BAC Forum
General Boards => Technical Support => Topic started by: Richard Cooper on June 05, 2012, 11:46:13 PM
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I am a new member and not yet proficient in using the search of this forum.
Which tires should I install on my 2001 Beaver Marquis 40JSP? Currently have 7 year old TOYO's. I am now 150 miles away from my coach on storage elsewhere. Thus, cannot tell you what is on the coach now. But there are 6 wheels.
I am a member of Monaco International as well as BAC (FMCA). It seems I would get better pricing on Michelin's through Monaco than through FMCA. Isn't this correct?
I called around and priced the TOYO replacement tires and they cost almost as much as Michelin's. Should I go with Michelin's? What is the model number of the Michelin's I should seek?
I want to replace all 6 tires this month. Your help will be appreciated.
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I have XZA2 Energy Michelins on my 2002 Marquis and have been happy with them. Bridgestone also makes a tire that owners have been happy with.
Later Ed
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Can you give me the full set of numbers from the tire?
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They are 295/80R/22.5 Info link is here. http://www.michelinrvtires.com/michelinrv/tires-retreads/tireInfo.do?tread=XZA2%20ENERGY
Later Ed
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I am driving on Michelin XZE2+ which I think handle and ride better than the XZA2's we used to have. I bought mine through the Monaco International program. I found it to be about 10% cheaper than the FMCA program.
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The 2001 Marquis came with 12R22.5 Toyo tires as original equipment. However since Toyo no longer supports their tires for RV applications, almost no one uses Toyo tires for replacement.
The most popular size tire for replacement on your coach is a 295/80/22.5. The reason for using this size is for the increased load capacity. If you chose to stay with the 12R22.5 tires the only one approved for RV use by Michelin is the XZE, and it has a maximum load capacity of 7390 pounds in single fitment. However the 295/80/22.5 comes only in the XZA 2 Energy for RV use, and it has a maximum load capacity of 7830 pounds in single fitment.
The first question that you need to answer before buying tires is how much does your coach weigh when it is loaded the way that you normally travel? I run 295/80/22.5 tires on my 2000 Marquis (that originally had 11R22.5 Toyo tires) because of the extra load capacity that I badly needed.
Gerald
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The first question that you need to answer before buying tires is how much does your coach weigh when it is loaded the way that you normally travel? I run 295/80/22.5 tires on my 2000 Marquis (that originally had 11R22.5 Toyo tires) because of the extra load capacity that I badly needed.
I don't know how much it weighs. I have the same furniture that came with it. I don't think I have a lot of weight in the basement. I may have a half to 3/4 tank of water, may have 3/4 tank of diesel. I don't have an extra freezer in the basement. Usually it's only me traveling and I weigh less than 200 lbs. What are you carrying that weighs so much that you need special tires?
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The 2001 Marquis came with 12R22.5 Toyo tires as original equipment. However since Toyo no longer supports their tires for RV applications, almost no one uses Toyo tires for replacement.
The most popular size tire for replacement on your coach is a 295/80/22.5. The reason for using this size is for the increased load capacity. If you chose to stay with the 12R22.5 tires the only one approved for RV use by Michelin is the XZE, and it has a maximum load capacity of 7390 pounds in single fitment. However the 295/80/22.5 comes only in the XZA 2 Energy for RV use, and it has a maximum load capacity of 7830 pounds in single fitment.
Gerald
Monaco Club quotes as of 10/3/11 for Michelin 76807 XZA2NRG 295/80R22.5 XZA2 ENER 152M(Load Range H) (LH STEER) = Price+FET $605.04
Is this the preferable tire for the 2001 Beaver Marquis 40JSP?
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Richard,
Yes that is the tire (295/80/22.5 XZA 2) that I would run, however you need to make the decision about what tire is best for you. I would also recommend that you should run 120 PSI in the tires until you weigh the coach to determine the correct pressure
I am a fulltimer, so I carry a lot of personal stuff as well as my tools in the basement, however with 11R22.5 tires most 2000 Marquis coaches were overloaded, as the owners discover when they weigh their coach.
Gerald
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Richard,
These coaches by design are heavy and some come in over the axle weight spec when loaded. Add to that the issue that the side with the big slide is heavier by approximately 1000lbs so it is not a completly balanced load side to side. Certainly the 12R 22.5 Toyo tires were not adequate and many of these tires were run over the tire weight spec rating. That also happened on some Country Coaches running those same Toyos.
There has been good experience with both the XZA2 Energy and a Bridgestone tire that if you are interested Gerald would be a good source for info. For the money with the programs available I would not hesitate to buy the Michelin XZA2 Energy tire given the weight capacity is adequate for the coach with a little to spare. Joel mentioned the XZE2+ also which could be a good choice but I am not that familiar with that model. When you ask for the preferable tire I am not sure that anyone here can give you a definitive answer. It is a matter of choice and all we can do is give our experience about the tires we have owned.
My choice to run the XZA2Energy was based on the fact that they fit the wheel well and rim on my coach, the tire had a little excess weight capacity, in discussing that tire with Michelin reliability engineers, it had one of the lowest failure rates of the tires that they offered. It offers a little better rolling resistance and should give you 1 to 2% better mileage. They ride well and I have not had any abnormal wear issues like rivering etc. Some owners of Goodyear tires have had issues with abnormal wear and they seem to have a design flaw that causes that. The only downside of the Michelin tires was the cost in the past and the programs that are available have mitigated that to a great extent. Hope this helps.
Later Ed
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I sure wish I was located in a sales tax free state such as Oregon. Wouldn't have to live there to buy there, but it's the getting there that is the problem. I would feel better getting there if my tires were dependable. So I guess I will have to cough up an extra 7% Georgia and local sales tax over and above the Monaco price + FET. Then there's balancing, etc. --- these tires are expensive. I hear China is to blames for running the prices up $200/tire over last 2-3 years with their buying.
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Richard, I just replaced all 8 of my tires with 295/80R 22.5 Michelins. I bought them thru the Monaco International program and saved a considerable amount of money. I had Goodyears before and was generally satisfied with them, but the Michelins seem to ride more smoothly and a little quieter. If your tires are 7 years old, you definately need to replace them or risk a blowout.
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You might want to at least take a look at the Hankook tires. Great rep at a very good price.
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I have Hankook tires in 275/70R22.5 AH12 and they are very good. Better ride and handling then the Toyos. Two years ago they were just under $2,000 installed, balanced with new stems. Several other have switched to Hankook in the 12R22.5 size. Have not heard of any complaints.
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I've heard that 2 years ago the Michelins were priced $200+ per tire less than now.
I recently priced Toyo's to replace the Toyo's on it now and they were close to the same price as the Monaco International Club price direct from Michelin.
I will feel confident with Michelin on my coach.
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I have Hankook tires in 275/70R22.5 AH12 and they are very good. Better ride and handling then the Toyos. Two years ago they were just under $2,000 installed, balanced with new stems. Several other have switched to Hankook in the 12R22.5 size. Have not heard of any complaints.
Prices on all tire have sky-rocketed this year at least. I had my Hankooks (275/70/22.5) installed in Yuma after the Quartzsite rally for 3,000 including an alighnment, valve stems and balancing the front. Most everything else was a lot more $$$. Too bad I had to pay sales tax but I didn't want to wait until we got to OR.
They sure ride and handle good but I'll better be able to asses them when we finally get on the road next week.
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We found that Michelin are the roundest tires made and much smoother riding than other brands.
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Before I place an order --- let me review:
Michelin 76807 XZA2NRG 295/80R22.5 XZA2 ENER 152M(Load Range H) (LH STEER)
Is this tire the correct size for my 2001 Beaver 40JSP? 6 tires.
In other words, I hope not to have any problem turning my front wheels all the way left or all the way right and have no scraping of the wheel well, etc.
Also, what does "LH STEER" refer to in the specs? Does load range "H" mean that each tire can handle nearly 8,000 pounds?
By the way, buying through Monaco International rather than FMCA saves me about $75 per tire. If you are in the market for Michelins on your coach, it would be a large savings to join Monaco International for $40 a year. Just as with BAC you have to be a member of FMCA to join Monaco International.
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My Michelin tire dealer is handling my tire order billed through Monaco, but today told me they would give me $125 per tire trade-in for the Toyo's I have on the coach ---- which are, I think, LR22.5 - 16 ply. Real happy about this. Total overall cost with balancing, installation, trade-in's and local sales taxes will be about $3,550.
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Richard, I am curious what the date code is on the new tires they are installing. If you are able to, please let us know. As of today I hear the Michelin XZE2 is on backorder in So California so I am hoping to pick up a set that has a late 2012 date code. Probably not big deal but the later the better in my opinion. And to you future tire shoppers, always call ahead and try to pin the salesman down on a price he will give you for your old tires. Should be a minimum of $75 per tire trade-in if they have less than 50% wear and no sidewall checking.
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I will find out this week as I told the salesman to get a recent date. The Michelin manufacturing plant they will come from is only about 100 miles away in Greenville, SC (from where my coach is parked). He didn't say anything about a shortage.
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Richard, I am curious what the date code is on the new tires they are installing.
The tires were ordered the other day and have come in today. Salesman says the date is 2012, but exact month he didn''t know. They will install Monday.
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I want to throw this thread off a bit - regarding pressure and tire monitors.
I have my front at 115 and the tire monitor says to have an upper limit 10% more, ie. 127. It doesn't take much driving on warm pavement to get at or above 127. Any thoughts as to what an upper limit should be? Is it on the Michelin site/specs?
Thanks.
Jeff
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Jeff,
The tire manufacturers understands the tire pressure increase with temperature (actual operating pressure) as they study the tire and create the load vs pressure tables. The specs we use are for the cold tire pressure measurements only and the compensations are already built in. As long as cold pressure is in spec for the weight loading then you are good to go.
The tire monitors will clue you in on the actual pressure increase with temperature that you encounter over some period of time and range of ambient temperatures. The 10% adder is an educated guess by the monitor company. If you exceed that number modify the limit to be just above what the tires pressures are running as long as both fronts run similar temps. Same for the rear tires, find a pressure limit that they run within for most ambient temperatures that you will drive in and set your own limit. This limit is a monitor of your own historical normal upper pressure limit but there is no spec per say.
Later Ed
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Jeff,
I have never seen an upper limit in any tire pressure publication, however I run 120 PSI in my tires and I have seen readings as high as 145 PSI on my tire monitor when driving on a hot summer day. So I would guess that your upper limit should be about 25%. However if you are running low rolling resistance tires like the Michelin XZA2 Energy, they build less heat so you can adjust the pressure limit down a little.
Gerald
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Ed and Gerald,
Thanks for the info. I have been watching the pressures and have a good feel for the normal running pressures so I may do as Ed suggests and set the monitor at those pressures or just above.
Jeff
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One thing I have noticed is as we travel the inside rears gain about 5 lbs more pressure than the outside. They start off the same. Is this normal?
Mike
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Mike,
The inside rear tires do not have as much clean air flow as the outer tires, so they will normally run a little hotter, and therefore they will gain a little more pressure than the outer tires.
Gerald
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Finally got the invoice from Monaco International RV Club for new tires bought through them and Michelin:
Michelin 295/80R22.5 XZA2 ENER 152M (LRH)
Discounted per tire = $564.11 + FET $40.92 = $605.03
Valve stem with cap = $6.75
Mount & Dismount on wheel = $20.00
Balancing including weights = $29.00
Alignment, front and rear (not sold on basis of number of tires) = $41.67 avg
Georgia tire fee = $1.00
Georgia sales taxes = $42.83 avg
TOTAL before trade-in = 746.28
Credit for trade-in old Toyo = ($125.00)
NET cost avg per tire = $621.28
Some may not realize what the extra charges are for buying new tires and this shows you. My trade-in credit was probably a bit higher than most, but my previous Toyo tires were in pretty good condition. They were 5-6 years old.
Not everyone will need an alignment, but glad I asked for it. My rear was off significantly.
It was a very easy smooth transaction through Monaco Club. I never had to call the club at all. I gave the ship to code to Michelin and registered with them my credit card. My dealer ordered the tires using the ship to code. He billed me asking for my membership number and the first 4 / last 4 digits of my credit card. He picked up my coach from my storage space some 10 miles away and returned it. I'm in Atlanta and the coach is 2 hours away from me.
Dealer said I should get better fuel mileage, but who knows. I can only compare to the 8.5 miles per gallon Silverleaf showed I was averaging on interstate driving in Florida --- which is flat. Soon I will be in significantly less flat areas of the northeast.
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I have to report that these new Michelin tires are wonderful --- I hardly ever hear road noise, they are so smooth on the highway. I've been driving in the mountains though. I've not noticed any increase in miles per gallon, however. But I feel safer with these new tires.
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Hi Richard, sounds like a good experience. Did you happen to notice the date code on the new tires?
If anyone knows of a reputable RV Michelin tire dealer in the Orange County California area please share
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I know everyone here loves the Michelins and they are great tires - but expensive. I've read nothing but great reviews about the Hankook AH12 tire, and they are not as expensive. I have Hankooks on my car and had them on my class C before I got the Beaver. I've never had problems with them. Has anyone had a negative experience with the AH12 tire? I'm due for new tires on my coach and am leaning in the direction of the Hankooks, but am also considering the Michelin brand.
Thanks.
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Pete's Road or Roadside Service is a great place to buy your tires. They are also the fleet dealer for FMCA. That should get you a better price. I don't know the location in Orange County or LA County, but they are in Riverside and in Escondido. Good luck. Don't know the phone number and have very spotty service here in New York.
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Bill,
Earlier this summer, I replaced 5 year old Kumho's with Hankook AH12's on our 99 Marquis ... after just a few thousand miles, I have no complaints. Only reason I did not put Kumhos back on was ... I couldn't find anyone that had any in the Western US to include the distributor in LA area. The Kumho's were the best riding tires we ever had on the coach over it's 146K life ... much better than the Toyos. Time will tell on the Hankooks but so far so good.
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For what's it worth, like Glenn, we replaced our old tires with Hankook AH12 and are very pleased. Interestingly, it took a couple of thousand miles to "break them in" and the handling vastly improved over the old Toyos. The coach rides so much better and now tracks straight with very little steering adjustment. Price-wise thay are tough to beat.