Blowouts Two

[traveler]

I have had two blowout on my G614's in the past 4 days. These tires are run at the recommended pressure and under their rated load.
I have Pressure Pro tire monitors and have weighed my TK3.

Both tires had about 11,000 miles on them and have not been exposed to UV. The only unusual thing is that I have not used the RV in the past 18 months and it has been in enclosed storage--but the tires have not been turned--that is the RV has not been moved. Coudl this have been the cause.

My current trip has been in hot weather and the tires rise to about 125 psi duing the day. But this has not been an issue in past years. I start out the day at 105 to 110 on the tires.

The tires that have blown were bought in 2007. I have heard that Good year used Chinese manufacturers briefly. Could I have gotten some of those tires??

I had a blowout in 2007and Goodyear replaced the tire and paid for the RV damage. I am going to have to go down that path again. Takes time and is a hassle.

[47hook]

http://www.goodyear.com/rv/tirecare/tire_storage.html says:

STORING YOUR VEHICLE WITHOUT REMOVING THE TIRES
Ideally, a vehicle in storage should be placed on blocks to remove all weight from the tires. If the vehicle cannot be put on blocks, follow these steps for tire protection:

Completely unload the vehicle so that minimum weight will be placed on the tires
Inflate tires to recommended operating pressure plus 25%. Ensure that the rim manufacturer’s inflation capacity is not exceeded
Be sure the storage surface is firm, clean, well drained and reasonably level
Avoid moving the vehicle during extremely cold weather
Move the vehicle at least every three months to prevent ozone cracking in the tire bulge area, as well as “flat-spotting” from the prolonged strain of sidewall and tread deflection
Adjust inflation before putting the vehicle back into service


I had a similar problem with my first 5er, not MS, same tires though. Hadn't followed (didn't know/wasn't told) the above advice. Had 2 tires seperate one day apart. GY replaced all 5 3 year old tires and paid for the minor damage the second tread seperatiion did. On my MS I now tow it around for 20 - 30 miles every 3 months and haven't had any problems.

Sorry about your problem, but maybe this info will help. Oh, yea, GY never asked if the 5er had been stationary or not...

[Stripit]

Did both tires fail on the same side? or same axle, like both front, or both rear? Did they explode, or loose tread? How old by DOT date are they?

[traveler]

My tires were on the rear axle, but one was right side, the other left. I will need to check the date, but they were bought in July,2007. I have not traveled too much since then--only 11,000 miles, two long summer trips.

But as I said, I have not traveled since summer 2010.

I called Goodyear about blowout one and said there was no damage and they routed me to warrenty people, who said "go to a dealer." Turns out the property damage group there is much more eager to solve problems.

I am going to go back to them tomorrow and say there was damage, which is true, just not much--my cable "hanger" on the slide was ripped off and lost.

Now for the second blowout a few days later on the driver side, the fender metal was bent slightly ( years ago the same thing happened, and it cost nearly $2000--Goodyear paid-- to repair).

This time the metal deformation was considerably less, but the steel support that welds to the frame was bent and the sheet metal above the tire was ripped, considerably. I think that the floor is still strong and that the slide is not likely to sag any--does not appear to now. This could be completely repaired, or augemented with another support, or ignored. Most likely any of those solutions are ok.

I am going to see what Goodyear will do on both issues. I hope they do not decide the tires are too old, even that they are low mileage.

But I sure do hate to mess with all of this. However, I am still rolling and not as depressed today as last night. A good night's sleep goes a long way to strengthen one's resolve.

Finally, I would say that the tires lost tread, as opposed to exploding. This is certainly true for the first tire, which is mainly still a tire, albeit it one without any tread. The second tire was sort of a mixture of explode or shedding tread..Probably more of the latter, as the tire still looks like a tire.

I have learned how to change a tire pretty quickly. First make sure you loosen the lugs before jacking--use a torque wrench for better leverage.Then, jack with two bottle jacks on the frame. Raise one to its max, then block up the second and continue raising the trailer. The spare tire and wheel is heavy but not too so. It is surprisingly easy to lift it onto the wheel bolts. It took about 30 minutes. However, this is not something I want to get really good at. But It is easier than waiting for road service. All this, if you can keep rolling by only changing a tire.

[Motor31]

There are two probable reasons you had problems that you listed in your first post.

The tires sat for months without being exercised. That allows a set to develop in the sidewalls and the oils in the rubber to leach out where it contacts the ground. The tires should be allowed to roll about once a month so the rubber gets to distribute the oils and there is no spot where the sidewalls can harden. Those brittle spots can allow more heat to be developed in the areas leading to sidewall failure.

The second issue is you are starting out with low pressure. The pressure should have been 125 PSI cold when you start. Do not concern yourself if the pressure rises above that point when the tires warm up. That was taken into account by the manufacturer. Starting out with low pressure causes excessive flexing of the sidewalls that are already weak due to sitting a prolonged time in one spot.

Finally, have you weighed your rig to see how much it weighs? Are you traveling with a full fresh water tank?

[USA in a Chevrolet]

There are two probable reasons you had problems that you listed in your first post.

The tires sat for months without being exercised. That allows a set to develop in the sidewalls and the oils in the rubber to leach out where it contacts the ground. The tires should be allowed to roll about once a month so the rubber gets to distribute the oils and there is no spot where the sidewalls can harden. Those brittle spots can allow more heat to be developed in the areas leading to sidewall failure.

The second issue is you are starting out with low pressure. The pressure should have been 125 PSI cold when you start. Do not concern yourself if the pressure rises above that point when the tires warm up. That was taken into account by the manufacturer. Starting out with low pressure causes excessive flexing of the sidewalls that are already weak due to sitting a prolonged time in one spot.

Finally, have you weighed your rig to see how much it weighs? Are you traveling with a full fresh water tank?

I thought G614's should be inflated to only 110 psi cold before traveleing. Where did you get the 125 psi figure?

[wingnut60]

Maybe he is thinking about the 17.5" that run at 125psi?

[USA in a Chevrolet]

Maybe he is thinking about the 17.5" that run at 125psi?

That could be. I have the G614's on my Select & am not familiar with the 17.5" tires.

[Gemstone]

"The tires sat for months without being exercised. That allows a set to develop in the sidewalls and the oils in the rubber to leach out where it contacts the ground."

No offense, but I'm not sure I buy into that explanation....since new in 06, our rig sits for months at a time, I certainly do not exercise the tires....so far so good. Can you point us to some written documentation that suggests this ? I'm always ready to learn something new.

Regards
Gemstone

[golf_bears]

The 614s (16") are set to 110 psi and the 114s (17-1/2") are set at 125 psi.

[RonS]

So I have an 06 TK3, so that makes the tires at least 5 years old. I checked them over real good and do see any problem areas. Have about 36K on them they are the 17.5 goodyears. When should I be shopping for replacement tires?

[RonS]

Do NOT see problem.

[wingnut60]

RonS,
Don't think you have a problem at all, but the MS equipped with the 16" tires--many of them were running near load capacity and several have had problems with blowouts. That's why I changed my 16s to 17.5.
Joe

[RonS]

So how many years before they should be replaced.

[terry and jo]

What I have heard is that one should replace their tires every 7 years, even if they still look good. And, that 7 years should be based on the "manufacture date" that is stamped on the tire itself.

It is not unusual for a tire to sit in a warehouse of a distributer or dealer for some time before being mounted on a new unit. For that reason, I've been told that when purchasing replacement tires that one should be sure and check the manufacture date on the new tires before actually having them installed.

Many times the issues above don't affect vehicles because the all tend to get enough mileage in a few years time to not worry about the manufacture date. But, with an RV that doesn't get as many miles, it can be a problem.

[wingnut60]

That is a much-discussed subject, and I do not know of any definitive answer. I have heard/seen 3-4-5-6+ years talked about, and also have heard from several on forums of getting more years and less. Tire compounds, UV exposure and many other factors come into play. I intend to run my Michelins until the tread becomes a factor, or I begin having flats or a blowout--at that time I will re-evaluate. Currently, I have about 16-18000 miles on them and they all have even wear and good tread depth. Minor sidewall checking that began the first year that seems to be normal on Michelins.
I plan on a trip to AK next year that may cause me to rethink as to replacing them, but my truck will also need tires at that time so it will be a large dent in my budget--10 tires @ $300 each--yikes.
Joe

[RonS]

Cooper tires have the same rating as the 17.5 goodyears and cost is $180, which is much better than the $330 for goodyear. When the time comes I will do more research. Anyone running cooper tires??

[traveler]

I have appreciated all the comments and especially thank the person who sent me the Goodyear strorage procedures. I will block the RV when it is not used for any significant period of time.

Someone raised the question about 125 psi. I do not have 17.5 wheels, rather 16--so, 110 psi is the cold pressure.

Again to all, thanks. I do not use this forum much, if you look at my past posts. But when I doI I am in need of help and have ALWAYS gotten some good info and leads.

[wingnut60]

Worth looking into, I would think.

[Stripit]

So many of the G rated tires, 3750 lb capacity were running so close to that number on some of the tires under a Mobile Suites unit that they just could not hold up for long periods of time. Seeing treads peel and some actually blow out from the over worked condition. A lot of folks have moved up to the H rated tires that carry 4805 lbs of load, giving a safety margin the G tires don't have. Having both rear tires fail like you did, have you weighed each axle separately? It is possible that your carrying a heavier load on the rear axle causing those tires to be running almost at their limit. Might be worth seeing if that might be the case. If you could weigh each wheel position you would know for sure if any of those tires are running too close to their limit

[47hook]

More info on this topic:

http://www.goodyear.com/rv/tirecare/tire_replacement.html :

TIRE REPLACEMENT GUIDELINES
Goodyear does not state a "uniform" replacement age for RV tires because there are many conditions that dictate a tire's safe and effective life span. Some factors that influence how long a tire will last are:

Usage per year - more frequent usage will result in longer life
Vehicle storage practices (6 months loaded with little or no rotation is not good!)
Usage in warmer climates can also negatively impact a tire's overall life due to greater extreme ozone exposure
RVIA (Recreational Vehicle Industry Association) says, ”Statistics indicate that the average life of an RV tire is five to seven years.“

Couldn't find the reference again, but these tires are commercial trailer tires, also.

Like many others, the failures I have reported here were tread seperation, the carcas was just fine and still holding pressure.

[Gemstone]

Thanks for the link on tire care....I have learned something new.

Regards
Gemstone

[billr]

My 17.5" GYs had two blowouts on this past Jan. They were just 6 yrs old by the DOT date on the tires. Always looked after, full press and covered when stored. So I think 6yrs way pushing the limits on age on RV tires. Especially when they sits so much.

I will stick to 4-5 yrs max from now on!

Bill

[rdunk]

Bill, you say you really looked after the tires well! One thing you didn't mention was "what speed you are driving at". With those big hauler trucks that "go fast", it should be pretty easy to exceed the stated max speed limit on the 17.5 inch trailer tires. It seems like the max on that tire is around 65 mph??

I have no knowledge of what exceeding max speed would actually do, but probably is not good, over the long term.

Just picking at you a little! I am sure you never go over 60 mph! lol lol

[Motor31]

After doing research on what tires to buy to replace my 17.5" tires the other year I did check into the speed ratings. The Michelins were rated for 62 MPH, the Goodyears were rated for 75 continuous. I don't know what the Coopers are rated for.

We cruise at 65 normally and have no issues with our rig. I am obsessive about the pressure before starting and always set it to max (125 psi) before starting out each travel day. I also check the sidewall temps and bearing hub temps at each stop during the day. The rig has also been weighed to make sure we are in spec for the load.

[rdunk]

Just FYI, below is a link to Goodyear's specification page on the G114 17.5 inch H rated tire, for those of you who have this one on your Suites.

http://www.goodyear.com/cfmx/web/truck/line.cfm?prodline=160807&webprodline=G114

[RonS]

Motor31 - I have a harbor freight temp reader and also check my hubs and sidewalls temps. But do not have a clue what temps are normal, can you help me out??

[Motor31]

Ron,

I don't look for a specific temperature. Tires can heat up to rather high temps even without rolling an inch, just by exposure to the sun in the SW desert. What I look for is a tire that is noticably hotter than the others, indicating that it is losing air, or has lost air and the sidewall is flexing more causing it to heat up more than the others. Same for the hubs. As long as they are all just about the same everything is running normally.

[billr]

Bill, you say you really looked after the tires well! One thing you didn't mention was "what speed you are driving at". With those big hauler trucks that "go fast", it should be pretty easy to exceed the stated max speed limit on the 17.5 inch trailer tires. It seems like the max on that tire is around 65 mph??

I have no knowledge of what exceeding max speed would actually do, but probably is not good, over the long term.

Just picking at you a little! I am sure you never go over 60 mph! lol lol

Well, we roll pretty slow actually..62 max. Most times under 60. Best fuel mileage at 60, sweet spot for RPM on our truck. I do monitor press with PP and shoot the tires, hubs etc on stops with a temp gun. GY rated to 75MPH. I run em at 125psi cold.

Bill