Tire Problems? Some Facts from a Tire Engineer

[tireman9]

Mr. Tireman, We have a 2013 Torque TQ261 .. we have ST235/80R15E tires that we already had a defective tire that developed a bubble on the inside and the belts were all wavy... the manufacture replaced the one and the dealer we took it to has checked the rest twice for us in the last few months just to make sure no other issues and they said they are fine. I hear everyone talking about all different kinds and brands and types etc.. we want to replace our tires this coming spring... can you tell me what kind/brand/type we should replace them with so that we don't have to worry as much about failure.. we do cover our tires all the time... drive 65 or lower especially in warm temps and use tire minders. Thanks for your knowledge and help... Julie

OK lets start with the basic info I need. You provided the current Type, size and Load Range as well as your general operating conditions. Having a TPMS is a GREAT step forward and covering the tires (white I hope) is very good to help keep the heat down. One thing that would help is to know the actual tire loads. This does not mean taking the axle total and dividing by four You need to check out this site and follow the calculations. Note Goodyear, Bridgestone and Michelin all have similar worksheets with identical math.

Once you post the individual loads I will post the process I use to identify the best choice so hopefully others can do similar for themselves.

 

[TheLindsays]

Cool Beans! I will do that .. thanks. We do use white covers... We will need to have it all weighed first then by each axle from what I am reading...I always wondered the true benefit of having your set up weighed so thanks for educating me in that part. Julie

 

[SailorDon]

You can only assume that the trailer was delivered with proper tire inflation.

When I picked up my 2014 Wilderness 2175 RB travel trailer from the dealer, I checked the tire pressures before leaving the lot. The required pressure is 50 psi. The measured pressure was 40 psi for all 4 tires plus the spare.
I asked the dealer to get one of his technicians to inflate all trailer tires to 50 psi, including the spare.
I was surprised by their casual response to my request as if it was no problem to run the tires at 40 psi.
I wasn't about to accept low tire pressure at the start of my 1,000 mile trip home with a brand new travel trailer.

If you want it done right, you have to do it yourself (or at least check it yourself).
.

 

[tireman9]

When I picked up my 2014 Wilderness 2175 RB travel trailer from the dealer, I checked the tire pressures before leaving the lot. The required pressure is 50 psi. The measured pressure was 40 psi for all 4 tires plus the spare.
I asked the dealer to get one of his technicians to inflate all trailer tires to 50 psi, including the spare.
I was surprised by their casual response to my request as if it was no problem to run the tires at 40 psi.
I wasn't about to accept low tire pressure at the start of my 1,000 mile trip home with a brand new travel trailer.

If you want it done right, you have to do it yourself (or at least check it yourself).
.

About the only thing working in your favor is that the RV was empty when it was towed from mfg to dealer. The dealer response however is a clear red flag that they either have no training or don't care about educating the RV owner on how to care for the rig. When I bought my RV the dealer had a tech walk through every system on my coach and demonstrated everything (awning, holding tanks, water heater, how to winterize, generator, inverter etc, etc) it took about an hour.

I would have second thoughts on trusting the dealer to be able to provide the correct answer on how to properly care for or service any component of your RV. As you approach your warranty be sure to get EVERYTHING possible fixed then find a better dealer to buy RV parts and accessories from (on-line may be best). You can also tell the dealer why you are not returning and will not be recommending the business to others.

 

[SailorDon]

I would have second thoughts on trusting the dealer to be able to provide the correct answer on how to properly care for or service any component of your RV.

Actually, the dealer knew all the details, all the accessories, and had all the right answers. They even fixed the stereo speaker wires which were hooked up wrong at the factory.

It was the dealer's attitude towards tire pressure, and my request to get the tires properly inflated that surprised me. They assigned a techician to it right away, and they did inflate all 5 tires to 50 psi (which I checked). Perhaps they displayed a lack of concern about the improper tire inflation so that I wouldn't demand a new set of tires on the assumption the trailer had been delivered from factory to dealer with underinflated tires. (Distance from factory to dealer is 270 miles.)

I won't be going back to the dealer I bought from because they are 1,000 miles away. And the warranties aren't always serviced by the dealer. Air conditioners, refrigerators, stereos, chassis, tires, etc. are all different warranties. I found that out the hard way when my A/C quit. But that is a whole different story.

 

[tireman9]

Actually, the dealer knew all the details, all the accessories, and had all the right answers. They even fixed the stereo speaker wires which were hooked up wrong at the factory.

It was the dealer's attitude towards tire pressure, and my request to get the tires properly inflated that surprised me. They assigned a techician to it right away, and they did inflate all 5 tires to 50 psi (which I checked). Perhaps they displayed a lack of concern about the improper tire inflation so that I wouldn't demand a new set of tires on the assumption the trailer had been delivered from factory to dealer with underinflated tires. (Distance from factory to dealer is 270 miles.)

I won't be going back to the dealer I bought from because they are 1,000 miles away. And the warranties aren't always serviced by the dealer. Air conditioners, refrigerators, stereos, chassis, tires, etc. are all different warranties. I found that out the hard way when my A/C quit. But that is a whole different story.

Good thing GM and Ford don't treat their owners the same way. Yhink of the fun you would have dealing with over 1,000 different suppliers.

 

[Ray LeTourneau]

When I picked up my 2014 Wilderness 2175 RB travel trailer from the dealer, I checked the tire pressures before leaving the lot. The required pressure is 50 psi. The measured pressure was 40 psi for all 4 tires plus the spare.
I asked the dealer to get one of his technicians to inflate all trailer tires to 50 psi, including the spare.
I was surprised by their casual response to my request as if it was no problem to run the tires at 40 psi.
I wasn't about to accept low tire pressure at the start of my 1,000 mile trip home with a brand new travel trailer.

If you want it done right, you have to do it yourself (or at least check it yourself).
.

Don, out of curiosity, what is the recommended PSI on the VIN tag?

 

[SailorDon]

Don, out of curiosity, what is the recommended PSI on the VIN tag?

Same as what I wrote in my post. Maybe you missed it.

"The required pressure is 50 psi."

 

[Ray LeTourneau]

I did see that. I wasn't sure if you were referring to the info on the tire or the VIN tag. In some cases they differ.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

 

[SailorDon]

I did see that. I wasn't sure if you were referring to the info on the tire or the VIN tag. In some cases they differ.

I didn't read the tire, only the VIN tag on my travel trailer.

Since my travel trailer is at the dealer for warranty air conditioner repair for the next 3 weeks, I won't be able to read the pressure rating on the tires for 3 weeks.
.

 

[JohnD]

My old 1978 Coachman TT had LT tires on it when we bought it and never once had any trouble in 12 years of towing that thing around Colorado and New Mexico with the same set of tires.

I drove 75 mph with no problems . . .

With our new 2013 Trail Runner and the Towmax (aka - Blowmax) tires, the few times I've pulled it at 75 mph I get lots of sway, despite having a weight distributing hitch and sway bar setup.

After reading many of the tire topic threads here, I've been keeping my speed at or below 65 mph and no longer get the sway.

However, I'm still not sure about the Towmax tires . . .

Mine are 15 inch tires and have about 3000 miles on them (between what I've put on them and delivery from Elkhart to Colorado).

They appear to still be in great shape . . . but I'm not too sure if I should trust them!

I guess it was wishful thinking on my part by assuming that by buying a brand new trailer that I should not have had to worry about buying new tires for it after only one year and less than 2000 miles . . .

 

[tireman9]

My old 1978 Coachman TT had LT tires on it when we bought it and never once had any trouble in 12 years of towing that thing around Colorado and New Mexico with the same set of tires.

I drove 75 mph with no problems . . .

With our new 2013 Trail Runner and the Towmax (aka - Blowmax) tires, the few times I've pulled it at 75 mph I get lots of sway, despite having a weight distributing hitch and sway bar setup.

After reading many of the tire topic threads here, I've been keeping my speed at or below 65 mph and no longer get the sway.

However, I'm still not sure about the Towmax tires . . .

Mine are 15 inch tires and have about 3000 miles on them (between what I've put on them and delivery from Elkhart to Colorado).

They appear to still be in great shape . . . but I'm not too sure if I should trust them!

I guess it was wishful thinking on my part by assuming that by buying a brand new trailer that I should not have had to worry about buying new tires for it after only one year and less than 2000 miles . . .

If I were you i would consider myself lucky on a number of accounts. Pulling a TT at 75 and having sway, in my opinion is an accident waiting to happen even if the tires do not fail. But this thread is about tire failures....

When people run a tire overloaded or underinflated or at excessive speed there is damage done to the internal structure of the tire. While tires are made of organic materials they do not repair themselves.
Microscopic cracks just continue to grow. Rubber that has been overheated has permanently lost some of it's flex and elongation capabilities. Maybe the best way to think of this that tires have a finite number of "life cycles" Each revolution consumes some of that life.
When overloaded or underinflated those cycles consume more life than cycles run with more inflation or less load. When run at a hotter temperature each cycle consumes more life than a cycle when the tire is cool. Certainly the faster you run the higher the temperature of the tire. With enough speed the temperature can cause the rubber to "revert" or de-vulcanize. If you have ever heard the term "Tire Blister" in relation to a NASCAR race that is what happened. The rubber reverted.

Some folks get 5 years out of their ST type tires while others consider themselves lucky to get only one failure before two years. It is the cumulative damage of high load, low inflation and high heat that determines the actual life of a tire.

Just as putting the burnt hot dog back in the fridge does not repair it after it was damaged on the grill, slowing down or unloading the RV or increasing the inflation will not repair the tire.