Where to find tires ....

[Ray Davis]

I'm hoping that someone here might have some suggestions. I have spent the last two weeks looking for tires for my coach. I spoke with Prevost and they are putting on 315/80 R22.5 tires on coaches.

It appears that two good choices are the Goodyear G670RV, and the Michelin XZA1 tire. I have tried several places here in Southern CA, and have barely been able to locate anyone who can even get these tires. Camping World (for example) lists both a Goodyear (G291, not the G670) and Michelin, but when I went to purchase they indicated they couldn't get the tires.

So, after two weeks of looking here's the only places that indicated to me they either had tires in stock, or could get them within a day.


1. Prevost - $678 bare tire for Michelin
2. Petes - $565 for Toyo tires (installed)
3. Richard Road Service $674 for Michelin (bare), or $548 for Goodyear (G291) bare

Calls to a dozen other dealers comes up blank.

Does anyone have a suggestion where to get tires? I'm almost at the point where I'm just going to Prevost, and getting it done, but I'd rather not pay that amount. A friend indicated to me he got Michelin's in the $400+ range, but he has yet to get back to me with the installer who did that.

So, I'm hoping I can find something better that $750/tire installed. The Toyo tires came in much cheaper ($565 installed), but I read a couple of threads on the internet where I'm a little cautious.

Ray

[MangoMike]

Hi Ray,

Just as a comparison I bought 2 new Michelins XVA2 for $650 for bare tire here in the DC area (Alban Tire and had to wait 6 weeks until they arrived in stock). A lot of good talk about Toyo, but with something as important as tires decided to pay the bucks.

Mike

Note: I thought the XVA1 were discontinued - although I'm not by any means a tire expert.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Ray,

I know this was touched on on the other site, but have you weighed your coach?

That 315 tire is big, and nowadays with the cost of a barrel of oil big is another way of saying expensive. But hey, it's only money right? The down side of having such big tires is it greatly increases unsprung weight which may affect your handling to an extent. The good part about a tire that size is it will not be subject to excessive weight.

Regardless of whether you choose the 12R or 315 I cannot imagine a truck tire dealer incapable of ordering exactly what you want. If they are saying they can't get them that might be code for they don't want to get them.

But lets assume they can't get them. I would go to the nearest charter coach company and find out their tire source (don't be surprised if some of them actually lease their tires) and if that doesn't work do an internet search for tire distributors that handle the brand you want.

[Just Plain Jeff]

There are two sides to this story.

Side one is the Prevost Car side. What they will tell you is that the Prevost coach was designed, tested and supplied OEM with the Michelin Pilote tire. The party line is that the Michelin is THE tire for a Prevost coach. But, they also get all their marketing money from Michelin, so, well, you have to figure that sometimes engineering and money get mingled together.

Hanging around some of the bus charter companies, I see both the Michelin and Toyo tires on Prevost coaches. What I gather is that the Toyo is not quite as beefy a sidewall as the Michelin, but couldn't prove it and wouldn't argue the point at all.

Down here in Florida, where it is very easy to buy Michelin tires, the going price for a tire (installed) was $636 each as of a year ago.

The general rule is that tires are good for about 5 years for coach, no matter the mileage. For high mileage coaches, such as an entertainer coach, those guys get about 100K miles on them before replacement, considering the appropriate rotation (best tires on the front and move them back to the tag).

Most of us really don't use the tires we have very much, so the problem isn't tread depth; it's dry rot, which comes from the inside of the tire out, difficult to detect. And by the time you see the tire rot on the outside, the tire is pretty much shot.

I have no experience or knowledge about the Goodyear tire, not having seen them in commercial use. They may or may not be good.

Many of the Prevost facilities use a tire service and markup that cost to the customer.

Here's a nutty idea: Find a large commercial bus operator not too far from where you live and go see the maintenance guy. Find out where they get their tires and I'll betchya you'll have some new information...but you can likely figure that you'll be paying 565-650 per tire.

Welcome to Prevost ownership!

[Just Plain Jeff]

Apparently Jon and I were answering your post at the same time and both suggested that you contact a local bus charter company.

This is getting sick.

We agree on too many things, except airplanes.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

We agree because we are both blondes with a full head of hair.

[Jerry Winchester]

Gag me. You guys need to get a real job and quit this mutual admiration thing.

I am interested in how this tire deal turns out as I am about 2 years from having to change my tires. I have a nice set of Goodyear tires now, but will change them to Michelin (unless Bob-00 gets a new coach and MangoMike gets his old one and I get Mike's hand-me-down)

[Just Plain Jeff]

[QUOTE=Jerry Winchester]Gag me. You guys need to get a real job and quit this mutual admiration thing.QUOTE]


I don't admire Jon, actually, I don't even really like him very much. He just copies everything that I do.

I may have to get a restraining order to keep him from stalking me.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

"I am interested in how this tire deal turns out as I am about 2 years from having to change my tires. I have a nice set of Goodyear tires now, but will change them to Michelin (unless Bob-00 gets a new coach and MangoMike gets his old one and I get Mike's hand-me-down)"

Liberty has its standards. Have you applied for ownership?

[Jon Wehrenberg]

"I don't admire Jon, actually, I don't even really like him very much. He just copies everything that I do."

Poor Helen. I don't know how she can stand it.