Suffered a Blowout

Suffered a near catastrophic blowout towing our camper today. Somewhere on the route the driver side front tire completely shredded. Did not hear or feel it (still don’t understand how).

Mostly straight drive and mirrors didn’t pick it up (tow mirrors now on order).

Went about 20 miles on one axle until finally noticing and swapping out the spare.
Thank God nothing worse happened. Just some repairs and new tires in the near future.

 

Yowza! Glad it turns out ok. Interesting that you didn't feel it blow up and ended up driving 20 miles on it! Out of curiosity, what tires were they? And how old?

 

Radial Castle Rock ST and about 4 years old, they only have a few thousand miles on them.

 

Glad that’s all that happened. Certainly coulda been a whole lot worse than that!!!

In my experience, the OEM tires on a travel trailer should be thrown away and replaced with the best quality heavier duty trailer tire you can fit. Looks like you’re already a 225/75-15 LRE, so you may be stuck with that size unless you buy new 16” wheels…

The other item I like is a TPMS system for the trailer. Not always, but typically you’ll see a problem on the screen with an alert before a full failure like you’ve experienced. For about the price of one tire, you’re set with a Tire Minder i10.

Still, glad you got off as easy as you did!

 

Had the exact same scenario, although I think I got away with a little less a damage. Near as we can tell, I must of lost it on a state road (40 MPH). Got onto interstate, notice I couldn't get over 70 MPH, but other than that, no indications. People on the highway waved me over, thank God.

I run these mirrors and made me question why I never heard, felt, or saw anything.

$58 Fit System 81300 Snap-on Black Towing Mirror for Toyota Tundra/Sequoia - Pair

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AFV7DHW?ie=UTF8

I am trying to find mirror that extend further and give me a better view. And now, I tried to make a habit to always look in the inside set during ever turn...

 

No doubt, it could have been so much worse. I now have a TPMS system and tow mirrors on the way, and will be replacing the tires one by one while the camper sits. Also have covers coming for the tires (even though the camper is covered). Thanks!

 

What mirrors did you go with. I'm on the search for wider ones.

 

This is why these Chinese tires are often called China Bombs. The Goodyear Endurance tires aren't immune if the valve stem fails. That's what I had last year. The rubber and brass separated causing a rapid unscheduled disassembly of one of my tires. My TPMS didn't catch it. Probably because I needed a range repeater and didn't have one. My Chinese spare held up until I got to a tire shop that had 4 new Goodyears.

Take the time to get them balanced and get new valve stems. I was hoping there was a more durable valve stem available but was told there was not. I now have the TPMS repeater and aim my clip on mirrors, like the OP has, to see my trailer tires.

 

I am going to give these a try..

$260 Switchback Signal Tow Mirrors Compatible with 2007-2021 Toyota Tundra(w/o BSM), Heated Extended Trailer Towing Side Mirror w/Backup Light and SEQ Turn Signal, Smoked Lens Black Housing

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0D33LFYBF?ie=UTF8&th=1

 

Thanks!

 

It is the age of your tires. They say that 4 years is the max on most trailer tires sold today. This is very true on a travel trailer where the tires tend to be loaded to their max.
Tires start to degrade the day they come out of the plant. The rubber starts to break down. Cheap trailer tires use cheap materials, cheap labor and cheap process control. The cheaper rubber etc. only hurts this life.

 

What pressure were you running in these? Do you check at the start of each trip?

 

Even assuming the tires are in good shape and properly maintained, it is 100% plausible that a nail could have been picked up and led to this failure.

You won’t feel a low tire on a trailer like you will on the tow rig. With a tire going flat, heat will build and the tire will fail.

Maintenance is important, but that topic has been discussed almost as many times as oil viscosity preference. Adding a TPMS is probably the best way to prevent a new leak from becoming a full failure. This can happen to any tire brand or size on a trailer; not just China Bombs.

 

I can't agree more. Trailering is an expensive hobby. Tires do not last!

Replace all of them every three years. Mileage and visual condition do not tell you what is lurking below the surface.

I try to put automotive tires on my trailers when I can. However, you will almost always need a significantly bigger tire than the equivalent size trailer tire. Automotive tires are not rated for as much weight..... But they last a whole lot longer.... Parallels here?

 

My friend does hot shot transporting for a living. He tows brand new travel trailer very frequently. One of the times i tag teamed with him to help drive and deliver a brand new trailer (brand new as in off the lot with no water or other shtuff inside of it). The tire blew out on me and neither of us noticed it. He finally saw it when we pulled over at a rest area (it was around 1am, so it was too dark to see a flat when we were driving). My buddy said that it’s not uncommon for brand new trailer tires to blow out on him. But then again, he has logged in more than a million miles of towing trailers, so he sees a lot more things than the average weekend warrior.

 

every three years is probably being a bit aggressive. Automotive tires do not tow as well as trailer specific tires. Buy quality. That’s what matters most. Maintain the tire to get the life out of them. Proper inflation is paramount. Under inflation creates additional friction and heat, heat kills tires. Bad bearings also create heat. Don’t forget to maintain those as well.

 

Every three years does feel aggressive until you tear up your trailer or get stuck on the side of the road. If your trailer is making you money they pay for themselves quickly.
Now, Goodyear does warranty their Endurance tires for 5 years AND they are made in the USA now. That is different.
I have found that if you stay at the same load percentage with an automotive tire they tow very much the same. Say running 60% of the weight rating on an automotive tire vs. 60% on a trailer tire. The reason everyone says that they tow better is because trailer tires are rated much higher at the same size. The sidewalls are much stiffer with a higher ply rating. The actual tire construction is actually the same. However, I believe that automotive tires use higher grade materials.
The stiffer sidewalls generate more heat when they flex. This is why you can't run a higher ply rated tire at lower pressures. This is true for automotive and trailer tires.
I do agree the maintenance is critical. Keep your entire trailer in good shape.
1. Always check your tires before towing and at every stop.
2. Keep your bearings well lubricated and tight enough.
3. Keep your brakes in good shape and adjusted.
4. Keep your wiring in good shape. Test the light frequently.
5. Adjust and test your ball clasp. They do wear and failure sucks.
6. Run good appropriately rated safety chains. Keep them adjusted properly and twist them if they feel too long.
7. Never tie you emergency brake cable to the hitch. Always attach it to something else under your truck. If the hitch fails, you will want the brakes

 

Conventional wisdom (that I can remember) on a trailer forum I used to frequent is:

First know how to find and decode the date of manufacture printed on the tire. It's not unheard of to buy tires that are already 2-5 years old. Don't do it.
Make absolutely sure the tire shop puts in new valve stems with the new tires. It's not guaranteed.
Proper inflation.
Replace...I don't remember. Might have been every 5 years regardless of mileage.

I had a band new tire blow on me a couple years ago. Tire shop assumed it got really low on pressure, but I'm not so sure...I think it was just defective. Either way, they replaced it under warranty. My trailer is single axle, so you can believe I knew immediately when my tire blew! Luckily zero trailer damage and only a little superficial scuffing on the tire rim.