Tires, TPMS, blowouts, etc.

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Yeah, I've done the IR thing checking the brakes and found they weren't as hot as I expected (good). Wonder why you couldn't make brake temp a dash gauge so you could stop before you wreck your rotors or boil the fluid. My TPMS doesn't have temp but just watching the pressure rise you can kinda guess where they're at ( ~2% per 10F rise). I'd like a "better" TPMS but having trouble pulling the trigger on something really expensive to find it has a feature or issue I don't like, then I'm stuck with it (like the one I have now). Example, the TireMinder receiver goes to "sleep" when idle and there's no way to defeat that. Some have sensors you can't replace the batteries. Others are an app you run on your phone which is a non starter for me. I hate the idea of buying a cheep chinese TPMS but if I'm going to get something I don't like anyway, why pay a lot for it.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
 
Yeah, I've done the IR thing checking the brakes and found they weren't as hot as I expected (good). Wonder why you couldn't make brake temp a dash gauge so you could stop before you wreck your rotors or boil the fluid. My TPMS doesn't have temp but just watching the pressure rise you can kinda guess where they're at ( ~2% per 10F rise). I'd like a "better" TPMS but having trouble pulling the trigger on something really expensive to find it has a feature or issue I don't like, then I'm stuck with it (like the one I have now). Example, the TireMinder receiver goes to "sleep" when idle and there's no way to defeat that. Some have sensors you can't replace the batteries. Others are an app you run on your phone which is a non starter for me. I hate the idea of buying a cheep chinese TPMS but if I'm going to get something I don't like anyway, why pay a lot for it.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
Just get the TST 507 system and be done with it. User replaceable batteries, the display can be left on and will go into standby turning off the display with inactivity, but the sensors keep sending data and the display will wake up instantly if there's a problem. The color display is easy to read and can be wired in permanently if desired. Pressure and temperature limits are user settable.
 
I would buy an infrared temp reader and use it to help diagnosis your heat source.
I already thought about doing that. I own a couple of them, but at my houses. I never thought of bringing one for an RV trip, but I will from now on.

Mine are also from HFT. If I find an HFT on this trip, I will pick up another to leave in here.

-Don- Wasco, CA
 
I’ve been told you should replace duals in matched pairs when one needs replaced (and ideally, whole axles replaced together).
I decided I will do that. My front tires are only a few months old. All my rear tires must be a few years old. That means I will replace all five tires today for the rear (includes a new spare).

At least this way, they were all changed very near the same date.

-Don- Wesco, CA
 
The overwhelming majority of all tire failures are the result of underinflation/overloading.
I had all my tires at 75 psi just before I left home 80 psi is max on these. After I get the new tires, I will keep a close look at the psi gains and temp gains and I will post here what they are according to my TPMS.

-Don- Wasco, CA
 
Just get the TST 507 system and be done with it.
That's a $600 bill (with sensors) and I don't know if I like it or not. Given the number of RV'ers that endorse it I'm sure it's "good", but for me I'm not sure $600 worth of good (mine was spendy in it's day too and I would never recommend it). "What price safety" is then the consideration, a poor system may be no better than none. Once I immerse myself in the nuances of different units I can come up with a feature matrix and pull the trigger on something, but it's annoying to have to do the deep dive on this stuff just to discover the warts.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
 
Just remember that the max is a cold max, so if you see 90 psi after driving on a warm day, the tire engineers have already figured that into their recommendations.
Yes, I realize the increase in psi is normal. I just am not real sure how much of a PSI increase is normal. It sure is a lot more of an increase in an RV than in a car.

-Don- Wasco, CA
 
First, I have a question. If the tires are 75 PSI cold, what PSI would you expect on rear tires after 100 miles or so at 65-70 MPH?
I would expect 80-90 psi in those circumstances. The variables are things like the ambient temp, road surface temp, road surface material (some have more friction than others), and the mechanical condition of the wheel (bearings, brake drag, etc). A rise to 100 psi indicates something is very wrong and the tire & wheel are getting really hot (thus increasing the psi).

I also expect that a 16" tire under that motorhome is probably running very close to its max capability even under normal conditions, so perhaps little reserve for whatever is stressing it.
 
I am very happy with the service at the tire shop in Wasco. They had six people work on my RV and one spoke perfect English which made things very easy. They had me leaving in about 30 minutes. There is plenty of freeplay in the wheel, so that was checked and all is fine. Also, after the 70 miles I drove here, the rims are COLD to the touch, all of them. But it's cold here with snow on the ground.

I have four new tires on the rear. They talked me out of five tires when they noticed the dates and said I should use that one as a spare as it was two years old by the date. So all four tires on the rear are new and the spare is two years old.

The tires only cost $220.00 each, a total of $880.00. That is the grand total.

The new tires say on them "Whankook Dynapro HT" . I got all new metal valve stems too.

Are these decent tires?

My front tires from six months ago say "Transforce HT".

-Don- Tehachapi, CA
 
"Hankook Dynapro HT"

Hankook makes generally good tires. The Dynapro HT has good ratings on Tire Rack.

What was the size and weight rating of the tire they put on there? I'm assuming it was an LT (light truck) tire versus a P-tire (passenger, for cars and lightest duty trucks)?
 
I would have gone with a Euro Commercial tire, its common in that size, has a much higher weight rating, but the Hankook you got is a decent tire. They are an OEM to Ford, many Ford pickups and cars have them new from the factory. Tire shop did good to talk you into putting a two year old tire on the spare rim.

I installed a Lippert Tire Linc system on my trailer, it will work just as well on a motor home. The problem with all of the aftermarket systems is the inability to service the tires without removing the sensor, difficult on a dually.

The Lippert system has its drawbacks but you can set upper and lower limits and buy a alert er that sounds off if a tire gets out of limits. You don't have a display (you can buy one for it however) and this keeps you from looking at the display all the time. Out of limits, it sounds off. The alert device is also an option. You can read the display on your phone. My thinking is you get a warning, get off the road and check the tires, and the phone for info. You don't want to be watching a display all the time. Note: I have not yet used the Tire Linc, but it is installed, will know on the next trip if it works.

Another tire pressure unit that is probably decent, no experience, is one made by Dill. Dill makes valve stems, pressure sensors, etc for OEM and aftermarket. Their system installs inside the tire like a factory system, which will give you much more accurate display of temp.

Always, when you stop for gas or any other reason, first do a walkaround and feel all of the tires and hubs for temp. Realize that the sunny side tires will be hotter than the shaded side, but always check.

Charles
 
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I've had many blowouts in my long and storied RV career. I had two go out on the same trip and discovered that the remaining two had bubbles on the inside sidewalls and would have gone soon. Those were Goodyear Marathons. Goodyear has since improved their quality but since I no longer tow a trailer I'm not the guy to ask about trailer tires.

I am not a fan of Chinese tires. Or Michelins - because of their cracking issues. I had to replace 10 Michelins in one year because they were riddled with deep cracks in the sidewalls. 6 of them were 22.5" motorhome tires and very expensive, I.e. about $500 each. They're more now.

I'm currently on Sumitomo truck tires. They are ready to age out. Not a single problem with them. I may be switching to Hankook tires this time if I can't find a decent price on Sumitomo or Toyos.

I use an EEZRV TPMS and have had really good luck with it. It's my third TPMS and so far the most reliable and easiest to set up. Previous ones were SmarTire and HawksHead. (IMHO they were crap.) Both were prone to false alarms and lost signals in spite of having antennas and boosters. The EEZRV needs none of that stuff. It can read the sensors on our towed car from more than 100 feet.
 
Well, I made it one full day without a blowout during this trip. Today, of course.

But now I have this fear that a tire will blow out instantly with no warning as such as happened to me so many times. I always have the correct PSI when the tire blows out with no warning, making the TPMS kinda useless for the most serious tire problem, an instant blowout.

I wonder if the tire going bad can cause the temps to raise just a few seconds before it "explodes".

IMO, @8Muddypaws had it correct. Nothing wrong other than old Crappy tires that cannot even make it five years.

Do I hold the record for being the only one here to get two blowouts in two days?

I used to think a tire problem every other trip was bad.

-Don- Salton Sea SRA, CA
 
Are there no real tests of ST tires?

Needing to replace some 205/75/14D due to wear, close to age, but really not seeing anything that really compares available tyres, pressure would be 65PSI.
 
I have the expensive TST 507 device, and I put off spending the money until I had three blowouts (two due to the Michelin recall in 2013 when I got 7 new tires free from Michelin). After the blowouts, I also was constantly worrying about whether my tires were inflated properly. Several times I would pull over on a freeway and look at my tires to make sure there were no bulges, etc. Also, my cousin had a front left tire blowout in his 44' Class A and sideswiped a truck, resulting in $20,000 worth of body damage, and an almost rollover. I figured $600 was cheap peace of mind, so I broke down and spent the money.

Now, I can turn it on at the beginning of a trip and know tires are OK. It also reassures me when i drive on rough pavement and start worrying if it is my tires or the road. I figure that tires are the most important safety thing on my motorhome, so I don't get cheap ones.

However, last fall, I did have my right front tire overheating. It went up to 140 degrees--really scary. However, when I set the sensors up, I followed the guidelines provided by my TST booklet, and it did not scream at me, although it must have been close to it. (Low pressure does cause it to make a horrible noise that is impossible to ignore.) This was coming down a long steep road, and I immediately thought about brakes, but had them checked, and they are fine. (And, no, I was not riding the brakes.)

BUT, I did have that front end alignment, and so far, all is well with no overheating tires. My biggest problem is the changing weather and altitude. I was in the cold at sea level in CA, and am now higher, and it should be getting warmer soon, so I am taking it in for an oil change and will have them check tire pressure and add a bit to one that is a little low. I got six new Michelin XPS RIB tires in Florida last March, so I hope am oK for a while. These tires have sidewall protectors to prevent blowouts from hitting curbs, which is a big thing for me.
 
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