View Full Version : Another victim
Bowti
03-08-2016, 12:49 PM
I caught it before it blew. It's not a question of if but when.
dcg9381
03-08-2016, 01:59 PM
Tire brand and age?
XLite28SGS
03-09-2016, 04:16 AM
Would like to have more info.
Tire age - brand.
We have a "13" 28sgs and are still runing factory tires (China bombs).
(tx), Allan
dcg9381
03-09-2016, 06:26 AM
BowTi,
If they died due to no reason other than poor design, please file a complaint:
https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/Complaint.cfm
At a minimum, the number of complaints against a brand shows up on consumer's radar and they can make a decision on keeping or replacing.
It seems that these bombs get "rebranded" from time to time to perhaps to work around reputation.
If everyone filed complaints on tires, manufacturers would be hard pressed to continue using brands with high failure rates.
JRTJH
03-09-2016, 07:26 AM
Would like to have more info.
Tire age - brand.
We have a "13" 28sgs and are still runing factory tires (China bombs).
(tx), Allan
XLite28SGS,
Something for you to consider: ST tires "degrade capacity" at about 10% per year. Since your XLite is a '13 model, the tires could easily have been manufactured in 2012. That would make them at least 3 years old and possibly 4 years old. That's a 30-40% capacity reduction.
Given that your trailer weight (empty) is around 7600 pounds, with "normal stuff" it's likely to be around 8500 pounds when loaded for a trip (possibly even more).
The 225/75R15 LRD OEM tires are rated at 2540 each, total capacity (when new) of 10160. At 3 years old, a 30% reduction would give them about 7112 pound capacity and at 4 years of age, a 40% reduction would mean they could carry somewhere around 6100 pounds. So, even with 1500 pounds being carried by the pin, you're still very close to "maxing out your aged tires"....
I'm in the same situation with my 2014 XLite. For me, this spring is "tire time"... I believe that I'm "living on borrowed time" with the Power King tires and the only towing I'll do this spring is to the Maxxis dealership in town.
You might want to "run some numbers" for your specific trailer, but I'm of the opinion that you're getting "uncomfortably close" to needing new tires.....
fred1609
03-09-2016, 08:46 PM
Change the tires....I put off a tire change last year with our China Bombs and paid for it with a tire delamination.....I knew I should have changed the tires simply because i knew they were junk but I tried to get one more season out them. Bought the Michelin Rib which were amazingly more beafy and heavy then the OE POS.
Bowti
03-11-2016, 02:53 PM
I certainly agree with everything said. They were Towmax and I was just hoping that with close monitoring and with only about 10 K miles on them I could finish out this winter.
XLite28SGS
03-17-2016, 03:27 AM
Thanks "JRTJH" for taking the time to answer a lot of my conserns. We will be replacing our tires before our long trip this summer.
I would like to add another wrinkle to this thread.
Uncovered the Camper last weekend and inspected the tires. They are marked "Power King - Towmax STR", ST225/75R15. No marking as to country of origin. Age 3 - 1012, 1 - 1212.
My question - Would it be possible for tires that were built (I'm assuming in China) in the 10th & 12th week of 2012 to be installed on a fifth wheel camper built in the first week of May 2012. We purchased the unit the first week of June 2012.
Don't mean to rob this thread.
Allan
cw3jason
03-17-2016, 05:02 AM
Thanks "JRTJH" for taking the time to answer a lot of my conserns. We will be replacing our tires before our long trip this summer.
I would like to add another wrinkle to this thread.
Uncovered the Camper last weekend and inspected the tires. They are marked "Power King - Towmax STR", ST225/75R15. No marking as to country of origin. Age 3 - 1012, 1 - 1212.
My question - Would it be possible for tires that were built (I'm assuming in China) in the 10th & 12th week of 2012 to be installed on a fifth wheel camper built in the first week of May 2012. We purchased the unit the first week of June 2012.
Don't mean to rob this thread.
Allan
Your blowmax tires are going on 4 years old. just replace them and don't look back.
JRTJH
03-17-2016, 06:29 AM
Thanks "JRTJH" for taking the time to answer a lot of my conserns. We will be replacing our tires before our long trip this summer.
I would like to add another wrinkle to this thread.
Uncovered the Camper last weekend and inspected the tires. They are marked "Power King - Towmax STR", ST225/75R15. No marking as to country of origin. Age 3 - 1012, 1 - 1212.
My question - Would it be possible for tires that were built (I'm assuming in China) in the 10th & 12th week of 2012 to be installed on a fifth wheel camper built in the first week of May 2012. We purchased the unit the first week of June 2012.
Don't mean to rob this thread.
Allan
Yes, your tires are 4 years old. Three were built the 10th week of 2012 and one built the 12th week of 2012. It looks like the tires were about 2 months old when installed on your trailer during manufacture.
You say you inspected your tires when you uncovered your RV recently. I'm not sure how thoroughly you inspected it, but a cursory inspection of the tread, sidewall and looking at dates may leave you "in the lurch"....
On The Road Again, a member of the forum, just posted this picture of the inside "wheel/tire" mount area on one of the "Chinese may-pop" tires he recently replaced. The bubble illustrated on his tire would have been almost impossible to have seen, even looking under the trailer at the "opposite side". About the only way to actually visualize this kind of damage is to remove the wheel, lay it face down and inspect the tire. That's something few of us do, so, for me, thanks, On The Road Again.
Lesson learned !!!
Bowti
03-17-2016, 07:28 AM
I'm thinking what makes this so frustrating is most of us are used to buying new tires on our daily drivers based on tread ware. We just are not used to replacing tires with low mileage and little tread ware. We are also not at all used to the high delamination rate we are experiencing with these China bombs.
CWtheMan
03-17-2016, 08:26 AM
Thanks "JRTJH" for taking the time to answer a lot of my conserns. We will be replacing our tires before our long trip this summer.
I would like to add another wrinkle to this thread.
Uncovered the Camper last weekend and inspected the tires. They are marked "Power King - Towmax STR", ST225/75R15. No marking as to country of origin. Age 3 - 1012, 1 - 1212.
My question - Would it be possible for tires that were built (I'm assuming in China) in the 10th & 12th week of 2012 to be installed on a fifth wheel camper built in the first week of May 2012. We purchased the unit the first week of June 2012.
Don't mean to rob this thread.
Allan
The date of manufacturer on the trailer's certification label is the date it was completed. It was being built many months before that finish date and the tires could have been installed when the axles were fitted to the frame.
What was the tire inflation pressures when you uncovered it for inspection?
Tires never quit degrading. They don't have to be in operation to degrade. Under inflation while in storage is just as bad for them as under inflation while rolling down the road.
Your trailer's average weight on the tires - properly inflated - will help determine which end of the 3-5 years they need to be considered for replacement.
byrdr1
03-18-2016, 04:54 AM
On The Road Again, a member of the forum, just posted this picture of the inside "wheel/tire" mount area on one of the "Chinese may-pop" tires he recently replaced. The bubble illustrated on his tire would have been almost impossible to have seen, even looking under the trailer at the "opposite side". About the only way to actually visualize this kind of damage is to remove the wheel, lay it face down and inspect the tire. That's something few of us do, so, for me, thanks, On The Road Again.
Lesson learned !!!
I just did this to 4 tires on Sunday. Took them off and inspected both sides. I have Maxxis that are now 3 years old this spring. well two are and other two will be 3 in the early summer months.
With our 1st trip soon. I wanted to make sure all was well. They were covered all winter long and under the rvport so I had a few spider webs but over all they looked great, cleaned them up and the rims too. I did notice the rims have a few scratches in the clear coat looking finish. BUT no cracks in rims and shined them up good with wax.
So I feel they are ready for this years trips.
randy
Ken / Claudia
03-18-2016, 08:45 AM
Just another spring check up item, Tires. I will jack up, remove each wheel/tire while checking brakes, wheel bearings and roll each tire down the driveway. Looking for cuts, bumps, out of round, thread wear etc. Face it, RVs are a lot of work or maintenance. I agree with a earlier post we mostly are replacing tires biased on tread not age, since that is what we do with our cars. You cannot do that with trailer tires. I was not a informed RVer for years until when I went into fish/wildlife and towed boats. We had trailer service training. I still believe all the above including speed and low psi not being checked or inspected is a big factor in blow outs.
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