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Old 01-23-2020, 10:03 PM   #1
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Michelin Tire Life

The tires on my Vegas are approaching 5 years old off date code. I have owned it almost 4 years (27,000 miles). Tire wear is excellent, no cupping, scallopiing or sign of camber/toe issues at all. I have looked for weather checking, nothing. I just checked and adjusted pressures today. They uniformly lose about 1 PSI/month on average. Tires always need equal amounts of air.

I have heard 5 to 6 years to change 19.5" RV tires, does it also apply to 16" Michelins? Unit is never overweight as it is a 24.1 on e450. I run tire pressures based on scale weights heavist on front without trailer, heaviest on rear with trailer.

What is everyone thoughts about when to replace based on experience with the 16" Michelins?

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Old 01-23-2020, 10:15 PM   #2
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This is a religious type question.
I know someone who changed their oil every three months whether or not she drives the car, all because her dead husband was a fool.
Corner station would pick up the car, change the oil, return the car. She never drove it.
This happened for five years that I know of. No amount of education can change some minds.

I'm not a fan of that five year tire stuff.
Marketing markets, fish bite.

The last Michelin I had l long term experience were 12 years old, had 60,000 miles on them and were doing fine when sold.

I don't think I've ever had less than 70,000 when I swapped Michelin and could squeeked out more.
Last week I bought a set for the KR. Stupid wranglers gone, Michelin on.


But:

The reason I got rid of the wranglers was KIND OF a time thing. I needed tires about 20,000 miles from now, but it would be get rid of the vehicle with 60,000 mile tires or with 40,000 tires, years from now. We don't drive it much it didn't matter much either way, and those stupid wranglers couldn't catch gravel or snow.
If you need the comfort or if the timing getting rid of the rv fits, buy the tires now.
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Old 01-23-2020, 10:23 PM   #3
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Michelin actually says that with proper maintenance their tires can last up to 10 years. They do recommend that once the tire hits the five year mark that they be inspected by a professional at least once a year and then replaced no later than the 10 year mark.

https://www.michelinman.com/howLongTireLast.html
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Old 01-23-2020, 10:36 PM   #4
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The inspection things seems fair.
It puts this conversation
To bed.
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Old 01-23-2020, 10:49 PM   #5
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Thanks guys. The Michelin guidelines are reasonable. I inspect myself frequently when checking pressures. I pull a trailer with drag car, the M/T and Hossier slicks both seem to crack within 18 months but wheelies are tough on sidewalls.
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Old 01-24-2020, 12:25 AM   #6
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I’d add only the recommendation to keep your two best tires on the steer axle and maybe consider replacing just those two a bit earlier than the rears. Maybe keep one of the old front ones for a spare. And if you don’t already have one consider using a TPMS.
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Old 01-24-2020, 01:00 AM   #7
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I carry a spare. Do not have TPMS but check tire temps every gas stop with a temp gun and also watch trailer tire/hub temps. Does not take long and allows me to stretch legs.
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Old 01-24-2020, 02:31 AM   #8
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Just based on the dollar amount of damage a blown tire can do, potentially thousands of dollars, if you store outside I wouldn't push tires more than a year beyond that five year mark. If stored inside and out of the sun, maybe seven years. I had a rear tire throw tread on one of my cars, and it did $5,000 damage, and that was a car. On an RV there is all that plumbing, wiring and tanks under it. Not worth taking a chance IMO.
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Old 01-24-2020, 11:25 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ducksface View Post
The inspection things seems fair.
It puts this conversation
To bed.
I agree, inspection and you're comfort level
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Old 01-29-2020, 07:19 PM   #10
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In Europe for motorhomes , Michelin advises to let your tires be checked on aging by a specialist, after 6 years every year. Prefentively renew them after 10 years. 2 years of profesional storing, can be sold as new. This could sometimes mean , only after 12 years after DOT-date preventively renewel.

Only institutes that represent comerce, like BOVAG in the Netherlands( where I live) advice/ prescribe renewal after 6 years, and its vague if its after DOT date or first use.

If pressure is kept high enaugh, and protected against UV- light, the tires can mayby even last longer.
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Old 01-29-2020, 08:39 PM   #11
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My dad had michelins on a pickup truck once...I wish I could remember the numbers but it s truly jaw dropping the number of years and miles on those things... something well north of 100K miles...and he in no way babied them not even close. The only thing likely he would have never speeded with them.... but he worked, hauled, weather, off-road, never garaged

On the other hand, the OEM michelins on my mototorhome went boom mid April 2017
I don't recall the date codes but the RV was "born" March 12, 2013 and I remember the tires were dated somewhere close to that... so let's just be safe and say around about 4-1/2 years old

not too many miles on them...in fact the tread looked next to new. I had babied them keeping the pressures up diligently since owning it, but of course I have no history of what eh dealer or delivery driver did with them.
My rig is a 31 so much heavier than the OP's and I have no doubt that makes a huge difference here....
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Old 01-29-2020, 09:19 PM   #12
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My rig is way under. Even loaded for track it never approaches what the bigger units.

I wanted to get other experience as I have yet to see or feel anything justifying replacement. I have looked for cracking and see nothing. I use 15" light truck tires on trailer and have seen cracking in tread sidewalls in 5 years on Firestone, 4 years on Goodyears from date of manufacture. On our Suburban the latest set of tires Continentals are dated 2011 and no dign of issue.

I have read that Michelin RV tires are prone to cracking. I keep pressure up bit do not really baby them, though they do not sit still much. We are approacing an off weekend, then will be used every weekend into summer. I will continue watching.

I have many people in line to take them when replaced, many of the race trailers use 16" wheels.
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Old 01-29-2020, 09:24 PM   #13
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Michelin had some cosmetic crazing issues a few years ago.
One set they gave me new tires, the other they prorated them.
Purely cosmetic.
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Old 01-29-2020, 10:23 PM   #14
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I looked at opinions on commercial truck tires. Some replace their tires at 5 years or 50K miles. Others only change when excess wear or any cracking is seen, and ignore miles or age.
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Old 01-30-2020, 12:38 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Muggs View Post
Thanks guys. The Michelin guidelines are reasonable. I inspect myself frequently when checking pressures. I pull a trailer with drag car, the M/T and Hossier slicks both seem to crack within 18 months but wheelies are tough on sidewalls.

Inspection means to demount the tire, inspect it on the inside, and remount it.
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Old 01-30-2020, 01:00 AM   #16
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Dismountting is not worth it. I do on occaision lift off ground to spin looking for runout and to look at brake pads as well as wheel bearing rock on fronts. On the road, I also check casing temps which may show issue sooner than pressure loss.

I mount/dismount and balance all other tires myself. I do not do the RV or the 20" SUV tires, low sidewall aspect is tough without tire machine. The 16" on Altima and drag slicks are easy.

I will continue to watch how they perform. May consider replacing next winter.
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Old 01-30-2020, 03:01 AM   #17
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I have nothing good to say about Michelin tires, I live in Southern California and the first thing you will notice is the weather checking on the side walls, this allows water to get in and rust the steel belt and then the tire will seperate, I worked as a heavy equipment mechanic on Cat equipment and the tires on our machines cost between $8,000.00 and $13,000.00 per tire, the Michelin tires would always fail before we could wear it out, the owner of the business refused to take delivery of 6 new Cat 657 Scrapers because they had Michelin tires, those machines were over $1.3 million each, the last new F-150 I bought I told the dealer he had to change out the tires if he wanted to sell me the truck and he said why, I pulled the owners book out of the glove box and showed him the Michelin tire warranty and weather checking is not covered, just had too much bad luck with Michelin tires, and they want a premium for them
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Old 01-30-2020, 07:30 PM   #18
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One thing I wanted to add to my last post, I know a lot of people have had this problem, going down the road you feel your steering wheel pull to one side and the first thing you want to do is take it to get the front end checked, in my early days I worked in a frame and axle shop and we did a lot of work on highway trucks and motorhomes, over half the time the problem was solved by switching the left and right front tires from side to side, the condition is called Radial Pull and some times swapping the tires can make it worse or go away completely, if the condition gets worse you either replace the front tires or grab a pair off the back.
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Old 02-05-2020, 06:51 AM   #19
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My 2017 Quantum WS31 had 2016 Michelin tires. I have the Tireminder TPMS and solid 6 inch valve stems on inner duallies. At 23,000 miles, one of the inner duallies was bald, so I changed the tire. 2000 miles later the other inner dually exploded and ripped apart, causing lots of damage. I'm wondering whether the 6 inch valve stems, make it impossible to properly balance the tires. I did notice the pressure increases from 80 psi cold, to about 89 psi while driving, when the tire was new. As they aged, the psi was going up to 96, and the TPMS would alarm. I don't trust them after 3 years, so at 29,000 miles, I'm going to change all 6, before my next trip.
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Old 02-05-2020, 01:49 PM   #20
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Operating underinflated or overweight tires leads to premature failures no matter the vehicle

This is a huge factor that affects tire life and makes every situation unique

Therefore there is nothing but anecdotal information to be read on forums as for opinions

Facts including weights and tables plus specific tire information can be helpful

Most tires fail due to abuse rather than age
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