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Sponsorship 5

Based on its size, an RV needs extra care

By Bob Ulrich

Driving 4,000 miles to the Grand Canyon and back in a 30-foot RV has the makings of a memorable trip. Karen Bethel wanted to make sure the memories were good ones.

So she took her vehicle in for service, fi rst to the recreational vehicle dealership to fi x the roof and change the oil.

“Th at’s when they told me the tires needed to be replaced because of dry rot, which I understand is common for

motor homes when you are not using them eight or nine months a year,” she said.

Th e RV dealership checks and adjusts air pressure as part of its service, but doesn’t sell tires. Bethel called a Ziegler Tire dealership in nearby Canton, Ohio, for help.

Th e combination retail-commercial dealership had two 53-foot bays and an alignment pit designed for large vehicles. She decided to take the vehicle in for tires aft er talking with Retail Service Manager Scott Schwab.

“He just explained what happens to the tires and the diff erent tires available to me,” she said. “And he was very nice when I showed up.”

According to a recent automotive service satisfaction survey by “Consumer Reports,” 30% of the female respondents who had stopped using a repair shop said they felt the staff tried to take advantage of them because of their gender. Bethel said just the opposite about the Ziegler Tire staff .

“The store was located right off the highway, so it was easy to get there,” says Karen Bethel, who drove her 30-foot, Class C motor home to Ziegler Tire’s retail and commercial dealership in Canton, Ohio.

Bethel (left), says one of the reasons she brought her RV to Ziegler Tire was the phone etiquette of Scott Schwab (right), the retail service manager. “He explained everything to me.”

Because the back half of an RV is heavier than the front half, Ren Kamph (pictured) needed the extra lifting capacity of bottle jacks to replace the rear tires.

Th e RV was new in 2004 and had 14,000 miles on it. Th e six original equipment tires that needed to be replaced were Michelin LTX M/S radials, size LT225/75R16, 10-ply. Th ey were manufactured in the ninth week of 2004.

“Holy mackerel, that’s the worst dry rot I’ve ever seen,” said Schwab as he inspected the tires. (For the record, Commercial Service Manager Mike Randolph said he had seen worse.)

Schwab said the tires would have been “a ticking time bomb” had they been driven in the heat out West. Th e casings would have gott en hot, and with the dry rot, he thought the sidewalls would have zippered.

Th e full spare, which was stored under the RV, was deemed fi t by Ziegler Tire.

Ren Kamph, the tire tech who replaced the tires, said he once worked on a motor coach that had been kept out of the sun. Th e seven-year-old tires showed no signs of dry rot or wear.

According to Schwab, Ziegler Tire uses the same undercar service checklist for RVs that it uses for passenger cars and light trucks (see page 44). Th e free inspection was performed while the RV was being aligned.

Th e technicians also looked under the hood to make sure the batt ery, fi lters, fl uids, belts and hoses were in order. Th e brakes were checked while the tires were being mounted. Accessories such as wiper blades also were examined.

Schwab gave Bethel two tire recommendations: the Michelin LTX M/S or the Firestone Transforce HT. Th e price diff erence was $61 a tire, or $366 for six tires. Bethel chose the Michelins because she liked the ride of the OE tires.

“He said, ‘You’re driving 4,000 miles. If you like how it rode with the Michelins, that’s what you should get.’”

Bethel added she was satisfi ed with the overall experience, even the price. Th e out-the-door cost for the six tires, including valve stems and mounting and balancing, was $1,498.12. Th e alignment was an additional $63.75. ■

With two 53-foot bays, Ziegler Tire’s commercial location can handle everything from an RV to a Class 8 tractor/trailer. Independent retail tire dealership profi le

Did you know that 21% of all independent retail tire dealers have a “perfect” technician rating? One hundred percent of their techs are ASE-certifi ed.

• Average number of techs per outlet: 5 • Average number of service bays per outlet: 7 • Average annual income, entry-level tech: $27,425 • Outlets that offer alignment service: 87.2% • Average ticket price/alignment job: $80.45 • Average number of alignment jobs/month: 67 • Outlets that offer mounting/balancing: 95.3% • Outlets that offer oil/lube service: 94.6% • Outlets that sell windshield wipers: 92.6%

Source: 2012 Modern Tire Dealer Automotive Service Survey

Schwab points to the dry rot on an eight-year-old tire (inset). He says it was the worst he has ever seen. “There’s still some wear on the casing, but the rubber can still be brittle. With that old a tire, it’s better to get all six of them replaced.”