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Joined: 3/16/2009
Posts: 741
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A friend has an '04 Dutch Star DP and his front tires (Michelins) are wearing funny. He's got an appointment at a good alignment shop to get things checked out but will want to get two new tires for a trip from Florida to Minnesota later this month. Do any of you know about Firestone tires for motorhomes? My memory is faulty but I don't recall hearing much about Firestones in motorhome sizes. Any thoughts or experiences with 22.5 Firestones will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Dutch
'07 Allegro Bay 34'
'09 Honda Fit Sport
Whatever hits the fan will not be distributed evenly
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Joined: 3/16/2009
Posts: 107
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Since Firestone and Bridgestone merged, Firestone (I think) is pretty much out of the over-the-road truck tire business. Bridgestone is very strong in it as they have a fairly good tire. I switched from Michelin due to unusual wear problems on two different sets and tried some Toyo M124's. I had no alignment done and I have far exceeded the mileage I got on the Michelins and the Toyos still have a lot of even wearing thread. I also got a much better ride and they are cheaper than a Michelin.
Jerry
International MDT Custom Tow Truck & 38' King of the Road 5er
"Running the roads seeing God's Great Creation"
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Joined: 3/16/2009
Posts: 347
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Dutch - In Aug. '07 I visited my local tire dealer and talked to the owner, who's a friend and whose advice I respect. I wanted to replace my 6 Michelins, but he strongly suggested I consider Bridgestone (aka Firestone) because they were less expensive and he felt offered very good quality. His explanation was that Firestone had gone through a period of very bad publicity and were producing a superior product at a lower cost to regain market share. That seemed logical to me, so I bought 6. As a part-timer, we don't drive a lot of miles a year, but the miles we drive are usually in extreme conditions (100+ deg. and lots of mountains). You probably also know that a tires worst enemy isn't miles, but ozone deterioration. I just examined my tires and I can't see any cracks or indications of any deterioration. This may or may not apply to your friend, because I have the "kiddy size" 16.5" tires on my F53 chassis. Nonetheless, next time I have to replace my tires (3 years), I won't hesitate to again purchase Bridgestone/Firestone if that's what my friend recommends. Good luck. - Dave
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Joined: 3/16/2009
Posts: 741
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Thanks, Jerry and Dave. When I owned my Dynasty I had two sets of Bridgestones on it and loved those tires. They wore extremely well, never showed any strange wear patterns, and never gave a moment's problem in terms of road hazards or slow leaks. The first set aged out and the second set was still going strong at 106,000 + when I traded the coach. They did ride hard--a stiffer sidewall is the cause of that, but I felt secure with Bridgestones on the baby's feet.
I also know that Bridgestone bought out Firestone (or vice versa). I do not know if Firestone tires are the same as Bridgestones when you get into the big 22.5 or 24 sizes. My neighbor is still pondering the question but he needs to get his coach geometry squared away before he gets new tires. Firestones do have a history, and it isn't real good. But it does make sense that they now want to compete in the larger sizes and are making quality tires. (When I was young my father would have no tire but Firestones on his cars). I'll pass along your posts to my neighbor.
Dutch
'07 Allegro Bay 34'
'09 Honda Fit Sport
Whatever hits the fan will not be distributed evenly
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Joined: 3/16/2009
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Got some Coopers for Monaco 2 1/2 years ago at $350/tire mounted and balanced. No problems so far... I do not go over 65 mph most of the time. Just got back from Rockies where I hit 70+ downhill. Reason I'm throwing in speed is the tires are from China - do not know what to expect. Next set probably will be Toyo or Yokohama unless I read about another good brand.
Roy & Macelle Cogburn
Diplomat/AWD Terrain
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Joined: 3/16/2009
Posts: 347
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dutch wrote:
They did ride hard--a stiffer sidewall is the cause of that, but I felt secure with Bridgestones on the baby's feet.
Dutch - I should have mentioned that. When I bought mine, I made it a point to discuss my concerns about blowouts, since I'd had 2 with my Michelins. The dealer told me that Firestone/Bridgestone had purposely beefed up the sidewalls to provide additional blowout protection, since most blowouts are through the sidewall. This probably does provide a stiffer ride, but my F53 chassis was never known for a soft ride. - Dave
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Joined: 3/16/2009
Posts: 91
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This manufacturer is making great strides in the tire industry because they are producing very good tires. Even their Special Trailer (ST) tires are doing above average.
www.maxxis.com/Commercial-Truck/Comme...
FastEagle
2003 Everest 363K 38'
2004 Dodge 3500 STL Dually 5.9 Cummins - 4.10 auto trans
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Joined: 3/16/2009
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Not trying to rain on anyones parade, I "believe" the Maxxis brand name tires are made in ROC ir China itself. This is not to say the tires aren't everything the owners claim them to be, but with the dubious reputation most ROC or Chinese manufactured tires have up until the present time, I feel every concumer contemplating such a major purchase should know "exactly" where the brand of tires they're thinking of purchasing are manufactured.
Neil
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Joined: 3/16/2009
Posts: 1880
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Neil, I checked for the Maxxis mfg location when this thread first was posted. The are made in Thailand. Which is of course China.
Every Day is Saturday
funner travelin,
Ebs,Donna & Beezer the Beast & Buffy the Bitch
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Joined: 3/16/2009
Posts: 741
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Bob, can I assume that you were not being serious? Thailand is an independent Buddhist nation, a constitutional monarchy which does not abut China on any border, if my geography is correct. If the tires are made in Thailand (and I'll take your word on that) then they aren't Chinese. That doesn't make them good, bad, or indifferent--just Thai.
Dutch
'07 Allegro Bay 34'
'09 Honda Fit Sport
Whatever hits the fan will not be distributed evenly
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