Time for new tires

[MuddyPaws]

I noticed the sidewalls cracking the last time I pressured up the tires on our 2955. They are 4 years old but only have about 5,000 miles on them.

I've had really bad luck with Goodyear Marathons so I won;t even look at Goodyear tires. Good luck with Bridgestone AT Revos tho.

What tires are folks using on their Montanas these days?

Thanks

[HughM]

Michelin Ribs. Costly but not as much as a blown tire damage to the RV. A bargain in that respect.
Hugh

[sailer]

I put on B F Goodrich made here in usa but I went to a size 85 tire not the 80 that comes with the montana.. Much better and lower price than michlen

[helmick]

Feel really safe with our Michelin Ribs. They are not cheap, but it`s a small price to pay for peace of mind.

[ols1932]

Bridgestone Duravis tires here. Never had good luck with any other brand. Your experience with cracking sidewalls proves that the amount of mileage is not the culprit. I've seen RV tires on many motor homes that have almost like new treads and the tires are 10 years old. Talk about cracks in sidewalls, these cracks were 1/4 inch wide and 1/8 inch deep. Terribly unsafe.

I don't think it really makes any difference what tire you use, when they reach a certain age (for me it's four years), they need to be replaced if you're going to be on the road.

Orv

On edit, removed second sig.

[soonerhooligan]

Muddy just don't buy from China. I suspect that is where your Goodyears were made. You have the right idea to change before something bad happens. I'm running on Michelin Ribs. About a grand but cheap insurance.

[Art-n-Marge]

I hear Goodyear Marathons are still the ones everyone goes for. I have heard rumor that some folks had a problem with them, but I suppose it can happen with any tire brand. I have used them on two trailers with no problems.

When I replaced my set of Missions (ugh) I was on my way to Cottonwood, AZ. On our last pit stop in Phoenix prior to getting there, a tire check showed that one of the tires was separating real bad - how lucky was that that it did not blow out! So I replaced it with the spare and proceeded to Cottonwood for our weeklong vacation. Along the way my wife and I decided that I would replace all the tires with Goodyear Marathons some time during that week and before heading home.

Lucky for me the camphost directed me to a local Big O tires that had serviced many of their campground customers. I went to the Big O up the road and told them my dilemma. They tried to sell me some in-stock brand they had but I had never heard of the brand and I requested the Marathons. They then said they could have the Marathons within three or four days and offered me a good price since they saw I was dissappointed on the wait (I really wanted to get it taken care of ASAP so I no longer had to worry about it). They then offered to GO TO THE CAMPSITE at no extra charge to install them there so I would not have to disturb our vacation. You can't beat that! So even though the Marathons will a bit higher in price, peace of mind made me pay in full, notified the camphost of what was going and it all got taken care of. Sweet! The best part is the store owner gave us a wealth of information what to visit, where to visit and ideas on places we didn't know about. That turned out to be a great trip. We'll be going back soon (but with no anticipated tire problems).

I am not familiar with Michelins or Bridgestone ST tires, so it's a price comparison for now. Just stay away from unfamiliar brands that are made in China under Chinese manufacturing processes trying to meet U.S./European specifications. I hear most tires are made in Asia or South America anyway, but under higher manufacturing standards - yeah, right!

Good luck,
Art

[rames14]

We got good service from our original Mission tires. Guess we were lucky. We then upgraded when those wore out to Firestones. We got an extra mpg when we switched tires, as well. Our dealer at that time, Rollin On RV, recommended Grimmers Tire, and that's what they offered. Other than a vandal slashing the sidewall, haven't had any issues with them.

[Allen in MT]

I have a set of Tacomas that need to be replaced on our 3400, and have been thinking about Jinglun tires that are 14 ply. this is the 1st time I've seen them or heard of them, when I google them it says good things about them but then again all tire companies say the same thing. I think tires are like TV's, there are only a few companies that make all the tires and then put different names on them.

I see somewhere that a tire rim is marked on the back side and should be checked if you want to use a higher pressure tire, What am I looking for on the back of the rim as I will be going from a 10 ply to a 14 ply????
Allen

[jackandh2o]

Art, sounds like what could have been a bad trip turned out to be a great one.

Ray

[Capt Kidd]

Just replaced the missions with Toyos. Got them from Les Schwab. I run Toyos on my TV and like them so decided I would try them on the Tana.

LS had them on sale all 4 mounted and balanced for just under $800.

[trailbuff]

I had Mission brand 235 80r 16's tires on my 2008 3400rl.
On my way back to Kansas City from Florida I had a large bulge on the inside of one of the tires. I replaced it with the spare.
A few days later after stopping for lunch I found another tire with a fist sized bulge on the outside.
I always check my tires and at every stop I check the tire temperature for any variances.
I didn't have a spare so I had to go to the nearest tire store. We where in the boon docks so I had to stop at the 1st store available. It was a COOP.
The only tires they had that would work where 235 85r 16. We held one up next to my original tires and they appeared to be quite a bit larger in diameter. I was worried about clearance. We then tried the next size smaller 215 85r 16. These appeared to be just slightly smaller in diameter and about the same width. I had them mount 4 of these Toyo Open Country H/T load range E 215 85r 16 and they seem to be OK on the Montana.
My question is, Does it matter going to a size smaller and does anyone know anything about Toyo tires? How is the Quality? Do they stand behind there tires??
I saved the old tires and will try to see if I can get any type of rebate from Mission Tire. I doubt it!! But worth a try.
Best regards,
John

[LonnieB]

quote:By trailbuff.
I was worried about clearance. We then tried the next size smaller 215 85r 16. These appeared to be just slightly smaller in diameter and about the same width. I had them mount 4 of these Toyo Open Country H/T load range E 215 85r 16 and they seem to be OK on the Montana.
My question is, Does it matter going to a size smaller and does anyone know anything about Toyo tires? How is the Quality? Do they stand behind there tires??

Although not my favorite, TOYO makes a very good dependable tire. I sell a couple hundred a year and see very few problems out of them.

The only thing I see that may pose a problem for you, is the maximum load rating of the LT215/85R16E at 2680 pounds. A better size choice may have been LT245/75R16E. It is the same height as the LT215/85R16E but has a higher maximum load rating of 3042 pounds. Actually, the LT235/85R16E would have worked just fine, I have put them on a couple of 3400's.

[exav8tr]

trailbuff, Not being a tire or loading expert, but it would appear these smaller tires are rated below the capacity of your axles, 10720lbs for tires and 12,000 for axles. If you were to load your trailer to max weight, which many of us, (not all) do, you might exceed the load capacity of your tires, thereby increasing the chances for a tire related mishap. I'm sure you considered this when making the change....

[trailbuff]

Thanks for the responses. I plan to replace the TOYO tires in the next few days. They are the same size and load range as the tires on my dulley Chevy 1 ton. I will put them on the truck as it is due for tires.
I am considering the GoodYear G614 tires in 235 85r 16. Anyone have any input on these. They are not cheep but I don't know what other choice I have. I can get four mounted and balanced for $265 each plus tax.
My 5 er is 37ft long and weighs about 12,000 lb. I have wheels that are rated for up to 110 lb of air pressure. What other tire choices do I have in this weight range in 235 80r 16 or 235 85r 16 size ??

[trailbuff]

Hi,
I am up in the air between Michelin XPS Rips and Goodyear G614 in 235 85r 16 size. They both appear to be very good tires and the price is about the same for each. I have always had good luck with Michelin tires but not so good with Goodyear. The Goodyear and Michelin tires where on cars. I have no experience with these tires on a trailer.
As I stated earlier, I have a Montana 3400RL and it's loaded weight is about 12,500 to 13,000 lb.
I don't know much about tires and I don't want to make a $1000 mistake.
Regards.

[skypilot]

The Goodyear G614 RSTs are G rated tires with max infaltion of 110 PSI -- be sure and check your rims to ensure you can use that pressure.

[LonnieB]

John,
The Michelin XPS Rib is an excellent tire, much better than the Goodyear G614, but limited to 3042 pounds per tire. As long as you stay within the load rating of the tire you will be fine. This means 12168 pounds on the axles.

[Illini Trekker]

Lonnie I moved my half wear 245/75/16 from the TV to trailer and had a clearance problem. The shocks on my 2005 RL 2555 rubbed the tires. I would stay with same size tire as OEM.

[LonnieB]

SHOCKS???? What are those?

Thank you Illini Trekker, that is something that hasn't come up before. The 245 is a wider tire than the 235 so if the shocks are already close I can see where there would be a clearance problem. I will definately keep this in mind for future reference.