Colaw RV has a set wheels and tires that are 245/75 R 19.5 . I have R8 19.5 now on the front of my 28' P30. Would I get a better ride, less wander, increased payload on the front end with these? I am looking for a better ride. The new tires I put on before our trip to North Carolina helped a lot. I know that Dave has wider wheels on the front but how wide. JKB All who wander are not lost.

quote:

Originally posted by SLOOP JOHN B:
245/75 R 19.5

These are the exact same tires that I have on my coach. I changed them out to this size to get a better stance. The other coach tires were also dry rotted.

They are wider. Those other things looked like bicycle tires in the front. It did improve the ride. A wider tire up front will make it feel more sure footed.

I do not have a P-30 chassis in my coach. Tire spacing was not an issue for me.
------------------


1991 Barth Regal
460 EFI C6 Transmission
33' Oshkosh/John Deere Chassis

http://www.truckroadservice.com/



[This message has been edited by Bill (edited January 03, 2006).]

quote:

Originally posted by SLOOP JOHN B:
Colaw RV has a set wheels and tires that are 245/75 R 19.5 . I have R8 19.5 now on the front of my 28' P30. Would I get a better ride, less wander, increased payload on the front end with these? I am looking for a better ride. The new tires I put on before our trip to North Carolina helped a lot. I know that Dave has wider wheels on the front but how wide. JKB All who wander are not lost.

They will improve the front. On the rear, check spacing.

Will it work to only put them on the front??? JKB

quote:

Originally posted by SLOOP JOHN B:
Will it work to only put them on the front??? JKB

Yup. I would do it myself, but I already have an investment in Tyron bands up front.

The 245s will sit a trifle lower than the 8s, but it should not mean much unless you boondock a lot.

Get a direct measurement on the wheels to be sure they are wide enough for the 245s. Some folks put them on the regular old P30 wheels, but I seem to remember most tire authorities do not recommend it on a 6 inch rim. Check with a tire dealer and ask to lood at a Tire Guide or manufacturer's chart.



[This message has been edited by bill h (edited January 03, 2006).]

bill h; Colaw has the wheels and tires both so I will get both to be safe and have a better ride. The wife will love it as she is the one who things it wanders a little. JKB

I'll be interested to know how much the wider tires effect the wandering part of the handling. The local tire guys that do almost all the RV and truck work in this area talked me out of it. I didn't have the wheels for it and when I suggested getting wider wheels for the wider tires they asked why. I said to make the coach go down the road straighter. They said I was thinking backwards, and I would be sorely dissapointed if that was my reasoning, especially on older state highways that have tire ruts worn in them. Anyway, I saved a bunch of money and put the skinny Bridgestones all around and am very happy with the ride and drive.
On a slight drift, I read recently about the big rig guys going to one fat tire and wheel instead of the duallies. Any input?

------------------
Dan & Suzy Z
'81 Euro 28

quote:

Originally posted by Danny Zeeff:
On a slight drift, I read recently about the big rig guys going to one fat tire and wheel instead of the duallies. Any input?

I had a rear tire let go on a non-tag SOB without result. Only the noise. Not even a bobble. I suspect with a single tire on each side, things would be a little more dramatic if one failed.

In the sixties, the 16.5 tire was called a Duplex, because it supposedly replaced duallies iin back. I had a Class C with those misbegotten abominations. I finally dumped it due to its unstable handling in winds. I lay awake at night worrying about rear blowout.

I don't plan on adding any more weight to the Barth but I would like as much wiggle room on safety as far as tires go in the front end and the 6' rims just don't do it for me. I got rid of old tires that looked like new but were 17 years old with 14,000 miles on them, we want to travel safe!

quote:

Originally posted by SLOOP JOHN B:
I don't plan on adding any more weight to the Barth but I would like as much wiggle room on safety as far as tires go in the front end and the 6' rims just don't do it for me. I got rid of old tires that looked like new but were 17 years old with 14,000 miles on them, we want to travel safe!

I agree with the increased wander with wider tires. Another thing to consider is the increase in potential hydro-planing with the wider tire. The wider tire will maybe look better but that I feel is the only plus. rigajake

In 51 years of driving 40 plus vehicles, (belay that - it's 61 years of driving) from jalopies in the '40s, to sports cars in the '50s, to passenger cars of various shapes & sizes as my family grew up, on to RVs in the '60s & later, I've developed the opinion that the more rubber you can put on the road, the better.

The only car I ever hydroplaned was a Model "A" Ford with, as I recall, 4.75 x 19 tires that had a tread pattern nearly identical to the 8R 19.5s on my Barth.

The only skinny tires you see on race cars are the front tires on dragsters, & they only go 1/4 mile at a time, straight ahead.

Tire companies use science & marketing, the rest of us have to rely on common sense, experience, and tire company advertising.

The tire companies keep making tires bigger and fatter, with ever more complicated tread patterns to squegee the water out as you travel on wet roadways.

The standard 8R RV tires have proven safe and successful for many years. I still thank fatter tires are better. Enough better to justify changing wheels to accomodate them? That's the buyer's choice.

[This message has been edited by olroy (edited January 04, 2006).]

[This message has been edited by olroy (edited January 05, 2006).]

quote:

Originally posted by olroy:
I've developed the opinion that the more rubber you can put on the road, the better.

The standard 8R RV tires have proven safe and successful for many years. I still thank fatter tires are better. Enough better to justify changing wheels to accomodate them? That's the buyer's choice.

Fatter front tires will give you more traction in a turn. I want more rubber on the road in any type of weather.

The only plus side I can see to the skinnier tires is price and running over less ants.

quote:

Originally posted by Danny Zeeff:
I read recently about the big rig guys going to one fat tire and wheel instead of the duallies. Any input?

These are called Super Singles. They are pretty popular for the cement mixers. The tires that they put on help them float a little better when they make deliveries in the mud.

They are not that big right now in the trucking industry. Not many tire companies stock them. No trucking company will invest in that type of a set up unless it's serviceable. You will find captured fleets with in house road service running them if they do alot of new construction/off road type of use.

------------------


1991 Barth Regal
460 EFI C6 Transmission
33' Oshkosh/John Deere Chassis

http://www.truckroadservice.com/



[This message has been edited by Bill (edited January 04, 2006).]

I offer the following anecdotes.


Anecdote 1
Many years ago on the way to the Colorado river I stopped for gas and saw next to me a dually pickup truck with what looked like tires off a dragster on the back. No more dually but rather two very wide tires one on each side.

I asked the guy how he liked them and was told he liked the look but he did go on to say “My gas mileage really went to S@*!T” . I assume his obervation indicated that his gas consumption per mile had increased.

So I am not too sure that Super Singles on the back of our rigs are going to be a panacea.


Anecdote 2

When I got my rig I put new rubber all the way around. For the first 500 miles it was terrifying, not uncomfortable, it was terrifying. After the tires wore in the coach ran like it was on rails. I see a similar but less dramatic change after the coach has been sitting, it takes a bit for the rubber to settle down and stop wandering.


Now I know the plural of anecdote is not data so take my observations for what they are worth.


Oh yea, the skinny tires on the front of my rig are something I do not find aesthetically appealing but as a young man I favored women that looked like Jane Mansfield, this is no longer the case. I now favor my wife, times and tastes change.


Timothy


[This message has been edited by timnlana (edited January 04, 2006).]

quote:

Originally posted by timnlana:
I am not too sure that Super Singles on the back of our rigs are going to be a panacea

I don't think anyone would want Super Singles on the back of there Coach, unless...

I could add a set of side pipes and a flame paint scheme with sponsor stickers all over the place, I already have the full banks treatment...



Bye bye Bobby, hello Dale!

hum...Thanks timnlana

Stay tuned. I will post the pictures when completed!!!


------------------


1991 Barth Regal
460 EFI C6 Transmission
33' Oshkosh/John Deere Chassis

http://www.truckroadservice.com/



[This message has been edited by Bill (edited January 04, 2006).]

Am I wrong or don't the newer RVs have wider tires then the 6" wide I have on mine and they seem to go down the yellow brick road with no trouble? JKB All who wander are not lost.