Tire Failure - Blowout!

[bdosborn]

I'd make sure and run them at max psi and no faster than 65 mph but I don't think I'd take them off.

That sure would make a long trip from CA even longer.

Not if Jean was driving.

Bruce

[zapj]

You said exactly what I was thinking Rebecca and I got to see the damage it caused. You were very lucky and blessed that the damage was solely with the trailer.

[CAJUN LADY]

:applause:

You said exactly what I was thinking Rebecca and I got to see the damage it caused. You were very lucky and blessed that the damage was solely with the trailer.

Thank you Jim. I've never met anyone that 'enjoys' having a blowout...until now.

And best of all, it didn't ruin a great camp gathering with awesome friends! See you soon!

[bdosborn]

I got the Kumhos yesterday so I took the other tire off today. I got another nasty surprise as the tread had separated on that tire as well. We were very lucky to have made it home.



Its kind of hard to see in the picture but there's a big bulge around the circumference of the tire. As you can see, there isn't a lot of wear on the tires and the tread is in great shape. The guy at the tire store said they'd seen a lot of failures from the Marathons. Good thing I got two new tires!

Bruce

[CAJUN LADY]

Y'all are very lucky Bruce. There was no wear on treads on my trailer tires either but they had dry rotted from what I was told. I'm gonna remember the name of the tires you just bought next time I have to purchase some. Thanks!

[zapj]

Something I learned when building my camper is that a DOT date is placed on each tire. The tire basically has a 5 year life because of UV rays even if sitting on a shelf. The rubber will start to deteriorate even if visually you can't see it happening. I was told this tidbit by two different people in the tire business before I made my 3200 mile trip north. Basically I had two tires that had never been on the road but replaced them just to be on the safe side.

[pete42]

Every tire made after 2000 has a DOT number the last 4 numbers determine the week of the year the tire was made and the year it was made:

Example the following DOT code DOT U2LL LMLR 5107
51 means the tire was Manufactured during the 51st week of the year
07 means the tire was Manufactured during 2007

Most if not all trailer tires should be changed after five years
the reasoning behind this I believe is that trailer tires don't actually wear out they just get old and "dry rot" from sun and sitting around.

Having said that I have driven on tires as old as 10 years because I didn't know better
I was lucky because I check my tires every time we stop and get out of the truck,
once in Chicago my pop-up tire had a big bubble on the side wall
we went in to the rest stop and when we came out the bubble was down
we changed the tire and I think it saved me from a possible wreck.
so check as soon as you stop your tires will be at their hottest.

that's my story and I'm sticking with it..............unless someone shows me different...

[Shadow Catcher]

I am in the process of reading a SF book Haze By L.E.Modesitt and in it is a planet settled by Thomosians. Where they doubt everything and it is a criminal offense to lie about something and the penalty for politicians is higher.
My point is we are told we need trailer tires, which fail more frequently and do not last as long as car or truck tires and have speed limitations, the question is, says who and based on what research.
Thomas

[bdosborn]

I got the Khumos installed today. Its a heavier tire than the Marathon, with a stiffer sidewall. Last week I stood on the Marathon to reach something on the ceiling and noticed that it was pretty bouncy. The Khumo is much more solid. I've got them inflated to 65 psi to start, I might drop down to 60 if it seems like the trailer is ridding rough.

I think the 5 year life span is a European standard for auto tires in general, but American makers haven't adopted it yet. Interestingly, the Marathons were 5 years and 17 weeks old. The Khumos were made in week 17 of 2011.

Bruce

P.S. The Khumos have "Made in Vietnam" on the side.

[bdosborn]

one problem on blow outs on trailer tires I have learned over the years is driving way to fast.

We've been pulling the Marathons at 75 mph since we got them but I wonder if that last trip in 101F heat wasn't what did them in. Its seems pretty suspicious that they both failed at the same time. The Khumos are speed rated to 99 mph so I'm hoping that 75 mph is okay.
Bruce

[asianflava]

so I'm hoping that 75 mph is okay.

For Jean's sake, right?

[doug hodder]

With the dollars I spent on the Coker white walls on 2 trailers....hope they hold up over time....outside of camping, they never see any UV. Doug

[pete42]

I am in the process of reading a SF book Haze By L.E.Modesitt and in it is a planet settled by Thomosians. Where they doubt everything and it is a criminal offense to lie about something and the penalty for politicians is higher.
My point is we are told we need trailer tires, which fail more frequently and do not last as long as car or truck tires and have speed limitations, the question is, says who and based on what research.
Thomas

First I don't think dealing with trailer tires is science fiction.
second we have no penalty for lying. (thank goodness because when I say I'm 6' 3" with George clooney features)
third unless there is an independent study done that I don't know about.
we have to rely on the manufactures studies and they say that trailer tires deteriorate just sitting around
as I'm sure car tires would if we left them sit as long as we do our trailers months and months at a time.
I liken it to a house a house will stay in good shape as long as it is lived in once vacant it turns to crap fast.
One of the camp-outs I attended the host had a tire company come in give a lecturer about tires and there care
they would weigh your RV, trailer, camper and give you a read out of the weight on each wheel.
It was a real eye opener some trailers had more weight on one side than the other some so much the tire was over it's rated weight carrying capacity.

No lie

Pete

[vreihen]

we have to rely on the manufactures studies and they say that trailer tires deteriorate just sitting around as I'm sure car tires would if we left them sit as long as we do our trailers months and months at a time.

I don't drive my car for months at a time, and noticed that the Kumho street tires do seem to get out of round from sitting. Nothing that doesn't rectify itself after about 20 miles of highway driving when they get up to temperature, but they definitely let you know that they have flat spots for the first few miles. (FWIW, I have *never* had a Kumho street or race tire develop a leak or go flat in over 10 years of using them.)

I was looking at the Hoosier tires on my formula race car the other day which hasn't been driven in a few years, and they are showing signs of dry rot at exactly 5 years old. The tires on the flatbed trailer that the car is sitting on are even older, and I wouldn't even think about towing it down the street to the tire shop loaded given the condition of the car's tires. Seeing those slicks being shot was painful, since they only had about 6 minutes of driving time on them and I could still see the mold marks on them.....

[bdosborn]

One of the camp-outs I attended the host had a tire company come in give a lecturer about tires and there care
they would weigh your RV, trailer, camper and give you a read out of the weight on each wheel

When I originally laid out the interior of the Boxcar, I had the shower on the curb side of the trailer for better weight distribution. I moved it to the street side (adjacent to the sink) so all the water lines would be together. I know the curb side is heavier than the street side as I had to adjust the flexiride axle to different heights to level the trailer. Coincidentally, the curb side was the first one to blow, all though the street side failed as well.

When I weighed the trailer I only got the axle weight (2,460#). Maybe I ought to go back and weigh each wheel as I'm sure its creeped up as we've added more stuff to the trailer. I've now got a total tire capacity of 4400# with the Khumos, that's surely got to be enough capacity.

Bruce