# How lucky was I



## swanny65 (Sep 12, 2014)

Had my motorhome tyres changed this week. I had been told when i bought the motorhome nearly 2 years ago the tyres had been replaced and were 4 years old. I had looked but couldn't see the date stamp.

At Easter I noticed some cracking to the sidewalls and decided i would replace them. I was shocked to find out that when the garage took the tyres off they told me they were the original tyres, and they were 11 years old. 

Correct me if I am wrong but it appears that the date stamp is only on one side of the tyre wall. I dont know about fitting, directional tyres etc but it would appear simple to date stamp both sides or maybe i didn't look hard enough


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

I think it is on both sides, normally only motorcycle tyres are directional, any four or more wheels and they can/should be rotated around the spare, then you can fork out for a full set


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

The tyre date stamp is usually only on one side, and if the tyre has been fitted correctly, it should be located near to the valve!
Invariably, they are not!:serious:

Incidentally, when I purchased my previous Hymer, and it was new, three of the tyres had the markings on the inside and only one had it on the outside. I crawled under the van in the showroom to check the dates!


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Grath said:


> The tyre date stamp is usually only on one side, and if the tyre has been fitted correctly, it should be located near to the valve!
> Invariably, they are not!:serious:
> 
> Incidentally, when I purchased my previous Hymer, and it was new, three of the tyres had the markings on the inside and only one had it on the outside. I crawled under the van in the showroom to check the dates!


Excuse my ignorance, but why is it only on one side, when they are not directional?


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

Kev_n_Liz said:


> Excuse my ignorance, but why is it only on one side, when they are not directional?


No idea Kev!, ask a tyre manufacture


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## dghr272 (Jun 14, 2012)

Grath said:


> The tyre date stamp is usually only on one side, and if the tyre has been fitted correctly, it should be located near to the valve!
> Invariably, they are not!:serious:
> 
> Incidentally, when I purchased my previous Hymer, and it was new, three of the tyres had the markings on the inside and only one had it on the outside. I crawled under the van in the showroom to check the dates!


Not quite correct Graham, it's the painted dots on new tyres that effect their fitting postion on the rim.

Tyre uniformity criteria was a big issue in my Michelin employment days. :grin2:

http://www.tirebusiness.com/article...s-those-color-coded-sidewall-markings-serve-a

Terry


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

dghr272 said:


> Not quite correct Graham, it's the painted dots on new tyres that effect their fitting postion on the rim.
> 
> Tyre uniformity criteria was a big issue in my Michelin employment days. :grin2:
> 
> ...


Not sure Terry, as the link is with the USA spelling of tire and not tyre!
So is it the same here? a tyre is a tyre, so you would expect so!
The tyre fitters I have always used, always put the date stamp near to the valve and in their opinion, this is the correct place!
Maybe they are wrong!, Maybe not!

edit

Just had a quick look here, but couldn't find anything either way
http://www.btmauk.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Replacing-car-tyres-important-information.pdf


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Iv'e looked too, but found nothing concrete, except a red dot next to valve when fitting.


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## shingi (Apr 18, 2008)

Hi Swanny,

Don't know who sold you your MH, but particularly if it was a dealer, wouldn't you have a case against them? Telling you the tyres were four years old when in fact they were 11 years old seems well out of order!

Mick


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## dghr272 (Jun 14, 2012)

Every car tyre we made in Michelin Mallusk was put on a rolling road machine, the operator trimmed the excess rubber spill from the moulding process and then checked it's uniformity criteria.

Tyres outside tolerance had a knife put though the side wall and scrapped, for those within tolerance the machine automatically applied the coloured dots on the side wall to aid the correct fitting procedure.

When fitting my last set of MH tyres the fitter was aware of the dots significance, thereby reducing the required weights on balancing the fitted tyre. Although he wasn't aware on how to jack up my ALKO chassis, I stopped him from putting a trolley jack on my axle tubes. 


Terry


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## swanny65 (Sep 12, 2014)

shingi said:


> Hi Swanny,
> 
> Don't know who sold you your MH, but particularly if it was a dealer, wouldn't you have a case against them? Telling you the tyres were four years old when in fact they were 11 years old seems well out of order!
> 
> Mick


Hi Mick

I agree but as I intended on replacing them at 6 years old i wasn't too bothered until a couple of days ago !!!

As it turns out the dealer has been excellent in every other way. New cab battery after the warrant expired, came to site to replace the water pump on our first trip and two weeks ago they repaired the nearside rear wheelarch that had dropped due to the wood being rotten.

I put it down to an oversight on their behalf rather than mis-selling but was annoyed when i found out as last year we spent three weeks in the alps and it made me think what could have happened....


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## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

Kev_n_Liz said:


> I think it is on both sides,


One side only.



> normally only motorcycle tyres are directional,


Not bought any car tyres lately then Kev?
Over 50% of the car/van tyres I've bought in the last 10 years have been directional.


> any four or more wheels and they can/should be rotated around the spare, then you can fork out for a full set


No longer quoted as good practice and directional tyres can only be moved between front & back on the same side anyway.

I have no idea what you do about carrying a spare when you have directional tyres as whichever way it is fitted it could only be used on one side of the vehicle.
http://www.rac.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?3115-Tyres-that-only-rotate-in-one-direction


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## eurajohn (May 9, 2005)

Stanner said:


> I have no idea what you do about carrying a spare when you have directional tyres as whichever way it is fitted it could only be used on one side of the vehicle.


Never seen a motorhome tyre that was directional and being a motorhome site and motorhome related post I think that is not relevant, although factual advice ref directional tyres.

.


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## Glandwr (Jun 12, 2006)

I have MH snow tyres fitted and they are directional 

Dick


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## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

Glandwr said:


> I have MH snow tyres fitted and they are directional
> 
> Dick


Ditto.

"Camper" tyres may not be directional, but plenty of other van tyres are.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Stanner said:


> One side only.
> 
> *Not sure not been that bothered to look*
> 
> ...


...


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## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

Kev_n_Liz said:


> ...


So not a lot of point to your original post then?:wink2:


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Stanner said:


> So not a lot of point to your original post then?:wink2:


Oh heck, we have to have pointy ones now, where was my heads up email, that bloody Barry will have forgotten to CC me I bet.


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## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

Kev_n_Liz said:


> Oh heck, we have to have pointy ones now, where was my heads up email, that bloody Barry will have forgotten to CC me I bet.


Sorry, but not one part of your original post contributed anything to the sum total of forum knowledge on tyres - so fair comment then.:wink2:


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Stanner said:


> Sorry, but not one part of your original post contributed anything to the sum total of forum knowledge on tyres - so fair comment then.:wink2:


Oh! we still on about tyres then, let me know when you've finished correcting my posts Sir, then I'll go see the head. :roll: :roll:


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