Greg Gerber posted on November 18, 2008 09:31
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Michelin North America said it has developed a recreational vehicle tire that can help drivers maneuver tight turns in campgrounds or on city streets.
The Greenville-based company has expanded its X One large single tire, which replaces dual tires on commercial trucks, to the RV market. The tire attracted truckers several years ago by saving fuel and allowing heavier loads. It attracts the owners of the RV behemoths with fuel efficiency, improve turning radius and ease of maintenance.
The tire, built only at the company's Spartanburg commercial truck tire plant, was launched at the Family Motor Coach Association's annual meeting in Oregon, according to Don Baldwin, product marketing manager for Michelin North America's commercial truck tires.
The RV X One works in the same fashion as the commercial truck tire -- it replaces dual tires with one. The size of the tires also is a plus because when users park on soft ground the tires don't sink in.
Currently, Michelin has RV X One tires only for motorhomes that use an approximately 22.5-inch tire.
Truckers like the X One because it saves fuel and allows them to carry a heavier load, increasing their revenues, he said. RV owners, on the other hand, like the X One primarily because of the ease of maintenance and the improvement in turning radius.
"Cutting six to nine feet off the turning radius is important," Baldwin said. "That can be quite significant when you're maneuvering in a tight spot."
Michelin said it is focusing its marketing on original equipment rather than the replacement market.
SOURCE: Greenville Online