China bomb believer now

[CWtheMan]

Originally Posted by ctbruce

Can you guys do this in a PM?

This thread has nearly 3000 views already, isn't that good business?

[mwemaxxowner]

I'm enjoying a little edjamakashun.

[JRTJH]

Don't consider the view count as "reader interest" I'd guess that the moderators have viewed the thread at least 1500 times since it started down the path of which tire expert can stump the other......

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

Don't consider the view count as "reader interest" I'd guess that the moderators have viewed the thread at least 1500 times since it started down the path of which tire expert can stump the other......

^^^^^x2....yet again.

[CWtheMan]

Okay, here’s a new thought to ponder. Tires degrade when they’re overloaded/under inflated. It doesn’t matter if they are rolling down the highway, parked in a CG/RV park or just setting in storage. The more those tires are overloaded the greater the degrading.

[sourdough]

Changing gears...

Since we're talking about "China bombs" and reputations, failures etc. and what may or may not constitute a "China bomb".....

All my Trailer Life magazines were held by USPS over the winter while we were gone so I'm trying to catch up. In the Nov. '18 issue there is a letter from a reader in the RV Clinic section pertaining to 2 consecutive blowouts....on Maxxis tires! He bought them thinking they were the greatest from all the positive things he had read on forums. After the 2nd failure he removed them all and replaced with Goodyear (didn't say which ones). The reply from Trailer Life was as follows, "Maxxis were strong out of the gate when they first hit the RV market, but results have definitely been mixed now that users have racked up a few miles with them....".

Guess we'll have to keep our ear to the ground to see if they become the next "China....errr, THAI bomb"!!

[CWtheMan]

I’ve never had much confidence in antidotal trailer tire failure reports.

Once, when going west on I-15 out of Las Vegas we had dual right side failures. An eighteen wheeler in front of us threw a complete tread. I avoided the tread with our truck tires, only because the left lane was open for a fast left lane change. However, the following right side trailer tires both hit the tread. The lead tire blew immediately and the one behind it was flat when I got stopped. Trailing a couple of hundred yards behind us was our friends with the full story. Both of our trailers had the same size wheels & tires so with his and our spares we proceeded on to Barstow, CA where I got some new right side tires.

Another time with a whole set of new tires on the trailer we had a catastrophic failure just east of Oklahoma City on I-40. With that new set I had the installers put all new steel valve stems in those wheels? The valve stem was missing from the wheel with the failure. It’s a toss-up if it was properly installed or if something flew up and knocked it off. I had to get two new tires because the one left supporting the load was hotter than a firecracker when we got stopped.

Sometimes failures are reported with “tire pressures just checked, never exceeded the tires speed restriction, trailer not overweight and we use a TPMS.” And I ask; what’s the low pressure setting on the TPMS? Or, did you get wheel position weights?

Owners need to wise-up about RV trailer tire inflation pressures. OEM tires have always needed full sidewall pressures and now with the 10% in load capacity reserves they still need that max pressure. If you go to an extreme overkill with replacement tires you should get your money’s worth and inflate them to a minimum of 20% in reserves.

NHTSA does not blatantly look the other way. However, their hands are tied without proof. Sending in pictures with tread/sidewall cords visibly melted only proves the tire was overheated. Their statistics are heavily in favor of consumer abuse when that condition is visible.

There are numerous recalls for vehicle certification label errors with tires, wheels, and their inflation pressures or load capacities having unsafe conditions.

Sometime when you have a little extra research time go back a number of years and look for a major recall for Uniroyal LT tires. They were OEM on some models of Keystone RV trailers back then.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by CWtheMan

I’ve never had much confidence in antidotal trailer tire failure reports.

Once, when going west on I-15 out of Las Vegas we had dual right side failures. An eighteen wheeler in front of us threw a complete tread. I avoided the tread with our truck tires, only because the left lane was open for a fast left lane change. However, the following right side trailer tires both hit the tread. The lead tire blew immediately and the one behind it was flat when I got stopped. Trailing a couple of hundred yards behind us was our friends with the full story. Both of our trailers had the same size wheels & tires so with his and our spares we proceeded on to Barstow, CA where I got some new right side tires.

Another time with a whole set of new tires on the trailer we had a catastrophic failure just east of Oklahoma City on I-40. With that new set I had the installers put all new steel valve stems in those wheels? The valve stem was missing from the wheel with the failure. It’s a toss-up if it was properly installed or if something flew up and knocked it off. I had to get two new tires because the one left supporting the load was hotter than a firecracker when we got stopped.

Sometimes failures are reported with “tire pressures just checked, never exceeded the tires speed restriction, trailer not overweight and we use a TPMS.” And I ask; what’s the low pressure setting on the TPMS? Or, did you get wheel position weights?

Owners need to wise-up about RV trailer tire inflation pressures. OEM tires have always needed full sidewall pressures and now with the 10% in load capacity reserves they still need that max pressure. If you go to an extreme overkill with replacement tires you should get your money’s worth and inflate them to a minimum of 20% in reserves.

NHTSA does not blatantly look the other way. However, their hands are tied without proof. Sending in pictures with tread/sidewall cords visibly melted only proves the tire was overheated. Their statistics are heavily in favor of consumer abuse when that condition is visible.

There are numerous recalls for vehicle certification label errors with tires, wheels, and their inflation pressures or load capacities having unsafe conditions.

Sometime when you have a little extra research time go back a number of years and look for a major recall for Uniroyal LT tires. They were OEM on some models of Keystone RV trailers back then.

The above is why looking at NHTSA is really meaningless. As I've posted before, after talking to my local tire guy that I've dealt with for 30 years, my various Discount Tire dealers; they don't recall anyone coming in with an RV failure enroute and trying to file a NHTSA complaint. I'm sure that holds true for most tire stores. Why? It's easy.

I'm on a string getting to B from A. I've got a timeline, reservations etc. I just had at tire failure and I've now had a big interruption to those plans. I'm agitated, losing time and in a hurry. Find a way to get my tire replaced (put on spare, move on and replace "somewhere"). When I get there I need a new tire; put it on, get me on the road - throw the trash tire in the bin. Nowhere in there am I concerned about reporting this failure to NHTSA to accomplish? Nothing.

Because of the way those things happen when traveling with an RV I am disposed to listen to "anecdotal" evidence (personal testimony) vs trying to glean some meaning from a government database that is about 90% empty of real life. Your observations about running ST tires at full pressure are 100% on point. JMO/YMMV

[mwemaxxowner]

In post number 47, were you actually recommending to inflate to OVER max psi on the tire?

[Tireman9]

It isn't NHTSA's fault if they do not respond to tire failures when people can't be bothered to file a complaint with the information needed.
Yes getting pictures takes a few minutes. You should already have the DOT serial recorded and on file. I have read a number of "complaints" where incorrect size, brand or type tire was reperoted to NHTSA.


Valve failure is not a tire fault. Overloading a tire is not the tire's fault. Low inflation is not the tire's fault. Hitting a pothole is not the tire's fault. Getting a cut or puncture is not the tire's fault. But when any of these occur and the tires fails then it must be the tire's fault.

[calbroome]

Tire failure is always blamed on the user and in some cases that may be true. But to me that is an insult to Rv’ers. I have confidence that the 90 % majority are extra careful with tire maintenance. My recommendation to all, is, to trash the foreign tires that come on your rv and buy GOOD tires. It is tough changing a tire on I-95 in 95 degree heat with traffic flying by. No pops on mine since good tires were purchased.

[Logan X]

I am definitely not trying to be argumentative but I don’t think 90% of RVers properly maintain thier tires. 90% of people on this forum maybe. I think the vast majority of people driving RVs are fairly clueless about proper maintenance and weight limits etc of thier crucial systems. Just look at all of the people you see towing 40 foot fifth wheels and triple axle fifth wheels with a 2500 truck. Or a 9000lb, 38 foot long, travel trailer with a 1500 truck. Just my 2c.

[CWtheMan]

Originally Posted by mwemaxxowner

In post number 47, were you actually recommending to inflate to OVER max psi on the tire?

No. In what context did I give that impression?

Maybe it was the 20% reserve with replacement tires. Remember, the tire pressure listed on the tire sidewall IS NOT a recommendation. It's the amount of cold inflation pressure needed to get the maximum load capacity from the tire. That load capacity is also on the tire sidewall.

I often say this and seldom miss the chance. Tire manufacturer's have NOTHING to do with setting the recommended inflation pressures for OE tires. That is exclusively the responsibility of the vehicle manufacturer. It is supported by the tire industry in a statement very similar to this one. Replacement tires MUST provide a load capacity - with inflation pressures - equal to or greater than what the OE tires provided.

Vehicle manufacturer recommended cold tire inflation pressures for Original Equipment RV trailer tires are almost always going to be an inflation pressure equal to the tire manufacturer's cold inflation pressure found on the tire sidewall. Replacement tires with more load capacity than the OE tires will normally require more inflation pressure to gain extra load capacity reserves. Such replacement tires - especially those with a higher load range - will normally have maximum inflation pressures higher than the OE tires had.

[mwemaxxowner]

The way that's all worded is very confusing for me. I guess it's intended for folks who already have a little more of a knowledge base on the topic than I do.

This is why it matters to me. The camper I just bought needs tires, the sidewalls are cracking. I knew this up front.

Turns out maybe that was a blessing. I wouldn't have checked probably otherwise, but the current tires are rated at 1820 lbs @ 50 psi. The gvwr of my camper is around 7500 lbs, and is about 5700 dry as it sits. Doesn't take too much fancy math to figure out that the tires are overloaded if I ever have the camper maxed out.

So the tires I'm eyeballing are rated at 2149 lbs @ 65 psi. I guess that's what you're trying to say, fill it to 65, and not 50. Not sure, but unless otherwise informed I'd be running the new tires at 65 psi.

[Logan X]

Originally Posted by mwemaxxowner

The way that's all worded is very confusing for me. I guess it's intended for folks who already have a little more of a knowledge base on the topic than I do.

This is why it matters to me. The camper I just bought needs tires, the sidewalls are cracking. I knew this up front.

Turns out maybe that was a blessing. I wouldn't have checked probably otherwise, but the current tires are rated at 1820 lbs @ 50 psi. The gvwr of my camper is around 7500 lbs, and is about 5700 dry as it sits. Doesn't take too much fancy math to figure out that the tires are overloaded if I ever have the camper maxed out.

So the tires I'm eyeballing are rated at 2149 lbs @ 65 psi. I guess that's what you're trying to say, fill it to 65, and not 50. Not sure, but unless otherwise informed I'd be running the new tires at 65 psi.

You are correct. Run the new tires at 65psi.

Edit-If you haven’t bought them yet, ask the tire shop to install high pressure metal valve stems.

[CWtheMan]

Originally Posted by mwemaxxowner

The way that's all worded is very confusing for me. I guess it's intended for folks who already have a little more of a knowledge base on the topic than I do.

This is why it matters to me. The camper I just bought needs tires, the sidewalls are cracking. I knew this up front.

Turns out maybe that was a blessing. I wouldn't have checked probably otherwise, but the current tires are rated at 1820 lbs @ 50 psi. The gvwr of my camper is around 7500 lbs, and is about 5700 dry as it sits. Doesn't take too much fancy math to figure out that the tires are overloaded if I ever have the camper maxed out.

So the tires I'm eyeballing are rated at 2149 lbs @ 65 psi. I guess that's what you're trying to say, fill it to 65, and not 50. Not sure, but unless otherwise informed I'd be running the new tires at 65 psi.

65 psi is the number. Put in new valve stems and insure they are rated for the 65 PSI.

Tires for RV trailers are always fitted to the vehicle certified GAWRs. Look at your trailer's labeling or the vehicle owner's manual for GAWR info.

You will find a lot of trailers having your size tires, built before 2016, to be right at their load capacity. That's the reason to insure the replacements have a minimum of 15% (my recommendation) in load capacity reserves above the trailers vehicle certified GAWRs.

[Tireman9]

Originally Posted by mwemaxxowner

The way that's all worded is very confusing for me. I guess it's intended for folks who already have a little more of a knowledge base on the topic than I do.

This is why it matters to me. The camper I just bought needs tires, the sidewalls are cracking. I knew this up front.

Turns out maybe that was a blessing. I wouldn't have checked probably otherwise, but the current tires are rated at 1820 lbs @ 50 psi. The gvwr of my camper is around 7500 lbs, and is about 5700 dry as it sits. Doesn't take too much fancy math to figure out that the tires are overloaded if I ever have the camper maxed out.

So the tires I'm eyeballing are rated at 2149 lbs @ 65 psi. I guess that's what you're trying to say, fill it to 65, and not 50. Not sure, but unless otherwise informed I'd be running the new tires at 65 psi.

If your tires are LR-D run 65 psi cold and monitor with TPMS. Do not lower the pressure when tires are hot (been in direct Sun or run in last 2 hours)
Confirm with scale reading that actual tire load is not greater than 85% of load on tire sidewall (lowd below 80% would be better)

[sourdough]

mwemaxxowner,

Logan, CW and Tireman have given spot on advise above. Be sure and try to keep those load reserves at 15% +. It can sure save you from an unhappy day sometime in the future...

[mwemaxxowner]

I work for a trucking company and have unlimited free scale access. I've weighed it dry and will weigh it loaded also. I would never lowest the pressure when warmed. Lol

[MarkEHansen]

When going to a larger-capacity tire, you must also make sure your wheels will support the PSI as well.

@mwemaxxowner: Keep in mind that the load on your axles is less the tongue weight. If you take your trailer's GVWR of 7500lbs and reduce that by 12% (900lb tongue wt) that leaves 6600lbs. Assuming evenly distributed among your 4 tires, that's 1650lbs each.

Based on the math, that's below the rating of your current tires, so you're not overloading them.

However, there are other factors, like weight distribution within the trailer which can cause a weight imbalance between different tires, so more load capacity would be better.