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padroo	Back in 2002 I took a trip to Florida with my 84 Ford Van and a question ran through my head about how old the tires were but I shook it off, after all there was a lot of wear left on the tire. I was North bound on I 75 in Florida near the Gainesville exit on a hot day running about 75 mph when this tire blew. Other than the surprise of the tire blowing I was able to let off the gas and get to the shoulder of the road. When I got out and looked my left rear tire tread was completely gone and wrapped around the axle of the van. The only thing left was the carcass of the tire on the rim. I don't really know how old this tire was but I do know it was a lot newer than the ones on the Prowlers. . . . . I installed my spare tire and when I got to the next large town with a Walmart I had 4 new tires installed. This message has been edited by padroo on 01-08-2015 at 09:14 PM
Greg and Veta	Dale, a similar thing happened to me...also on I-75 between my hometown of Naples and Fort Myers. However, it was a fairly "new" General tire I bought as a set from Sams Club. When I went back to get a replacement under warranty the guy said he would need to look at the tire to measure the tread wear to pro rate it. There was absolutely NO tread left (although it was still holding air) just metal cord. He gave me a real good deal on a new tire! That was the last set of General tires I ever bought.
StingRay	quote: Originally posted by Greg and Veta: That was the last set of General tires I ever bought. "Sooner or later you'll own Generals." .... not me.
golfboy	quote: Originally posted by padroo: Back in 2002 I took a trip to Florida with my 84 Ford Van and a question ran through my head about how old the tires were but I shook it off, after all there was a lot of wear left on the tire. I was North bound on I 75 in Florida near the Gainesville exit on a hot day running about 75 mph when this tire blew. Other than the surprise of the tire blowing I was able to let off the gas and get to the shoulder of the road. When I got out and looked my left rear tire tread was completely gone and wrapped around the axle of the van. The only thing left was the carcass of the tire on the rim. I don't really know how old this tire was but I do know it was a lot newer than the ones on the Prowlers. . . . . I installed my spare tire and when I got to the next large town with a Walmart I had 4 new tires installed. I don't understand why some Prowler owners still drive their cars with 14 and 15 year old tires. That's crazy! JMO.
garysss	I think Prowler original tires are a little different then most. First of all, most all Prowler's are garaged and out of the elements, 2nd not driven for long distance, 3rd have low mileage, 4th are runflats that I don't think would ever shred like the one above, which usually happens when tire goes flat while your still driving on it. I think they do get hard and lose some of the ride and traction though. My 99 has the original tires, 16 years old with 17000 miles on them. I only put about 1000 miles a year on this one. I can spin the tires a little easier, but I don't think I have any concerns that these tires would blow out. My 01 has 51000 on the originals with no problems at all. You can have a fairly new tire and if it goes flat or low while driving on the highway can still shred and blow out.
alprowl	quote: Originally posted by garysss: My 99 has the original tires, 16 years old with 17000 miles on them. I only put about 1000 miles a year on this one. I can spin the tires a little easier, but I don't think I have any concerns that these tires would blow out. My 01 has 51000 on the originals with no problems at all... IMO, those original tires are an accident waiting to happen. I posted pics about 6 months ago of my 'original' rear tires (2000 w/25000 miles) splitting on the tire machine, when they were changed...certainly not worth the chance of risking lives or the cat!
RPL	I can't recommend that owner continue to drive on these old, rock hard tires. I change the tires on all of my trailers at the beginning of the fifth season. Friends stand in line for the old tires. Makes it easy to dispose of them. I think of it as recycling. Each tire has lived a different life. The enemies of rubber are HEAT and ozone. Two of CJ's cars have replacement tires but they're also very old. The cars almost never see highway speeds. Driving the Tail of the Dragon was highly unusual. Two of the cars are "bagged all winter with desiccant in the bags to minimize the elements. That said I remove the wheels and tires on each of the cars annually. I treat both sides of the tires with a quality preservative after cleaning and waxing the wheels. I check the tires very closing looking at the beads and base of all of the tread blocks. I noticed some cracking on the tires on my truck before putting it away for the winter so guess what, they will be replaced at the beginning of the season. I will replace the Prowler tires when they make me uncomfortable. Personally, I'm more worried about the "P" rated tires on the Prowler trailers. To each his own. I advocate care and caution. If in doubt, replace.
garysss	quote: Originally posted by alprowl: [QUOTE]Originally posted by garysss: [B]My 99 has the original tires, 16 years old with 17000 miles on them. I only put about 1000 miles a year on this one. I can spin the tires a little easier, but I don't think I have any concerns that these tires would blow out. My 01 has 51000 on the originals with no problems at all... IMO, those original tires are an accident waiting to happen. I posted pics about 6 months ago of my 'original' rear tires #2000 w/25000 miles# splitting on the tire machine, when they were changed...certainly not worth the chance of risking lives or the cat![/B][/QUOTE] I would be more concerned if I had ever seen anyone post about a Prowler runflat blow out or come apart on the car. My tires have no cracking or any other sign of old age. I have seen several post of the runflats splitting apart being removed on a tire machine, but I don't even think that would have left you stranded, even if it happened on the car. I had a tire on my wifes Avalanche come apart, 6 years old 36000 miles. I did replace all 4 after that, but does that mean we should replace all tires every 5 years? Some don't recommend plugging or patching tires. I've never had a problem with a plugged tire. I have 10 cars with low miles and ageing tires, this could get very expensive.
BeWare	Our Prowler is on its second set of run flat tires but they are still getting old. Before going to the Smokies event in Oct, I took the Prowler to the local tire dealer I do my business with and had them look at the tires. They said they looked safe. I did change the tires on the Prowler trailer because of what happened to Mike Gatlin. A tire on his Prowler trailer exploded taking out the trailer fender. His trailer tires still had the nubs on them. (see below)
alprowl	quote: Originally posted by garysss: ...but does that mean we should replace all tires every 5 years? ... I have 10 cars with low miles and ageing tires, this could get very expensive. We're not talking about 5 yr old tires! Unfortunately, an accident could be much more expensive than the new tires... I changed mine, because my 8 yr old grandson is with me almost every day, and traffic in my area moves at 75-80mph
garysss	Greg and I were. Proper tire inflation, checking for things it tread, sidewalls cracking and rotating tires all help keep tire in good shape. Garage kept cars, not exposed to sunlight and heat all day, I would think help them last longer. I agree new tires handle better and ride nicer, but as in Greg's and my postings above, there is no guarantee you won't have a blow out or accident. Especially if they are not runflats. I'm glad you feel safer with your new tires. I still feel safe with mine also.
RPL	My comment was that I replace the tires on my tandem axle trailers after four years of use. That's a 31' RV and my open car trailer. These "ST" rated tires have a speed rating of 65 MPH and the side walls get roughed up turning tight corners. These tires see abuse that passenger cars never see. Now think back about how many times you've seen a trailer on the side of the road with a damaged tire. The tires on the Prowler trailers are single axle but "P" rated tires. I guess if I had any recommendation regarding tires it would be to pay close attention to you Prowler tires at least annually and that includes both sides of the tire. Their construction is much different that typical tires. They were built stronger to be able to run some distance with no air pressure. Even without dry rot, the rubber does get harder with age adding to the overall ride quality concerns.
JeraneW	Just wondering if any one has ever communicated with Goodyear to find out what they say about the life of our tires.
padroo	I can't find anything where Goodyear puts a date on the age of tires but I see 6 to 10 years from just about everyone else.
garysss	I found the same thing Dale. Several European vehicle manufacturers of high performance sports cars, coupes and sedans identify that "under no circumstances should tires older than 6 years be used" in their vehicle owner's manual. However, it should be noted that European recommendations must include driving conditions that include roads like the German Autobahn, which allows vehicles to be legally driven at their top speeds for extended periods of time. While American driving conditions don't include the high-speed challenges of the German Autobahn, Chrysler, Ford Motor Company and General Motors have joined their European colleagues by recommending that tires installed as Original Equipment be replaced after six years of service. It is important to take into account Original Equipment tires are mounted on wheels and put into service right after being received by vehicle manufacturers, so their calendar age begins immediately. However the same cannot be said of tires properly stored in a tire manufacturers' warehouse or in Tire Rack distribution centers before they go into service. Properly stored tires that are protected from the elements and not mounted on a wheel age very slowly before they are mounted and put into service. Our experience has been that when properly stored and cared for, most street tires have a useful life in service of between six to ten years. And while part of that time is spent as the tire travels from the manufacturing plant to the manufacturer's distribution center, to the retailer and to you, the remainder is the time it spends on your vehicle http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=138
beachcat	Not to be too cynical here but it's in the manufacturer's best interests to have us buy a whole new set of tires $$$.I have been on standards boards and I know how they are developed. The manufacturers are usually the most vocal and influential. They do a lot of the research studies, wink, wink.
RPL	Think about it. The manufacturers are in a difficult position. They can't predict when their product may fail. A tire could wear out at high mileage or fail early. The poor condition of roads is tough on tires. The environment is tough on tires. People mostly neglect their tires. Most people never check their own tire pressure nor rotate their them. Each tire is subjected to so many challenges that really no one can predict when it will no longer be serviceable. The question is how big a chance are you willing to take? Your life is riding on four very small contact patches. That's your hold on the road.
golfboy	Everybody will make their own decision on when to replace the tires on their Kat. But for me, it's a no brainer. It only cost me $500.00 to replace the original tires on my Kat and now I not only have a smoother, more comfortable ride but the peace of mind knowing I'm not blasting down the interstate at 75 MPH worrying about my tires. I drive my Kat daily and safety is number 1. I refuse to drive with tires that are more than 8 to 10 years old. JMO.
JeraneW	Michelin said 6 years regardless of mileage on my motor coach. That cost me $6,000 for new tires. This is $1,000 per year whether I drive it or not. Time to sell before my next 6 years expire.
RPL	Yep, on a motor coach you really do need to replace them. Our friends never wear them out by why take a chance tearing up your coach and having a service have to come out and change one on the side of the road. Those large size truck tires have better feedback than cars. I'd forgotten about that.
padroo	Ford went through a bad spell when a lot of SUV's were crashing an I would have to check but if I remember right it was bad tires. From a liability standpoint I can see why automotive manufacturers and tire manufacturers say to change them after so many years.
RPL	Firestone tires on Ford Explorer. Almost ended the company. Today Firestone is a brand of Bridgestone. And that why we now have TPM as a Federal regulation. This message has been edited by RPL on 01-10-2015 at 06:54 PM
katmat	On Prowler trailer, I am running a set of 17" prowler wheels w/ run flats. The trailer doesn't seem to bounce as much.