spare tire

Did not see this on site -- BTW been away for a year while i got a lung transplant (February) and getting ready for next summer when we plan on a trek to Washingtp state-- when to replace the spare tire.

just replace the 6 tires on our 2010 2551 which was built on a 2009 E450, and built in July 2008. tires were showing some cracks, so better cautious than dealing with a blow out. But i did not replace the spare tire, it has never been on the ground. It looks good and is under the cover.

Any recommendations.

Michelin says 7 to 10 years. If it under cover and no cracking, I would go for the 10 years.

Hope you are getting better.

Welcome Back!  You have been through so much.  I hope your body is taking well to the changes.  

About the spare tire...
If the tire has always been stored in the compartment (never in service), I would "consider" extending it's usefulness beyond the 10 year period providing it still looks like brand new with no cracking or other visual concerns.  It is a spare tire after-all.  I would dedicate it for emergencies, not for regular use.

FWIW, As you might recall, our rig is stored indoors (heated garage) which has me is a unique situation.  Our 2007 E350 chassis was manufactured in April 2007 and still has all the original tires.  As of yet I have not had any of the tires off the vehicle.  I hope I can loosen the lug nuts when it's time.  I do carry a long breaker bar to slip over the tire iron for a road side emergency.  The rig has 24,000 miles now and the side walls still look new and strangely the tires still smell new as does the inside of the rig.  The tire thread all looks great with exception to some checking on the front tires from Great Plains cross-wind driving.  My first rig with a decent suspension suffered the same phenomenon so I am not concerned about it because it still has excellent contact to the pavement.  I don't plan on replacing the tires anytime soon.  I will evaluate at the 10 year mark but hope to stretch beyond.

Unfortunately, my demanding job and life mishaps get in the way of getting away.  This year 3 weeks ago, the day before we were to leave for the north-east, a bad storm ripped our large shade tree apart, throwing it 30 feet across our deck, messing up some railings and taking some deck furniture with it.  It could have been so much worse.  It has been very disappointing to change from 2 weeks east to Acadia ME, to 4 nights in Galena, IL.  My point is that the rig sits in moth balls way too much for me to consider new tires.  I wish I could talk about replacement tires.  That would mean we are using up our rig.

I don't know diddly squat about tires but I'll throw in one bit of info for consideration and Ron may be able to expound on it a little further. We have the sensor for our weather station stuck up in the top right corner of our rear bin. It FREQUENTLY registers over 100 degrees. I know tires can take heat but to be somewhat continuously baked might affect that tire. Ron, don't you have your weather sensor inside the spare tire cap? If so, what kind of readings do you get when you are out camping and the sun is hitting the tail of the PC?

Tire guys - would this matter?

I don't know diddly squat about tires but I'll throw in one bit of info for consideration and Ron may be able to expound on it a little further. We have the sensor for our weather station stuck up in the top right corner of our rear bin. It FREQUENTLY registers over 100 degrees. I know tires can take heat but to be somewhat continuously baked might affect that tire. Ron, don't you have your weather sensor inside the spare tire cap? If so, what kind of readings do you get when you are out camping and the sun is hitting the tail of the PC?

Tire guys - would this matter?

Yes I keep the indoor thermometer's outdoor sensor in the spare tire compartment, wrapped in a rag & placed in the center tube.  The heat of the day with sun beating down, it will read a little higher than ambient, but rarely more than a few degrees.  Our cover is painted gray/silver.  Maybe it reflects the sun better than some of the other painted tire covers.

For the record, I typically keep 70-75 psi in the spare, anticipating some amount of heat build-up in there.  70-75 psi is more than any of my road tires need.  I did figure on letting out the right amount of air if gone into service.  I do consider that my spare might loose some air over time, not having enough for an actual emergency.