Gold plated rims and tires?

[Grandpa Shooter]

Last night I looked up dually adapters, used to change single rear wheels to dually, and found they are $403 a pair.  Today I tried finding rims for the motor home, which are 16.5 x 6.75 and are $85.00 each.  Tires are 8.75 x 16.5 and cost $208 each.

I am a little rusty at advanced math but even my old brain says that adds up to $989 not including mounting, balancing, shipping, tax, title, delivery charges, environmental and hazard fees and any other crap they can think of to add on.  Huh? When the hell did stuff like that get to be that expensive.  Is it just a case of they have me by the gonads and are enjoying tugging?

[Declaration Day]

For all new parts and tires, that seems reasonable to me.  Maybe you could try to find used parts on Craigslist?

[Monkeyleg]

Check out www.tirerack.com for the tires. My Goodyear wide performance tires weren't even $200.

[roo_ster]

Dayum.

How much does hat compare with a new rear diff, axle, & such from a junk yard?

[Declaration Day]

jfruser may be on to something.  You might be able to pick up an old dually axle with wheels for much less.

[AZRedhawk44]

16.5" tires should cost less.

I just replaced two tires on my truck (20" rims) for about $250 each.

The rims sound about right for new utility grade rims.  Never bought or researched a dually adapter, though.

Have you considered foregoing the dually adapter and simply replacing the rear rims with a single wider rim and wider tires?

[Tallpine]

When I bought my 1976 GMC p/u in 1996, it had those 8.75*16.5 wheels and tires on it (bias ply!).   

First thing I did was run down to the junkyard and swap them out for some 16" wheels and used tires.  At that time, brand new 16.5" tires were like $150 and the 16" 10 ply were about $80.  I bought a new set about 10 years ago and they will probably outlast the pickup.

If you're going to replace the current tires, I would for sure get something bigger than 8.75.     I think 9.50 will fit on the same rims.

Probably you need to get that thing on a scale and see just what you are working with....     If you weigh it empty, then you need to add in everything that you will load into it: water, food, fuel, people, pets, ammo, etc etc etc.   Get individual axle weights if you can.

Take the heaviest (rear) axle and divide by two, then compare that with the max load rating of your tires (or prospective tires).  Remember this is at max inflation!  I would think that you would want at least a 25% safety margin    Probably more, if you ever get it off on gravel which is much harder on tires. 

(I blew a brand new tire beside Kluane Lake in the Yukon, trying to do 50mph with a heavy load on the then gravel Alaska Hiway.)

Once you figure out what you might need, I would check with a junkyard for replacement rims.  There must be many many millions of 3/4 and 1-ton pickups and vans, and lots of 8 hole rims in the salvage yards.

If you switch to dual rears, you're probably going to need to do some bodywork too :(

If you stay with the single rears, make sure you carry a first class spare (or 2?).

[coppertales]

Don't you know, motor homes are like boats and airplanes.  Black holes you throw money into.  If it is for a MH, boat or airplane it costs three times as much as for a car......chris3

[brimic]

I am a little rusty at advanced math but even my old brain says that adds up to $989 not including mounting, balancing, shipping, tax, title, delivery charges, environmental and hazard fees and any other crap they can think of to add on.  Huh? When the hell did stuff like that get to be that expensive.  Is it just a case of they have me by the gonads and are enjoying tugging?

You need to get into motorcycles. Those two skinny tires ought to be cheap and about as easy to change as a bicycle tire right?*


















*I paid 5 bills to get a new set of tires put on my bike last year.

[Harold Tuttle]

plenty of SUVs just met the "Cash for Clunkers" reaper

One would think the scrap yards would have harvested plenty of serviceable wheel sets

[sanglant]

nope. they were trashed.

[Jamisjockey]

What year is the motor home again?
Check craigslist.  Donor rear end is starting to sound better and better for your application.


http://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/pts/1512020260.html

Do more research, though, I'm not an expert.  It seems that a donor swap should be a no brainer.

[Harold Tuttle]

IIRC, only the engines and frames had to be trashed

[sanglant]

IIRC, only the engines and frames had to be trashed

correct    i could have sworn the news said the whole car had to be scraped

[Grandpa Shooter]

What year is the motor home again?
Check craigslist.  Donor rear end is starting to sound better and better for your application.


http://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/pts/1512020260.html

Do more research, though, I'm not an expert.  It seems that a donor swap should be a no brainer.

Thanks for the link. I will check it out.

[MicroBalrog]

[Perd Hapley]

pimp mah mota home!

[Grandpa Shooter]

Been checking out wheel spacers and dually adapters and they appear to not be a realistic option due to the added stress on the factory equipment.  So that appears to leave me with "Live With It", or scrounge the wrecking yards.  Anything that old would have to be in doubtful shape I would think (yes, I occasionally do that.  In small doses mind you.)

I will have to give this more attention as spring nears.  Right now I am working at helping out my buddy in the Valley and his list of "to-do's" is growing daily.  He feeds us well so I can't complain.  And he keeps the CC stocked!

[Jamisjockey]

Actually, axles last damn near forever.  Some of the parts are expendable, like the seals and bearings.  Pinions have to be inspected, too, for cracks or wear.
what year is the motor home again?

[MechAg94]

Once I cracked a wheel off a Chevy S-10.  I went to a local junk yard and they had a wrecked one sitting back there with nice looking wheels of the same type.  I think the price was less than half the inflated dealer price.

[Tallpine]

I wouldn't do anything until you get an actual scale weight of both axles of your outfit.

Maybe you're not in that bad of a shape.     That looks like a much lighter coach than most Class C MHs.  If the bed is in the back (?) then probably the galley and water/propane/holding tanks are between the axles spreading some weight to the front axle.  The thing you would have to watch out is loading the lockers under the rear (?) dinette/bed with lots of heavy stuff like canned goods, dog food, and ammo.

If you really only have 8.75*16.5 tires, then you would gain a lot by changing to 9.50*16.5. (well, except for the expense, but then you have new tires)

[Grandpa Shooter]

I wouldn't do anything until you get an actual scale weight of both axles of your outfit.

Maybe you're not in that bad of a shape.     That looks like a much lighter coach than most Class C MHs.  If the bed is in the back (?) then probably the galley and water/propane/holding tanks are between the axles spreading some weight to the front axle.  The thing you would have to watch out is loading the lockers under the rear (?) dinette/bed with lots of heavy stuff like canned goods, dog food, and ammo.

If you really only have 8.75*16.5 tires, then you would gain a lot by changing to 9.50*16.5. (well, except for the expense, but then you have new tires)

The interior is set up with the dinette immediately behind the driver and the fold out bed behind the passenger.  The refrigerator is on the passenger side and then the side door and last the clothes closet.  The stove and sink is behind the dinette and the bathroom is last.  The refrigerator and stove are above the axle.

The motor home slants to the rear and sways side to side with every change of elevation, such as in and out of driveways, parking lots and shoulders on the road.  It is a very unsettling experience and one condition I want to correct.  I just don't know how to go about it.  I have had standard air shocks recommended, as well as axle mount air pillows, wheel extenders and dually adapters, and re-arching the rear spring leaf pack.

The weight issue is because Lady Shooter expects to carry enough for 3 months even if we are going where there are plenty of stores.  The bathroom is full of clothes for fair weather, foul weather, hot weather, rainy weather, snowy weather and ..... The overhead compartments are full, the under seat compartments are full, behind the seats is full, the refrigerator is full and .............  We could get stuck somewhere and survive for a month or two with no problem.

Oh, and that does not count 4 guinea pigs and all their gear, or the 3 dogs and all their stuff.  See what I mean?

[AZRedhawk44]

3 months of gear in a tiny little motor home?

Isn't that close to 150 pounds of dog food alone, let alone human needs?  My 60 pound beastie goes thru a 40 pound bag of chow about every 6 weeks, and your dogs are bigger than mine.  Wow.  Them's some high standards to reach for in such a small enclosure.

I respect and admire the goal, but I think yer vehickle ain't gonna cut it.

My great aunt and uncle used to have a big motor coach, and my grandparents used to have a huge 5th wheel trailer pulled by a F-350 dually.  I forget how long the trailer was... I want to say about 40 feet or so, but it was when I was much younger and looked bigger, the smaller I was.

They weren't of the prepper mindset and didn't travel with large stores of food/water on board... but they did travel with considerable clothing and various household items.  There was about a 5 year period that they chose to live out of their 5th wheel as a primary home, snowbirding between Oregon and Arizona and traveling all over the country.

Not trying to poo-poo your vehicle.  But you're trying to use it as a heavier use vehicle than it was designed for.  Extended use as such will result in it failing to live up to your expectations. 

I'd hate to see the results of a blow-out with that much weight in the back, especially coupled with underpowered suspension and brakes.

Stiffen the leaf springs, upgrade the shocks, get larger surface area drums or discs on front and back, and absolutely put duallies on the back.  A blow-out with that much weight is no laughing matter.  And that much inertia (overloaded motor home) needs as much friction surface with the ground (wider tires or duallies) when braking as you can give it.

And, while you're mucking about with the rear end of the rig, you might as well install a selective locking differential.  You'll need a heavy tow truck to pull that thing out of any mud it gets stuck in.

[Grandpa Shooter]

Not trying to poo-poo your vehicle.  But you're trying to use it as a heavier use vehicle than it was designed for.  Extended use as such will result in it failing to live up to your expectations.


The above is from AzRedHawk.

I agree with you, for what little it might be worth.  There are things the missus and I don't agree on, and this is one of those things.  I would carry bug out supplies and wear my jeans and T's like always.  She wants to have everything right there at all times.  I do have to remind myself she is female (thank the Lord) and that she does THINK she needs it all right there.  In my many mistakes over the years, the most frequent one is attempting to conduct a rational conversation with someone who is ill equipped for it.  And NO, that is not sexist because I have equal difficulty with males who use no logic or rational thought process.  (Now is the opportunity for those of you who like to make cheap shots.)  Not you Red, I know you don't operate that way.

I definitely do not like clutter and disorganization and the interior of the motor home contributes greatly to my upset.  Oh well, its just for awhile.

[Tallpine]

Okay ... well, I'm going to suggest something that you don't want to hear   

Now that you have it all prettied up, maybe you could get a decent price for it from some folks that don't travel as heavy as you do     (but I know you have a fortune in the motor and other repairs  )

Then maybe you could get some heavy duty commercial chassis (used, not new) and build your own coach body on it...?  ("woody-bago")  Not much different than building a small house, except you have to consider weight and vibration issues.

I'd stay away from school buses, though.  They lack headroom and it's almost impossible to insulate one enough to stay warm in cold country (we stayed in one a few weeks and nearly froze to death).

I was thinking a 2-ton cab/chassis, or maybe a retired U-haul type?  But you'd want to put in bucket seats and a cut-out pass-through, or at least a "boot" through the cab rear window for communication.


One other idea... I wonder if you can get a commercially available tag-axle