225/75-R16 Replacement

[nddstl]

I had a blowout this past weekend on my 2012 EB, not a bid deal, got the tire changed and was on my way. Decided while driving that it has been 7 years, I should get all new tires. Size: 225/75-16
Typed in my tire size and style when I got home and it turns out their was a recall on them. Called Michelin and they confirmed by the DOT codes that the tires are covered and I can choose any replacement I want, Michelin or not.
I was going to go with the same tire again but it's not being made anymore, Michelin suggested the Agilis as a replacement. Went to the local shop that is going to handle the replacement and told him I'll take the Agilis. He cringed a bit and said he has only sold one set and they were returned under the 30 day ride guarantee. Called Airstream and they said they recommend the LTX M/S2, when I looked on the Michelin site it doesn't come in the correct size for our trailer. After reading a bunch of threads on here it sounded like the XPS Rib was a good choice. I read about them on the Michelin site and it said not for driving in freezing temperatures or snow. We live in the midwest and camp in the winter so those got ruled out.
I'm looking for input on a tire where price is no object (since Mich. is paying)
Thanks for the advice.

[Bill M.]

I think the 235 size will fit. 225’s are not common.

[No.15]

Here is an option I ran across recently. I plan on using them when I change my tires this year. https://www.bridgestonetire.com/tire/duravis-r238

Costco can get them if you are a member.

[jcanavera]

The tire you are looking for is still in stock with many Internet tire retailers. I just put on a set about 4 weeks ago. https://www.discounttiredirect.com/b...tx-m-s/p/27059 Airstream probably has plenty of stock and is currently mounting the Defender LT which was the direct replacement for the M/S 2, which I was using prior. The good side about going with the Internet supplier is that the tires are shipped free via UPS and are sales tax free.

The problem you will have in the St. Louis area is getting a tire dealer to put these on your trailer. Even though your Airstream came with these tires, the various dealers I checked out refused to mount them because they were not ST tires. They all claim the reason is liability and even when I showed them documentation that these tires are being used on Airstreams being sold today, they still shake their head. One dealership that I checked even called Michelin and after getting passed around to different customer service reps, they told me Michelin customer support folks were not aware of Airstream using them. They did assure the tire dealer that they were structurally sound to use on my trailer.

So for the second time I again pulled the wheels off myself and took the wheels and tires to a dealer who took off the old Michelin's and put on the new ones. Took them home and then did the other axle the same way. I was approaching 7 years of use with my M/S 2's and didn't want to push them any further. I expect the same life expectancy with the Defenders.

FYI my local Costo would not install any tire without the vehicle being there at the store, and they also said they would not put the LT tires on a trailer.

Jack

[Moflash]

The Ribs do fine on a trailer but are not suggested for vehicle snow driving requiring traction for driving wheels and steering.They are the best trailer tire that u can buy.I am on my second set and will not buy anything but Ribs for our Airstream.Expensive at $250 each but u get what u pay for.6 year warranty.
Do some more research on these tires

[jcanavera]

Originally Posted by Moflash

The Ribs do fine on a trailer but are not suggested for vehicle snow driving requiring traction for driving wheels and steering.They are the best trailer tire that u can buy.I am on my second set and will not buy anything but Ribs for our Airstream.Expensive at $250 each but u get what u pay for.6 year warranty.
Do some more research on these tires

Have no doubt that these are fine tires. The attractiveness of this tire is the fact that it's a commercial design and has the capability of being recapped. In the sense of use on an Airstream, the M/S 2 and the Defender series has been an excellent performer well suited. If money is no object then maybe you go for it but even if I had a Rib, the question is how long do you plan on using it? If you get more than 7 years then maybe the cost justification is there. In my case, the Michellin's were the first set of tires that I've had on my Classic that I ever replaced due to age, rather than for structural failure. Having D rated and E rated ST tires that failed at the end of year 3, and the beginning of year 4 respectively, meant a replacement cycle of 2 1/2 seasons if I didn't want to experience structural failure. Getting 6 full seasons from the M/S 2 Michelin's made justification very easy. Could I have gotten another season or 2? Maybe, but I've read that Michelin expects the life expectancy of the LT Defender series tires used on a motorized vehicle would be between 8-10 years. I just didn't want to push it after 6 years, although 2 of the M/S 2's have been repurposed. One is now the spare tire on my tow vehicle and the other is now the spare for the Airstream.

Interesting story was that no tire dealer would remount these tires as spares. They all sang a song that they don't repair or mount any tire on a wheel that is 6 years old or more. I asked why and they sang the liability song again. Found a little hole in the wall used tire dealer locally who didn't bat an eye in mounting them for me. Neither the Airstream original spare or my tow vehicle's original spare had ever been on the ground, but my argument to them was that a 6 year old reputable branded tire is a lot safer than unused 15 year old spares.


Jack

[nddstl]

Thank you all for your input. I didn't realize I could spend so much time researching tires. If we lived in the south I would have gone with the Mich. XPS Ribs but the Mich. rep. said they would not recommend I use them in freezing temperatures. They also make a version called the XPS Traction which is made to work in colder climates but unfortunately they don't make it in the size I need. After my research I went to the dealer with 3 choices and asked for their recommendation. 1. Good Year All Terrain Adventure w/Kevlar. 2. Michelin Agilis 3. BFG Commercial T/A Traction. Of those 3 they recommended the BFG. Ill report back after they install them and I take them on the first trip.

[Moflash]

Sorry to sayI have used Ribs in all temp ranges without incident.Check Airstream Forum before you install your tires.i would not install the ones the suggested.

[No.15]

I'm not sure a traction tire is the best choice for a trailer IMO. Trailer tires are subject to scrub and you don't want them gripping to much.

[nddstl]

I must have not communicated well because the tire dealer installed 5 BFG Commercial T/A All Season 2 tires. I looked at the specs. on the BFG site and it looks like they will work, after reading the above comments I might even be better off. More importantly to me the tech at the shop noticed that the driver rear wheel hub was dangerously loose (~2" of movement when holding the tire at 3 and 9) The driver front tire is the tire that went flat so possibly the drivers rear took the brunt of the force and caused it to become loose. I'm going to do a little research now on replacing the hubs as a set. Thanks again for all your input.

[Action]

Originally Posted by nddstl

More importantly to me the tech at the shop noticed that the driver rear wheel hub was dangerously loose (~2" of movement when holding the tire at 3 and 9)

The driver front tire is the tire that went flat so possibly the drivers rear took the brunt of the force and caused it to become loose. I'm going to do a little research now on replacing the hubs as a set. Thanks again for all your input.

If by the statement, the rear wheel hub was loose, you meant the when to hub.

This should never happen on a trailer unless some one wants the wheel to come off. Lug nut tightening and periodic rechecking would prevent the lugs nuts (or in the case of some AS trailer lug bolts) from coming loose during service. No matter what happens, even in a collision the wheel should still be bolted to the hub.

I am sure in the owners manual there is a caution to recheck the lug nut (or bolt) torque after xxx miles of driving. Personally if some one installs wheels on any of my vehicles I will recheck as soon as I get home and once a again after 500 miles. A loose wheel is an extreme safety issue.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Action

[nddstl]

The lug nuts are tight so if Im understanding your question right that means the wheel is tight to the hub. When I grab the tire at 3 and 9 and push with one hand and pull with the other the wheel moves back and forth. I will pull the wheel off this weekend and see what exactly is loose. My guess is that the nut that holds the hub to the axle came loose or the bearings/races are worn.

[Action]

Originally Posted by nddstl

My guess is that the nut that holds the hub to the axle came loose or the bearings/races are worn.

That nut should be pinned with a cotter pin through the spindle and nut cover so it can not turn. Cotter pin could have broken. However that would be rare.

It's gotta be something. Worn out bearing and race are fairly easy to replace if no other damage occurred.

Post back when you discover the issue. Start a new thread for that.

>>>>>>>>>Action

[nddstl]

I pulled the wheel this weekend and it was the bearing pack that was bad. The bearing is a semi-sealed unit that is replaced as a whole, PN 031-073-03 for Dexter Axle 121711214 (this number is stamped on the back of the axle), bearing cost was ~$130, you need a press to get it out and the axle nut is 36mm.
The manual that Dexter includes with the trailer did a good job of explaining the process. One piece I did not realized before reading the manual is that the trailer is not supposed to be lifted by the axle. Before reading that I would have jacked up each axle and put a stand under each. I ended up using the specified jack location and then jack stands under each axle for safety backups.