What brand and size tire for 1998 Concourse

[Flame]

They quoted me $970 for the Mastercraft (cooper) Courser HXT drive out for 6 tires. They quoted me the Cooper DiscovererHT3 at $1039 drive out for 6 tires. I called Cooper Tire and they said they are the exact same tire. $11.50 a tire difference...…$69. Remember mine are only 5 years old but I am planning that trip from Texas to New York and DC and back next year. I was thinking I would get new tires at least 2 months before the long trip to kind of break them in and make sure I don't have any problems with them in way of factory defect or improper mounting or balance. Time to get any problems resolved before we leave.

[Blue~Go]

One other tip is to check the DOT mfgr code before you purchase. You can also let the tire place know that you will not accept tires beyond X number of months old. When I bought my Chinook, the tires were six years old, so I bought tires before driving it home (over 1,000 miles home, in cold weather). For various reasons I was kind of stuck at the Ford dealer, and I said they could be up to six months old, maximum. Naturally, they were six months old to the day That basically means I paid for six months worth of tire that I didn't get. Not the biggest deal on earth, but...

Now I ask about the date codes before I buy (and try to do it in a place where I have flexibility). Without much fuss, I've been able to get tires that are less than 5 weeks old. So it's worth discussing in advance, if you care about it.

[SMan]

They quoted me $970 for the Mastercraft (cooper) Courser HXT drive out for 6 tires. They quoted me the Cooper DiscovererHT3 at $1039 drive out for 6 tires. I called Cooper Tire and they said they are the exact same tire. $11.50 a tire difference...…$69. Remember mine are only 5 years old but I am planning that trip from Texas to New York and DC and back next year. I was thinking I would get new tires at least 2 months before the long trip to kind of break them in and make sure I don't have any problems with them in way of factory defect or improper mounting or balance. Time to get any problems resolved before we leave.

FWIW I currently have Mastercraft Courser's on my Jeep Wrangler (2nd set) and they are a totally different looking tire to the HT3's. That said I have been happy with the Coursers as well.

[kdarling]

I often see quotes for buying six tires...

But don't forget the spare!

[Flame]

Sman are your Courser tiresHXT ?? They make different Mastercraft Courser designs?? A good reminder to check date codes Blue!! I plan to just keep one of the old tires for a spare. My spare right now is a ORIGINAL and dated 1998!!!!

[Blue~Go]

My spare right now is a ORIGINAL and dated 1998!!!!

Well you did say your rig was all original

But yeah....

[SMan]

Sman are your Courser tiresHXT ?? They make different Mastercraft Courser designs?? A good reminder to check date codes Blue!! I plan to just keep one of the old tires for a spare. My spare right now is a ORIGINAL and dated 1998!!!!

Mine are AT2's. Totally different tread design. My bad.

[Flame]

Just called my local cooper tire dealer and they said they have 10 tires in stock for my 98 chinook. I had them check and they said all 10 are under 6 months old. Will that be sufficient or should I try to make them order newer ones? We do drive it every week. It's not like it is going to be just sitting around. The tires on it right now are 2013 and look like new!! But they are the ones that were on it when we bought it. After my trip to Key West Florida this time I have noticed BOTH front tires are wearing substantially on the inside. I had it lined up maybe 6 months ago.

[Blue~Go]

What age tires to accept is just up to you. I draw the line at six months, but of course younger is better.

The basic concept is that you have 5-6 years from the date they were "born" until time to replace. If you are going to drive enough to wear them out in four years, then it doesn't matter a whit. If, like me, six years will roll around and they will need to be retired due to age and not tread wear, then any amount past "born yesterday" is time you will be giving away to the tire shop. You can decide how much you are comfortable with.

The first tires I got on the Chinook were exactly six months old when I got them. I was not pleased, but I was 1,000 miles from home in an ice storm with a new-to-me RV, so wasn't in a great position to quibble. The last time I bought tires for my car I asked them to check the date code before I committed. They were one month old, so I happily gave the go-ahead.

On the other end of the range, a buddy bought a set of trailer tires from Amazon. They were something like TWO YEARS old when he got them. So he gave up 33% of the life but paid for 100% of the tire (why I won't buy tires from Amazon now). Plus of course the hassle of having to buy/mount/balance tires AGAIN in only a few years. Ugh.

[chin_k]

I feel that 6 months is not too bad, since a lot of the aging can be lessen by having the tires covered, stay away from hot surface, avoid parking for months at a time, avoid using solvent that attacks rubber, proper tire pressure, etc. For our rig, I don't think many people are covering their tires, unlike the class A folks that have to shell out a grand or more per tire, and they really take care of their tires well. But I guess if I get extra few months of peace of mind with a newer tires, I would definitely appreciate it. I would not get any tire more than an year old, unless I get a nice discount.

When the tires are more than 5 yrs old, I would check with the tire tech, and see if they think I can continue to use the tires for another year. If they don't look at me like I am an idiot, I would think if I want to get a new set, or they still can serve me for another year.

At any rate, tires is relatively cheap, predictable expense for the rig, and if they show some age related cracks that looks kind of "iffy," I would not risk it and let it ruin my trip.