30FW Front Tire Wear

[thudd3r]

Took the RV for a 3000-mile trip over an extended 4th of July holiday. Everything worked well, but noticed a significant amount of front tire wear, but only the outer rib. the inner most rib is wearing as well, but not as bad. checked/double checked/triple checked/etc the pressures throughout the trip with a gauge and they are at the recommended 95 psi cold.

tried searching and did come across this post

https://www.forestriverforums.com/f...senger-side-tire-wear-240700.html#post2640767 indicating excessive wear, but that was the only thing that came up.

I assume others have had the same experience. Was the fix an alignment?

Thanks

 

[TitanMike]

Took the RV for a 3000-mile trip over an extended 4th of July holiday. Everything worked well, but noticed a significant amount of front tire wear, but only the outer rib. the inner most rib is wearing as well, but not as bad. checked/double checked/triple checked/etc the pressures throughout the trip with a gauge and they are at the recommended 95 psi cold.

tried searching and did come across this post

https://www.forestriverforums.com/f...senger-side-tire-wear-240700.html#post2640767 indicating excessive wear, but that was the only thing that came up.

I assume others have had the same experience. Was the fix an alignment?

Thanks

If wear is relatively equal on Left and Right tires what you describe is classic alignment wear. Usually excessive toe-in.

Unfortunately once a significant wear patern is established alignment will only prevent wear like this on new tires.

 

[thudd3r]

Copy...thanks TitanMike. I guess I will have to start looking for a place to do the alignment

 

[Hach]

Interesting. I took delivery of an Isata 5 30fw in May. I've driven 4400 miles since, and now I have the identical problem. Outer front tires are both wearing a lot relative to the rest of the tire. Inner edge of front tires also wearing but less. I spoke to another owner with a similar experience. Alignment did not help him. My pressures are tripled checked monthly at 5% above weighed coach inflation table recommendation. 99lbs.

It will be interesting to see who steps up to remedy this...Dynamax, RAM, Hankook?

I'll be pleasantly surprised if anyone takes responsibility. After all it is a brand-new coach under warranty, but I'd like to ask others what Michelin replacements for the front tires they would recommend. Thank you. I should add that I will check the alignment, but the other owner left Hankook for Michelins and the problem did not recur.

 

[Oaklevel]

Good Luck

In the auto industry the owner is usually responsible for alignments ....... It is rarely covered by warranty.

 

[thudd3r]

yep...exactly how mine look Hach. If it is an alignment issue it is pretty sad that Ram cant send it out the door with the front end properly aligned and then push the fix off on the customer.

Normally any auto customer wouldn't accept it, but for some reasons buying an RV means you are willing to take it in the posterior

I have an appt at the local dodge dealer to have it aligned later this week (I will be coming close to maxing out the alignment rack lol). I am also replacing the front tires...they are looking at getting me the Michelins.

I have the wheel/tire warranty and he is going to try to get them covered (hopes not up though). If I have to pay for the tires I am going to at least try to get ram to warranty it

 

[Hach]

I, too, will proceed with alignment but it seems unlikely to me that we all have the same alignment problem. I am suspicious that it's a Hankook tire problem. Can you and/or others advise me of the best model Michelin steer tires for our coaches? Absent replacement, does anybody have an opinion on swapping the left and right front tires for a temporary fix over the next 8000 miles to squeeze more out of these Hankooks? That would equalize the wear to both the inner and outer edges of both tires until I can get back. Thanks in advance for your thoughts and experience.

 

[thudd3r]

Hey Hach...I havent ruled out swapping them side to side. If they find the alignment is/was good I will just have them swap sides because I dont want to take a chance screwing up a pair of $600 tires while I try to resolve the issue

 

[Oaklevel]

My alignment people always have suggested that alignments be performed with the vehicle being loaded as it is normally loaded. Not empty.

So I nominally have a vehicle / truck aligned after purchase with it normal load.

 

[bclemens]

^^This is a good suggestion^^

If you look back when I was at Sunseeker, it took us almost 5 years to get the E450 alignment spec dialed in.

Rental dealer would complain that we did not align it..."no way it had tire wear after only 1000 miles". So we started sending the before and after readings. Sure enough, the alignment would drift once it had enough weight on it. We also found that driving more before hand would help the alignment hold. Unfortunately it is more of an art than a science on how long that is.

And they had an alignment shop next door to them, making changes, then driving, then making changes. We ended up with a spec that was FAR more precise than Ford's and required an adjustable bushing to get there.

 

[Tucson Steve]

I'm curious about what year your Isata 5 is. Specifically, are they the 2024 model with the new suspension? Pre-2024 with or without the Ketterman upgrade?

 

[Hach]

I'm curious about what year your Isata 5 is. Specifically, are they the 2024 model with the new suspension? Pre-2024 with or without the Ketterman upgrade?

Mine is a 2024 with the new suspension. The loading comments and the "dial-in" period comments are helpful. We'll see how this shakes out. I guess I'll side to side rotate the front tires and get an alignment. I'd hate to throw away 3-month-old tires. That should buy me some time. I must say that this combined with the valve/TPMS inaccessibility were unwelcome developments after purchasing a brand-new coach. On the other hand, it has proven to be remarkably capable and a good driver. Since purchase we've stayed comfortable in sub-freezing to 100-degree temperatures, high winds and driving rains. The 4WD pulled us out of a rain-soaked site when our neighbor spun his wheels and got stuck. We've averaged 11.5 MPG towing a CRV across the country, and no mountain grades were ever any trouble either up or down. The automatic tow haul/exhaust brake system makes speed control a breeze. Three people on board and fully loaded for an extended trip with 1/2 full water and we're still 500lbs below weight. Given the pluses so far outweighing the minuses I'll write this tire stuff off as shakedown inconveniences. I really appreciate everyone's comments. Thank you for your help.

 

[thudd3r]

mine is a 2023 with the air suspension (ketterman i assume) upgrade

 

[TitanMike]

^^This is a good suggestion^^

If you look back when I was at Sunseeker, it took us almost 5 years to get the E450 alignment spec dialed in.

Rental dealer would complain that we did not align it..."no way it had tire wear after only 1000 miles". So we started sending the before and after readings. Sure enough, the alignment would drift once it had enough weight on it. We also found that driving more before hand would help the alignment hold. Unfortunately it is more of an art than a science on how long that is.

And they had an alignment shop next door to them, making changes, then driving, then making changes. We ended up with a spec that was FAR more precise than Ford's and required an adjustable bushing to get there.

From 1972 to 1986 I was with a manufacturer of car and truck alignment equipment. We worked closely with Ford on this very problem but they kept sending cab/chassis units with same alignment as complete vans.

At that time Ford front suspensions were designed in a manner that created huge changes in camber, caster, and toe. A nightmare to tailor settings so the average angles while going down the road were such that tire wear was minimized.

It's rarely if ever a tire problem. Load the vehicle as it's driven and then get it aligned. Big difference in load and behavior of front suspension between a fully built van and a cab/chassis that has a house built on it. Just length alone changes the dynamics, regardless of manufacturer.

 

[CaptMilks]

Dynamax aligned our Europa after it was built, unloaded, prior to delivery. Being in the tire industry for years I have to say abnormal tire wear is rarely the fault of the tire. Yes some tires do not wear as good as others which can be due to a bunch of factors, tread compound, tread design, etc. Loading, suspension geometry, tread compound, and block design generally play the most in tire wear. If a tire is wearing on one edge I would venture to say the alignment was out. Another thing to look at is to see if the tread is feathering. This more evident on an open block tread design. Correct the alignment and the tire will continue to wear in the same area unless you change tire position. If the tire is wearing on both the inner and outer edge it is a sign of over loading. It all comes down to contact patch and how the tire can dissipate heat.

In the tire picture above I would think it is more a loading issue than an alignment. I would suggest taking the RV to a set of scales and get the weight on the axles. Of course you would want to load the RV as you normally would when you go camping, including people. You can get a reading on the weight put on the front axle. Once you have this you can see if your overweight or not. It may just be you are really heavy for the tire. Not that it would be dangerous but just wear the tire. Switching to a different tire and or load range may help.

 

[xrpb11a]

When performing an alignment, the vehicle is on a lift.
So I'm guessing the final verdict on alignment is the drive test afterwards?
And if you travel with, say 500 lbs of people/dogs, during the test drive is the rig loaded with 500 lbs of technicians?

Load the vehicle as it's driven and then get it aligned. Big difference in load and behavior of front suspension between a fully built van and a cab/chassis that has a house built on it. Just length alone changes the dynamics, regardless of manufacturer.

 

[Hach]

I appreciate everyone's input. It has really informed me on how to proceed. Just so we're all on the same page, the coach fully loaded was weighed and it is underweight. Furthermore, each axle is underweight. I did not weigh each corner, but I'm careful not to overload 1 side or another. Besides, both front tires are wearing abnormally on the outer edge in identical fashion. I'm planning on an alignment and front tire cross rotation next month. Following that change I'll be travelling +/- 3000mi. and I'll update this post with the results. Wish me luck!

 

[thudd3r]

---last night---
me: hey would like an alignment on a 33' rv built on a 5500 chassis
local dealer: no problem we can do it
me: are you sure? it is 12'4" tall and about 33' long
local: sure, just talked to the alignment tech, no problem
me: weight slip says ~18000lbs
local dealer: no problem, our alignment rack is rated for just above that
me: ok dropping it off

---this morning---
local dealer: hey we couldnt do the alignment, rear wheels are too far from the sensors and the system can pick them up.
me: sigh

as a bonus they parked it in the back of their lot buried between other vehicles. since they close at 6p i had to go get it and park it off the lot before they locked everything up

it is now at transwest truck/trailer/rv...no question they can do it

 

[TrailWayz]

---last night---
me: hey would like an alignment on a 33' rv built on a 5500 chassis
local dealer: no problem we can do it
me: are you sure? it is 12'4" tall and about 33' long
local: sure, just talked to the alignment tech, no problem
me: weight slip says ~18000lbs
local dealer: no problem, our alignment rack is rated for just above that
me: ok dropping it off

---this morning---
local dealer: hey we couldnt do the alignment, rear wheels are too far from the sensors and the system can pick them up.
me: sigh

as a bonus they parked it in the back of their lot buried between other vehicles. since they close at 6p i had to go get it and park it off the lot before they locked everything up

it is now at transwest truck/trailer/rv...no question they can do it

Had this same experience happen THREE times. Once for an alignment and twice for a recall repairs. One was 70 miles away. Each time spoke with several techs and service managers to confirm. Showed up and all 3 times turned away. I have since found a dealer (with BC & Stellantis help) about 40 miles away that can do all my RAM service. Super frustrating in the early years.

 

[Wheelin4Life]

---last night---
me: hey would like an alignment on a 33' rv built on a 5500 chassis
local dealer: no problem we can do it
me: are you sure? it is 12'4" tall and about 33' long
local: sure, just talked to the alignment tech, no problem
me: weight slip says ~18000lbs
local dealer: no problem, our alignment rack is rated for just above that
me: ok dropping it off

---this morning---
local dealer: hey we couldnt do the alignment, rear wheels are too far from the sensors and the system can pick them up.
me: sigh

as a bonus they parked it in the back of their lot buried between other vehicles. since they close at 6p i had to go get it and park it off the lot before they locked everything up

it is now at transwest truck/trailer/rv...no question they can do it

I also had a heavy truck shop do my alignment. The one closest to me is actually easier and cheaper than the dealership on basically everything they do. I have them service everything on the chassis and they will even do the generator as well.