Flat tire #3! First one with the Goodyears though

jbeletti

Well-known member
When it comes to luck with tires, if it wasn't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all.

Unbelievably, this is my 3rd flat of the season. No flats in the previous 2 season's of RVing. Thankfully, no blowouts.

This flat is on one of my brand new Goodyear G614 RST 235/85-R16 tires.

Details:

5 new tires installed on existing aluminum rims in late August

Pressure in tires as measured before travel on 9/15 was 106 PSI cold

Traveled 226 miles on 9/15 at an average speed of 60 MPH

No Pressure Pro alerts during travel. Arrived - all looked good

This morning, 9/16, door-side front axle tire was flat

So that is what I know. No warnings - just a flat tire.

Used Good Sam ERS for the 3rd time this year (man I am getting lazy). Service showed within an hour. Great guy too. Not only did he replace the tire with my spare, he pretty thoroughly checked my flat tire for the leak source. It aired up to 110 PSI no problem. He used a solution of tire soap and a small amount of windshield cleaner (blue juice) in a spray bottle. Nothing!! He checked the valve stem without, then with the Pressure Pro sensor, then he saturated the entire tread surface, both sidewalls from the tread to the rim, the rim at the bead (both sides), then the rim surfaces from bead to hub (both sides). Then he did it all over again!. Unreal. No punctures, no bead or valve leaks, no apparant rim cracks.

This was all with the tire/wheel off the trailer. Maybe with the weight of the trailer, something else is going on.

I plan to take the tire/wheel to Sears Auto where I bought the tires to see if they have a tank and can find anything.

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks,

Jim
 

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kognito

Well-known member
Jim, I had a similar experience back this June. Flat tire when were getting ready to pull out of a campsite, but later no leaks found. (actually it was down to 12PSI)

The service guy at my RV dealer wondered if I hadn't tightened my wheel chocks too tight, causing a rim leak. He said he had heard of this happening before, and we were parked on a small slope down near Luray Caverns in VA. (so I know I tightened them more than usual)

Not saying this is what happened to you, but it was the first thing that popped into my head when I saw the chock in your picture.

Doug
 

jbeletti

Well-known member
Doug,

Hmm.... I really cranked on that Roto-Chock too. If Sears finds nothing in the dunk tank, maybe I'll put it on the spare rack.

Thanks for that experience. I sure hope that is it.

Jim
 

fireflipper

EX-Travel Bug
fireflipper

Hi Jim
I did have two of the aluminum rims develop leaks. the first was an easy find, the rim had a stress crack, hairline. The second took the tire dealer an hour to find. It was a pin hole, and I mean pin hole, on the inside of the rim near the center. Very slow leak, you really had to look hard to see the small bubble about every ten seconds. Good luck.
 

Phil Smith

Retired South Carolina Chapter Leader
Jim,

Do you have rubber or metal valve stems. I had a rubber valve stem that was fine unless centrifical force or any other side force moved it. It would leak where it contacted the rim. You could push the valve stem to the side and hear the air escape. Just got my new Michelin XPS Ribs this weekend and had all metal valve stems installed.

Phil
 
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