before they are actually needed. I bought my rig with tires cracks big enough to stick a pencil in them, drove it 50 miles home on 55mph roads because I had no choice. Now my tires with 15K miles are starting to show tiny cracking at 8 years old. I'm driving 5 hours south to Merrimac state park and not stressing about it, if I were driving across the country I might be concerned. BTW I have Hankook tires now. Funny thing, the tire up underneath is much older than 8 years and looks brand new with no signs of cracking

Your tires don’t care whether you’re driving 5 hrs. or 25 hrs. You must be able to change your own tires, a roadside service guy isn’t going to put a pound of pressure in an aged out spare. Otherwise, 10 yrs. is generally considered the extreme upper limit for tire age, but condition of the tire is a big factor. I wouldn’t drive my MH to check the mail with cracking 8 yr. old tires on the front.

 

[Deano2002]

I'm not one who lives under the fear of everything going bad if its not new or within suggested change date.

 

[Isaac-1]

You do you, I just hope you don't cause an accident and injure or kill someone else when one of those tires eventually blows.

 

[Onyrlef]

I'm not one who lives under the fear of everything going bad if its not new or within suggested change date

Tire's aren't everything.