Michelin X ONE Wide Single Tire

[sunnie]

Hello all,

Been watching and learning for about a year now. We're not new to MH but it has been a while.
I've been gathering info on class a MH for about a year now. We are about 1.5 years from buying with FT in mind. A topic I have not seen covered is whether the Michelin X ONE Wide Single Tire would be suited for the MH. I'll be going to the Cleve. RV show in January with a long list. Any info on this will be appreciated.

Thanks,

Tom

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I don't know why they wouldn't be, but so far I all I've heard about the X One is Michelin's own propaganda - haven't heard any downside at all.  Maybe I'm too cynical, but I figure there is always some drawback to any revolutionary new product. It usually takes some time to learn what it is, since the developer won't be advertising it.

Maybe one of the high end coach makers will start offering it. Newell would probably equip a rig with it if the buyer asked.

 

[rhmahoney]

Country Coach uses Toyo tires. I have had no problems with them for 6 years, so far.

 

[Karl]

Country Coach uses Toyo tires. I have had no problems with them for 6 years, so far.

Yeah Russ - until you try to put new ones on! :'(

 

[Betty Brewer]

Yeah Russ - until you try to put new ones on!

OK, to  clarify.  I was parked next to Russ when his new Toyo tires were installed.  The problems were not with the tires  but rather with the installation in a soft  parking lot with a new kid.  It was indeed a sight to behold and created an attraction for those of us at the rally.  Whatever tire  one selects, they should be mindful of those big tires and the installment requirements!

We also bought new Toyo tires and Les Schwabb installed them with no problemo!
Betty  Brewer

 

[Tweedy]

Gary makes a point about "new" stuff.  Wasn't this kind of tire pushed in the trucking business some years ago? Nothing wrong with them except for the availability of quick replacements if needed. It's like trying to sell the RR industry a radically new style of coupler for freight cars!
Regards from Memphis

 

[Karl]

Betty,

Thanks for making the clarification that I should have made in my original post. My intention was to inject a little humor, but now realize that those people who didn't know the story may have taken it as a derogatory remark about Toyo tires. That was not my intention and I apologize for that shortsightedness. Toyo tires indeed have a good reputation.

Thanks again!

 

[Ned]

It was rather funny watching them dig out under the wheel, but Russ wasn't laughing

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Yeah, if one of  those doublewide X-One tires got damaged, I'll bet you would sit on the roadside a long time before they could get another tire out to you. Probably 2-3 days to get one from a Michelin warehouse somewhere.  Maybe someday they will be commonplace, but for now they are going to be scarce.

 

[Ron]

We don't have to worry about anything Michelin Comes out with. Had Michelins on our cars several years ago. NEVER again.

You made a good point though Gary.

 

[Bob Zambenini]

Yeah, if one of  those doublewide X-One tires got damaged, I'll bet you would sit on the roadside a long time before they could get another tire out to you. Probably 2-3 days to get one from a Michelin warehouse somewhere.  Maybe someday they will be commonplace, but for now they are going to be scarce.

I agree, Gary. There is one other important reason for me having two duals.

I had a blowout on inner dual in back roads of Indiana. Got tire service quickly and he located at tire, same size, and said he would be there in half hour. On a very hot day, he made the change, put my blown tire in my toad trunk and I went on my way.

The tire he put on was not the same brand but just to get a tire and get on the way was all I could ask for.

So I went on to Nappannee for service at Newmar. They weighted my coach at no cost and determined I was well within limits.

So I tooled on across the country and out in western Nebraska,  at a road side rest stop, I was checking over the coach on very level pavement and saw the dual he put on was off the ground by 1/4 ro 1/2 inch!

So I got a truck tire  place down in Denver on phone  and went on down. He got me a tire, and replaced it and took my blown tire and got me a settlement from the company, as it was new and in warranty.

SO, I would have no problem running on one dual, if I blew a front tire  and had to get somewhere to get it replaced. I would just take one of the duals. I would not drive fast, as I did for over 800 miles on the above situation! But it would likey get me there.

Some might not agree with my logic but getting exact repacement out in 'tim buck 2' can be a zoo!

Bob

 

[BernieD]

SO, I would have no problem running on one dual, if I blew a front tire  and had to get somewhere to get it replaced. I would just take one of the duals. I would not drive fast, as I did for over 800 miles on the above situation! But it would likey get me there.

Bob

The problem with that is that you are destroying the remaining tire and it may blow on you causing a bigger problem. You probably have about 16,000#s on your drive axle, that's 4,000#s on each tire. If you only have one tire in a dual position, you have 8,000#s on that tire and it is probably rated to support less than 6,000#s if inflated to the maximum.  Not good.

 

[Bluebird Bob]

I checked into this for our 84 Bluebird. Went to Les Schwaub for answers and here's what I heard.
Most dump truck pups (trailer) run the super singles. The tires can be gotten with a load range of 10k per tire to 11,500 per tire.
The cost per tire was around $650.00. You have to get special rims..these cost $600 each.
The singles save approx 400 lbs per side over duals.
Think I will stay with the duals that I have...I put Oshei tires on my bird. These are the same as used on long haul trucks...will last over 50k miles...cost $200 each.
Works for me as I am in the trucking business and saving a buck is what I need to do.

Bob Lawrence
84 PT36 (Whirlybird)-living in our rig fulltime
Tacoma, Wa.

 

[John From Detroit]

Betty,

Thanks for making the clarification that I should have made in my original post. My intention was to inject a little humor, ,,,,,,,,,,,

Uh, how about you post the full story.... I count on the internet for at least one good laugh every day.  Usually, it provides

 

[John From Detroit]

Bob

The problem with that is that you are destroying the remaining tire and it may blow on you causing a bigger problem. You probably have about 16,000#s on your drive axle, that's 4,000#s on each tire. If you only have one tire in a dual position, you have 8,000#s on that tire and it is probably rated to support less than 6,000#s if inflated to the maximum.  Not good.

While you have a very good point,,, There are two sides to this issue..

Side one.. Driving with one dual blown may cause the other to fail
Side two.. CAREFULLY driving on one blown dual can get you off the road, out of traffic and to a place where you can safely await the tire repair man and his service truck.

With the Mitchlin double wide single tire... A flat is a flat is a flat and you sit and wait right there

 

[Karl]

John,

I'll leave that to the discretion of Mr. Mahoney. After all, it was his coach that took the brunt of the abuse, so naturally it should be his story to tell ;D

 

[BernieD]

Side two.. CAREFULLY driving on one blown dual can get you off the road, out of traffic and to a place where you can safely await the tire repair man and his service truck.

Bob's description was driving 800 miles on the blown dual. That is a bit more than pulling over to the side of the road.

With the Mitchlin double wide single tire... A flat is a flat is a flat and you sit and wait right there

John

I believe that the sidewall on the Michelin double wide is fairly stiff and you'll be able to maneuver to the road side with it. Also that stiff sidewall makes it a poor choice for a MH, very hard ride.

 

[Bob Zambenini]

Bob's description was driving 800 miles on the blown dual. That is a bit more than pulling over to the side of the road.

Need to correct the record!!!!!!

I did not drive 800 miles with a blown dual. I had a new tire installed after a blowout on inside dual . Some 800 miles later when I was at a rest area inspecting under my vehicle for any leaks, etc. I noted the dual they installed did not appear to be touching the ground by some 1/4 ro 1/2 inch . This was a good tire with correct air pressure so if the outside one failed I still had this good inner dual.

I did drive on to a truck tire center carefully and get it replaced so my conclusion is that if I did have a dual failure, I could drive on one to the nearest service place.  If it was a damaged tire I would have it taken off before driving on.

In retrospect, this initial failure happened on a state road in IN. We heard a noise, like a muffled pop but not that loud. In about 3 miles, I came up to an intersection, decided to pull over and look the outside of the RV over. We discussing that the road was very smooth, and there wasn't anything on the road we might have hit.  I took my little baseball bat which I used to thump tires and quickly determined that right rear  inside dual had no pressure and felt around and found a side wall failure.

If I had not been cautious in wanting  to check what that noise was I might have driven on for some time on one tire, like until the next time I checked air pressure!

Of course this is an argument for PP or Crossfires. You might be driving for a  day or more on one dual  tire!

Bob

 

[blueblood]

Bob's description was driving 800 miles on the blown dual. That is a bit more than pulling over to the side of the road.

John

I believe that the sidewall on the Michelin double wide is fairly stiff and you'll be able to maneuver to the road side with it. Also that stiff sidewall makes it a poor choice for a MH, very hard ride.

That's correct Bernie and is reason that WalMart is going to go with them. They have set very aggressive goals to double  fuel economy for their trucks over next 10 years with a fairly large increment to be achieved by 2007. One item on their list of things that will help them achieve their goal is to switch to single tires because the lesser ground area and side wall stiffness will both work to improve fuel economy. Overall they expect to save $52 million dollars a year in fuel cost from the total  efforts.

 

[John From Detroit]

I should have mentioned... My brother is a "Over the road" semi driver, driving, originally his employeer's and now his own rigs all over the united states.

He's blown the occasional 1/2 dual as well (one of the duals) and I've seen a number of other semis with a flat tire on a dual as well... Though it is dangerous to drive this way for assorted reasons, including sometimes the sidewall or the retaining ring (on wheels so equipped) can come off (i have seen that happen, sidewall that is) and hit another vehicle (alas, I've not seen that happen... I say the danger and held back, holding back others as well) it was still possible for the driver to deliver his load.