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Suffered a Blowout

Discussion in 'Towing & Hauling' started by bucketlintels02, Oct 6, 2024.

  1. Oct 6, 2024 at 8:06 PM
    #1
    bucketlintels02

    bucketlintels02 [OP] Newish Member

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    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.

    IMG_7069.jpg

    IMG_7070.jpg
     
    whodatschrome likes this.
  2. Oct 6, 2024 at 8:25 PM
    #2
    blenton

    blenton New Member

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    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?
     
  3. Oct 6, 2024 at 8:32 PM
    #3
    bucketlintels02

    bucketlintels02 [OP] Newish Member

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

    IMG_7072.jpg
     
    blenton[QUOTED] likes this.
  4. Oct 6, 2024 at 10:10 PM
    #4
    Chad D.

    Chad D. New Member

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    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!
     
  5. Oct 6, 2024 at 11:10 PM
    #5
    ColoradoTJ

    ColoradoTJ Certified tow LEO Staff Member

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    4 years old is probably the problem, tread separated, or the tire went low, heated up and blew.

    In my towing thread I've had a few tire separation issues. Make sure you cover the tires when not in use. The rear tire behind the tire that blew will probably go next.

    That's definitely an insurance claim.
     
    GODZILLA and bucketlintels02[OP] like this.
  6. Oct 7, 2024 at 3:01 AM
    #6
    NHPig

    NHPig Toyota For Life

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    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.

    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...
     
    bucketlintels02[OP] likes this.
  7. Oct 7, 2024 at 1:19 PM
    #7
    bucketlintels02

    bucketlintels02 [OP] Newish Member

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    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!
     
    Chad D.[QUOTED] and bflooks like this.
  8. Oct 8, 2024 at 3:46 AM
    #8
    NHPig

    NHPig Toyota For Life

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    What mirrors did you go with. I'm on the search for wider ones.
     
  9. Oct 8, 2024 at 4:19 AM
    #9
    Retired...finally

    Retired...finally Utilizing that doctorate of procrastinatory arts

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    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.
     
    Tunrod and Cpl_Punishment like this.
  10. Oct 8, 2024 at 7:42 AM
    #10
    bucketlintels02

    bucketlintels02 [OP] Newish Member

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  11. Oct 9, 2024 at 3:20 AM
    #11
    NHPig

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  12. Oct 9, 2024 at 7:26 AM
    #12
    mverkaik

    mverkaik New Member

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    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.
     
  13. Oct 9, 2024 at 9:05 AM
    #13
    ColoradoTJ

    ColoradoTJ Certified tow LEO Staff Member

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    blenton, mverkaik and Cpl_Punishment like this.
  14. Oct 9, 2024 at 9:11 AM
    #14
    KNABORES

    KNABORES Sarcasm incoming

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    What pressure were you running in these? Do you check at the start of each trip?
     
  15. Oct 9, 2024 at 10:12 AM
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    Chad D.

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    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.
     
    Tunrod and KNABORES like this.
  16. Oct 9, 2024 at 12:40 PM
    #16
    mverkaik

    mverkaik New Member

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    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?
     
    ColoradoTJ[QUOTED] likes this.
  17. Oct 9, 2024 at 1:05 PM
    #17
    whodatschrome

    whodatschrome New Member

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    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.
     
  18. Oct 9, 2024 at 1:08 PM
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    KNABORES

    KNABORES Sarcasm incoming

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    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.
     
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  19. Oct 9, 2024 at 1:38 PM
    #19
    mverkaik

    mverkaik New Member

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    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 :)
     
    Tunrod and KNABORES[QUOTED] like this.
  20. Oct 9, 2024 at 2:35 PM
    #20
    ColoradoTJ

    ColoradoTJ Certified tow LEO Staff Member

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    Well I always run ST tires because there is no LT tire that has the same rating for my size.

    I run Hercules 901 on my trailers and run them for a while. Now these are LR G tires, commercial, and can actually re-grove them.

    For people running single axle trailers for light loads....LT tires are probably fine. The problem starts with side shifting which is common with trailers. The sidewalls can't handle the stress/temps.

    I also run my tires at maximum pressure (110 psi) at all times. This reduces temps.

    Another thing I run on all my trailers are centramatics. I even run them on my 1 ton truck.
    https://centramatic.com/
     
  21. Oct 9, 2024 at 3:36 PM
    #21
    MT-Tundra

    MT-Tundra XX

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    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.
     
    Tunrod likes this.
  22. Oct 9, 2024 at 4:39 PM
    #22
    ColoradoTJ

    ColoradoTJ Certified tow LEO Staff Member

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    The other issue with campers and tire blowouts is look what is directly above your tires. It's usually the refrigerator (not cheap), outside kitchen, a large slide with all the guides exposed, hot water heater, propane line...etc.

    On long trips, I've started to carry two spares.
     
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