I have checked this site and a few others. Tires seem never to actually wear out on a motorhome, but the just get old and cracked. Sort of like me!

I read that tires need to be changed at 10 years regardless, others change at 5 years.

I am looking at a rig now with tires having date codes of 2000 so they are 8 years old but I am told no cracking as the unit has been stored inside.

I can change the tires right away and put that cost into the loan amount on the rig. I can wait a few years and then change them out of pocket. If I can drive the rig up to 4-5 years before needing to change that is fine.

Or should I change them and then I just drive all the time on new tires?

Batteries the same, 5 years about the life of a battery?

Tom

This is one of those topics that always poses a different answer no matter who you talk to. I have Michelins on my coach (1996 23ft regal) and they are the second set of tires on the unit. When I took the Carth to my local trusted service guy I asked his opinion on my partially "cracked" tires and he said..."Officially I have to recommend you change them but I have never seen a Michelin go flat on a motorhome due to dry rot". This is fine but my cargo is too precious on the coach to take the chance. I am not changing the tires this year, but I do suggest 8 years and out althoe it is subject to opinion. As far as the used tires go, as long as they are not "capped" and they dont appear to be dry rotted on the sides, and furthermore the price is right...buy em. Anyone else have a better recommendation?

Depends on your tolerance for risk. If the coach has been sitting inside unused for 8 years, the risk is high. Tires don't do well sitting in one spot, especially on concrete. If it has been exercised regularly, absent weather-checking, the risk is less.

There are no guarantees. I had a 6 year-old Michelin self-destruct sitting in a storage lot, & another that had a belt slip, which made the coach squirm at low speeds, & vibrate at high. I replaced them all with Bridgestones. OTOH, I once saw an ancient travel trailer pulled by an ancient pickup, driven by an ancient man (almost as old as I am now) who claimed he'd successfully driven across the country on equally ancient trailer tires, some of which had fabric showing through the cracks.

If you're a belt & suspenders person, go for tires & battery now. If not, weigh the risk. A blowout or a dead battery a hundred miles from nowhere can ruin your entire day. Of course, new tires & new batteries can fail too, but it's less likely.

Do a search for tires on this website, & you'll get more advice & more opinions than you can handle

When we bought the Barth I put all new tires on before hitting the road.

On the Newell I have Michelins. The fronts are about 5 years old and look rotten. Need to change all 8 of them.

When we had our bus I put Kumhos on them as they were the cheapest ones I could find. When we sold the bus with 10 years on the tires they looked like new. No weather checking at all.

The problem is Michelin does not make an RV tire. They are only designed to last 5 years. There is also the UV protection that works it way to the outside of the tire and when being driven this doesn't happen.

My opinion on tire is buy the cheapest ones you can find as you will not wear them out before they need replacing due to age.

BTW I notice that Goodyear now makes a RV tire. Designed to sit for months at a time. Don't know what sizes it come in as I only saw it in 22.5

I try to be as frugal as the next guy when it comes to operating & maintaining my unit...Failure of a battery, hose, belt, etc is usually in "inconvenience" and I'll sometimes push the limit.......simply a cost/benefit thing.

But two areas I never compromise on are tires and brakes - my cargo is too valuable to do otherwise.
I buy top-end tires (at the best price I can find)and arbitrarily swap-out after five years regardless of miles (usually under 20-25k mi).
My old tires are sold to a contractor, who usually gets another 25-30k miles out of them on equipment trailers. The most expensive shop in town does my brake work, their prices being justified by their reputation and my previous experiences with them.......

In 30+ years of RVing, I've never had a tire or brake problem on the road. For me, the added cost isn't expensive - it's a real value. Kinda like my Coach-Net fees - For peace of mind,some of the best money I could ever throw away......

I'm a believer in covering the tires from the sun. Course I live in Florida where the sun is about like a microwave on steroids during the summer. The UV rays will eat up tires long before you wear them out, so covering, along with TURNING them occasionally will make them last a heck of a lot longer.

Waiting to change tires can be inconvenient - it's hard to reach 'em with the coach on its roof or side.

Batteries failing can be only an inconvenience.

If you are unsure of the tires' history, replace them and feel safe.

My own tires get a drive once a week and a semiannual (or so) rubdown with Goodrich Age Master. They will last a long time.

I just replaced old tires that were on the coach when I bought it which looked OK but had suspicious performance. Difficulty in balancing, vibration, and a tendency to wander on the road. The dealer I went to recommended Cooper as a good substitute for the Goodyear's and they have a ten year replacement recommendation, deep tread and they cost about $300, installed, compared to between $425 and $600 for Michelin or Goodyear. Because they will age out rather than wear out this seems a good choice. After 4,000 miles I am very pleased.

just bought a Barth with original rear tires.look good won't move it until I have new ones....!!!
lenny