225/70/R19.5 tire choices...

[Ex-Calif]

So I have been doing a little googling and searching here for front tires for my NTM RV. After initial sticker shock, then realizing that it wasn't a lot of dealer markup but rather these tires are $$$ I am down to 3 choices.

1 - Continental - Strongly recommended by a very reputable Truck/RV/Auto guy - He does a lot of work for work colleagues. Downside is he has to outsource alignment so it will take 3 days or so.
2 - Goodyear G647 - I don't know anything about these but they seem to have good reviews everywhere
3 - Kelly Tire - Not sure what model but I was told they can deteriorate quickly

I was told that other (cheaper) tires can go out of balance quicker and to "avoid" Chinese tires - While interested maybe in other tire choices I'd like to keep it to the 3 above because both shops I am working with can do any of the above.

 

[donniedu]

Hankook has been popular with class 8 people for years.  Toyo is another great option.

 

[Isaac-1]

I am in the same boat, needing to replace my tires due to age before next summer, I currently have Hercules brand H-902's which I think have been replaced by a newer model.  These tires have worked fine for me, though I don't really have a point of comparison.

I personally would not go with the Goodyear G647's as I have read a number of complaints about this tire.

p.s. At one point in time Chinese tires were junk, though in my opinion they have came a long way in improving quality control in the last 15-20 years, to the point where I do not have a problem buying a name brand Chinese built tire.

 

[Phil-T]

We have TOYOs all around - Have had them for 2-3 years and I like them.  No problems, mounted on factory steel wheels.  I very rarely find air pressures off.  In fact on our 8k plus mile trip last summer, I never had to add air to any of them, checked every morning before getting on the road.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

That's not a real common size, so pricing is likely somewhat higher than other sizes and selection more limited.

You might add BF Goodrich ST230 (a Michelin brand), Toyo M154 & M143, Firestone FS561 and Sumitomo ST718 to your shopping list.  All would be excellent choices for RV use.

 

[Ex-Calif]

Thanks for the ideas everyone.  I guess this is my first "service" on my RV provided by a shop and I am in a bit of sticker shock.

Both shops were within spitting distance of each other on the Continental. Funny, one of the shops is a Goodyear Shop and they leaned away from the G647 citing that they were "way" more expensive and hard to get right now - which I thought was really weird. They offered a Goodyear Endurance which I had read nothing about. Anyway Continental is a recognizable brand to me with a good reputation so I am going with them and the shop that does the alignment in house. I explained to the shop that I am getting a vibration that feels like tire balance between 60-65 so I am gonna be critical about balancing. I have put new shocks on and will replace the steering damper before I drop it off next week.

I am sure Toyo and Hankook are good brands as well. Also one shop did offer up the Hercules which I had done no research on and I didn't want to get stuck in analysis paralysis on this with the trip now <2 weeks away.

The Continentals are gonna be about $900 out the door with alignment, balancing etc... Somehow in my head I had a number half that amount. Welcome to RVs I guess - LOL...

As a sidebar I have sworn off Hankook.  I put a set of their ATs on my Jeep and they are literally the worst tire I have ever had on an off-road vehicle.  They are noisy and slippery in all conditions. In mild rain I get wheel slip at every red light departure and I often get rear end step out going around turns in the rain - they are borderline unsafe to me.  A couple of weeks ago I almost got stuck in some relatively flat area that was grass with underlying "clay-ish" soil - it was actually a friend's back yard!  The wheels jut spun on wet grass and then spun in the mud - LOL.  Also really noisy (even for an AT).

I should have stuck with Bridgestones - Best tire for a mixed-use SUV.

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

There's a Cooper Ironman tire in that size.  With Ironman's on my class A I can't say anything more about them than they're round and black.  I'm kind of a tire snob when it comes to cars and motorcycles but I find that with RV's the subtleties of tread, compound, plies, etc are just deck chairs on the titanic.  Handling, ride, noise, traction, etc are dwarfed by the issues of weight and suspension.  If I make it to the point where my tires age out without a failure I will consider it a win.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[Isaac-1]

With a $900 price tag, should we assume you are only installing 2 front tires?

 

[Ex-Calif]

At this point, yes.  The front end was very sloppy when I bought the RV and I noted that the inside edges of the tires are worn excessively and after shocks, air bag filling and a steering damper I have a pretty good "shake" at around 63-67 mph.  It goes away pretty much below 63. I am attributing it to tire balance so the new tires.

I have read in my book that uneven tread wear can also be attributed to having alignment done at the wrong "traveling" weight.

The rears are probably past date code (I really need to check how far) but there is no visible cracking in any of the tread, they "appear" great and there is tons of tread left. I reckon I will do the 4-rears all together after I sell a kidney...

I know I am off base here in terms of "safety" but I figure a rear blow out would be less dramatic than a front blow out as well.

With a $900 price tag, should we assume you are only installing 2 front tires?

 

[Larry N.]

but I figure a rear blow out would be less dramatic than a front blow out as well.

That's probably true, but you should be aware that a blowout on an RV is very likely to cause damage to the RV, often to the tune of several thousand dollars, possibly a hole or two, and likely whatever water and electrical are in the immediate vicinity of the tire. So if the tire(s) have dates more than 7 years ago, or so, you're running a pretty fair risk.

 

[Ex-Calif]

Agree - I'll check the codes today...

That's probably true, but you should be aware that a blowout on an RV is very likely to cause damage to the RV, often to the tune of several thousand dollars, possibly a hole or two, and likely whatever water and electrical are in the immediate vicinity of the tire. So if the tire(s) have dates more than 7 years ago, or so, you're running a pretty fair risk.

 

[gnewhall]

We have TOYOs all around - Have had them for 2-3 years and I like them.  No problems, mounted on factory steel wheels.  I very rarely find air pressures off.  In fact on our 8k plus mile trip last summer, I never had to add air to any of them, checked every morning before getting on the road.

X2 Continuous checking with EezTire TPMS.

 

[Ex-Calif]

Just to close out I went with Continental Hybrid HS3 tires.

The wheel alignment as I suspected was way out. So far that they had to reshim the front end which added some labor cost.

Afterwards I found another tire about $100 cheaper that had really good reviews but I can't get stuck into buyers remorse - LOL

The bad news is that after shocks, steering damper, air bags, tires and alignment (and inspection of ball joints etc.) there is still a noticeable shake at 63-67 mph - it seems correlated to "acceleration" and going up hill. On the flats and downhill it goes away so I am stumped. It is definitely coming up through the steering column so it's not an engine vibe or some other vibe.

I was cautioned by the tire shop to make sure I ran the RV up to like 75 in order to "break" the balancing bead bags which I did on the way home. In the next few days I plan to load the rig including the bike and trailer for a shakedown drive. Might try and get a few hours under the wheels before the long drive to Biloxi.

I may end up just using 60 as my target cruise speed which is probably good for fuel burn anyway...

Anyone have any other thoughts I would love to hear them.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Vibration under acceleration is either drive shaft universals or a drive shaft balance problem. The steering column will telegraph any vibration in the chassis.

 

[Ex-Calif]

Vibration under acceleration is either drive shaft universals or a drive shaft balance problem. The steering column will telegraph any vibration in the chassis.

Thanks Gary - Good tip.  I will take another look at the driveshaft. It did seem in good shape upon first look but I didn't look too hard. Makes sense it would lighten up when load is relieved.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

On a '96 vintage coach, I would suspect a driveshaft support bearing or worn universal joint.  I don't recall the layout of the driveshaft on those old P-series chassis, but a look underneath should show what components may be suspect.

 

[Ex-Calif]

Definitely - Should be getting under it tonight or tomorrow morning.

There are two configurations according to Autozone - 3 u-joints and 4 - both with a center bearing.

The good news is they are only $15-18 each. The bad news is I always manage to drop needle bearings when I do u-joints - LOL...

 

[Ex-Calif]

Unfortunately the drivetrain is in perfect shape. No play anywhere the center bearing looks great. I inspected the steering shaft and its u-joints all good. I looked for anything else that could cause this and the only other two things are the parking brake drum or the rotors. There is no brake pulsing or anything to lead me to suspect the rotors but they are heavy and if not mistaken ate like 12.5 inch diameter so in theory they could definitely cause a shake.

The parking brake drum seems to have a lot less mass to it...

On the bright side I checked the rear tire date codes and they are week 13 of 2017 so they are good to go, look fine, good tread and no visible crazing or cracking.

edit - Spoke to the tire shop - they want it back in in case there is a bad tire... Drop it off Tuesday morning...

 

[Isaac-1]

I was just going to suggest a possible belt separation in the tire that does not show up until it is spinning at highway speed

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

A bad tire should show at speed but would not be related to acceleration only.