Question Rettroband - are they worth it?

[team bradfield]

I believe mine were $3,475 pre-tax. While they previously quoted one price, on my estimate (and I assume invoice, which I don't have handy), they now break out labor, connectors and main retrobands, and it's a bit less than they used to quote. These were for my 305\70R22.5 steers.

Benefits? For me, I'm hoping if I have a blowout, there will be two benefits. First, lower risk of losing control and putting it in a ditch/rolling ( drive a lot on windy Arkansas roads with about an 18" gravel shoulder, and then ditch). Second, if I do have a blowout, hopefully I don't have the extensive damage we often see, where electric bays, steps, wiring/air lines, are destroyed. I'm looking lite it as insurance and hope I never find out if they are as effective as their test (latest test was done with the NIRVC owner and rettroband designer riding in the coach they blew the tire on).

x2 what he said

 

[osuallen]

While I still think it's tremendously over priced, I guess you buy once and use for the lifetime of the coach. Nothing mentioned on warranty as of yet, what do they tell you?

What happens when Freightliner Gaffney goes to replace your tires?

Lifetime warranty for protecting on a blowout. They will inspect and replace if damaged. I think it is lifetime on just wear and tear. New tires - you can either bring the tires to NIRVC to install along with the RBs, or bring the dismounted RBs back to them for installation (doubling up on install cost).

 

[osuallen]

With tax, mine came to a hair under $5K. 365 tires installed July 22.

Ditto on size, date, and cost.

 

[Neemer]

While I still think it's tremendously over priced, I guess you buy once and use for the lifetime of the coach. Nothing mentioned on warranty as of yet, what do they tell you?

What happens when Freightliner Gaffney goes to replace your tires?

Lifetime warranty. You may recall they offered to replace every first gen rettroband after only a handful of failures. Those customers had priority over the rest of us in receiving 2nd gen bands.

Typically, NIRVC is the only authorized installer, but they may have an arrangement with the chassis manufacturers. Contact Chuck Lasley at NIRVC for ground truth. He’s the guru. [email protected].

 

[Tnedator]

While I still think it's tremendously over priced, I guess you buy once and use for the lifetime of the coach. Nothing mentioned on warranty as of yet, what do they tell you?

What happens when Freightliner Gaffney goes to replace your tires?

If installed incorrectly, the unit can fail. They've had at least one failure of the new 2.0 when it was intsalled incorrectly at NIRVC. If you can (I didn't), whether at NIRVC or especially elsewhere, would be good to look over their shoulder. Basically, they need to tighten one side a bit, then spin to the other, and tighten a bit, back and forth. I believe Brett said they can initially tighten to a gap of about a fist, then to back and forth, each time reducing it about one finger's width.

The failure(s) they had were from a tech tightening one side completely, and then the other, and that resulted in the first side's threaded rod being bent, when the second side was fully tightened.

 

[Richpatty]

While I still think it's tremendously over priced, I guess you buy once and use for the lifetime of the coach. Nothing mentioned on warranty as of yet, what do they tell you?

What happens when Freightliner Gaffney goes to replace your tires?

I will getting more details, but they say they have a lifetime warranty and if you have a blow out, they will replace the unit in question to ensure you are not riding on a bad Rettroband (Free).

And they do need to be removed to change tires. I figure I will have my new tires shipped to NIRVC (at least the front) and have them mount the new ones when I have the Rettroband installed.

 

[Tnedator]

I will getting more details, but they say they have a lifetime warranty and if you have a blow out, they will replace the unit in question to ensure you are not riding on a bad Rettroband (Free).

And they do need to be removed to change tires. I figure I will have my new tires shipped to NIRVC (at least the front) and have them mount the new ones when I have the Rettroband installed.

I believe they've changed from "replace" to "inspect and replace if necessary," if you have a blowout.

 

[sheridany]

It’s not trivial to remove the tire. It takes a tech with know how to do it or you can damage things pretty good. When I had rettrobands on my Ventana I carried a document that shows how to do it. They may have improved since I had the first generation. I have thought about getting them on my bus but I have to research first because of the tpms system.

 

[DennisT]

Enjoying the discussion on these.

We know someone that blew a front tire on their super c and ended up totaling the coach and trailer. Not easy to handle even with the front wheels in front of you.

Been kicking around getting them on our superstar.

 

[Tnedator]

I've seen a couple threads of people that have blown tires with them on, and had I believe zero damage.

 

[bowpulpit]

Here is what I consider to be a flaw in the logic that they are not worth the cost: regardless of how new your steer tires are, how you have a tpms, how you check your tire pressures every morning, how you cover your tires, how you always drive with both hands on the wheel and every other argument you can think of…, you cannot be sure that your new tire does not have a manufactures defect, you cannot guarantee that next pothole will not damage your tire leading to a blowout, you can not always navigate around road debris, and on and on.
It’s risk management folks that’s it. It’s no different than life insurance or health insurance, something that those who argue against Retrobands I sure they have. I have them on my coach and it gives me peace of mind. I also have Skymed, life and health insurance none of which is a waste of resources as it protects my biggest investment…. my family.

 

[Richpatty]

Here is what I consider to be a flaw in the logic that they are not worth the cost: regardless of how new your steer tires are, how you have a tpms, how you check your tire pressures every morning, how you cover your tires, how you always drive with both hands on the wheel and every other argument you can think of…, you cannot be sure that your new tire does not have a manufactures defect, you cannot guarantee that next pothole will not damage your tire leading to a blowout, you can not always navigate around road debris, and on and on.
It’s risk management folks that’s it. It’s no different than life insurance or health insurance, something that those who argue against Retrobands I sure they have. I have them on my coach and it gives me peace of mind. I also have Skymed, life and health insurance none of which is a waste of resources as it protects my biggest investment…. my family.

I 100% agree. I take many steps to take care of my tires including 303 UV coating, parking on rubber matts, covering them when parked, driving them every 30 days and keep my speed down, but I still arrived home with a bubble in my tire which could have easily resulted in a blowout and severe damage or worse.

I see Rettrobands as insurance against the almost inevitable tire issue…

 

[Joe Dutchstar]

Being a retired “Risk Manager”, I’ve come to terms with reducing risk where possible.
I am installing Retroband on the new DSDP as I was able to negotiate them to be added to the RV at our negotiated price of the new coach.
Over the trips we made over the last 4.3 years of ownership of the last coach, there were times it would have been very difficult to manage a tire problem without significant damage and potential injury.
One time taking the main road north out of Sedona, not a smart move on my part, a blowout would have been catastrophic.
So I am happy to have them on the RV.

 

[Jim]

I have them and I feel good about it.

I live in the mountains, so I drive a lot in the mountains. I love my 1,950 foot lbs. of torque, and even more, my engine brakes.

It's common for me to be in the middle of a long line of truckers running 3 mph slower than what I want to travel. I am unable to pass them until they start up the next incline, but when they do, I put the hammer down.

They are slowing down as we go up the mountain and I'm accelerating at max speed. I start to pass them one-by-one, and I'm neck and neck with the lead truck when we crest the top of the mountain.

I'm hauling the mail, but I know I have to continue the gain to stay ahead of the lead truck as we start down the other side. If I don't, I'll have to decelerate to let them all by, and take my place at the rear of the group.

And it's at this time when I wonder what kind of mess I'm going to make when my 55K lb. RV crashes and disintegrates on the way down the hill.

So while my mind is calculating a million scenarios per second, I gather a bit of comfort knowing that a blowout on the front has been thoroughly thought through and that I stand a reasonable chance of survival if I lose a tire.

But that's just me.

 

[Stuart W]

Neal, add in that not all tire shops are equipped to service wheels and tires that have bands installed.