Tires on Class A

[Waiexguy]

Bought a 2016 Coachmen Pursuit with 245/70 x19.5 tires. Though they look good the dating shows Dec of 2015.
My general feeling is that they are probably closing in on end of life even though there is lots of tread and no signs of weather checking. This unit has the Goodyear UL670's. I look them up and they want and arm and a leg for them. Is there something special about this tire? I've had several people tell me to look into the Double Coin or Toyo tires. On a slightly different note, on my last trip, I was driving with a 20-30mph cross wind at approx. 60mph and when I did a pit stop, I got out and checked the front tires. They were hot to the touch. That is with 80lbs cold tire pressure and the TMPS showing a tire pressure of 90. Is that pretty common? I'm not experienced with motorhome tires and was not aware until recently, there is such a learning curve on tires. My honest feeling is most RV tires die of old age and not from being worn out? Would like to hear about different tire experiences and looking to be safe and not sorry. Larry

 

[donn]

Lots of tires in that size. Your in ID so make a call to your local Les Schwab. They may not be the cheapest around but offer great service.

 

[darsben]

The tires are past end of life 7 years is about the max unless you take very good care of the tires. Since you did not own the rig from the beginnning you do not know how they were treated. Tread and looks are not an indication . The BS about buying tires at a certain place is just BS. If you are on the road you may not find a Les Schwab, Discount tire etc. Buy them from whoever offers the lowest out the door price.
Toyo is a nice tire

 

[DonTom]

That is with 80lbs cold tire pressure and the TMPS showing a tire pressure of 90. Is that pretty common? I'm not experienced with motorhome tires and was not aware until recently, there is such a learning curve on tires. My honest feeling is most RV tires die of old age and not from being worn out? Would like to hear about different tire experiences and looking to be safe and not sorry. Larry

Welcome! I noticed that was your first message here.
The tires in my Y2K Class C also go up by ten psi in 50 miles or so. They also take 80 PSI cold, which is 90 psi warm.

I cannot say for my new Class A, because I have not yet installed the TPMS. Those tires take 100 psi cold.

Yes, I think it is common for RV tires to have a lot of thread left when they should be replaced, in perhaps 6 years or so. How many years you will probably get different opinions, but it is better to be safe than sorry.

A couple of years ago, On I-5 in CA, I saw a newer Class A on the side of the road that looked like it was totaled out because of a rear blowout. Was not much of the RV left around the tire that blew out.

In my Class C, just last year, I got a blow out that left every pipe after my muffler back on the freeway just north of Gila Bend, AZ. However, that tire was NOT old and it is a mystery how it happened. I found the metal bracket of the missing mud flap dug into what was left of the tire. A chicken or egg type of deal.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Toyo is a world-wide upper tier brand, while DoubleCoin is a near-bottom of the line Chinese brand. Not saying the Double Coins are no good, but Toyo is in a different class. More expensive than DC but much less than GY G670. Plenty of other good choices too, e.g. Sumitomo, Goodrich, Hankook, Firestone, etc. Shop around.

 

[Isaac-1]

Just to add a bit more to this, I have read a number of negative comments on the G670 tire online. As to what to buy I switched from 8 year old Hercules H802 (?) tires which I had been driving on since buying the coach 5 years ago to Sumitomo ST719 Speed rated N (87 mph max speed tires) (made in Japan) this spring, and the performance difference was night and day, so much so as I keep finding myself driving 5-10 mph faster than I think I am going with the new tires when on good roads. Cost was a little under $2,000 installed with balance beads, tax, tire disposal fee, from a local commercial tire shop.

 

[Ray-IN]

Toyo is a world-wide upper tier brand, while DoubleCoin is a near-bottom of the line Chinese brand. Not saying the Double Coins are no good, but Toyo is in a different class. More expensive than DC but much less than GY G670. Plenty of other good choices too, e.g. Sumitomo, Goodrich, Hankook, Firestone, etc. Shop around.

When refueling at truck stops I have noticed Double Coin tires on OTR semi-tractors steer axles. That sends me a message.

 

[John From Detroit]

When refueling at truck stops I have noticed Double Coin tires on OTR semi-tractors steer axles. That sends me a message.

Yes it does and the message is "We value $$$$ more than LIves"
Alas I know of many people who are like that. about 48% of the country in fact.

 

[Larry N.]

I have read a number of negative comments on the G670 tire online.

Most of the negative comments I've seen are about the sometimes odd wear pattern when used on the steer tires. My previous coach came with the G670 and other than the wear pattern on the front they were just fine, though certainly more expensive than Hankook, et al.

 

[donn]

The BS about buying tires at a certain place is just BS. If you are on the road you may not find a Les Schwab, Discount tire etc. Buy them from whoever offers the lowest out the door price.
Toyo is a nice tire

No one said "buy" them from Les Schwab. What I said was give them a call and ask! Les Schwab may only be a very large regional tire dealer, but most of the tires they sell can be serviced or repaired anywhere in north America with no problem. Like I did say, Schwab may not be the cheapest, but they offer great service, handle lots of truck tires daily and also offer road side service for their customers. Since the OP lives in Idaho Schwab is a good option for him, thats all.

 

[Waiexguy]

Thank you all for the reply's. I figured before I asked the question there would be difference of opinion but I value all the input.
I've had many trailers and such over the years but this is my first go around with a motorhome and it's pretty obvious to me that tires are one if not the most concerning part of owning one of these things.
Larry

 

[Skookum]

Tires get hot because of under-inflation, load, and friction. Also, weather can play a big role. Asphalt can reach more than 150 degrees on a warm sunny day. Water that's 120 degrees is uncomfortable to touch.

If they were properly inflated and you are not overloading them, then I'm guessing you were driving in warm temperatures and/or they were getting warm because of the scrubbing induced by the cross-wind. Basically you're having to steer into the wind to keep the rig straight, but your front tires are going down the road a little bit turned, and that generates a little bit of heat.

The other "hot tire" concern is brakes. You'd probably know if you had a caliper locked up, but a dragging caliper can super-heat everything from the rotor all the way up through the wheel and make your tires really hot!!

FWIW, I put Goodyear Endurance RSA's on my rig in the same size, I believe. Good tires for the 20k miles we've run them. Middle of the pack for expense...Michelin XZE's or whatever are still outrageous in comparison.

Think about how much driving you'll be doing in the next 7 years. If RV tires theoretically last 60k miles, how much of that will you eat up? Or will they age out first? If they'll only have 20k miles on them when they age out, then it makes a lot more sense to go with a cheaper tire--but not the cheapest.

Les Schwab tried to sell me on Double Coins, citing a substantial cost savings over Toyos. Tires are first and foremost a safety device, so, nope, I'm not in a position where I need to save money in that department. I have little doubt they are adequate. A lot of people run them. But if you don't have to, why do it?

 

[Utclmjmpr]

When FRONT tires are heating,, I suspect toe in problems..>>>Dan

 

[Isaac-1]

I have a TPMS system with temperature sensors on my coach, and sometimes see around a 10F Degree temperature rise over time depending on the texture of the pavement

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

When refueling at truck stops I have noticed Double Coin tires on OTR semi-tractors steer axles. That sends me a message.

When you wear out a set of tires in less than a year, the $$ are a much more important consideration.

 

[Bent Valve]

As a retired commercial driver I have blown a LOT of tires in more than a million miles of driving.

I sold an RV I redid this summer, a great couple wanted it but they didn't know anything about RV's. I had priced it high because I thought people would haggle. When they offered just a $1000 less than I was asking I countered with $$$$ LESS than that and asked them to use the savings to put tires on it.

That's how important tires are to me. I helped them shop for and get the tires mounted. Something will break on an old RV, but I sleep good knowing I made it as safe as I could for them.

The RV I got this summer had 13 year old tires on it. They looked like new. I replaced them with Toyo M154's. Just did a 1100 mile week long trip. Great handling and was worry free, well, about tires anyway. (blew an exhaust gasket, more funny than serious...)