Best Tires Available???????

[karlsbadskateguy]

New to Toyota RV I just purchased. It has Bridgestone 185R14 (that the entire number and there is no thrid number on the tire) RD 603 Steel Belted radials. Load range "D".

I have to replace a tire and also would like to info on the best tires to get when I have to replace all.

Tire dealers tell me that Bridgestone no longer makes a tire in that size or a comparable tire for the vehicle, same with Michelin. So far all I can find is Yokohama.

What brand and spec tire are most running? Why?

Also I am told by dealer that the highest PSI I should run a 65 PSI max tire is 50 PSI. Yet I talked with a guy who said he had tires with max load of 80 PSI and ran them at 70 PSI. Obviously the concerns are fuel mileage and tire wear.

So what is the best tire and setup for my '86 New Horizon? (5500 lbs G.V.W.)

KarlsBadSkateGuy

[TexasToy]

I recently bought 6 new tires for my 92 warrior,the original were 185R14-LT6 RIM size 14.0X5.00 at 50psi for all 6.The new are the same size,just 8 ply instead of 6.All six tires mounted, balanced, old tire disposal,and road hazard at sears for 474.33 out the door.Tire part #09552214.

[DanAatTheCape]

goodyear wrangler HT -- about $130 each

Maxxis 168eu -- about 90 each (ply equivalent) (by cheng shin - china)

Triangle, yokohama, nexen all offer tires too.(china, japan, korea)

the size, 185r14c is valid, even though many tire dealers cannot get past the lack of the profile (65, 70, 75 etc). If they keep insisting go on to the next dealer.

The tires on my istasca spirit are spec ed at 6pl, which is now a "c" rating. 8ply = "d"

The goodyear website & the maxxis website show these sizes.

This is NOT a car tire - these are load bearing tires.

[TexasToy]

Dan,after reading your post I realized that the new tires I got were load c and my paper work said I had d's I thought The c's were 8 ply,thanks I'm in the process of getting sears to exchange my tires because it was sears mistake.I paid for 185R14D and got 185R14C.Thanks.John.

[DanAatTheCape]

which brand tires did you get?

[powdrhound]

I needed tires to take me to the snow. Nearly every tire I see are Summer Rib, don't-go-anywhere-near-snow tires.

From a VW Van site, I found Nokian Hakkapeliitta CS 185R14 D-load.

MOST EXCELLENT!!!!

They are a winter rated M&S tire.

Just took them on a trip to Spokane, WA from central Calif. First test was Battle Mountain Pass.

Snowing hard, 2-3" of snow on the road. The SkiBumMobile driving like it is on dry pavement. Sweet.

Fled the area with the Big Freeze on our tail, back thru Idaho. In all probably put 800 - 900 miles on snow & ice covered roads.

The only time I got worried was on the way home, after skiing Kirkwood. CalTrans had the R2 signs out - 4WD w\ snow tires or 2WD w\ chains - and it was some of the best road I had been on in the past week. No way I could see putting on the chains. The worry was that the local CHP would disagree with me.

In summary, these tires have proven themselves beyond my imagination.

http://www.tiresbyweb.com/p-7330-nokian-ha...eliitta-cs.aspx $144 ea.

Six of the tires have a DOT date of 1008 - March of 2008. The spare is a 4207.

Mounted by America's Tire in Turlock. Jeremy has been Very Good to me in the past.

Let it Snow!

John

Edited January 5, 2009 by powdrhound

[bufbooth]

Hello karlsbadskateguy,

I purchased goodyear wrangler HT, which had a decent winter rating on them.

I purchased them in load range C because the old tires on it were C range, next

time I will buy D range.

Max pressure is 55psi, I run them at 52psi.

The major reason I purchased the Goodyears is that I wanted a tire that I could find

a replacement for anywhere in the US. A number of the national chains carry the

Goodyears (Sears, Tire America, Discount Tire, and of course Goodyear).

I have 14,000 miles on them so far and really like them.

Also, be sure your new tires are relatively new, like two years or less.

There is a DOT number on each tire, the last four digits tells you the

week and year (ie. 2207 = 22nd week of 2007). Tires start to break

down with time even if new and never used, once a tire gets 8 to 10 years

old you could get a blow out or a tire that wears faster than it should and

since most of our motorhomes are not in full time use, no reason to start

with tires that are at there half life timewise.

Dennis...

[rmd]

I needed tires to take me to the snow. Nearly every tire I see are Summer Rib, don't-go-anywhere-near-snow tires.

From a VW Van site, I found Nokian Hakkapeliitta CS 185R14 D-load.

MOST EXCELLENT!!!!

They are a winter rated M&S tire.

Just took them on a trip to Spokane, WA from central Calif. First test was Battle Mountain Pass.

Snowing hard, 2-3" of snow on the road. The SkiBumMobile driving like it is on dry pavement. Sweet.

Fled the area with the Big Freeze on our tail, back thru Idaho. In all probably put 800 - 900 miles on snow & ice covered roads.

The only time I got worried was on the way home, after skiing Kirkwood. CalTrans had the R2 signs out - 4WD w\ snow tires or 2WD w\ chains - and it was some of the best road I had been on in the past week. No way I could see putting on the chains. The worry was that the local CHP would disagree with me.

In summary, these tires have proven themselves beyond my imagination.

http://www.tiresbyweb.com/p-7330-nokian-ha...eliitta-cs.aspx $144 ea.

Six of the tires have a DOT date of 1008 - March of 2008. The spare is a 4207.

Mounted by America's Tire in Turlock. Jeremy has been Very Good to me in the past.

Let it Snow!

John

You are a brave soul. My Toy RV has never seen salt. Toy PU from the 80s and salt dont mix well.

David

86 Sun Express

[LuvmyRV]

Tires are one of the most important things on your RV.

Stay away from Yokohama Y356 tires. I had brand new tires on my RV (Load C) and a total blow out with almost nothing left of the tire. When it blew I was going 70 miles an hour and I thought maybe I'd lost my entire rear axle. That's how severe it was. Thank God it was on the rear and I was on a straight road with a lot of shoulder. Major damage to the outside of my RV by the wheel. All I know is that I never want to have that happen again. Scary as oooo. Made it home with the spare. A couple of months later I was under the rear end and noticed the other 5 tires sagging. All six of them had tire separation in under a year. Won't ever put a Yokohama back on my RV.

I now have Vredestein Comtracs on and have been using Vredestein's (Load D) for the last 12 years with no problems. Other issues you may have is that OEM on Toyota Winnebago's have steel outlets for the air and you might have to ask if they have any rubber parts to replace the original rubber seals with. I found a Vredestein/semi truck tire place and they gave me a bunch. They look like tiny rubber bands to replace the original rubber seals inside the wheel. Also, make sure you get your new tires on at least a month in advance of your trip and make sure they are holding air in them within days after the tire people put them on. Seriously, lots of idiots out there.

Tire installers are a dime a dozen and I have had them put extensions on so they leak air, etc. Make sure the tires are filled up and nothings wrong before you go anywhere. The last time I had my tires rotated, even though I had checked, inevitably the night we were leaving for the Grand Canyon, I could tell something was wrong because my RV was rocking more than it should've been, pulled over, and the inside rear tire (duals) had no air in it because they had crunched the extension and all the air came out. Luckily, I gave a gas station attendant a $20 to fill the tire up, take the messed up extension off, and off we went. Wonder what would have happened if all the weight that should be on duals was only on one tire the whole time. A lot of weight is on those tires, don't mess around with expecting the tire people to do it right. Double check them. Pathetic, but I've had my RV since 1997, and it's unbelievable the crap I've been through with the mounting, and the rotating with the tire installers. It's always a hassle, but I already know what happens if things go wrong. I would also get the road hazard insurance.

The Vredestein's are a bit more expensive and I'm due for some new tires. I've been reading the reviews of the Nankang and the Hankook, but in the end, I might still stick with the Vredesteins. Never know where the RV will go, it's a pain to change tires on the road, and the peace of mind alone is probably worth the extra money while you're running around, especially if you know you will be in the RV for a while. I've had mine all over the US, to Alaska and Canada twice, up the inside passage, and all the way to the tip of Newfoundland and along the east coast of the US and Canada.

Check out www.ratwell.com/technical/TirePhotos.html. Pictures and info about the tire sizes that fit.

Good luck.

[Anthony in Tahoe]

Tires are one of the most important things on your RV.

Stay away from Yokohama Y356 tires. I had brand new tires on my RV (Load C) and a total blow out with almost nothing left of the tire. When it blew I was going 70 miles an hour and I thought maybe I'd lost my entire rear axle. That's how severe it was. Thank God it was on the rear and I was on a straight road with a lot of shoulder. Major damage to the outside of my RV by the wheel. All I know is that I never want to have that happen again. Scary as oooo. Made it home with the spare. A couple of months later I was under the rear end and noticed the other 5 tires sagging. All six of them had tire separation in under a year. Won't ever put a Yokohama back on my RV.

I now have Vredestein Comtracs on and have been using Vredestein's (Load D) for the last 12 years with no problems. Other issues you may have is that OEM on Toyota Winnebago's have steel outlets for the air and you might have to ask if they have any rubber parts to replace the original rubber seals with. I found a Vredestein/semi truck tire place and they gave me a bunch. They look like tiny rubber bands to replace the original rubber seals inside the wheel. Also, make sure you get your new tires on at least a month in advance of your trip and make sure they are holding air in them within days after the tire people put them on. Seriously, lots of idiots out there.

Tire installers are a dime a dozen and I have had them put extensions on so they leak air, etc. Make sure the tires are filled up and nothings wrong before you go anywhere. The last time I had my tires rotated, even though I had checked, inevitably the night we were leaving for the Grand Canyon, I could tell something was wrong because my RV was rocking more than it should've been, pulled over, and the inside rear tire (duals) had no air in it because they had crunched the extension and all the air came out. Luckily, I gave a gas station attendant a $20 to fill the tire up, take the messed up extension off, and off we went. Wonder what would have happened if all the weight that should be on duals was only on one tire the whole time. A lot of weight is on those tires, don't mess around with expecting the tire people to do it right. Double check them. Pathetic, but I've had my RV since 1997, and it's unbelievable the crap I've been through with the mounting, and the rotating with the tire installers. It's always a hassle, but I already know what happens if things go wrong. I would also get the road hazard insurance.

The Vredestein's are a bit more expensive and I'm due for some new tires. I've been reading the reviews of the Nankang and the Hankook, but in the end, I might still stick with the Vredesteins. Never know where the RV will go, it's a pain to change tires on the road, and the peace of mind alone is probably worth the extra money while you're running around, especially if you know you will be in the RV for a while. I've had mine all over the US, to Alaska and Canada twice, up the inside passage, and all the way to the tip of Newfoundland and along the east coast of the US and Canada.

Check out www.ratwell.com/technical/TirePhotos.html. Pictures and info about the tire sizes that fit.

Good luck.

Ok... so all the research ive been doing to put good tires on my 91 Conquest just came to a hault with your post. glad i didnt pull the trigger on Y356! Heard the same reviews you just said. Im going to look into the Vredesteins. I, myself, think the tire shops are idiots toooooooo

[Anthony in Tahoe]

Ok... so all the research ive been doing to put good tires on my 91 Conquest just came to a hault with your post. glad i didnt pull the trigger on Y356! Heard the same reviews you just said. Im going to look into the Vredesteins. I, myself, think the tire shops are idiots toooooooo

Where do you get the Vredestein Comtrac (185r14D)?

[linda s]

Yokohama's are very well thought of on the toyota-campers group on yahoo. Never heard any complaints. Is it possible he bought old tires? Makes a big difference and many dealers will sell old tires at a lower price without telling you the dangers. You seem to like the Tires-easy site. They have a Verdestein in your size but they also have Nokian tires with free shipping. One summer tire and one winter for only 117. They are just as good as the verdesteins

http://ssl.delti.com/cgi-bin/rshop.pl?suchen=Ordern&cart_id=75844113.135.9820&ranzahl=4&Breite=185&Felge=14&Transport=P&dsco=135&kategorie=6&Ang_pro_Seite=15&sort_by=preis

Whether they will be newer tires or not I have no idea. maybe you can call and get a date code on them

Linda S

A heads up on this tires easy place. The vredestein tires they have have been discontinued and no other place has them. bet they are pretty old if everyone else is already out of stock

[Guest Ken and Tina]

What size tire should I be getting for rear duels on 15" for 4x4?

Thank you

Ken

[linda s]

What size tire should I be getting for rear duels on 15" for 4x4? Thank you Ken

Roxanne has been running 215/75/15 tires on her 4x4. Tire rack has a nice selection dependng on if you want off road or all season tires.

This link doesn't come through with it narrowed down to load range C and D. Just scroll down to load range on the left and deselect all, then click on C and D and you will get the right tires only

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/TireSearchResults.jsp?customSizeSearch=&width=215%2F&ratio=75&diameter=15

Another couple of options from online tires

http://www.onlinetires.com/products/vehicle/tires/maxxis/215%252F70-15+maxxis+ue-168+%28n%29+bravo+series+109%252F107q.html

http://www.onlinetires.com/products/vehicle/tires/achilles/195%252F00-15+achilles+ltr-80++bw.html

You do realize all the tires should match right at least the size but better same tire

Linda S