New Tires

[jello_jeep]

FWIW, I just called PVML for pricing on new Michelins.. 881.11 ea installed etc.

Holy Mackerel Andy!

[Joe Cannarozzi]

Well, what are you waiting for.


On second thought, call Lew. I think he recently posted a real good price with a 150 dollar credit for the old ones to boot.

[flyu2there]

Jeepster,

I knows someone who can tell ya wheres to get some Golden Coins and you will save some of dem golden Coins.....albeit Hecho in China :D

John

[merle&louise]

What about Toyos?

The Goodyear rep told us at Sevierville told us that Toyos were good tires. I have two on my steer axle and so far so good (20,000 miles). I paid $526 each in July 2007; balanced, mounted, and sales tax included. Don't know how much they are now.

Does anyone else have Toyos?

[Joe Cannarozzi]

Good for you Tuga, you did good.

I do not ever remember buying a new tire of any brand that did not do what it was expected to.

Bought a set of Michelin's once. Didn't last any longer or ride any better than any other. They were a PITA to balance though.

I just went back and found Lews post. He was told around 500 mounted and 150 a piece credit for his old ones.

Warren please do not spend 900 a piece for tires.

[merle&louise]

Hey Joe,

I talked to a guy yesterday who paid $6500 for 6 Michelins 315/80 R 22.5 he bought them at a Prevost service center (don't know which one). He didn't shop just said put 'em on! And they did:eek:

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

So the buses come down in price, and the pieces parts goes up in price. :eek:

[Jeff Bayley]

I'm a youngster compared to most but having been broke when young and having a Datsun (yes Datsun, not Nissan, so I'm not that much of a baby), .......I had a Datsun 240z. I had Pirelli, Good Year, Michelin and Toyo's on them all at one time. Usually buying them used one at a time becasue that was all I could afford. I never had a Michelin blow out on my even running them way past their envelope. I mean the metal cords where showing. If you went to feel the tread you cut your hand on the metal cords. The Michelin's never blew out once.

My vote would be to at least but Michelin's on the front and save money on the rears if you want. I but new Michelin's when I needed tires based on my young good (poor) luck with them. I've never had a blow out yet but from what I hear, a blow out on the front can be crazy and dangerous. Put the "smart money" on the front tires if not all the way around.

Signed, the young dumb guy that drives steers with one knee and hot swaps drivers at 70 mph.

[Jerry Winchester]

Ok, so lets see if we can run one more tire thread about 5 or 6 pages deep. Seems like we haven't had one for at least a week.

Then maybe a battery thread to follow that one up or maybe add a few pages to the 50 we have on the CC belt deal. :rolleyes:

3237

[garyde]

Someone did not have their Wheaties this morning. I paid about $4800.00 for 6 Michelins mounted @ Mira Loma back in January. That was the last time we had a big discussion about tires. I see no reason to purchase a different brand if the warranty is good and the tire has a decent track record. Jon W. (A1)and Roger (King of Bling) are doing a road test on chinese tires which they will report back to us in about two more years I guess.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Besides the King and I (wasn't that a musical?) there is another prominent member of this august body that is running products made in Shanghai on his coach. He has indicated he is happy so far.

We are nearing the break even point on our Double Coins. We figured that based on the price we paid if we reached half the life of a tire (assuming six years) we had broken even and every day after that we were saving money. Kaching.

They ride just as good if not better than the Michelins that were on there.

In the interest of full disclosure I have to say that we shopped our markets for tires pretty heavily, and found that Michelin was the most expensive running around $625 to $650 without tax or mounting. All other brands except for the Double Coin tires were within $75 of the Michelins. For that difference, and the bias people have about Michelins the savings wasn't worth it. But when we could get tires for half the Michelin price that made the decision a no-brainer.

If you expect to trade, put on Michelins so you don't have to hear the whining from the potential buyers, but if you are planning on keeping your coach I agree with Joe. These tires have to meet the same DOT standards the Michelin tires have to meet.

[jello_jeep]

Look Timmy (wan't he the kid that had Lassie), go back to the pound and buy some more K9's.. The TX/VA Fedex route needs the business!
Maybe you can link up with the Dog Whisperer while you are there! :p



Ok, so lets see if we can run one more tire thread about 5 or 6 pages deep. Seems like we haven't had one for at least a week.

Then maybe a battery thread to follow that one up or maybe add a few pages to the 50 we have on the CC belt deal. :rolleyes:

3237

[rfoster]

Hey Flame Snuffer lighten up. You should be working on the son in law filter theory instead of worrying about tires.

Ah So, I love my Double Coins. Black, round, and full of air.

[Steve Bennett]

Warren, we have 10 315 Michelins on order with Park House tires.

Michelin 315 X 22.5 XZA2 $639.01, F.E.T. $52.83, CA recycle Fee $1.75, yard dismount $20.00, 12OZ Equal $15.00, $728.59/Tire + Tax

The 315's were on back order from Michelin, we have 8 coming for our customer that bought the 04 Marathon, and 2 for my coach. If you would like us to get some for you, let me know.

Thanks,
Steve

[jelmore]

A little story about shopping around . . . a year ago we bought 6 Michelin 315/80R22.5 XZA1s from TCI in Ft. Worth. The Prevost guys said, with a wink, we would save some real money if we bought them direct. Ran $785 each with tax and all. A year later, we needed a tag while in Tulsa. Got with T&W Tire, and it was $530. Wish I had that 6x$255 back! Oh well.

[jello_jeep]

Thanks for the and suggestions.

Called around and after speaking with the guy from Parkhouse tire, I am going to give the Firestones a try... These are pre-tax & mount fees

Bridgestone 701.45
Michelin 639.01
Firestone 434.44

He says the Firestone ones are made in exactly the same plaint as the Bridgestone, and he wouldn't have a problem recommending them. Also I can have them pretty much straight away, with a two or more week wait for Michelins, and I am leaving in <2 weeks for a bit of a trip.

So I will be the Firestone test dummy. We will see how these work.

Also this will give me a baseline for my tires, as I didn't buy these and they seem to be of mixed breed & age.

We will see how it goes!

[merle&louise]

Jeep,

I ran Firestones on my '87 Newell for years. Good tires - no problems.

At the beginning of this thread the Michelins were $881 now they are $639 I guess it pays to shop around:)

I think what Joe C said is right; all the tires will do what they are designed to do. Those Chinese tires are looking better and better all the time.:D

Hey Jerry,

Do the Chinese make BATTERIES?

[jello_jeep]

I tried calling Double Coin, and the telephone number from their website goes to a fax machine, and the fax number does too? I tried talking to it, to no avail!

Good to hear you had good luck with Firestones Tuga..

Thanks.

[Steve Bennett]

Warren, be careful with the Firestones. I just got off the phone with John @ Parkhouse regarding the Michelins we have coming in. He said the Firestones in the "L" Load Range are speed limited @ 55MPH! The load range "J" tires are OK to 75MPH, but are only a 7,600 lb. rating @ 120PSI. I would bet your Marathon is 15,000 lb. on the front end. This does not give you much of a margin, and you need to run the tires @ a very high pressure. If you run the XZA Michelins you can carry the same weight @ 105PSI-110PSI giving you a better ride. On the drive or tag it would not be an issue. We were trying to get the XZA2 Energy, but are now being told we cannot get these until October. The XZA1 will be available next week, but even though these are fresh tires, they do not have the most up to date tread pattern. Give me a call if you have any questions.

[Sid Tuls]

I just found out that a local Prevost owner had serious accident in Las Vagas on Fri.8/15/08. His left front blew out lost controll of bus. His wife was ejected thru front windshield and was killed. She wasn't wearing a seat belt but my point is like the other post. So the tires cost a few bucks more and check the date on tire and buckle up!!

[jello_jeep]

Don't hear of ejections from these too often, that is tragic..

Sid, I sent you an email awhile back, did you get it? Or did I get stuck in your unknown/spam box?



I got my tires today, 8 new Firestones with spin balance on the fronts. Went across the street and got front end alignment too.

Rides like it is coasting on ball bearings so far, really amazing difference with the new tires. The Michelins being replaced were from early 2000.

Park House Tire did well for me.

[Sid Tuls]

Hey Warren, Sorry but never got the e-mail. It was a terrible accident. Just talk to my brother in Neb. and said he just put new Firestone's on 2001 Vantare H3 and loves the ride!! I guess we just got to check tire dates and wear. My E-mail is sidneytuls@hughes.net.

[jello_jeep]

Sid, that is the address I sent to before. I will try again...

[jello_jeep]

I heard that one of the reasons for the shortage of Michelins, is that Volvo owns Greyhound, and since they bought Prevost they decided to put Michelins on the other coaches too. So the supply of them is very tight right now.

Also heard something a little more about the fatal crash last Friday, apparently it was a couple heading out of Wyoming, bound for Marathon Beaumont for a Monday morning appointment.

Only thing known was that they had a steering axel blowout, neither was belted in and the passenger (wife) was ejected with fatal results. This was right outside of Mesquite NV.

Truly terrible, and tragic.

[merle&louise]

I have made an appointment to have a Tyron Run Flat system installed on my coach. Like the name says, it allows you to keep driving and maintain control after a blowout. Cost is $1200 installed on 2 front tires. Seems like a good investment. I am also installing a Smart Tire monitoring systems on the steer axle, which will show temperature and pressure while underway.

www.runflat.com

[Gary & Peggy Stevens]

Tuga, just one question?

Why are you putting the SmartTire System ONLY on the front steer tires? I would think the system would be better installed on all tires for complete control and safety?

Gary S.

[merle&louise]

Gary,

The answer is cost. Maybe in the future I will add the other tires to the system, but for now $2500 is all I want to spend. Additionally, a blowout on the rear is not as catastrophic as one on the front IMO.

[Alek&Lucia]

Is anybody looking for tires, check this out:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ALMOST-NEW-MICHELIN-315-80R-22-5-XZA1-4-AVAILABLE_W0QQitemZ140260244759QQcmdZViewItem?hash =item140260244759&_trkparms=39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A10%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14

Alek

[Denny]

Tuga,

Make sure you are getting a SmarTire system that allows you to incorporate the other six tires in the future. You will feel so comfortable about your front tires that in a short time you will expand the system to include the others.

[merle&louise]

Good point Denny, thanks for the tip.:)

[Denny]

Aug. 16, 2008
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Woman dies in I-15 crash

REVIEW-JOURNAL

A woman died after the motor coach she was riding in Friday blew a tire, authorities believe.

The woman was in the passenger seat of the vehicle that was towing a Chevrolet Tahoe southbound on Interstate 15.

About 4:30 p.m., 13 miles south of Mesquite, the vehicle swerved into the median, possibly because of a tire tread separation, Nevada Highway Patrol trooper Kevin Honea said.

The vehicle hit a series of ravines in the median, and the woman was thrown through the windshield and run over by the vehicle, Honea said.

She was pronounced dead at the scene. Her name was not released. The male driver was taken to University Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries, Honea said.

[merle&louise]

This is a good reminder to check your tires everyday when traveling. Feel the top and both sides of each tire for unusual wear and check air pressure. I am very anxious to have that SmartTire & Tyron Run Flat system installed.

Any tire can blow out at any time no matter what brand.

This is truly a sad story. Karen and I will pray for the family of these unfortunate people.

[Will Garner]

Looks to me this is actually a good reminder to buckle up. In NC there are numerous fatal crashes where the deceased persons were ejected from a vehicle. If they had just buckled up they would have had a greater chance of surviving the crash, possibly with only minor injuries.

I investigated a fatal crash that happened on 13th December one year. A full size Cadillac crossed the center line and struck a Nissan sedan - head on. Both drivers were wearing seat belts and survived with only minor injuries. They were actually walking around the crash scene. Unfortunately, the passenger in the Nissan, a lady that was 8 months pregnant and NOT wearing a seat belt, was ejected through the windshield and killed instantly. A note in the DMV-349 crash investigation form completed by the NCSHP Trooper indicated the husband stated she did not wear a seat belt because she was concerned the baby would be hurt in a crash - by the seat belt!

So buckle up out there, including all pregnant ladies, and watch out for those out of control Cadillac drivers!

[Joe Cannarozzi]

The guy that ran under the back of my semi trailer was not wearing them.

[Sid Tuls]

Just a update on that terrible crash,He Chubb Dobbs is at home and will be O.K. they will have the cermony for his wife this comming Tuesday here in Tulare,Calif. I didn't know him but the people he and his wife were traveling with are good friends of me and Judy. I'am sure they would covet your prayers. Thanks

[jello_jeep]

I am fixin to pull out tomorrow for the Eastern Sierras, June Lake, Mammoth Lakes, Tioga Pass and all available fishin holes within a half a jeep tank of gas.

I thought I would check my tire pressure, even though they are squeaky new and whatnot.

I found that on the outside dual, they pointed the stems inwards through one of the holes in the rim, so got my trusty sheeps foot attachment but found that they put it in at such an angle, it is impossible to hook on to it. They aired them up before they put them back on the bus. So there is no way to check and or add air to my outer duals.

I have no time to trek back over to Fontucky and considered just going with the odds on this one as they are new and all.

But I kept seeing Jon's angelic face pointing at my outer duals, and shaking his head in disapproval.... So I am carving out time somewhere to go back... Sheesh....

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

What a bummer Jeep. Makes you want to wring someones neck.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Are we a bunch of bitching bus owners or is there a serious lack of quality in the service we pay for?

Adam and someone else posted their happiness with some recent service, but the general theme lately is about the lack of even the most basic attention to details.

I'm just curious because if the quality level of service is heading down there is a huge opportunity out there for someone to service these coaches and do it right.

[phorner]

You're doing the right thing by getting those valve stems corrected...

I wouldn't be able to sleep, let alone enjoy the trip, knowing that my tires could be losing pressure and not only would I not know it, but that there was nothing I could do about it anyway!

Have a safe, uneventful and enjoyable trip!

[Coloradobus]

Warren,

Sorry to say, Paul is right. Besides seeing Jon's angelic face, keep in mind what just happened a week and 1/2 ago to our former coach. Tire safety. Tires are the only contact with good ole Mother Earth we have while in the bus.

[Joe Cannarozzi]

If you have the correct straight chuck air guage you can get at those.

Mr tool a haulick

[Orren Zook]

You tell 'em Joe!

[bluevost]

Jello,

i changed my outside dual tire valve to point outboard. You need a new shorter stem, but it is a sinch to check the pressure. Pete's Tire can do the job for you. I had it done just before we left for Kerrville, and no problems since.

Ken

[jello_jeep]

I have more tire checking tools than you have passed power poles Windy City Boy! :)

They just flipped the extensions, and with the bend and the gator chucks you couldn't hook on to them, they couldn't either and they do it all day long.

They found some shorter ones, and did a custom bend job and made them outboard as Ken did.. Smoooooooth as a gravy sammich!

I was in and out in about 40 minutes. But it was 70 mile round trip, plus 2.5 hours out of my day I didn't have.. Oh well.. Its fixed!


If you have the correct straight chuck air guage you can get at those.

Mr tool a haulick

[Joe Cannarozzi]

Bluevost has a good alternative and the reason it is not done to start is so that all the rims can be interchangable to any hub position, in or out.

This would be a good idea to do when replacing tires for the motorhome crowd as switching rim locations is almost never a requirement.

Warren you should feel all warm inside everyone has learned something at your expence.

[0533]

Warren, be careful with the Firestones. I just got off the phone with John @ Parkhouse regarding the Michelins we have coming in. He said the Firestones in the "L" Load Range are speed limited @ 55MPH! The load range "J" tires are OK to 75MPH, but are only a 7,600 lb. rating @ 120PSI. I would bet your Marathon is 15,000 lb. on the front end. This does not give you much of a margin, and you need to run the tires @ a very high pressure. If you run the XZA Michelins you can carry the same weight @ 105PSI-110PSI giving you a better ride. On the drive or tag it would not be an issue. We were trying to get the XZA2 Energy, but are now being told we cannot get these until October. The XZA1 will be available next week, but even though these are fresh tires, they do not have the most up to date tread pattern. Give me a call if you have any questions.
We invested in 8 Michelins and the steer upgrade it was suggested that we have a 3 axle alignment to make sure that our tire investment was not wasted.

We had all of this done at Prevost Jacksonville, and they offered a 1 year unconditional warrantee on parts and labor.

The tires offer a great ride and at high speed we feel safe.

The Michelin XZA2 Energy has a five time recap deal as long as you have a good sidewall. I do not know how valuable this will be at the end of their life but think it will provide a better trade allowance if it is true.

I would want to know if other tires make this warrantee notice about recapping.