After 17 years finally happened (tire blow out)

[Procrastinator]

We have been yanking one type or another trailer around the country for over 17 years now. I have been very diligent about keeping tabs on my tires. 4 years is about the longest I will keep a set of "chinas" on a trailer. The previous trailer took six maxxis tires.

As my tires were hitting the 4-year mark, I had been shopping already with plans to replace over the winter. We didn't make it.

Northbound on I65 just south of Nashville, we lost the rear driver's side tire. Everyone in the cab heard it. Thankfully, I have made a habit of "over trucking". I am currently towing a 10,000 trailer using a Hensley Hitch and an F350 dually. So we never lost control or had sway problems during the blowout. I had to travel over a mile on the shredded tire due to the absolute refusal of anyone on the road willing to allow me over to the shoulder even as I slowed to about 45 with my hazards on.

After replacing the blown tire with a spare we were able to get back on the road. I know had no confidence in my remaining tires. Since it was late on a Sunday with nothing open and at the risk of whatever the dealer had in stock, we decided to risk it and continue on. 335 miles at 55-60 mph. I normally cruise around 65-70 mph. I now understand why some people choose to travel at that speed as I never had to worry about passing anyone; therefore, less stress. However, watching the miles to go on the gps never ever go down was stressful. After the first hour, it seemed we had traveled only 30 miles.

We made it home safe, and the next day it was time to survey the damage:

-took out my sewer discharge pipe
-took out a clearance light
-ripped off the fender skirt
-the tire ground out the fiber floor cloth covering, the luan, and the styrofoam. It did not damage the subfloor.

I checked all my tanks connected to the discharge pipe and all were fine with no damage.

I then replace all four tires with Goodyear Endurance (test mule here). I have been busy online buying replacement parts and I will be back up soon.

After fixing the underside I am thinking about welding some metal to the frame above the tires and then undercoating it all to prevent any problems again.

All in all, we were all safe and no one got hurt. It just made my trip more expensive and more time consuming when we got home.

Safe travels.

[Hannibal]

All I could afford wrote:
I agree that U-Haul uses bias ply on their trailers, and would like to add my opinion as to the reasons. I would bet the vast majority of people renting U-Haul trailers are not experienced trailer towing folks like us. Probably way more instances of curb hitting per 100 road miles travelled. They are probably more durable in that situation. Also, The u-Haul people are not at all concerned about their customers fuel economy, Just the companies own costs, and I would bet they get their bias ply tires quite cheap by the container load. And just think, every time someone blows one out, they get to charge the customer for a full replacement at retail price. They probably rarely replace them due to tread worn out. Now add in the fact That the bias ply tire is less likely to tear the fender off the U-Haul trailer, And we have a winner.

Those all sound like compelling reasons to go with bias ply tires on the travel trailer. It's all about overall cost. Coming home from Jetty Park Campground today, we hit quite a few bad spots on on I-4. I have on occasion had to crawl over a curb with the right side trailer tires to clear left side obstacles with the truck. I wonder what the fuel mileage difference really is. I have Carlisle sport trail bias ply tires on our boat trailer. They seem to run fine. Cousin's truck is diesel so hard to compare his mileage with his bias ply tires on his travel trailer to my gas F250 and radials on our travel trailer.

[All_I_could_aff]

I agree that U-Haul uses bias ply on their trailers, and would like to add my opinion as to the reasons. I would bet the vast majority of people renting U-Haul trailers are not experienced trailer towing folks like us. Probably way more instances of curb hitting per 100 road miles travelled. They are probably more durable in that situation. Also, The u-Haul people are not at all concerned about their customers fuel economy, Just the companies own costs, and I would bet they get their bias ply tires quite cheap by the container load. And just think, every time someone blows one out, they get to charge the customer for a full replacement at retail price. They probably rarely replace them due to tread worn out. Now add in the fact That the bias ply tire is less likely to tear the fender off the U-Haul trailer, And we have a winner.

[K-9_HANDLER]

Sorry to hear about the tire. Cup half full thought, Glad there was no superstructure damage.

[Hannibal]

We travel with two cousins most of the time. One cousin has bias ply tires on his older 24' travel trailer. Other cousin has radials on his newer 26' travel trailer. Both have had flats over the years. The radials tear up everything around the wheel wells. The bias ply tires simply fly apart doing no damage to the trailer. A flat can happen due to road hazard, cheap Chinese tires, low pressure, age etc but the results are the same. A flat tire at 65~mph. U-haul has gone back to bias ply tires. Why do we run radials on our travel trailers? The damage caused by a radial when it comes apart makes me want to go with bias ply when the time comes. I've been lucky enough to spot the bulge in radials before hitting the interstate. Luck will run out one day.

[Lynnmor]

Procrastinator wrote:


One thing that I forgot to add is that when I had tires replaced, the installer told me that Keystone had not placed the proper "hi pressure" valve stems in the rims for the pressure "65psi" I was running my tires at.

RV manufacturers buy and install tire wheel assemblies, the fault lies with the supplier, but of course they should inspect critical components.

[Procrastinator]

Wow, I was really surprised with the direction some of the posts went.

For what is worth I will explain my rationale. My trailer is around 10,000 lbs loaded. I feel that I was barely within limits with all four new trailerking tires. After the tire blew the other three tires were forced to carry the increased burden of that weight.

I knew what tires I wanted, and because I am not from the Nashville area I was unsure what dealer would carry the tire(s) I wanted. Therefore; I felt I was taking a risk knowing that the other tires COULD not WOULD blow out due to the increased stress that had been placed on them. Once I got home, I chose to have all four tires replaced for the peace of mind.

One thing that I forgot to add is that when I had tires replaced, the installer told me that Keystone had not placed the proper "hi pressure" valve stems in the rims for the pressure "65psi" I was running my tires at.

[hawkeye-08]

I think I already posted about our flat recently, but wanted to add, I am replacing all 4 tires because of age (5 1/2 years old). If the tires were only say perhaps less than 3 years old, I likely would have just put one new one.

I am keeping the 3 other used tires, I will make at least one into a second spare for the trailer when we are venturing further from home. We really did not like not having a spare after putting the spare on. It was the hottest day of year 105-107, traveling in the hot part of the day.

[Maury82]

Lynnmor wrote:

naturist wrote:
Hard to believe other drivers wouldn't let you pull over anywhere. I guess the self-centeredness often mentioned has reached new depths, but there it is.

I have no problem believing that. Drivers don't have a second to deal with your problem, they have smartphone duties that take precedence.

I would have been surprised if they had promptly responded to a hazzard or right signal light to allow you to get in front of them.

Dealing with these self centered and nasty drivers is the most difficult part about being on the road.

[Ralph_Cramden]

The next time I go tire shopping I wonder what the response will be when I take the wifes bathroom scale and ask to go back in the warehouse and weigh all of his in stock tires. I never realized weighing the tires was how to choose a quality one LOL. The Youtube videos have opened my eyes!

[Huntindog]

wnjj wrote:

Huntindog wrote:
Statistics.....
How likely is a old tire to fail after being severely overloaded?
That is of course what most always happens with a blowout on a tandem axle TT.
Stock sized tires are barely rated for the load.
They lose strength every year as they age.

So a tire rated at 1800# may have lost 1/3 of that rating in a few years. Then a blowout happens. The remaining tire on that side suddenly is supporting close to 3600#! And being a well used tire, it may only have 1200# left in it....
What is the statistic for that?

I'm not following you here. On a dual wheel setup, yes one tire will have to support the weight but a tandem axle setup has an equalizer so the flat tire/rim supports all of the weight the tire had previously supported.

Equalizers do come in different sizes. So I suppose that IF, and it's a big IF, your equalizer happens to be big enough to have enough travel to compensate for a shredded tire....You would be correct.... None of my TTs have had such a equalizer though, and I think that most TTs do not either.

In fact on many TTs, the equalizer travel is limited as it contacts the frame.

[westend]

Ease up on the armchair quarterbacks. Anyone can have an opinion on the best way to handle the event and the OP is past it.

Yes, you can clad the wheel well with some steel, thick rubber, or anything else you feel will help in the event of another blowout. You've seen, firsthand what a deflated steel belted tire can do when it shreds and there isn't much that will withstand the forces for long.

FWIW, when I bought my Starcraft, I could open the kitchen cabinet and see the top of the tires and the ground, also the 10 lbs of mud from driving on a dirt road in the rain. I had no choice but to replace the wheel well. I built a frame, clad the corners with aluminum trim, and then used 404 steel sheet goods to clad the wheel well. 404 is what garbage trucks use for the hopper and what Humvees have for armor. I sealed the corners and covered the steel with bedliner. I'm going to assume the 404 steel will protect the trailer in the event of a blowout if I see or sense the blowout quickly. I think even the 404 steel will be cut by the spinning steel belts of the tire if driven long enough in that condition. A guy can only do so much.

[wnjj]

SoundGuy wrote:
So without any facts to support your argument your opinion is that you see no reason to not continue using the other 3 tires, brothers of the tire that did fail. :h Proselytizing from a keyboard is one thing, actually being there stuck on the side of the road with a blown out tire and the desire to avoid any such future occurrence is quite another. :R

It's not an argument, it's an opinion and I stated in #1 and #2 above some of the reasons why I have that opinion.

[wnjj]

Huntindog wrote:
Statistics.....
How likely is a old tire to fail after being severely overloaded?
That is of course what most always happens with a blowout on a tandem axle TT.
Stock sized tires are barely rated for the load.
They lose strength every year as they age.

So a tire rated at 1800# may have lost 1/3 of that rating in a few years. Then a blowout happens. The remaining tire on that side suddenly is supporting close to 3600#! And being a well used tire, it may only have 1200# left in it....
What is the statistic for that?

I'm not following you here. On a dual wheel setup, yes one tire will have to support the weight but a tandem axle setup has an equalizer so the flat tire/rim supports all of the weight the tire had previously supported.

[deltabravo]

Goodyear Endurance compared to another cheap ST Tire.