Another Blowout story

jmgratz

Original Owners Club Member
Had a blowout today. Our 3 year old Goodyear G614 blew out. It was on the front door (passenger) side. It did blow out and we received no advanced warning from our TPMS (Doran) but got an immediate 0 pressure warning. Luckily we were on a 2 lane road with an improved shoulder and were able to slow down, pull over and limp about 1/4 mile to a parking lot where I changed the tire. (I did not feel like waiting around for Good Sam ERS).
The damage appeared to be minor which was the bending of the sheet metal (jay wrap) behind the entry steps and in front of the slide out. It did damage the trim around the steps and the bottom trim on the slide out and rip the wiring from the side clearance light.

We give thanks for the ability to get safely stopped, the tire changed in a timely manner and making it to our home safely. I have attached some photos (if I can get them to upload).
 

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Bobby A

Well-known member
Wow,
Sorry to hear about the blow out. glad you all are safe, the coach can be repaired. I would be curious to find out what caused the b/o ?? do you got any idea how many miles you have drove with those tires ??
 

cjbearden

Visitor
Sorry to hear you have had another blowout, Jim. Glad you and Sheila are safe. Be sure to call Goodyear, get a claim number and arrange to have the tire sent to them. Looks very similiar to our blowout situation. Our GYs were the same age as yours. Really makes us wonder now, what was the cause. GY has not been forthcoming to us on their findings. They paid everything and we are happy, enough said. Take care.
 

traveler44

Well-known member
Hey Jim-- Glad you found a safe place to change it. Are you going to replace with the G614s? I thought I read somewhere that they said the newer ones were supposed to be improved. I hope so because I bought mine in the spring and only have about 2k miles on them. Plan on putting a few thousand more on by next summer. If I have any probems with mine I will post in case anybody wants to keep track of how they hold up. Tom M.
 

jayc

Texas-South Chapter Leaders
Hey Jim,
We're glad you and Sheila are fine and found a safe place to change the tire. I'm going to be looking at some new tires for the trailer before we leave here in May, so I'll be interested in what you learn from Goodyear.
 

Ray LeTourneau

Senior Member - Past Moderator
Jim! Bummer!!! Glad everyone is safe and no accident occurred. Thanks God! Keep us posted of the outcome with Goodyear if you file a claim.
 

Hoosier Wolverine

Active Member
Jim, Sorry about your problem. As others have said, I'm glad the damage was minor and everyone is safe. Let us know what if anything you find out from GY. After my blowout this fall with the China bombs, I bought a set of 614s.

John
 

jmgratz

Original Owners Club Member
Here is some more information that may help. I have had my rig weighed several times and at slightly under weight by about 150 pounds on the tires. I use the Doran Tire Pressure Monitoring System and checked pressure before leaving the campground it the pressure was 109 on the trailer tires and 80 on the rear TV and 70 on the front of the TV. The temperature at the time of the blowout according to the thermometer in my truck was 67 degrees. The inflation on the tire was reading 117 at the time of the blowout. The date code on the tire is 3107 meaning the tire was made in the 31st week of 2007 making the tire right at 3 years old. I have always run the tires at 110 psi cold. Since the time of purchase I have somewhere between 4000 to 6000 miles on the tires. I recently (in August) had the suspension including the tires aligned and inspected by Mor-Ryde in Elkhart and they advised everything looked good. They made a very slight adjustment to the alignment due to normal wear.

So, I am going to contact GoodYear and see how they can help me. I am currently considering upgrading to a 17.5 inch H rated system but am still not sure of the necessity of doing so as I am not over weight. BTW when I had the Mor-Ryde IS installed I had them upgrade to an 8000 pound system. I will keep yall updated as things progress. It just seems like RVing is a major PITA sometimes, but like they say, "If it ain't chicken, it's feathers" LOL
 

lwmcguir

Well-known member
Does the Mor-Ryde require the coach to be nearly perfectly level like true Torsion axles do?

I have never blown out a G614 on a stock trailer in all they years Goodyear has been making them. You guys are scaring me now and I am thinking about the 17.5 upgrade and will move the camper tires to one of the stock trailers. We run the G614's until they are completely bald on the stock trailers and again have never blown one. You can do the math as well, 12 cows at around 1600 avg in a trailer with duals is a full load and we generally run loaded. The aluminum trailers weigh in at 8K. Something was wrong with the QA somewhere in the manufacturing process.
 

westxsrt10

Perfict Senior Member
Does the Mor-Ryde require the coach to be nearly perfectly level like true Torsion axles do?

I have never blown out a G614 on a stock trailer in all they years Goodyear has been making them. You guys are scaring me now and I am thinking about the 17.5 upgrade and will move the camper tires to one of the stock trailers. We run the G614's until they are completely bald on the stock trailers and again have never blown one. You can do the math as well, 12 cows at around 1600 avg in a trailer with duals is a full load and we generally run loaded. The aluminum trailers weigh in at 8K. Something was wrong with the QA somewhere in the manufacturing process.
How many MPH go you haul the cows at? Jim is only 150lbs under the max.tire weight, that is scary in my opinion. I choose to 1000 lbs+ per tire over-rated to be safe. The bottom line is don't trust the manufactures rating on tires-wheels or axles.
 

2010augusta

Well-known member
12 cows at around 1600 avg in a trailer with duals is a full load and we generally run loaded. The aluminum trailers weigh in at 8K.

cows + trailer = 27,200# / 8 tires = 3,400# per tire. the rating on the tires in a dual setup is 3,415#. That is cutting it close on ratings.
 

LarryD

Member
The Mor/ryde IS is similiar to torsion axles as there is no equalizer, so towing out of level will put more weight on one axle than the other. I have had the IS system on my fiver since it was 3 months old ('04 model) and it has been great.

Back in August I had a tire failure, but the alarm on my TST system did go off. Pressure was down to under 50 psi by the time I pulled to a stop. My Maxxis LR E tires were also just over 3 yrs old when it failed. Some of the tire manufacturers state that tire life can be as short as 3 to 5 yrs while I had always thought 5 to 7 yrs, so I have learned something. I thought that the tire was repairable til I took it to a tire shop. The tire had multiple air leaks and close visual inspection showed that the rubber was cracked at the bottom of the tread grooves where the tread meets the sidewall and for about 1/3 of the tires circumference.

To be safe, I decided to replace all 4 tires the next day which required a 40 mile tow from the cg we spent the night at. Leaving the cg, one of the other tires was slightly rubbing against the fender skirt. Inspection at the tire shop showed the same cracks in the rubber as the failed tire. With the new tires installed and the fiver on the ground, I had almost 1-1/2 inches clearance from the fender skirt.

So, here is my message. First, normal tire check consisting of pressure and visual inspection from a foot or more away is not going to reveal cracks in the rubber at the bottom of the tread grooves. I knew exactly what to look for and with my normal inspection missed the problem on the other 3 tires. Excellent lighting or a flashlight inspection of the grooves around 100% of the tires circumference is needed and it should be done as soon as the tire reaches 3 yrs old or sooner. These cracks are the signs of early tread seperation. Second, this early tread seperation may result in air loss or just an enlarged tire but if this problem remains undetected, then a thrown tread and/or blow out will be your wake up call. Third, once a blow out occurs, all of the remaining tires need a super careful inspection before continued use.
 

Hoosier Wolverine

Active Member
"....Second, this early tread seperation may result in air loss or just an enlarged tire but if this problem remains undetected, then a thrown tread and/or blow out will be your wake up call...

Great point Larry. After my recent blowout, a close inspection of my China bombs, showed one of the remaining tires was noticeable enlarged. It obviously had a separation that would have thrown a tread and/or blew out shortly.

John
 

lwmcguir

Well-known member
cows + trailer = 27,200# / 8 tires = 3,400# per tire. the rating on the tires in a dual setup is 3,415#. That is cutting it close on ratings.

It is close but we have never blown any tires. Makes me wonder what is going on with the RV's. Has me a bit concerned as I have wiped out a couple of bottoms with Goodyear Wrangler's and one Michelin. Really don't want to do it again.
 

lwmcguir

Well-known member
How many MPH go you haul the cows at? Jim is only 150lbs under the max.tire weight, that is scary in my opinion. I choose to 1000 lbs+ per tire over-rated to be safe. The bottom line is don't trust the manufactures rating on tires-wheels or axles.

About 200 miles is the longest trip we usually make, run about 65 mph and dont stop until we get there. been Doing it for years and knock on wood the 614's have held up well.
 

jmgratz

Original Owners Club Member
Ok here is an update so far. I contacted GoodYear and received a claim form. Yesterday I went to Dupree Tire in Lufkin, Tx and talked to Ronnie DuPree the owner. He as been in the tire business for over 31 years and is extremely knowledgeable. He also is a drag racer and has towed many trailers hauling multiple cars. We had a long discussion regarding tires and he gave me alot of good information as well as showed me several things on my tires. He informed me about how tires get a 'bruise' when you hit a pot hole or curb. That bruise will continue to grow until it will eventually cause a tire failure. He show me some bruises on two of the tire we changed out. He also recommended the tires on RV's and other trailers be changed out every 3 years. He said that is what they do on their car hauling trailers. His reasoning for changing them at that time is trailer tires take more abuse than tow vehicles due to their running over things especially on the curb side.

We went ahead and changed all 4 of the tires replacing them with more G614s. His price on them were $279 each which in my opinion is a good price. He advised he did not see any reason to change to an H tire as the G is sufficient for the load. He also told me he usually carries 1 set of G614s in the winter and 2 in the summer because he want to keep his tires fresh. Two of the tires I bought had a date code of 2510 and two were 3910 meaning the 25th week and 39th week of 2010. So we will plan to change these new ones out in 3 years.

As far as the claim goes, Ronnie kept the damaged tire and will ship it to GoodYear. I know he will because I saw him prepare it for shipment and was standing there when he call GoodYear and was told by GoodYear they would send him the FedEx shipping label. Now all I have to do is get an estimate of the damage and then email the claim form, estimate, and photos to GoodYear and they will process the claim. BTW, the consumer claim telephone number for GoodYear is 800-322-4682.

More info to come as I get it. If anyone wants to contact DuPree Tire in Lufkin, Tx it is 936-634-8473. Ronny DePree is the owner.
 

Ray LeTourneau

Senior Member - Past Moderator
Thanks for the update Jim. I can only imagine the abuse these tires receive from potholes and such. I had even heard a report from a friend where a dealer said using 2X10's to level side to side can also damage the tires core unless you bevel the edge of the board. It's that "sharp" corner that stresses the core of the tire and weakens it. Just relaying info I've heard. Fact or not, I don't know but it kind of makes sense. In fact, I just cut my 2X's to a 45 degree angle.
 

caissiel

Senior Member
In the early years of radial tires. when rotating tires the rotation was not to be reversed and they were to be kept on one side only. And a lot of drivers were getting broken belts.

I have never followed that rule and in the last 30 years have never had tire failures on my passenger tires. Only on trailer tires that I eventually replaced with less capacity LT's with success and cross rotating them. My belief is that the cordes need to have a mix flexing so they don't take a routine one way wear.

I had a set of tires on my truck that after 2 years the rubber was so cracked that I could see all the radial cordes between the threads.
I replaced them with a set of Dunlops and scraped the Baja's ATZ by Mickey Thomson.
 

lwmcguir

Well-known member
I have blown out a lot of trailer tires over the years. Also have had the tread come off more than I would like to remember. They were all 8 or 10 ply tires. When we started running G and H tires we haven't lost a tread or blown one out yet.

I still have to wonder what is going on with all these G614 failures. They should last more than three years. We have several trailers with 5-8 year old G614 and they wont be changed out until the tread is completely gone.

You shouldn't have to change out your upper end quality trailer tires every three years. That is just crazy. I wouldnt even consider changing the TV tires every three years unless milage and tread indicated the need. I think there is a quality problem.
 
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