Lucy's Jackson Center Trip

[moosetags]

Originally Posted by 2001excella

Please do let us all know what tires/recommended pressure/all the details. Many who read the forums have struggled with this issue and would like to move away from the ST tires and have a reliable tire that is recommended by "airstream". Especially if it is a M.

When Lucy's new tires and wheels were mounted at the Service Center, the tires had been pre-inflated to the max 89 psi. I decided to reduce the inflation to 72 psi. That was the psi at which I was running my Maxxis E's.

Airstream recommended to 80 psi, but I felt that was a little much as Lucy weighs 7400# ready to camp. I want her to had enough inflation to support her weight on 3 tires in case of a tire failure. 72 psi covers that.

The Airstream factory Service Center is great at fixing anything on an Airstream. They fix right and know what they are doing. They are a little short of knowledge in the area of actually pulling an Airstream on the highway. I think this is why they hand you the tires with 80 psi in them and don't seem real concerned about balancing, etc.

Brian

[moosetags]

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

Airstream gets the wheels from a supplier in Indiana. When we did the switch, the supplier only carried Goodyear LT tires, so we picked up the same Michelins Brian and SuEllyn have now at Discount Tire in Dayton. They installed them at JC. We had also bought Centramatics previously. We are very pleased with the Michelins. The wheels are much easier to keep clean too, and we think they look better than the spoke style.

Brian, did you keep the old wheels? We had no need for them, so we were glad to get rid of them as the clear coat was coming off and they looked bad. Was it difficult to get the spare in the tire carrier, or did you put it in the back of the Suburban?

Airstream filled the tires to 80 lbs., but I reduced it to 68 as that appeared to be proper for our trailer's weight. They are wearing perfectly across the tread, so the tire pressure appears to be correct.

And Aage, it may be "meese" in Canada, but here in the US the plural is "mooses", just like Canada gooses.

Gene

We did not keep Lucy's old wheels and tires. The wheels were pretty corroded, and all but one of the tires had 15,000+ miles on them.

The new spare mounted fine in the OEM rack.

What I like most about the new wheels is that you can actually get to the valve stem to check pressure and add air. The valve stem position on Lucy's OEM spoke wheels was awful. I could never figure out why Airstream would mount a wheel with such a terrible design. Someone was asleep at the switch when they selected that wheel.

Brian

[Gene]

Originally Posted by moosetags

Airstream recommended to 80 psi, but I felt that was a little much as Lucy weighs 7400# ready to camp. I want her to had enough inflation to support her weight on 3 tires in case of a tire failure. 72 psi covers that.

Brian, that's is an interesting approach. Since various gauges I have vary by 3 lbs., I may actually have 71, not 68. I suppose if I have a flat and have to drive on 3 tires for more than a mile, I could add air to the 3 tires. I am more concerned about the extra weight on the axles and bearings when driving on 3 tires.

How was the ride back to Florida? Could you tell any difference? We couldn't once we switched, but we felt better knowing we had better tires on the trailer and noticed quickly we were not constantly losing air.

Gene

[moosetags]

Originally Posted by LJH

Brian, nice wheels! The Columbas Zoo is one our favorite places to go. Did you get to the underground Polar Bear area in time to see the feeding? That is quite an experience. LJH

We were a little to lake for the Polar Bear feeding, but we did get to see the lounging around. We did get some good shots of Edward (the bull moose) and his girls. We really enjoyed our visit to the Zoo.

[moosetags]

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

Brian, that's is an interesting approach. Since various gauges I have vary by 3 lbs., I may actually have 71, not 68. I suppose if I have a flat and have to drive on 3 tires for more than a mile, I could add air to the 3 tires. I am more concerned about the extra weight on the axles and bearings when driving on 3 tires.

How was the ride back to Florida? Could you tell any difference? We couldn't once we switched, but we felt better knowing we had better tires on the trailer and noticed quickly we were not constantly losing air.

Gene

Lucy's trip home was uneventful. We came home first, and then brought her over to Jacksonville, where she is now.

We now have about 1,200 miles on Lucy's new tires and wheels. I can't tell any difference in her towing behavior. Lucy pulls beautifully, as always.

I do like the new wheels very much. I think that they look much better than Lucy's OEM spoke wheels. What I really like is that I can now easily get at the valve stem to check pressure and add air. They OEM wheels have a terrible design. The valve stems are virtually inaccessible. I had added a curved valve extenders to make them usable.

Brian

[Gene]

Brian, we've both had the same experience. I didn't like the look of the spoke wheels and the clear coat was coming off. It looks like yours were wearing badly too. Now I'm in the process of replacing the lug nuts to solid ones as I rotate tires.

Gene

[Kosm1o]

Question - Why go all the way to JC for wheels and tires? Or were you just taking a trip anyway?

[moosetags]

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

Brian, we've both had the same experience. I didn't like the look of the spoke wheels and the clear coat was coming off. It looks like yours were wearing badly too. Now I'm in the process of replacing the lug nuts to solid ones as I rotate tires.

Gene

I am also am considering new lug nuts. I don't like the covered ones either. They are really hard to get the wrench on and off them. I might also like some new hub caps. Lucy old ones have a few dings in them. If you find something cool, let me know.

Brian

[AirHeadsRus]

Originally Posted by moosetags

I am also am considering new lug nuts. I don't like the covered ones either. They are really hard to get the wrench on and off them.

Brian

I just changed all 24 of my lug nuts. I got so tired of having to change sockets with the capped ones. My new ones are a little longer and a lot easier to work with.
My center cap is a little on the boring side also.
Merry Christmas,
Joe

[Gene]

I bought lug nuts at a local auto parts store and they were more expensive than I thought they'd be. The hub caps look ok on ours though they are boring. Spinners might look cool.

Gene

[moosetags]

Originally Posted by AirHeadsRus

I just changed all 24 of my lug nuts. I got so tired of having to change sockets with the capped ones. My new ones are a little longer and a lot easier to work with.
My center cap is a little on the boring side also.
Merry Christmas,
Joe

Joe, where did you but your new lug nuts?

Brian

[ck21084]

I was able to purchase 24 new lugs @ advanced auto for $12. They were 1.59 normally but I talked the guy down.

[Dwight]

Get the lug nuts made by McGard....great warranty, they don't chip or rust and you can get them at PEP Boys or on-line...