What is being done about Towmax Tires

[danemayer]

As some people have commented on this forum, the number of Towmax complaints on the NHTSA website is 5. You can look for yourself. Here's the link. Btw, this would include all trailer manufacturers.

By comparison, Goodyear Marathon tires have 116 complaints (16 as Marathon ST, 97 as Marathon).

Of course, since Heartland doesn't use Marathon tires, we don't hear much about Marathon failures on this forum.

It should be obvious that there's no direct linkage between the number of tire failures and the number of NHTSA complaints. So I'm not saying that 5 complaints makes Towmax tires reliable and safe. I'm also not saying that 116 Marathon complaints makes them unreliable or unsafe, or 23 times worse than Towmax. The number of complaints is just an indicator of how widespread a particular problem might be.

Reading about NHTSA's Recall Process might be interesting to some. Here's a link. And here's an extract:

[h=2]NHTSA investigative Process[/h] Agency technical experts review each and every call, letter, and online report of an alleged safety problem filed with NHTSA. Although NHTSA has no jurisdiction over defects that are not safety-related, it does review each report that suggests a potential safety defect involving groups of motor vehicles or vehicle equipment. There is no established number of reports that must be filed before NHTSA investigates an issue.

While discussion of tire issues on this forum is helpful to owners, if you think a recall is in order, the NHTSA website may be a more effective place to write a complaint. I don't know if they examine failed tires, but if they do, it might be useful for them to have a few.

 

[avvidclif]

And Sailun Tires are not even on the list of tires at NHTSA. Guess that means zero.

 

[justafordguy]

And Sailun Tires are not even on the list of tires at NHTSA. Guess that means zero.

That's good to know, I am really getting a good feeling about my Sailun tires.

 

[jmgratz]

Then the question is how many who have had tire failures, regardless of brand, have filed a complaint with NHTSA?

 

[simon]

Then the question is how many who have had tire failures, regardless of brand, have filed a complaint with NHTSA?

Sorry but I did settle and I am not allowed to say, but I am happy with the result

 

[1_oldgoat]

I have read so many threads on the tow max tires, i think everyone on the forum knows there have been issues with the tires. Myself included, yet i took my chances and ended up on the side of the road with a blown tire......i replaced the tow max set with another china made 14 ply tire. I looked high and low for a dealer who could get Sailun tires but the nearest place i could find was 230 miles from home and they wanted 285 a tire. I considered ordering on line however 40 dollars shipping per tire and then another 20 each for mount and balance would have been just under 1100.00, so, i found a 14 ply, with a 4005lb weight rating at 110 psi. Out the door was just over 900.00. I would have paid a little more for my fw if given a choice for a better tire at the dealership, when you are talking 60k for a trailer, whats another 5 bills.....
.4080lb at 110 psi, not 4005, sorry.....

 

[avvidclif]

I ordered Sailuns from Simple Tire in Pa and 45 hours later they were in my driveway(1 week ago). They cost $670 delivered to Texas. The local Ford dealer will mount and balance for $16 ea. Valve stems cost $7.55/4 (steel). Less than $750 total. I going to take it up in the morning. I already talked to the dealer and I'm going to pull the trailer up there and they take care of it from there. Easy enough. No take them off and put them back on. Just supervise.

 

[MagnoliaTom]

Same experience here. Paid $665ish for tires and $20 each for install (metal stems included)

 

[1_oldgoat]

I have tried to file a complaint on the tow max tires with the NHTSA but the website is having trouble, not sure how many owners of rv's who have had tire problems have actually filed a complaint?? Thats what needs to happen, i was just going to call my dealership and let them deal with this but after reading some more figured filing a complaint myself is pretty easy and can't hurt, may help if enough people file. Just a thought, trying to download a form now.....i kept all 5 tires, 1 is destroyed, 3 have bulges in sidewalls and the spare but it looks fine, obviously. Driving the last 60 some miles home after the first blow out and the 37 miles to the tire shop were the most stressful miles i have ever driven, every bump, wind gust ect had me mirror driving instead of looking out the windshield......i was very lucky with no damage to the fw but i knew i had a chance of loosing a tire when it went so got off the road quick when one let go. Hard to tell what caused the problem since the tire is destroyed but pretty sure a sidewall let go.
Avvidcliff, was that for 5 tires?? If so thats the best deal on Sailun tires i have heard of. Nice!

 

[avvidclif]

I have tried to file a complaint on the tow max tires with the NHTSA but the website is having trouble, not sure how many owners of rv's who have had tire problems have actually filed a complaint?? Thats what needs to happen, i was just going to call my dealership and let them deal with this but after reading some more figured filing a complaint myself is pretty easy and can't hurt, may help if enough people file. Just a thought, trying to download a form now.....i kept all 5 tires, 1 is destroyed, 3 have bulges in sidewalls and the spare but it looks fine, obviously. Driving the last 60 some miles home after the first blow out and the 37 miles to the tire shop were the most stressful miles i have ever driven, every bump, wind gust ect had me mirror driving instead of looking out the windshield......i was very lucky with no damage to the fw but i knew i had a chance of loosing a tire when it went so got off the road quick when one let go. Hard to tell what caused the problem since the tire is destroyed but pretty sure a sidewall let go.
Avvidcliff, was that for 5 tires?? If so thats the best deal on Sailun tires i have heard of. Nice!

Nope that was for 4 tires. I had a puncture on one of the towmax's and it was replaced by a Carlisle which I had put on as a spare. 4 Sailuns and a Carlisle spare, I'm happy.

The Sailuns actually cost $166 ea shipped with a veteran discount.

 

[Birchwood]

I would like to know how many Towmax tire owners are ok with their purchase.You only hear the negative....Not sure what to expect and are there thousand of Towmax tire owners that are happy.

 

[1_oldgoat]

Birchwood, i got a year plus out of the set of tow max tires on my fw, quite a bit of mileage as well, tried to figure out how many trips back.and forth to Spokane from home and guessed 8, so 8k plus there, 1 trip to CouerDAlene, basically Spokane, 1 k plus, 2 trips to the coast, 3k plus, and several shorter trips closer to home since Nov, 2013, had a blow out on trip 9 coming home from Spokane March 2015, between 60-70 miles from home so another thousand there. I thought we had more miles than we did, anyway I knew i had sidewall bulges before we took off the last trip but was waiting on our rv dealership to get a set of Sailuns, which never happened. I towed at speeds from 55-75mph, a lot between 70-75, found a blurb on Discount Tires website that stated the tow max tires could.be inflated to 90 and still be safe at those speeds, so not sure if that contributed to my tire failures or not, i have seen others with blow outs that towed between 60-65 with less mileage, i can say honestly that i kept tire pressure correct from day one and checked tire temps with a non contact laser thermometer to make sure all the tires were close to the same temps as well. I hit some large pot holes going over a couple pass's in Idaho and Montana which probably caused some problems at least thats my guess.

 

[danemayer]

I towed at speeds from 55-75mph, a lot between 70-75, found a blurb on Discount Tires website that stated the tow max tires could.be inflated to 90 and still be safe at those speeds, so not sure if that contributed to my tire failures or not

I wonder if Discount Tires will stand behind their advice. Just kidding - I know the answer.

From what I've read, 65 mph for tires should be treated the same way you would treat the redline on your tachometer. Don't cross that line.

 

[1_oldgoat]

Hey Dan, hope all is well, i know i took some flak on another thread when i posted the speeds i was towing at with the tow max tires, any tire cor that matter!! The tires i have now supposedly are safe up to 109mph but will never see anything above 75. Some of the places we have been on freeways at 65 you will get ran over, crazy drivers all over this part of the country and speed limits at 80 so most do the 5mph over, its not safe to go 65, trying to keep a gap between vehicles in front of me is impossible, just gets filled with more traffic, white knuckle times for sure. If my eyes were better i would drive more at night but as it is now i.can't see well enough after dark so have to put the miles in while its light out. Thats my excuse anyway!! Its all good.

 

[danemayer]

Marcus, I know that white-knuckle feeling from I-15 a few years ago. The construction made the lanes narrow and the tractor-trailer traffic was solid in all 3 lanes. The road had lots of curves and everyone was driving too fast.

 

[avvidclif]

And in the "What were they thinking" dept. While have my tires changed yesterday I also got rid of the Towmax spare. Nice pretty white rim for the spare with a shiny BRASS valve stem. Not rubber like were on the rest of the wheels. (Replaced by steel).. Still scratching my head on that one...

 

[cookie]

If that brass valve stem looks like the one pictured here then it is a hybrid high pressure valve stem. Good to at least 110 psi.
Still flexible so it's not suitable for adding a pressure monitor, but still good for the pressure.

Peace
Dave

 

[1_oldgoat]

Dan, you must have been in the land of Utards!! Read about a poll taken by interstate truck drivers and the results were the drivers in Utah were the worst in the country.....not trying to start trouble, just stating a fact!!! I try to avoid the Salt Lake area as much as possible but have to use the VA hospital there so i try and make appointments as early as possible to try and beat rush hour times, bumper to bumper between 85-90 mph is not fun even without towing. Btw, still under construction as well on i15 through most of that area. The last trip i made to Phoenix, on the way home i hit traffic around 5:00pm and by the time i got past SLC had to pull over for the night, it took all i had to get through there and i didn't have enough mind left for another hr to get home......i agree 100%, people drive way to fast there!!
New tires did well the first trip out, stayed between 65-70 fw felt more stable if that makes sense, i didn't think tires would make much difference on the trailer and its hard to describe, just seemed to take 45-50 mph pass curves better than i remember with the tow max tires, less sway maybe??
Safe travels, Marcus

 

[avvidclif]

If that brass valve stem looks like the one pictured here then it is a hybrid high pressure valve stem. Good to at least 110 psi.
Still flexible so it's not suitable for adding a pressure monitor, but still good for the pressure.

Peace
Dave

Nope solid brass with a nut to tighten it down.

 

[1_oldgoat]

Cliff, sounds like the same valve stem my spare has on it, i ask about it when i had new tires mounted tuesday and was told it was fine for 110 psi so i would guess yours is the same as mine, white rim, no frills, solid mounted brass valve stem, i actually checked pressure on the spare when i got home and it was 110, then friday before we left, still 110 so seems to be working as advertised.