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CONFUSED AND CURIOUS

Yahoo Message Number: 16876
Hi all, This whole tire issue is becoming a major headache. I have a couple of questions.

1. If I purchase a new Mercedes built in Germany for use in the USA does it come with down rated tires because the speed limits are lower here in the US or does it come with tires rated for over one hundred KM/hour which is a legal highway speed in Germany?
2. What speeds to trucks travel at in Germany?
3. Supposedly truck speeds in the USA are limited but consider how many times we are overtaken by trucks doing 65 or 70. Are they doing it with tires only rated for 65?
4. And how about those 40 passenger Greyhound coaches and tour buses. Maybe it is different in other parts of the country but in CA they overtake us all the time.

I know money is hard to come by and I like you don't spend it carelessly but if I had to spend an extra two grand to get superior tires on the coach I would do it. After all, brakes, steering and tires are the most critical part of the coach in my opinion and shouldn't be neglected.
I hate the idea of more government regulation but accept the fact that in some cases it works. Sad to say it but Seat belts, air bags, higher mileage and cleaner air all came about after government regulation not before.
Maybe it is time for a mandated improvement for tires used on motor homes.

Sorry for the ramble. It is my Saturday morning time to vent.

David

David & Karen

2000 Intrigue 11062
40 ft Single slide. PT
2002 Odyssey TOAD

Re: CONFUSED AND CURIOUS

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 16880
From: F102508@...>

(snip) > 2. What speeds to trucks travel at in Germany?
FWIW: I'm a retired US Army base (Fort Dix, NJ) Safety Director ... and I remember that, years ago, the Army lost some soldiers 'cause the first thing they did when getting stationed in Germany was to drive their family cars and pickups at top speed on the Autobahn ... and *POW!* Their under-rated tires would blow, and they'd wreck at ~100mph. I hear that things aren't nearly as bad today 'cause the quality and performance ratings of OEM tires has improved.

Dick (& Geri) Campagna
'98 36' Intrigue #10571
Mfd: 11/97

Re: CONFUSED AND CURIOUS

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 16892
Don't know about Mercedes, but my BMW came with the same tires that are standard in Germany. The things are rated at 160+mph. I guess it's possible that some of the foreign manufacturers would rate the tires to whatever the Fed says they have to govern the vehicle speed to. I just can't imagine a Ferrari with Wal-Mart specials.

I have driven the Autobahn many times and don't recall ever being overtaken by a truck. They must cruise somewhere between 100 to 140 kph (62.5 to 87.5 mph). Never seen any trucks in the "Fast Lanes", but they don't seem to hold up traffic either.
I'm curious what the truckers in the midwest use for tires. Some of those trucks run at 80 to 100 mph in high heat day after day.
Either they are taking a big chance or they know something we don't.

After reading all these posts, I think I'll check and see what I have for tires on my CC. Never gave it a thought before.

Jay & Stephanie

04 Intrigue Ovation #11821

Re: CONFUSED AND CURIOUS

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 16895
As far as trucks on the autobahn-- they have to stay in the far right hand lane except to pass slower traffic--therefore the reason for them not holding up traffic. Would be curious as to which BMW model you have. The majority of Benz's and Bimmers' exported to the US have different tires that OEM tires for the European market, however, some of the performance models do sometimes have the higher rated tires.
Truck tires in the US all the same--no speed ratings. Most trucks run the tires no more than two years and the tires still have quite a bit of thread left. Then the tires can be re-capped for use on the trailer. As truckers do, and so should RV's when yoy buy new tires, put them on the front so that you will always have the newest tires on the front.

Trucks speeding in the mdiwest and western states-- most of them don't know any better. They are just out there putting the miles behind them which most of the time translates to more money for them. However govt. regulations do apply as to driving times an miles covered but maybe they can get a little more rest time in rest areas if they drive faster. Have run with 18 wheelers when I was in a car and the speed were way up there 80 plus, now don't do that in the coach.

Egon

'99 Allure #30321
'02 Tahoe Z&!

Quote from: panbox108

Re: CONFUSED AND CURIOUS

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 16917
Egon ....

The BMW is an M-5
Jay

Quote from: egonschlottmann
> As far as trucks on the autobahn-- they have to stay in the far

right

Quote
hand lane except to pass slower traffic--therefore the reason for

them

Quote
not holding up traffic. Would be curious as to which BMW model you > have. The majority of Benz's and Bimmers' exported to the US have > different tires that OEM tires for the European market, however,

some

Quote
of the performance models do sometimes have the higher rated

tires.

Quote
>

Truck tires in the US all the same--no speed ratings. Most trucks

run

Quote
the tires no more than two years and the tires still have quite a

bit

Quote
of thread left. Then the tires can be re-capped for use on the > trailer. As truckers do, and so should RV's when yoy buy new

tires,

Quote
put them on the front so that you will always have the newest

tires on

Quote
the front.

Trucks speeding in the mdiwest and western states-- most of them

don't

Quote
know any better. They are just out there putting the miles behind

them

Quote
which most of the time translates to more money for them. However > govt. regulations do apply as to driving times an miles covered but > maybe they can get a little more rest time in rest areas if they

drive

Quote
faster. Have run with 18 wheelers when I was in a car and the

speed

Quote
were way up there 80 plus, now don't do that in the coach.

Egon

'99 Allure #30321
'02 Tahoe Z&!

[quote author=panbox108"

> Don't know about Mercedes, but my BMW came with the same tires

that

Quote
are standard in Germany. The things are rated at 160+mph. I

guess

Quote
it's possible that some of the foreign manufacturers would rate

the

Quote
tires to whatever the Fed says they have to govern the vehicle

speed

Quote
to. I just can't imagine a Ferrari with Wal-Mart specials.
>

> I have driven the Autobahn many times and don't recall ever

being

Quote
overtaken by a truck. They must cruise somewhere between 100 to

140

Quote
kph (62.5 to 87.5 mph). Never seen any trucks in the "Fast

Lanes",

Quote
but they don't seem to hold up traffic either.
>

> I'm curious what the truckers in the midwest use for tires.

Some of

Quote
those trucks run at 80 to 100 mph in high heat day after day.
> Either they are taking a big chance or they know something we

don't.

Quote

> After reading all these posts, I think I'll check and see what I > > have for tires on my CC. Never gave it a thought before.
>

> Jay & Stephanie

> 04 Intrigue Ovation #11821
>
>

Quote from: F102508@A...
> > Hi all, This whole tire issue is becoming a major
headache. I

Quote
have a

> > couple of questions.
> >

> > 1. If I purchase a new Mercedes built in Germany for use

in

Quote
the USA does

> > it come with down rated tires because the speed limits are

lower

Quote
here in the

> > US or does it come with tires rated for over one hundred

KM/hour

Quote
which is a

> > legal highway speed in Germany? > > >

> > 2. What speeds to trucks travel at in Germany? > > >

> > 3. Supposedly truck speeds in the USA are limited but

consider

Quote
how many

> > times we are overtaken by trucks doing 65 or 70. Are they

doing

Quote
it with

> > tires only rated for 65?
> >

> > 4. And how about those 40 passenger Greyhound coaches and

tour

Quote
buses.

> > Maybe it is different in other parts of the country but in CA > > they overtake us
> > all the time.
> >

> > I know money is hard to come by and I like you don't

spend it

Quote
carelessly

> > but if I had to spend an extra two grand to get superior

tires on

Quote
the coach

> > I would do it. After all, brakes, steering and tires are

the

Quote
most critical

> > part of the coach in my opinion and shouldn't be neglected.
> >

> > I hate the idea of more government regulation but accept

the

Quote
fact that

> > in some cases it works. Sad to say it but Seat belts, air

bags,

Quote
higher

> > mileage and cleaner air all came about after government > > regulation not before.
> >

> > Maybe it is time for a mandated improvement for tires

used on

Quote
motor
> > homes.
> >

> > Sorry for the ramble. It is my Saturday morning time to

vent.
 

Re: CONFUSED AND CURIOUS

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 16991
Dave,

In 98 we purchased an Olds Aurora and there was only one option, the autoban package which included tires that were rated at 100 mph. We turned down the package but we still have the vehicle and it will do 120mph or more but we only did that once. Since then I have learned a lot more about tires. Only the 315s and the 365s are rated at 65mph and they only come on the heavier coaches. Trucks do not use 315s because they can spread their loads over 18 tires, we can't. I'm not sure what buses use but they are probably not as heavy as us either. The story of Nevel purchasing tires in Europe to get the higher ratings came from a Nevel engineer and it may have been said to cover their ass. The 65 mph on the 315s and 365s are in tire books and on the tires but you need to get on your knees and read it with a magnifying glass. At least I do, so I have not confirmed the the Nevel rating. I do know that my Magna tires are rated at 65 so I drive 64 mph and I like that speed. If you are driving a coach with smaller tires they are probably rated at 75mph. But beware of city bus tires which are rated at 50 mph because of heavy side walls. Don't see many of those but I knew of one person who purchased some in error. Hope this helps with the confusion.

Bill G. 2005 Magna #6425