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Inner Tubes

bobg56

Well Known Member
My nose tire went flat so I'm shopping around for 3 since they are all 10 years old now so I might as well replace them all, Tire's are Areo Classic 5.00-5...looking at Spruce a 5x5 tire tube is $72.75 each, the tube that's in it is a "Leak Guard" with is about $25.00 but it's not a 5x5 size...anyone know of a cheaper alternative to paying $72.75 for a tube?
 
About ten years ago my wife and I were grocery shopping and discovered that butter was exorbitantly priced. My wife asked the store manager why the recent price escalation? The answer they gave her was an El Niño caused a disruption with cows producing milk from which butter is made.

So, my answer to you is… It costs what it costs. Tires and tubes have been increasing in price.

It’s like the airlines – they own (or lease) the planes and if you want to fly you buy a ticket.
 
If you’re only going to replace your tubes every ten years, then maybe think about putting in the best - the Michelin Air Stops. You’ll probably only have to add air once every six to eight months, so you’re more likely to keep them at a good pressure. And yeah - they’re expensive!
 
You're taking a trip to the moon... would you want the rocket ship built by the lowest bidder, when your life depends on it?

It's something I think about with tires and tubes. If you have to pull wheel pants every time you want to check the air pressure in your tires, a good leak free set of tubes is worth the extra money, vs monkeying with those screws on you back all the time down there.
 
Shipping

Cost are going to run up the price....one corner USA to the opposite. Pricey getting stuff from VANS to Georgia, takes a week or more too. YMMV.
 
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If you have to pull wheel pants every time you want to check the air pressure in your tires, a good leak free set of tubes is worth the extra money, vs monkeying with those screws on you back all the time down there.

I have 1" holes in the pants that align with the tube stems. 1" caps cover the holes for flying. I check pressure monthly to be sure I don't see a "leak" trend. The time to check and adjust all 3 is 10 minutes.

If I had tubes that are advertised to go 6 months without air loss I would still check them monthly.

I don't suggest going cheap on parts, if it is equal quality based on your research or qualified recommendations then spending more money just to get a "name brand" is a waste.
 
I'm not trying to be cheap, just trying to get the best price possible, I can't see how an inner tube is worth $150, I'm thinking a little gouging going on...
 
I'm not trying to be cheap, just trying to get the best price possible, I can't see how an inner tube is worth $150, I'm thinking a little gouging going on...

Re-read post #2. Maybe El Niño affected the Michelin rubber trees...
 
Not made from natural rubber. A comparable tube that doesn't say airplane is around twenty bucks.
 
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I'm not trying to be cheap, just trying to get the best price possible, I can't see how an inner tube is worth $150, I'm thinking a little gouging going on...
Of course gouging is going on... it's aviation related! :)
Michelin Air Stop tubes for bikes are less than $10 each. Go figure. :rolleyes:
 
possible solution

This trick has not been applied to my tires. For some reason they don't leak and hold pressure real good.
But having been in construction for 41 years we have problems with leaks in equipment tires. Seems to stop leaks.
I have used sealer goop inside of my tubed and tubeless tires for quite awhile.
Use the correct amount and it slides around inside the tire/tube and seals as it goes. Just squirt it in through the core tube.
Ya I suppose it would freeze at altitude and make an out of balance unit. I don't know. After all it is water based.
If mine ever take to leaking. I can guarantee I will use it before paying $150.00 for a tube and less for the tire. live on grass so tires last a long time.
Art
 
Repairs

I’m surprised that no one has mentioned the time, cost, and aggravation of repairing or replacing an damaged/destroyed wheel pant after a flat.
Something to consider in the cost tradeoff.
 
I replaced my Michelin airstops tubes after 14 years. The were still holding air. Count on only topping airstop tubes a couple of times a year, other brands will require many more fill ups
 
I cannot find a replacement for the nose tube. Looks like Michelin no longer sells them or is there a secret I am missing. I am DONE with the leak guards as I have replaced two in 2 years and want the AirStop.
 
Jeez, Mike! And to think they came after me with pitch forks and torches for posting that I wanted to use a non-TSO’d ELT battery!😱😝
 
I've been waiting over a month now for the three new tubes I ordered from Van's, wound up patching the tube (NLG) so I could fly...I'll order these too, thanks for the info!
 
Jeez, Mike! And to think they came after me with pitch forks and torches for posting that I wanted to use a non-TSO’d ELT battery!����

Anyone want to rig up a torture test between this Ama.com, a natural rubber cheapie, a normal TSO tube and the 2 butyl $$ aviation tubes?

I assume the key is strength at the valve stem for torture. With proper inflation and no proud mold edges on the inner tire or FOD, the abrasion resistance of long term wear would be a chore to test.

Powder, up.
 
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Rich,

The problem with a qualification test as you suggest is that you need assurance the manufacturing controls produce a consistent product so your results are applicable to other tubes. They might be consistent properties but you can’t be sure without a significant sample size or some understanding of the manufacturer’s controls.

Rich
 
Well my last TSO'd butyls had pores in them that leaked flat twice before I found the rascals.

Have a feeling they CAN all work and can ALL fail, not from wear and tear or shock loads or FOD only.
 
You're taking a trip to the moon... would you want the rocket ship built by the lowest bidder, when your life depends on it?

Well that about sums up the entire Apollo program doesn't it? If only there was someone on these boards from NASA to comment.... :D
 
I’m one of the first guys to go cheap when I can, but it’s about risk assessment. I have used Harbor Freight copper gaskets since an oil weep is not a big deal if it fails, but blowing a tire tube on landing could be very expensive. My tires are lasting about 500 hours, so the expense does not seem oppressive to me to buy aircraft grade tires and tubes. But that’s why they call it experimental. To each their own.
 
I am with Ironflight and others. Go with Michelin Air Stops. I was an ardent Leak Guard user until their quality went to ****. The Leak Guard Butyl tubes have gotten weak at the mold lines. True to their name, they don't leak. Unfortunately they simply blow without warning. And always along a mold line. If you insist on going with Leak Guard put an exorbitant amount of talc powder on them and never let the pressure get low at all. Anything below 20lbs seems to exacerbate the failure problem as the mold line can't take even the slightest chafing. The Leak Guard quality problem started about 5 years ago and we had a months-long spate of failures on our and customer's aircraft, all with new Leak Guards installed.

After having an Leak Guard fail on a Pitts I decided Michelins are much cheaper than insurance or repairs.
 
Tire Sealant....

I recently converted a ten-year old Trek bicycle to e-Bike. The tires and tubes needed replacement for fear of getting a flat tire on the road. I did some searching and discovered that a lot of folks are using a liquid sealant in the innertube to self-seal punctures. The sealant also slows air egress and tires retain pressure longer. The sealant used is Stan's NoTubes Tire Sealant... 2oz is used for a single bicycle tire. The sealant looks like watered-down Elmer’s white glue.

So, my question is…. Is anybody using a sealant in airplane tires?
 
I haven’t done it myself but I know others who used the green slim know as Fit-a-flat under the same premise of preventive measures for their tubes.
As I recall as time of use went on other’s experienced an out of balance feel even with the stuff remaining liquidity inside the tube. The original thought was as the tire spun the stuff would disperse and this worked okay on takeoff but on landing, going from 0-65 (RV6) didn’t happen so smoothly. Anyway you get it.
This is my only knowledge of someone else’s sealant prevention and as far as preventing loss of air over time or puncture I don’t think it was worth the effort using Fix-a-flat.
 
I've used Stan's in my 29" Mtn bike tires with tubeless settups and it stops leaks quickly, with items like goatshead thorns and such. It does NOT work well in tubes at all, otherwise Stan's would sell prefilled innertubes with Stan's sealant in them.

Slime works well both in tubes and in tubeless applications. Slime does sell prefilled tubes with their sealant in it.

The problem is that it works fine from a rolling dead start going up to speed, but it will definitely create an imbalance in the tires the moment you touch down and your rotational speed of tires goes to 200 or 300 rpm or what ever the speed is when your tires touch down. It's going to be violent, with that imbalance.

Get the good Michelin tubes, is my suggestion.
 
leak stop gunk.

I have a half full gallon jug of the stuff in my shop,
But, in all honesty I do not have any in my RV-6A tires as they almost do not leak. I only have to add air every couple months or so. And then only a few pounds.
Art
 
I recently converted a ten-year old Trek bicycle to e-Bike. The tires and tubes needed replacement for fear of getting a flat tire on the road. I did some searching and discovered that a lot of folks are using a liquid sealant in the inner tube to self-seal punctures.

When I was a kid we used canned mild as a leak stop.
 
I cannot find a replacement for the nose tube. Looks like Michelin no longer sells them or is there a secret I am missing. I am DONE with the leak guards as I have replaced two in 2 years and want the AirStop.
I know this is an old thread - but did you verify that Michelin no loner makes nosewheel tubes? I was looking for my 6A and couldn't find them - then saw your post. Would love to know for vertain eigher way.
 
I know this is an old thread - but did you verify that Michelin no loner makes nosewheel tubes? I was looking for my 6A and couldn't find them - then saw your post. Would love to know for vertain eigher way.

The -12 uses the same tire & tube on the nose that is used on the mains. Yes still available.
 
The -12 uses the same tire & tube on the nose that is used on the mains. Yes still available.

Unfortunately for me and my RV6A - it's nosewheel is not the same as the mains and uses a 11/400-5 tube/tire. I was told on a differnt post earlier today that they never made that Michelin never made that size. :(
 
I know this is an old thread - but did you verify that Michelin no loner makes nosewheel tubes? I was looking for my 6A and couldn't find them - then saw your post. Would love to know for vertain eigher way.

I upgraded to the Beringer tubeless and have not had an issue since.
 
For those that want to try the tube mentioned in the above post, here is some size information that will help you decide.
In the picture below, The three tubes were inflated into shape plus a 1/2 inch diameter. And then the air was released down
to "0" pressure and then measured the O.D., I.D.

As you can see from the picture, the Tractor Supply tube (bottom) and the standard nose tube (right) will need to expand
a considerable amount to work in a main tire.

Will the tube work in a main tire..... Yes. An RV 4 owner in our EAA chapter removed one from a main tire after running it for over 100 hours. Is it OK to use these tubes....NO! They are pushed way beyond their design. Would I use one in an emergency... Yes.

AC Spruce sells the nose tube on the right for about $11.00. It will fit the nose rim, and will work in a Main tire IN AN EMERGENCY.20240316_181101.jpg
 
I cannot find a replacement for the nose tube. Looks like Michelin no longer sells them or is there a secret I am missing. I am DONE with the leak guards as I have replaced two in 2 years and want the AirStop.

I tired of the leaking Leak Guards a few years back and switched to Michelin Air Stops. They lose air a lot less, but I won't go 6 months without checking in my area with the big temperature swings we see in any 6 month timeframe.
 
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