Pictures of blowout

arisce

Well-known member
Here are some pictures of th eblowout.
 

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jbeletti

Well-known member
Bill and Karen,

Those pictures are horrific but speak volumes at the same time. In terms of the root cause of the tire explosion, what is the sense of all who have seen the carnage first hand?

Jim
 

Trap

Well-known member
Ouch after seeing that kind of damage it sure makes me think about getting something like the Doran tire pressure monitor setup.:confused:

Trap
 

Wild Wind

Active Member
That awfull, what brand tires did you have, did they move your trailer yet, and has any one started repairs. I know Scott said they where on top it, Good Luck !
 

Wild Wind

Active Member
Trap, a tire pressure monitor might have help, but it is not a cuire all. Hand checking pressure helps make you get down there by the tire, and maybe you also visionally inspect the tires. After hauling horses for 20+years, you learn after one flat tire that you never want to be broken down with a trailer full of horses along the side of the road.
Also after twisting off an axle spindel earily on, you become very fussly about maintenane, checking wheel bearings, spring shackels, torquing wheel nuts, etc. During every stop a rest areas, etc., I inspect the tires and look things over. I feel the tires & wheels to see how hot they are
compared too each other. On my truck I use the best Michealin tires.
On our motor coach (bus), we had a whole center tread blow off a rear inside dual. When we pulled the tire off, it still had it recommened presure of 110#, but all the tire tread in the center was gone. My wife told me a tire was going to blow, I stopped several times before that to look and feel the tires, but could not find the problem.
Therefore tire pressure monitor can't tell you verything!
 

ct0218

Well-known member
Bill, I hope you didn't have the same tire I have on my Mt. Rushmore--Trail America. Michelin XPS may be in the very near future for me.
 

jpmorgan37

Well-known member
Wild Wind, I aggree with you 100% on the visual checks and physically touching the tires and hubs, checking torque etc. but I also believe that the tire pressure monitors can save you from disaster caused by a slow leak and when you a pulling a loaded 38 foot trailer and a tire comes apart, you are going to tear stuff up. If by spending $390 for the Doran Pressure Pro I save one flat tire, then to me, it is money well spent. JMHO.
John
 

jpmorgan37

Well-known member
Clark, I'm still running the Trail Americas on my GC and (knock on wood) haven't had any problems and they are wearing well. I must have missed something. what kind of problems did you have with them?
John
 

dieselengineer

Charter Member
I agree, the best money spent is on the best tires you can buy. Always check the tire at every stop. I have a thermo gun, at each stop I chech the tire temp and hub temp. If one is high as compaired to the others, I check into why. Also, check the wheel lugs. Very important! I replaced all four tires with only a few miles on them and I am glad I did.
 

jimtoo

Moderator
I agree preasure and checking is very important to a tire and it's life. But why should we have to spend money to replace tires that are put on by the manufacture at an early time to feel safe? If the manufacture would put a good quality tire to begin with, I don't think people would have these problems. The tires that are being put on these units are ST tires and only rated for a max of 65mph, that is not "turnpike speeds" by yesterdays or todays standards.
 

ct0218

Well-known member
I haven't had any tire problems, and they only have about 1500 miles on them. I just do not want a blowout that will destroy everything within 3 or 4 feet of it. I'm not familiar with these tires, and they are LT not ST like some have.
 

jpmorgan37

Well-known member
Thanks for the reply, Clark. I have between 8 and 9,000 miles on them now. So far, I've got no complaints. I've run Generals, Firestones, Goodyears and Michelins over the years and this is my first experience with a Chinese made tire on a Fifth Wheel Trailer, so I do watch them very closely. I'll keep the forum posted.
John
 

Trap

Well-known member
Wildwind your right the tire pressure monitor does not replace inspecting your tires, and I have been there with flats and and a couple of green colts on a trailer, the colts were going to the trainers, not fun. The only advantage I can see of the tire pressure moniter is that you may avoid damage to your trailer if you can catch it in time.

Trap
 

ct0218

Well-known member
I have never read anything negative about the Trail America tires, and they may be OK. It appears that Heartland is using different brands of tires, and apparently on the lighter fivers they are using ST ILO LT tires. Lots of negative reports on Mission tires, and even the Goodyear Marathons. I lost two Marathons about 150 miles apart several years ago. They were replaced with the next higher load rating, no problems after that. I don't like loading any tire to it's maximum rating but that is probably what often happens when the tire ratings match the GVWR of the fiver. I like a cushion, a little extra safety margin. If I start seeing posts about problems with these I will probably replace them. Would be nice to know how many Heartland has installed, and how many have failed.
 

Trap

Well-known member
ct0218 that probably on of the bigggest problems with trailer tires is that to many manufactures run the lightest tire they can to save costs. I beleive that to be on both axles and tires. I have a hard time beleiving that the manufactures would not offer a choice of tires.

Trap
 

Wild Wind

Active Member
A theromo Gun is money well spent, I wish that I had one. How much is the kind that RV'ers could have, I also fool around with muscle cars, engines, trans, etc.?
As a interesting side light, it is not just Hartland RV taking advantage of us, it is The RV industry in general, every manufacture is in competion with each other, therefore they cut cost on things we don't see.
My son bought a new 2005 SunnyBrook trailer with the best Dexter Axels (which we though where excellent axles). We tried to torque wheel nuts on the unit to proper spec; and on the curb side, one of six stripped, the driverside, 4 of 6 stripped(all do to pretty, cheap Chinise studs & Chrome Nuts plus a factory worker that installed and torqued the nuts with a air impact wrench). Called dealer, they said, tough luck. Therefore we had to remove hub/brake drums to drivers' side, and found that bearings where not set right, they where also leaking grease, pulled the bearings, in both hubs, and the bearings where already shot, only 4,000 miles on trailer. The bearings where made in Romanea & China (a bearing set at RV Supply in Elkhartabout $7.00) at this time we replaced only the drivers side with Detroit/ Timkin Roller Bearings (cost $24.00 a set, good quality wheel studs & nuts $7.00 x 24 = $168.00(mechanics costs)). We reset all bearing/torque both sides, and used the best grease money can buy (we still need to intall new bearings need on pass side yet).
Now driverside runs about 50 degrees cooler then passener side (wish we had a heat gun).
Total whole sale costs of parts was $270.00, that will last for years & years with proper maintenace.

Which company will take the step to install the best running gear and tires and eat a $1000.00 in extra cost when they can get away with cheap crap. Does a Landmark cost more then a Bighorn, is it because it has the better running gear? I have been to many FMCA Rallies, etc. and sat in coaches and listened to people shop for a new RV; and not once have I heard a couple of unsupecting buyers comment on the coaches running gear, handling, etc., but you sure hear it if they don't like the color of the couch! When we do get our trailer we receive cheap, crapy couches & reclinners, I had to go and buy the good flexsteel reliners.

























































































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Trap

Well-known member
Well put Wilwind it's sad but only to true. The manufactures love to brag about the Quality of there RV's and cut corners where possible.

Trap
 

ct0218

Well-known member
So many companies buy components from their normal sources which may have unknowingly switched to a cheaper part (ie bearings). It is really hard to go thru every part of one of these coaches to ferret out the garbage. I used to own a Sunnybrook about 6 or 7 years old and those bearings were made in the USA, on Dexter axles. It is getting so that a brand name means very little any more.
 

arisce

Well-known member
ct0218 said:
Bill, I hope you didn't have the same tire I have on my Mt. Rushmore--Trail America. Michelin XPS may be in the very near future for me.
Sorry to dissappoint but I have Trail America tires. Nobody has given me a satisfactory reason why the tire blew. Someone suggested road debris but the part of highway where the incident happened was just paved. The road was smooth. I think the tire was defective but there is no way to prove this because the tire itself is ruined beyond recognition-see photo.We should report any tire incidents for our safety. Lippert had made some changes by moving the shocks inwards because the tire was rubbing. Of course there was mention of axle misalignment. Nobody wants to take the blame for any of this. My dealer is not very concerned. The BH is still being fixed waiting for parts. The dealer treated this as if it was a routine job. Needless to say that we do not share this casualness. In Quebec since 2005 the tire companies are no longer responsible for road hazards so I must pay for the replacement of the tire because the insurance company pay only the damages and not the caused,i-e, the tire. The tire costs 378.00$. If I could afford all new Michelins then I would certainly change the tires. The accident is costing me 650.00$. Not counting the increase in insurance.
 

ct0218

Well-known member
Not good news. I looked at the price of the tire and about fainted-until I realized that's Canadian dollars. Not sure what that would be US, but it is a lot. Still would like to know the % of failures on these tires. If Heartland has put these on 300 to 400 fivers, times four, and only had a few failures then that is not too bad. If there have be 15 or 20 or more, then that is another story. Are you close to maximum weight? Just curious.
 
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