Another Flat Tire :( - Pressure Pro Works!

jbeletti

Well-known member
Just had another flat tire on my trailer. That's 2 flats in 2 months :(

I can't blame either on the Chinese made tires though. Like the first flat, this one looks like a puncture of some sort. I hope to find out later this week when I have the tire unmounted from the rim.

I also have to relate a sort of embarrassing part to today's flat.

We were on our way home from the Wisconsin Dells on I-90 eastbound when we heard a loud piercing alarm sound. Looked at each other, looked all around. Checked cell phones, restarted onboard Nav PC before it finally hit us - Pressure Pro Tire Pressure Monitoring System! What an idot. Anyway, looked up at the visor mounted receiver and saw 95 PSI. Uh-oh. Too high for the truck and too low for the trailer. Sure enough - a trailer tire was on the way down. It was the off-door side rear axle tire. Saw a sign for a rest stop just past Portage, WI in about 2 miles. We maintained speed (about 60 MPH) while we monitored the pressure and watched for the exit. The pressure was slowly but steadily decreasing. By the time I pulled into the rest stop, it was about 83 PSI.

Pulled into the Truck/RV section and into a lane that used to be the RV dump lane. Worked out great. Nancy insisted I call ERS instead of doing it myself. Called Good Sam ERS, ate lunch, walked the dogs, rested in the trailer and in about 80 minutes, the repair truck arrived and got the spare on in about 10 minutes.

Learnings for me:

- I can change a tire a lot faster than waiting for a service to show up

- Pressure Pro works!

- Tire punctures can occur in the oddest of places (see image)

- RVing is not cheap - but it's a whole lot of fun!

Attached is a close-up image of the puncture. The puncture (or wound of unknown origin) is at the point where the tread area rolls off and becomes the sidewall. It looks like a knife puncture with a bit of rubber coming out of it. This occurred about 30 miles into our trip home. If I didn't pick anything up on the highway, I may have picked up a chunk of metal in the CG, then shucked it when the wheel was in highway speed rotation. One theory anyway.
 

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nhunter

Well-known member
Do you have a link to Pressure Pro? Sounds like a good idea. I guess it is one of those seti and forget it things.
 

ct0218

Well-known member
It looks like the object went about straight in from the side of the tire-perpendicular to it. With LR G tires the puncture must have been deep or missed the tread belts and got the sidewall belts. I have seen other punctures in FW and TT tires like that and have come to the conclusion that they possibly happen when the rig is making a tight turn, like in a campground, and the tires are scruffing sideways. Just a theory but possible. My brother got half of car radio antenna stuck a little further down the sidewall, almost perpendicular. Looks like the tire monitor system works good-no complete deflation, disintegration and damage to the FW. How much does it cost for the system?
 

jbeletti

Well-known member
I got my Pressure Pro system from Tim at RVCams. Here's a link to the system. Looks lke about $690 for 10 tire system.

Tell Tim that Jim from the Heartland Owners Forum sent you. Can't hurt.

Clark,

Thanks for the additional puncture insight. I'll let you know what I find on the inside.

Jim
 

jbeletti

Well-known member
The sensor/transmitters are about the diameter of a quarter and are about 3/4" tall. Looks like knob screwed onto the valve stem.

On my dually truck, I can reach inside the outside rim and into the inside rim to screw on the sensor.

When I rotate tires (at each LOF - ~5,000 miles), I unplug the cab receiver, then remove the sensors. After the rotation, I then re-add sensors to the same tire position "after" I carefully re-air the tires to the pressure I like. Plug the receiver back in and run through each tire to ensure I am within 2 pounds of my goal PSI.
 

jbeletti

Well-known member
Clark,

Did you end up getting Goodyear G rated replacements or are you still running the Load boss originals.

Thought my Load Boss originals were G's but they are E's - ST235/85R16/G x 6 each.

So I am wondering if I should stop considering Michelin XPS Rib LT235/85R16/E tires are replacements.

Also, stopped at Firestone at lunch time. they looked at this puncture and said it cannot be fixed. I forget the brand but the spare tire is not Load Boss like the other 4 tires. Plus it has no tread wear. So I am thinking even if it is the exact same rating, it's not matched well enough.

So if I have to replace 2, I may as well replace 4.

Anyone else have thoughts on this? Also on replacing G's with E's?

Thanks,

Jim
 

mrcomer

Past Ohio Chapter Leaders (Founding)
Hey Jim,
My personal opinion is to buy better tires with higher ratings. I thought that the "G" rated tires were the best available?? Anyway, I think I would have better piece-of-mind going with higher rated tires over what you Landmark requires. But that's just me, luckily we have not had any issues, but if we do I will not scrimp in the tires. Everything is riding on them--literally.

Good luck,

Mark
 

jpmorgan37

Well-known member
Jim;
I'm not 100% positive but I don't think the E rated tires which only carry 80 psi will support the weight of your Monticello. Check the load rating of the E tires first. I believe that you will find that they are load rated at 3042 pounds which is a little light for what we are carrying.

John
 

jbeletti

Well-known member
Mark,

I am leaning the way you are advising. I called a tire place and told them what I have now and they told me they replace a lot of them with the Maxxis LT235/85R-16/E. I don't think so. yes they are cheap ($119) but going from ST to LT and G to E does not seem like an upgrade from a specification perspective.

Still looking...

Jim
 

jbeletti

Well-known member
John,

I am in agreement with you on E's. From a few charts I saw, they were in the 3,000 pound range. I am already at or near that per tire as I am at max GVW on the trailer.

Thi$ i$ becoming an expen$ive upgrade. Did I say $$$ yet? :eek:

Jim
 

jpmorgan37

Well-known member
That's why we are selling everything so that we can afford to be full timers. Just got home with the new F550. Being a died in the wool GM advocate, I am duly impressed with it. I got 15.3 mpg running empty coming from Nashville home which is a better than I expected. I hate to think what I'll have to $$$**** out for the 19.5 tires on it. Oh well, we're only young once.

John
 

jbeletti

Well-known member
John,

In towing Rigs, you must post pictures of that bad boy so the "online truck envy" can begin.

Jim
 

dieselengineer

Charter Member
Jim, I didn't know you had a Monticello? Six Tires a 3042# each plus a 20% pin weight is a whole lot of weight to tow. Wow do you need "G" rated tires on a triaxle?
 

jbeletti

Well-known member
While a tire wholesaler recommended Maxxis tires to me, from the reply I just got back from Maxxis, they cannot supply a similar tire to what I am using now.

Here's what I got via email from Maxxis in response to my web form request today:

------------------------------------

Maxxis replied to your email 8/7/2006 at 5:38:13 PM, The reply is as follows:

Hello Jim:

Thank you for contacting Maxxis.

We currently do not make a "G" load tire that will meet your needs.

Again, thank you for contacting Maxxis.

Regards,

To reply to this message, you must follow the link below.

http://www.maxxis.com/responder.asp?message_id=36365&email=xxxxxxxxxxx

Thank you!
Maxxis International
Visit us online @ http://www.maxxis.com
 

dieselengineer

Charter Member
Okay Jim, with 7000 # axles you are going to need "G" rated tires. The only all steel tire I know if is the Goodyear. The Michelin Ribs are not offered in "G" rating. The All Steel is a most in my book.
 

fireflipper

EX-Travel Bug
fireflipper

Hi Jim
Just a quick thought here. The LT tires are made for light trucks, hence the LT. The ST tires are made and designed for trailers, some states will give you a ticket if your trailer has other than ST tire on. Also the G rating is a weight rating, so stick with the G, they will cost a bit more, well maybe quite a bit more, but as the one reply stated, the E rated tire will only hold 80 PSI, and not the weight of your trailer. The Goodyears are about 225 each and the Michelins are about 260 each, both are excellant tires for trailer. I have the Goodyear and a friend swears by the Michelins. Happy traveling.
 

jbeletti

Well-known member
Still looking for an ST235/R85-16/G tire. Searched both Goodyear and Michelin websites. Found none. I can find LT's and I can find E's but no ST rated G load range.

I am sure they exist in brands other than Load Boss. Still looking. Also, Firestone and Goodyear owe me call-backs tomorrow with quotes on my spec - if available in their various brands.

So to those of you out there that have replaced your OEM tires with ST235/R85-16/G's - what brand/model are you using?

Thanks,

Jim
 
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