Question Rettroband - are they worth it?

[turbopilot]

The keyword in this thread "if installed correctly"

My concern from my initial opinion is that tires are not supposed to be messed with nor did tire manufacturers engineer their tires to have stuff inside of them, i.e. will this affect cooling, temps, breakdown, flexing, wear and tear? It's way too early for any data points on the new product that is RettroBands. It looks like a promising design, it seems like a good answer although outrageously priced as usual in this RV market space targeting seniors and retirement accounts on fear. Now lets also look at numbers. What is the total number of truck tires on the road (light truck I suppose is the better characterization) and how many of those fail? How many of those are at proper pressure, properly inspected, replaced at a respectable age, etc.? RettroBand doesn't prevent shredding and damage as happened to @Scotttkd2 I don't believe, so damage can still occur, components can be taken out, etc. but it's a run flat device affording controllability. There are pro's and con's to everything, the owner/buyer decides. Has NIRVC put out any direction on time intervals for RettroBand inspection? What if they come loose or components within fail?

Good questions but Rettroband appears to be nothing more than the "supporting ring design" typically used in run flat auto tires.

The bigger question I have is whether these steer tires on big heavy motorhomes should have a mileage/time limit for continued use much less than the drive tires. I would like to see an analysis of miles/time to typical failure time for these tires. Many of the reports I have seen seem to happen at around 20,000 miles or later. Maybe steer tires are only good for 15,000 miles.

 

[Richpatty]

The bigger question I have is whether these steer tires on big heavy motorhomes should have a mileage/time limit for continued use much less than the drive tires. I would like to see an analysis of miles/time to typical failure time for these tires. Many of the reports I have seen seem to happen at around 20,000 miles or later. Maybe steer tires are only good for 15,000 miles.

This is, to me, the key question…why are we seeing these blowouts on RVs? And they seem to be on the front tires in a higher proportion of times…. Is there some kind of limitation on how much the front tires can take?

 

[Neal]

What makes the news? What are the real statistics? How many front tire blowouts do any of us have a count of?

 

[Neemer]

Rettroband Saved the Day - iRV2 Forums

Just ran across this bit of news that I felt I needed to share. An owner of a 2018 King Aire, one of the heaviest class A diesel coaches, was driving from Atlanta to Las Vegas today when he had a

www.irv2.com

 

[turbopilot]

What makes the news? What are the real statistics? How many front tire blowouts do any of us have a count of?

Data would be nice but it likely won't happen soon. Just a simple question on various forums would help: "How many miles/time was on your drive tire before failure". If it is around 20,000 miles, for instance, it may make more sense to get new drive tires every 15,000 miles than buy and install Rettrobands.

 

[J&JD]

Seldom does one reports a rear tire blowout as it usually results in damage rather than a life threatening experience. In the hundreds of million miles driven by rvs and buses aren’t blowouts extremely rare and only the really serious ones noted or documented?

 

[Neal]

Data would be nice but it likely won't happen soon. Just a simple question on various forums would help: "How many miles/time was on your drive tire before failure". If it is around 20,000 miles, for instance, it may make more sense to get new drive tires every 15,000 miles than buy and install Rettrobands.

People overreact and if X had a blowout at 15K miles, people would take that one data point and replace tires at 15K miles. I'm approaching 7 years and 60K miles (knock on wood) and in January will be replacing tires. The Michelin guidance is supposedly good to 7 years (mileage not a factor) and inspect until 10. However, my treads are becoming a factor as well so that needs to be in the equation. I digress...how many data points would be needed to draw a conclusion? People are seeing a sum total of 2 maybe 3 blowouts and concluding this is a major issue. We don't know the numbers or the stats but we ALL FEAR this issue is the most relevant point. It has been my biggest fear and yeah, I may very well get RettroBands as well but educating is a big part of this too, vetting things out. Tire inspections, care and use are probably the most valuable aspects of success....my opinion.

 

[Joe Hogan]

Rettroband Saved the Day - iRV2 Forums

Just ran across this bit of news that I felt I needed to share. An owner of a 2018 King Aire, one of the heaviest class A diesel coaches, was driving from Atlanta to Las Vegas today when he had a

www.irv2.com

This is the type of experience that is on point. It demonstrates that a potentially life changing event can be turned into an inconvenience. If this is the normal expected results of a steer blow out, then I believe the Rettroband is an excellent solution.

 

[Joe Hogan]

Some interesting Michelin technical information (no mention of milage)

Michelin Technical Bulletin

Service Life for RV/Motorhome Tires

The following recommendation applies to RV/Motorhome tires. Tires are composed of various types of material and rubber compounds, having performance properties essential to the proper functioning of the tire itself. These component properties evolve over time. For each tire, this evolution depends upon many factors such as weather, storage conditions, and conditions of use (load, speed, inflation pressure, maintenance, etc.) to which the tire is subjected throughout its life. This service-related evolution varies widely so that accurately predicting the serviceable life of any specific tire in advance is not possible.
That is why, in addition to regular inspections and inflation pressure maintenance by consumers, it is recommended to have RV/Motorhome tires, including spare tires, inspected regularly by a qualified tire specialist, such as a tire dealer, who will assess the tire’s suitability for continued service. Tires that have been in use for 5 years or more should continue to be inspected by a specialist at least annually.
Consumers are strongly encouraged to be aware not only of their tires’ visual condition and inflation pressure, but also of any change in dynamic performance such as increased air loss, noise or vibration, which could be an indication that the tires need to be removed from service to prevent tire failure.
It is impossible to predict when tires should be replaced based on their calendar age alone. However, the older a tire the greater the chance that it will need to be replaced due to the service-related evolution or other conditions found upon inspection or detected during use.
While most tires will need replacement before they achieve 10 years, it is recommended that any tires in service 10 years or more from the date of manufacture, including spare tires, be replaced with new tires as a simple precaution even if such tires appear serviceable and even if they have not reached the legal wear limit.
For tires that were on an original equipment vehicle (i.e., acquired by the consumer on a new vehicle), follow the vehicle manufacturer’s tire replacement recommendations, when specified (but not to exceed 10 years).

The date when a tire was manufactured is located on the sidewall of each tire. Consumers should locate the Department of Transportation or DOT code on the tire that begins with DOT and ends with the week and year of manufacture. For example, a DOT code ending with “0304” indicates a tire made in the 3rd week (Jan) of 2004.

 

[turbopilot]

And if your decision about using Rettrobands is in anyway economically driven it gets pretty silly in these high end coaches when many people spend $4,100 on custom chrome trim kits. I am going to get them and wait for the data.