Best Tires For E450 Motorhome (Tire Size and Pressure)
It is said that all load range E light-duty tires are rated the same by the DOT. This means you may have to go by brand and price to get the best tires for your E450 motorhome. Just stay away from the cheaper versions to protect you, your family, and your motorhome.
The consensus is that the Michelin XPS Rib LTX Summer Radial is the best tire for this type of motorhome. While not everyone agrees, it is one of the better tires made today and comes from a top tire making company that has been respected for decades.
To learn more about the best tire for the E450 motorhome, just continue to read our article. It delves into the subject to bring you the best information possible. Take a few minutes to see how this important information can help you make the best tire purchase decision.
Finding Ford E450 Motorhome Tires
This is not going to be that difficult. The best place to go would be those tire companies that specialize in tires and do nothing else but work with tires. There are a lot of them around making finding the right tire for your E450 quite easy.
Before you do that, you can look at all the top best tire lists for the Ford E450 and get a good idea of which brands are making tires for this motorhome and chassis. Usually, the tire will be labeled LT for light truck and carry a load rating of E.
Just be careful in looking at those lists as they will include some tire brands with a dubious reputation. Buying cheap is not going to be the answer in most cases as those cheaper tires have more problems than the more expensive ones.
You can check out Walmart, Costco, and similar big box stores to see what tires they have to offer. Sometimes the tires those companies sell are inexpensive as well as good. But you really can’t beat the top tire making brands who have been making tires for over 100 years.
You may pay more but you are getting more of a tire and a lot of peace of mind once you are on the road.
What Kind Of Tires Do You Put On an E450 Motorhome?
The LT225/75R16E seems to be the most recommended tire for this size of motorhome. Each tire brand in this category should all have the same DOT rating so it is a matter of brand, price, and quality when you are selecting a tire.
In reading the different RV discussion forums on this topic, you would be surprised at the wide range of brands that are recommended for this class of motorhome. That is going to be your biggest influential factor.
Different owners listed Firestone, Cooper, Bridgestone, Goodyear, Toyo, Hankook, Kumho, as well as Michelin which got the most recommendations. There were some tire brands named that may not be as popular or as well-known as those companies.
Those tire brands include General Grabbers, Nokian, Falken, Crosswind, Fortune, Mastercraft, and more. Some of the tire brands mentioned, even in the top best lists, would be classified as China-made with suspicious reputations about the quality of those tires.
Keep in mind, that the DOT will rate all LT225/75R16E tires the same. You will have to pick the brand and the price you like the most. Also, the tire shop you prefer to buy them from.
Best Tires For E450 Motorhome
The one we saw recommended the most was the Michelin XPS Rib LTX Summer Radial. It was number one on a couple of top best lists as well as very recommended by a majority of RV owners.
But tires are a matter of preference. It is all about the brand you like, the price you are willing to pay, and where the tires are made. Some people have reported having no trouble with the Chinese brands but that is a decision for you to make.
The Kumho Crugen HT51 tire got good reviews as did the Bridgestone Duravis R500 HD. That is what you will find when you start looking into getting new tires. Everyone has their preferred brand that they use and recommend.
The thing to be cautious about will be those off-brands that very few people have heard of or may have been put on at the factory because they are cheap. You do have to be careful with the lower priced tires as the quality of the construction and the rubber may not meet top standards for the tire industry.
They most likely meet the minimum standards and there is no telling how long they will last.
Michelin Tires For E450 Motorhome
You really can’t go wrong with the Michelin brand. This company may not be American but they have produced top-quality tires for over a century. That says something about the tires they sell.
Two of the models that are highly recommended for the Ford E450 motorhome are the Michelin XPS Rib LTX Summer Radial and the Michelin Agilis CrossClimate.
In all tests, these two tire models scored extremely high on a consistent basis. Those tests included quality of ride, tread wear, road noise, dry weather performance, comfort, and more.
What makes the XPS model more attractive is the 6-year/60,000-mile warranty that Michelin gives it. That makes sure that you are protected from manufacturer mistakes for a very long time. That is also the length of the lifespan of most RV and trailer tires.
Another Michelin tire to consider is the Michelin LTX M/S LT225/75R16. It seems that this tire model has been originally used by different RV makers for the E450 motorhome.
As long as you stay in the LT225/75R16 range, you should be getting a great tire from this company. Its reputation has been solid for over a century and its tires are hard to beat.
What Size Tires Are on The E450 Van?
There seems to be a variety of tire sizes you can place on your E450 van. The most common size seems to be the 235/85R16 but you can use any of the following 4 tire sizes- 215, 225, 235, 245.
It will depend on your preference and budget which tire size you get. Just be forewarned that changing tire sizes may mean changing rim sizes to get the right offset on your axle.
Sometimes you can go to the 75R15s and make those tires work for you. Some of the more popular tire sizes would be the LT225/75R16 to LT245/75R16. Just check the load rating to make sure you are getting the right strength of tire for your van.
Again, the brand will not matter as much as the size of the tire. You will find that all the top tire-making companies should make these tire sizes in the correct load rating you need.
Everyone you talk to will have their favorite brand they will recommend. The key is to avoid the cheaper brands because you can never be sure if you get a bomb waiting to happen or a very solid tire. Not every cheap tire is made badly.
E450 Motorhome Tire Size
To get you started on the right path, the size to look for would be the LT225/75R16E. In a general category, it is said that the Michelin LTX is the best tire model to buy for this type of motorhome.
Not only are they the most reliable tire models to buy, no matter the size, but they also have some of the best performance of any tire they have been compared to.
Another brand and model would be the Crosswind Class C Tires, they are recommended by one tire expert. Crosswind is said to be a brand owned by TBC Brands which was founded in 1956.
But only 87% of the owners give this tire brand 4 or 5 stars. Other tire brands that would work for this model of motorhome would be the Firestone Transforce, the Toyo Open Country AT II, and more.
Copper makes a Ford E450 Tire and that is what it is called. It made number one on one top best tire list and they are said to perform beyond expectations. The traction you get is supposed to be superb and they are built for all seasons.
You have lots of choices available when it comes to tires for an E450 motorhome or chassis.
E450 Motorhome Tire Pressure
This is going to depend on which recommendation you follow. One owner followed the chassis label which told him that he should have 65 psi in the front tires and 80 in the rear.
There are also body labels you can go by but these two labels may disagree with each other. These labels are said to be estimates only and the estimates may reflect how your motorhome may be loaded.
With the rear getting the most weight, the 80 psi is taking that into account. Some owners simply weigh their tires and then go by the tire brand’s load chart. This is done per tire but if that does not answer your question, you can always talk to a tire expert.
You may have to watch sidewall flex as well. Some owners have a simple test called Swagger effect and they use the motion of the RV to determine the tire pressure they put inside their tires.
However, that test may not be accurate as this is a weight issue. The rear axle gets more weight placed on it thus it needs more psi per tire than the front does. Check with your tire dealer if this explanation still leaves you confused.
They should be able to help you determine the right tire pressure for your E450 motorhome.
Tire Rotation on E450 Motorhome Chassis
One thing to be aware of is that there is no real tire mileage or time scheduled to rotate motorhome tires. If your tires are wearing evenly, they may age out before you need to rotate those tires.
The lifespan of RV and trailer tires is not that long so you may never rotate your tires before replacing them. Generally, you can use the X pattern for rotation to help even out the wear and get a few more years of life out of the tires.
But when you see uneven wear, that is a sign of another problem. The tires' uneven wear are letting you know there is a problem with the axle, the tire rods, or some other part that influences tire wear.
However, Michelin has stated that the tires on an RV should be rotated every 6 months or every 6000 to 8000 miles. There are many owners who will disagree with this scheduled tire rotation and the consensus is you never have to rotate tires on a Ford E450 motorhome.
According to Michelin, the pattern for rear wheel drive vehicles is the standard X pattern. The front wheel drive options only get the front and rear on the same side changed.
If you do not drive your E450 motorhome that much each year, you may not put enough miles on the tires to worry about rotating them. If you are doing 5000 to 10,000 miles each year, then you may need to think about doing this.
The more important factor with your RV tires will be their age. That lifespan may end long before you need to rotate tires. You may need to replace them before you have a lot of miles on them as well.
Some Additional Words
When it comes to the best tires for your Ford E450 motorhome, size will matter more than brand. But price will be an indicator of quality. That is why many people spend more for the top brand tires as they are made better.
Those top brand tires will also last longer, give you a better ride, and be more durable especially when going over some rough roads or bumps.
