This is a repost of something I wrote December 2019. Might be worth repeating.
I have put the coach on a 6 yr replacement plan. 2 tires every two years. Seems the front tires wear the fastest. Then is seems the mid axle wears
next. and the rear axle is just along for the ride and wear the least. When the front wear to a point where traction may be compromised or reach 4 yrs
old, I move them to mid axle. Mid axle rims get new tires and moved to the rear. Rear tires get moved to the front. Do this every two years, so I'm
only laying out money for two at a time every two years. We also put on about 10 - 14 k miles every year. So by the time replace two 6yr old tires,
they have between 30-42K miles on them. They have now timed out with as many miles as I can get out of them and still safely run them. This way,
oldest tires are 6yrs, followed by 4 yrs and 2yrs. I've actually got one wheel...the passenger side mid axle that is slightly toed in and wears faster
than all of the others. But it has become not worth the effort to correct the slight toe problem on that wheel, because the tire there times out
before it is worn below the wear bars. This all works for me running Michelin LTX-MS tires. If the coach will stand still for more than a couple of
weeks, I tire cover them as I do not have inside storage.
The hard part is getting into that replacement management scheme. You may have to replace a set a year or two earlier or later to get the rotation
right. I was able to do it when I bought an off-brand set of tires that tread separated. Two of them at two years use and another two at 4 years. Just
worked out for me. The problem with off-brand tires is that they were regionally available, so when they went bad while traveling south, I was not
able to get to a shop that carried the brand to make the adjustment. The one time I could get to a shop that carried them, it was far enough out of
the way that it would have cost me more in gas to get there than the cost of the replacement tire. JMHO, but now I use only Michelin LTXMS, and have
never had a problem with them. To me, the peace of mind is worth the extra money for the Brand Name.
I also take the best of the two 6 yr old tires and move it to the spare. Requires having same size rim on spare as the other 6 on the coach. That way
the spare is never more than 8 yrs old.
FWIW, some time when you have time, take your GMCMH to a empty part of a parking lot. Stop somewhere out of the way. Then, turning the steering wheel,
crank the wheel all of the way either left or right. Put coach in gear and go forward 1/4 to 1/2 of a circle. Stop, put it in park and get out and
look at the 4 rear wheel/tires. It is shocking how much those bogie arms and tires bend/squirm to accommodate a turn. / | \ Front tires don't react
nearly as extreme as rears. So, every time you turn a corner, you are really working those sidewalls. IMO, with that kind of squirm, this is why most
blow-outs occur on the rear as those sidewalls are consistantly being bent/streatched to their limits. So, I think we need to be running a well
made/engineered tire that is capable of handling this abuse. When I park my coach for the night or for that matter, any period of time, if I had just
turned the wheel a little, I will point the wheels straight forward, then pull forward and back 2-3 times just to take the bend/squirm out of the
tires. Just what I do. (JWID)
--
Larry
78 Royale w/500 Caddy
Menomonie, WI.
