37 replies to this topic

[Faded Eagle]

I have a 36' Winnebago Chieftain pusher that's needing a foot transplant. Current tires are 5-yr old 22.5" Michelin XZEs, which were in decent shape until the last couple months, when the sidewalls really started to show some cracking. They rode fine, and the MH was bought as a repo after it had been sitting in the Arizona sun for some time, so they were probably not well cared-for their first three years before I acquired the MH.

I'm trying to decide between another set of XZEs (which are regional truck tires suitable for RV use), or some supposedly specially formulated RV tires--specifically the Goodyear G670 and the Michelin XRV.

There's a lot of unhappiness to be found when researching the Michelin XRV, but none seems very recent. The Goodyear G670 also has some detractors, specifically lots of issues with rivering and some comments on flat spots/out of round issues. The G670s also have a 5 yr warranty and a 7 year warranty against sidewall cracks.

The XZEs are $490 each, the G670s are a whopping $650, and I haven't got a price on the XRV yet.

Thoughts/experiences?

Regards

Bob

Edited by Faded Eagle, 24 April 2012 - 08:35 PM.

[stevec]

I have a 36' Winnebago Chieftain pusher that's needing a foot transplant. Current tires are 5-yr old 22.5" Michelin XZEs, which were in decent shape until the last couple months, when the sidewalls really started to show some cracking. They rode fine, and the MH was bought as a repo after it had been sitting in the Arizona sun for some time, so they were probably not well cared-for their first three years before I acquired the MH.

I'm trying to decide between another set of XZEs (which are regional truck tires suitable for RV use), or some supposedly specially formulated RV tires--specifically the Goodyear G670 and the Michelin XRV.

There's a lot of unhappiness to be found when researching the Michelin XRV, but none seems very recent. The Goodyear G670 also has some detractors, specifically lots of issues with rivering and some comments on flat spots/out of round issues. The G670s also have a 5 yr warranty and a 7 year warranty against sidewall cracks.

The XZEs are $490 each, the G670s are a whopping $650, and I haven't got a price on the XRV yet.

Thoughts/experiences?

Regards

Bob

[stevec]

Sorry about previous attempt to reply. I have had the G670 tires for six years and they have been excellent. However the price has gone up big time so I plan to shop some other brands. Do a search here for previous discussions about different brands.

[Kirk]

I have run the G670 Goodyear tires and had excellent experience. You don't say what the tire size is, but the price that you listed is far higher than what I was quoted for the G670 tire in a 19.5" size so I think that you need to check that more. Check out this internet listing.

As to what tire is best, that is very difficult to pin down because it is very rare for a motorhome to wear out a set of times in less time than the reliable life of a tire. Most experts agree that such tires should be replaces at some point between 5 and 10 years of age. By watching ours very closely I ran our last set of G670 tires for 8 years and about 30,000 miles. When we sold the motorhome the tires still looked pretty good and were far from worn out but even so I do consider it time to replace them. There are many damage factors with tires that do not show any outward signs at all and no tire company will stand behind a tire for more than 10 years and most do not after 5 years. Once you pass 5 years of tire life the risk of a blow-out begins to increase dramatically. You need to realize that not only is there a safety factor in the blow-out risk, but major damage to an RV is frequently the result. When a large tire comes apart at highway speeds it will usually do serious damage to the fiberglass of the RV and it is not at all uncommon for it to tear out wires, brake-lines, and anything else that passes through or near a wheel-well. I have seen tire failure cause thousands of dollars of damage to an RV, even to the point of disabling it. As a result, I have been very particular about tire age and condition and I prefer one of the tires which are specifically compounded for use on motorhomes. As far as I know, there are only two of those, the G670 and the XRV but there may be others today.

Keep in mind that sitting still is one of the hardest thing on modern tires is for them to sit in one spot for extended periods.

[kath31]

I am by no means a tire expert!!! But I am a fulltimer, that rolls the wheels quite a bit, 50k miles in 5 years. I just replaced my front tires with the Michelin XRV, the same as what is on there now. I will replace the back tires next season. If you are a member of FMCA, there is a rebate type program for the Michelins.

[Jim2]

The Michelins and Goodyears are both quality tires. If you shop around you can get either, in the typical diesel pusher 22.5 sizes for around $500 each (plus balancing, mounting, taxes). Any brand can have an ocassional bad batch, especially when the factory is starting back up after a maint or strike shutdown. I have 7 yr old GY G670's on my MH and they have given me excellent service with no unusual wear or any failures. I am shopping for replacements also, only due to age, even though there is plenty of tread left. In RV service, where we typically put less than 10,000 miles a year on tires; paying close attention to proper loading, inflation, covering, and storage are more important than a high mileage guarantee. I'm finding several 2nd level brands with equivilent tires for about $100 less per tire: Hankook, Toyo, Sumitomo, Yokohama. These are Asian made, not China. When you're buying 6 at a time, it sure adds up. Still haven't made my choice yet.

[Faded Eagle]

Thanks all for the thoughts.

I have been watching my Michelin XZEs closely, and at five years and with rapidly developing sidewall cracking (but a massive amount of remaining tread depth), I know it's time for new tires. I've been researching through the internet and local truck tire stores, and the big 22.5" tires have absolutely skyrocketed in price in the last two years. $650 for the G670s in 22.5 and load range G seems to be the going rate unless I am really looking in the wrong places (used several price search engines, Google, etc).

In my case, the tires don't get much mileage--I retired in Colorado expressly for the purpose of being much closer to the places I love to explore, so the typical RV outing isn't piling on the miles. I do regularly take the MH out of the storage lot in the off-season and drive it to avoid flat-spotting the tires. So for me, a warranty against age-driven sidewall cracking for 7 years seems useful. And with a new set of (EXPENSIVE!!) tires, I will be much more fastidious about covering them and using the jacks to take weight off when parked. And part of the deal will also be to add a TPMS.

I do have another question for discussion. I have never had a flat in the MH, but if you do have a tire problem out on the road and have to call a tire service, does having any particular tire make it more likely the tire service will have a match? When Coach Net or Good Sam calls out a tire service for you, what are they likely going to bring out to you, and is a second trip to a tire shop going to be necessary to put a matching tire on and restore the rig to travelling condition?

Cheers

Bob

[Mr. Dave]

I have the Goodyears and am very happy so far. They are 6 years old and do not have any sidewall cracking. The tread is also very good as I only have 20,000 mi. on them. I know there are plenty of Goodyear stores when we travel so I feel safe about finding a replacement.

[OHVRanger]

You might want to check the NHTSA site for a recent recall on the Michelin 12R, 300, XZE and XZA 22.5 size tires manufactured from 2005 through Mar 2012,. Dealers will be replacing them free of charge beginning May 1 2012. All the details are on their site. You can also sign up for email notifications of recalls pertaining to your specific vehicles. That's how I heard about the tires because I run Michelin's on my bus.
Will

[doit2010]

You might want to check the NHTSA site for a recent recall on the Michelin 12R, 300, XZE and XZA 22.5 size tires manufactured from 2005 through Mar 2012,. Dealers will be replacing them free of charge beginning May 1 2012. All the details are on their site. You can also sign up for email notifications of recalls pertaining to your specific vehicles. That's how I heard about the tires because I run Michelin's on my bus.
Will

[doit2010]

This statement needs it own TOPIC, recalls and FREE tires people need to know, IMO

[Faded Eagle]

You might want to check the NHTSA site for a recent recall on the Michelin 12R, 300, XZE and XZA 22.5 size tires manufactured from 2005 through Mar 2012,. Dealers will be replacing them free of charge beginning May 1 2012. All the details are on their site. You can also sign up for email notifications of recalls pertaining to your specific vehicles. That's how I heard about the tires because I run Michelin's on my bus.
Will

Will--what site has the details? I looked at the NHTSA and Michelin sites and couldn't find anything on the XZEs. I did find this:

The tires being recalled are certain Michelin:
XZU3 LRJ, size 305/85R22.5, and
XZU2 LRJ, size 12R22.5, produced between Oct. 23, 2005, and Sept. 3, 2011; and
XM505 LRJ, size 305/85R22.5, produced between April 18 and May 8, 2010, and Jan. 23, 2011, and Feb. 12, 2011, at Michelin’s plant in Spartanburg, S.C

Cheers

Bob

Edited by Faded Eagle, 26 April 2012 - 11:58 PM.

[moisheh]

[ The Goodyear G670's are one of the worst tires ever made. The 22.5 inch size will river and you will have to throw away the tires. They also explode at times! Usually after 30,000 miles. Goodyear's warranty is not worth anything! The factory reps will deny you have a tire problem and blame it on shocks, alignment, chassis mfr., etc. Do a Google on G670 rivering. Go to rv.net or any Monaco forum and see the posts on this subject I think it was Bob Tiffin who got tired of customers calling him about tire problems. They switched to Michelin. Many owners have solved their tire problem with the GY's by switching to Michelin, Toyo and even Hancook. The person who posted that Michelin recall info should read the recall. NONE of those tires would ever be used on an RV. I doubt they would even fit! Strange sizes!

Moisheh

[Greg R]

Everyone has their opinion, and why not. Personally I like Michelin because of their side wall performance, and crosswind action. However, cost vs use can have a lot to due with the choice. Yes rubber has jumped a lot in the past 18 months. Oil is not cheap, as you well know.

[Kirk]

I do have another question for discussion. I have never had a flat in the MH, but if you do have a tire problem out on the road and have to call a tire service, does having any particular tire make it more likely the tire service will have a match? When Coach Net or Good Sam calls out a tire service for you, what are they likely going to bring out to you, and is a second trip to a tire shop going to be necessary to put a matching tire on and restore the rig to travelling condition?

I think that most of us would find the job or changing out a flat to be more than we want to take on, and so road service is by far the best answer! In all of my years of motorhome travel I have only once had a call to change a tire and that one was a good experience. In my case I did have a spare which the service would have put on for nothing, but I chose to have the flat repaired and put back in place as the extra cost was not that great. If you don't have a spare, then tire availability does become an issue. I would think that any of the major brands would be readily available, particularly Goodyear & Michelin.

But I have another question that could come up in this situation as well. Suppose that the ruined tire is one of a pair of duals and the tires are several years old. All of the tire manufactures and tire experts agree that dual tires must be matched very closely in diameter and a new tire will be significantly larger than one with a lot of miles on it. So, do you buy two tires in this case, or put the new tire on the front and mate one of them with the worn dual?

[OHVRanger]

Will--what site has the details? I looked at the NHTSA and Michelin sites and couldn't find anything on the XZEs. I did find this:

The tires being recalled are certain Michelin:
XZU3 LRJ, size 305/85R22.5, and
XZU2 LRJ, size 12R22.5, produced between Oct. 23, 2005, and Sept. 3, 2011; and
XM505 LRJ, size 305/85R22.5, produced between April 18 and May 8, 2010, and Jan. 23, 2011, and Feb. 12, 2011, at Michelin's plant in Spartanburg, S.C

Cheers

Bob

My memory isn't what it used to be. I got an email from NHTSA about 2 wks ago and just logged it away in the cobwebs of my mind only to pull it out incorrectly. I stand corrected. Thanks Bob

[Faded Eagle]

My memory isn't what it used to be. I got an email from NHTSA about 2 wks ago and just logged it away in the cobwebs of my mind only to pull it out incorrectly. I stand corrected. Thanks Bob

No problem Will...though I wish you'd have been right! ;-)

I think that most of us would find the job or changing out a flat to be more than we want to take on, and so road service is by far the best answer! In all of my years of motorhome travel I have only once had a call to change a tire and that one was a good experience. In my case I did have a spare which the service would have put on for nothing, but I chose to have the flat repaired and put back in place as the extra cost was not that great. If you don't have a spare, then tire availability does become an issue. I would think that any of the major brands would be readily available, particularly Goodyear & Michelin.

My inner dual tires are in decent enough shape that I could keep one as a spare...but no idea how I'd carry it on the MH. At 9.2" wide I suppose I might be able to get it into the top crossdeck of the underbay, but boy would it sure take up a lot of space. It does seem a good thing to have...if one tire of a rear dually needed replaced, I'd think the best answer would be to replace it with the spare from the underbay, then divert to a tire shop where the front two tires could be moved back to the dual, the good original tire from the dual moves up to front, and a new tire gets put on the other front rim, returning the spare back to the underbay.

Or alternatively, buy two new tires and replace the spare with the good tire from the dual.

Let's hope this remains a planning drill only! :-O

Bob

[Kirk]

The spare on ours was up under the tail end, but they are heavy. At the time I insisted on buying a class a that carried a spare, but in 14 years the spare was never on the ground. For that reason, I would not hesitate to go without one in the future on a class A. Those tires when cared for properly and replaced at the right time, just very seldom have any problems. The one flat which we had was on our first motorhome and we never experienced one on it after I put new tires on and not once in 14 years with the last one.

[OHVRanger]

It sounds to me like Faded was hoping to get a new set of tires. You must have purchased yours about 5-6 years ago LOL
All in all, I'm not opposed to changing a tire if I can find a safe place to do so. I have a system that works pretty good. But I have no intention's of carrying a spare. Hopefully the roadside assist can find something close in size. If not, I'll swap a tag into position to get me to a tire shop if I have to. Short term anything will do. Will

[Jarlaxle]

I think that most of us would find the job or changing out a flat to be more than we want to take on, and so road service is by far the best answer! In all of my years of motorhome travel I have only once had a call to change a tire and that one was a good experience. In my case I did have a spare which the service would have put on for nothing, but I chose to have the flat repaired and put back in place as the extra cost was not that great. If you don't have a spare, then tire availability does become an issue. I would think that any of the major brands would be readily available, particularly Goodyear & Michelin.

But I have another question that could come up in this situation as well. Suppose that the ruined tire is one of a pair of duals and the tires are several years old. All of the tire manufactures and tire experts agree that dual tires must be matched very closely in diameter and a new tire will be significantly larger than one with a lot of miles on it. So, do you buy two tires in this case, or put the new tire on the front and mate one of them with the worn dual?

I would do (and have done) exactly what is done 99% of trucks: replace the bad tire and drive it. This happens every hour of every day on thousands upon thousands of vehicles without a problem. Non-issue.

As for tires...I wouldn't run G670's or ANY Michelins if you gave them to me. Think Hankook, Kumho, Kelly-Springfield, and Cooper. Also, at this point...I would give serious thought to Doublecoin.