By the Never-Bored RVers
Apparently the Comments section was turned off for our blog article about tires three days ago [http://blog.rv.net/2010/11/a-tire-some-expense/]. At least we’ve received e-mailed comments about that. Hopefully it will be working now, so I welcome your comments about tires.
Before you go off-line, I invite you to check out www.deathvalley49ers.org. 
Encampment Days are winding down now, and once again we’re able to prove why we’re “never-bored.” It’s a wonderful experience being among thousands of happy folks, listening to top-notch entertainers (including Belinda Gail at left); visiting with excellent artists and craftspeople; and seeing and experiencing Death Valley. All this is built around the rich, often bone-chilling history of mining and death in Death Valley, brought to life in films and talks.
I’m sure there are more stars visible from here than anywhere else on Earth.
This year, there is 5-bar cellphone service just about everywhere around this forsaken land, with internet service available at the Death Valley National Park Visitors Center. The huge overflow parking lot has been covered with crushed gravel, and the skies are not cloudy all day….
So much to see and do. The events and the music that start at early-morning breakfasts don’t stop until 9 or 10 at night. The cost of all this is reasonable, with your required membership in the Death Valley 49ers organization tax-deductible.
Put it on your calendar for next year, the 62nd encampment, November 9-13, 2011. A NOTE: I suggest you start your wagontrain westward early to get a prime parking spot.
From ol’ Dusty and Sweet Monique, the “Never-Bored RVers,” We’ll see you on down the road.
Roger
Suggest you visit RV.Net. Do a search on Zander and you will find a post just on your topic
RobertG
If you are going through tires at a high rate I will give a 90% chance you have a bent/loose/missed alighted wheel and axle. And please for everybody’s benefit-yours and the guy behind you check your torque from time to time. It does make a difference. A single axle should be $200/$250-more if you have it installed. An RV skidding down the road on it’s side is somewhat more.
Geoffrey Pruett
More than a little of the range in tire life involves a prevarication (nudging the truth) on the part of both manufacturer and owner. Have a 25 ft A at the moment which is asking only a mid range load of the listed tires, little problem and good tire life. Last unit was a Dodge chassis C on the MB450 base, load range was on the edge as delivered and we tend to travel heavy. This unit had no use at all for less than the best young tires we could find. An 8 year old radial in the inside dual position ripped off the mud flap and cracked the black water tank with no warning. It we the only older tire on the ground and gave no warning, but changing it out slipped into the background at trip time. This time had the unit weighed at the local truck scales and stapled the info inside the owners manual, it was the last such experience. With the actual as loaded figures the right load went on each time. We were lucky, had just slowed to about 35 for a big rig exiting the freeway, Had been running 55. Scary!
Grampa Jim
I myself believe that the tire manufacturer makes the tire for certain specs for a specific RV, and the RV manufacturers recommend the right tire. Therefore,,,,stick with what came on your RV, and you’ll do your best along with other tire attention things. One of my tires separated on IH 20 in Fort Worth two years ago. The tire never blew, but when it separated it caused $5153 worth of damage. The tires were 4 years old from the factory, not cracking and properly inflated.
Since then,,,,I have a TPMS, (which wouldn’t have helped since the tire kept its pressure during the event, but a TPMS covers about 90% of the misfortunes), I keep my tires off direct ground with treated plywood, I had my new tires spun balanced, I keep them at 50 PSI as the tire and RV dealer recommend, and I keep my tires covered when they are in place for an extended time.
Getting back to Death Valley,,,,we stayed in Pahrump, Nevada, (I found it interesting that it’s pronounced Prump). We went to DV a week before the DV Days, and wished we could have stayed for the event. Regardless, we had a great time visiting the Valley and had a darned good hamburger at the golf course restaurant.
Lee Ensminger
Comments are still closed on the tire article. Here’s my question, though: Do you know what each of the tire manufacturers say is the longest you can use a tire? We have Michelins on our 38′ DP which is stored inside with the weight off of the tires. They have only 22k on them and the tread looks like new, no cracking or checking of sidewalls, have always held air very well, but they’re almost 7 years old. I thought I read once that Michelin said with proper care, their tires could go 10 years. Don’t know what the other manufacturers claim. Your thoughts?
Wesley Frazier
At the Chry. service school they told us that for the best tire ;life set the tire pressure at the marking on the side wall of tire for the best ride go by what the car/truck builder says it the right tire pressure.
butterbean carpenter
Howdy NB Rvrs,
I have always been told to put the higher pound amount in the tires, because that ‘holds’ the sidewall, which is weaker than the tread.. In cars it didn’t use to make much difference, but with P-tires you want them hard when cornering and not rolling under. That reduces the ‘scrubbing ‘ effect and holds the turning-line..
On the IRV2 forum today there is discussion about weighing each end of the axle
and one of the members quoted from the Michelin tire-book.. Weigh each end and
put the max for the heaviest in BOTH ENDS…
Now, I don’t know about cellphone service out in the Mo-jave desert, but I think old
Scotty used smoke signals…
M H
[quote]
he tires we bought this week have a maximum rating of 80 psi. When I told them to put 55 pounds in the new tires, the manager told me they will only put in 80 pounds, as recommended by the manufacturer. I’d like to hear your comments about this in the Comments section below.
[/quote]
It may be the Manufacture of your trailer says 50 Lbs for a better ride and to soften the bumps. The tires on my trailer are rated at 65 lbs max load and that is what I put in them. my owners manual states to put in the max lbs that the tire is rated for.
Silver Admiral
Cell phone service in Death Valley? Which carrier? This is news since we were there in April, there was nothing after leaving Beatty.
Wayne Berry
Couldn’t leave a comment on the tires. But here’s my comment on what I use.
I use Loadstar K550 205/75D15 for my trailer, which is about 3200 pounds. I use
the trailer every day, 5-6 days a week, and the tires last me about two years. The other tires I’ve tried only last one year.