tire manuf. not living up to warranty.

[NHcamper]

Hi all,

I didn’t really expect to get any positive response from the tire manuf. But wanted to see what they would say.

I have a 2015 Keystone Laredo 322Rl Travel Trailer. The tire involved did not just blow, the tread shredded and caused over $11,000 damage to the TT. See attached photos.
Less than 6k miles on tires, always inflated correctly and covered when not in use. TPS on all tires for pressure and temp. Less than 3 years on tires from date I bought the TT. The tires are even under a 5 year manuf. Warranty.

Just information for others to be aware of. The tire manuf. Will NOT stand behind the crap tires the produce or their warranty. Maybe the camper Manuf. Should evaluate the tires they put on their equipt. These are life threatening situations.
Tire information: Trailer King ST Radial 225/75 R 15. Tread left on tire ¼ inch or 8/32. DOT information JEJK DBL 3314.
Response from Tire Manuf. Broker:

Sorry for our delated response.
As for the captioned claim, we have got a feedback from our client just now, that the tire manufacture will not pay any indemnity for the loss caused by blow tire.
The rubber function of tire will usually degrade after using three or four years, and the involved tire have overdue its service time. So the factory will not compensate any loss for this tire blow accident.
Your understanding will be highly appreciated. Thanks a lot.

Kind regards,

[66joej]

Sorry for our delated response.
As for the captioned claim, we have got a feedback from our client just now, that the tire manufacture will not pay any indemnity for the loss caused by blow tire.
The rubber function of tire will usually degrade after using three or four years, and the involved tire have overdue its service time. So the factory will not compensate any loss for this tire blow accident.
Your understanding will be highly appreciated. Thanks a lot.

Kind regards,

I think this was penned by the same guy that loads the tires into the seacans. :lol::lol::lol:
Seriously you may have to use your insurance company.

[B-O-B'03]

So what is the published service time the "involved tire" have overdue?

-Brian

[busterbrown]

First, sorry for your damage and unfortunate circumstances.

Sadly, the tire manufacturer is correct and can't be held accountable for tire degradation and failures after a predetermined in-service duration. Its understood that ST tires will reach there end life much quicker by aging and degradation than by miles traveled. A catastrophic failure after 3 years of use is not uncommon. A good rule of thumb is to replace all tires after 3 seasons, no matter the condition or tread life remaining.

Your trailer's GVWR is 9500 lbs. The OEM Trailer Kings are sized at ST 225/75R15D with a load capacity of 2540 lbs at 65 PSI. Prior to the in service date, these 4 tires could support 10,160 lbs. Assuming the TV will support 12% of the trailer's GVWR, the tires would have to support 8,360 lbs at the time of delivery. And after an industry accepted 10% yearly degradation on those tires, you'd lose 1016 lbs of weight carrying capability after the first 12 months. Now the max weight supported by those tires would only be 9,144 lbs, but still over your trailer's load of 8,360 lbs. At year 2, you'd lose another 914 lbs of weight carrying capacity leaving the tires with only 8,229 lbs of load range. So in essence, after 24 months of use, the OEM tires fitted by the manufacturer are not able to support the load. Continuing on to the 48th month of in-service use, the load carrying capacity of the Trailer Kings drops to an astonishing 6,665 lbs, well below your trailer's GVWR minus tongue weight.

Tires that barely support the load when new will be extremely challenged as they age a little. This is definitely true with ST tires and can be seen day in and day out on all the RV forums.

Again, sorry for your damages.

[Javi]

I they were indeed 33rd week of 2014 tires... then they currently would be 4 years and change old... as you typed this...

[wiredgeorge]

So what is the published service time the "involved tire" have overdue?

-Brian


Brian, Can't you understand English? Errrr well Chinese-English... what they were saying was come to China and sue us if you want to! :whistling:

[wiredgeorge]

I they were indeed 33rd week of 2014 tires... then they currently would be 4 years and change old... as you typed this...


Problem with ST tires is that most of their death is due to sitting and not rolling down the road; that is their time to show you they still have plenty of tread as evidenced by the last photo. It will be interesting to see if the insurance company will spring for the damages. The amount you quoted for damages is quite a bit lower than NADA book so there is hope.

[Javi]

Problem with ST tires is that most of their death is due to sitting and not rolling down the road; that is their time to show you they still have plenty of tread as evidenced by the last photo. It will be interesting to see if the insurance company will spring for the damages. The amount you quoted for damages is quite a bit lower than NADA book so there is hope.

exactly why I buy new tires every two years... then sell the old ones for 16ft car trailers.. :D

[notanlines]

George, "It will be interesting to see if the insurance company will spring for the damages. " Any reason why the insurance company wouldn't cover the damage?

[ctbruce]

There are probably thousands of posts about Trailer King tires on this forum. The information is there for free for everybody to read.

DO NOT DELAY IN REPLACING THE POS TRAILER KING TIRES WITH A BETTER BRAND.

Function does not depend on appearance. It will be deceiving.

[bob91yj]

First, sorry for your damage and unfortunate circumstances.

Sadly, the tire manufacturer is correct and can't be held accountable for tire degradation and failures after a predetermined in-service duration. Its understood that ST tires will reach there end life much quicker by aging and degradation than by miles traveled. A catastrophic failure after 3 years of use is not uncommon. A good rule of thumb is to replace all tires after 3 seasons, no matter the condition or tread life remaining.

Your trailer's GVWR is 9500 lbs. The OEM Trailer Kings are sized at ST 225/75R15D with a load capacity of 2540 lbs at 65 PSI. Prior to the in service date, these 4 tires could support 10,160 lbs. Assuming the TV will support 12% of the trailer's GVWR, the tires would have to support 8,360 lbs at the time of delivery. And after an industry accepted 10% yearly degradation on those tires, you'd lose 1016 lbs of weight carrying capability after the first 12 months. Now the max weight supported by those tires would only be 9,144 lbs, but still over your trailer's load of 8,360 lbs. At year 2, you'd lose another 914 lbs of weight carrying capacity leaving the tires with only 8,229 lbs of load range. So in essence, after 24 months of use, the OEM tires fitted by the manufacturer are not able to support the load. Continuing on to the 48th month of in-service use, the load carrying capacity of the Trailer Kings drops to an astonishing 6,665 lbs, well below your trailer's GVWR minus tongue weight.

Tires that barely support the load when new will be extremely challenged as they age a little. This is definitely true with ST tires and can be seen day in and day out on all the RV forums.

Again, sorry for your damages.

Not looking to argue the point, but what is your source for the degradation of the tires? I tried to Google it, couldn't find anything.

[JRTJH]

Not looking to argue the point, but what is your source for the degradation of the tires? I tried to Google it, couldn't find anything.

This is in the Carlisle ST Tire Best Practices Brochure:
– Any tire, no matter how well constructed, may fail when in use
because of punctures, impact damage, improper inflation,
overloading, or other conditions resulting from use, misuse
or neglect.
– High speed towing in hot conditions degrades tires significantly.
– Best practice. Do not exceed 60 mph while towing a trailer.
– Most ST trailer tires have a maximum speed rating of 65 mph.
– Load carrying capacity decreases as heat and stress generated by
higher speed increases.
– Time and the elements weaken a trailer tire.
– 3 to 5 years is the average life expectancy of a trailer tire,
regardless of mileage.
– It is estimated that in approximately three years, roughly
one-third of a tire's strength is gone.
– After three years, depending upon storage and conditions of
usage, consider replacing trailer tires even if they have tread
depth remaining.
– After five years, trailer tires should be replaced in all cases.

Carlisle stopped producing the brochure about 2 years ago, so I don't know if you can still find it online or not.

This link will take you to a commercial site with ST tire information:

https://tiresfirst.com/trailer-tires

If you scroll down to the "TIME" section, you'll see the statement: "In approximately three years, roughly one-third of the tire's strength is gone."

A quick calculation of 3 years for a 33% loss is about 11% per year. Most of us just use the 10% per year to make things easier.

These photos are of the inside of my TK ST tires at 24 months. There is no way to visualize this tread separation without dismounting the tires. You decide whether you'd want to continue using tires that you can't inspect for damage, that are 30% to 40% weaker than when manufactured and, as you've learned, built by a company that won't stand behind their product.... Anyway, here's the photos, as you can see from the "bubbles" the tread is already separated from the tire carcass. A blowout waiting to happen.....

[sourdough]

John,

I knew the specs/guidelines were out there but could not find them...Folks just need to undertstand that the ST tires are, ST tires and have real life limitations. They are perfect for their job when placed into a an acceptable work environment...if not, you need another load range...:)

[mcomeaux]

Again extreme use these tires are subjected they should be replaced every 4 years with a premium brand and sooner if equipped with the china bombs. I purchased a Airstream some years ago and the sales person was boasting about the quality of trailer and tires. I pointed out they in fact were goodyears but produced in China. I think I totaled 200 miles and replaced with Michelins...no worries.
5 years for vehicles but I still would not leave a tire in service for that period of time even.

[CWtheMan]

Hi all,

I didn’t really expect to get any positive response from the tire manuf. But wanted to see what they would say.

I have a 2015 Keystone Laredo 322Rl Travel Trailer. The tire involved did not just blow, the tread shredded and caused over $11,000 damage to the TT. See attached photos.
Less than 6k miles on tires, always inflated correctly and covered when not in use. TPS on all tires for pressure and temp. Less than 3 years on tires from date I bought the TT. The tires are even under a 5 year manuf. Warranty.

Just information for others to be aware of. The tire manuf. Will NOT stand behind the crap tires the produce or their warranty. Maybe the camper Manuf. Should evaluate the tires they put on their equipt. These are life threatening situations.
Tire information: Trailer King ST Radial 225/75 R 15. Tread left on tire ¼ inch or 8/32. DOT information JEJK DBL 3314.
Response from Tire Manuf. Broker:

Sorry for our delated response.
As for the captioned claim, we have got a feedback from our client just now, that the tire manufacture will not pay any indemnity for the loss caused by blow tire.
The rubber function of tire will usually degrade after using three or four years, and the involved tire have overdue its service time. So the factory will not compensate any loss for this tire blow accident.
Your understanding will be highly appreciated. Thanks a lot.

Kind regards,

Any tire specialist viewing your pictures is going to call the situation a classic tire tread separation. Normally caused by mismanagement of the tire. Tire warranties will not cover damages from mismanagement.

With that much of the tire remaining, a tire expert would know immediately if it failed from mismanagement or a defect. To me it looks like a classic tire failure cause from it being overloaded, overheated - maybe from speed -and/or a combination from those conditions. Tire age and it's care during idle times must also be considered.

Bottom line; take the tire to an expert. You have enough of it to prove it's failure cause (s).

[wiredgeorge]

George, "It will be interesting to see if the insurance company will spring for the damages. " Any reason why the insurance company wouldn't cover the damage?


Seems to me that fouir year old tires might provide some wiggle room for the insurance company to not stand up for paying the claim. I do hope they pay and that the OP follows up and brings this back to this board to clarify whether the insurance company did pay or not. I have filed a couple claims with my insurance in past years (Progressive) and they were quick to pay an equitable amount. I don't think all insurance companies are equal. I sure don't think that Trailer King (whoever makes those things in China) can be made to stand up for the damage.

[notanlines]

Insurance on your vehicles is purchased to cover incidents regardless of fault. They may very well drop you when all is said and done, but the coverage remains. And, like you, I don't believe one would get Trailer King to cover anything!

[mazboy]

This why we have insurance. A sad situation but a good policy goes a long way to help us RVers out.

[Snoking]

I just took our new 2019 Laredo 225MK in and replace the OEM Goodride ST225/75R15D with Goodyear Endurance ST225/75R15E's, and will not look back(sic)!

Sold the 4 Goodride tires for 200 bucks on CL. Had two buyers in the first 24 hours wanting them.

Goodyear is one of the few manufactures that will pay for consequential damage, even though their warranty like most others state that it is not covered.

ST tires got their birth for use on utility type trailers used for local service. Carlisle with mixed results has been trying to build a ST tire that can stand up to extended speeds on freeways on tall/heavy multi axle trailers.

The new Goodyear Endurance from all reports has reached this pinnacle, and is now the go to ST tire.

Chris

[wiredgeorge]

Have a look at the "tire upgrade" guidance from the goodride website:
http://www.goodridetire.com/index.php/service/guide


Why doesn't some company in the US offer English tech writing services to Chinese companies so they don't sound like this? Could a big Chinese company like this one use google translator to put content onto their English language website?

[CWtheMan]

Here is a little insight at what your auto insurance co. may do.

When our trailer was about 1 year old we were leaving our 1st ever 3 month winter-over at St. Petersburg, FL. The park had 3 enter/exit gates and we chose the one onto the highway we wanted to use on our exit from FL. Making a tight turn just before exit, the top of out trailer hit a large limb on an overhanging tree. We stopped to see how extensive the damage was. There was a 6’ gash thru the roof on the RH side. Two residents came out to look at our damage and told us we weren’t the first to have excessive damage from that tree.

We went to a large RV dealer location in Tampa where we had purchased the trailer and got estimates for repairing the damage, ($8000.00) and called our auto insurance co. By the time the insurance adjuster got to the RV park they had removed the tree limb. The adjuster talked to the same residents we had talked with and got a photo from one of them showing the tree before the limb was removed.

Our insurance paid 100% of the repair cost. Rumor had it that the RV park may have settled with the insurance co. but officially, everyone was mum on that subject.

The gist; Always expect some sort of investigation.

Phenomenal services from the repair facility at Lazydays RV, Seffner, FL. Our repair bay was completely covered and had full service. We had to leave during working hours but were allowed to spend the nights there. Because we had purchased our RV there we had free breakfast and lunch service from their cafeteria.

[KSH]

Any pics of the damage on the trailer?

[NHcamper]

Hi all,

I didn’t really expect to get any positive response from the tire manuf. But wanted to see what they would say.

I have a 2015 Keystone Laredo 322Rl Travel Trailer. The tire involved did not just blow, the tread shredded and caused over $11,000 damage to the TT. See attached photos.
Less than 6k miles on tires, always inflated correctly and covered when not in use. TPS on all tires for pressure and temp. Less than 3 years on tires from date I bought the TT. The tires are even under a 5 year manuf. Warranty.

Just information for others to be aware of. The tire manuf. Will NOT stand behind the crap tires the produce or their warranty. Maybe the camper Manuf. Should evaluate the tires they put on their equipt. These are life threatening situations.
Tire information: Trailer King ST Radial 225/75 R 15. Tread left on tire ¼ inch or 8/32. DOT information JEJK DBL 3314.
Response from Tire Manuf. Broker:

Sorry for our delated response.
As for the captioned claim, we have got a feedback from our client just now, that the tire manufacture will not pay any indemnity for the loss caused by blow tire.
The rubber function of tire will usually degrade after using three or four years, and the involved tire have overdue its service time. So the factory will not compensate any loss for this tire blow accident.
Your understanding will be highly appreciated. Thanks a lot.

Kind regards,
Just wanted to update all. The tire Manuf. just sent me an e-mail agreeing to reimburse me for the total cost of the affected tires :-). It pays to hold their feet to the fire and make them understand their liability and the actions that will be taken if they do not honor their warranty. :-).

[JRTJH]

Just wanted to update all. The tire Manuf. just sent me an e-mail agreeing to reimburse me for the total cost of the affected tires :-). It pays to hold their feet to the fire and make them understand their liability and the actions that will be taken if they do not honor their warranty. :-).

To be clear, are you saying that Trailer King is paying for the replacement of 4 tires or is Trailer King paying for the tires and your insurance deductible or is Trailer King paying for the tires and the $11,000 to repair damage to your RV?

[bill-e]

George, "It will be interesting to see if the insurance company will spring for the damages. " Any reason why the insurance company wouldn't cover the damage?I have GEICO. I called them to ask about just this sort of problem and their answer was NO, they will not pay if the tire just blows up, they see that as poor user maintenance. They did say however if I ran over something and the tire blew they would cover it under comprehensive.

I imagine that if any of my tires blow it will because I hit something. :)

[Snoking]

I have GEICO. I called them to ask about just this sort of problem and their answer was NO, they will not pay if the tire just blows up, they see that as poor user maintenance. They did say however if I ran over something and the tire blew they would cover it under comprehensive.

I imagine that if any of my tires blow it will because I hit something. :)

You need a better insurance company and/or agent. Have you talked to your agent?

[sourdough]

I have GEICO. I called them to ask about just this sort of problem and their answer was NO, they will not pay if the tire just blows up, they see that as poor user maintenance. They did say however if I ran over something and the tire blew they would cover it under comprehensive.

I imagine that if any of my tires blow it will because I hit something. :)


I have Geico as well. When mine blew I called them and told them I had a blowout and it had caused damage. They worked with the dealer and by the time I got there on the day the adjuster was to be there, he had already gone but left them with a check of right at $7k - no questions of any kind asked of me. Maybe it helped that I also tried to use them for roadside assistance (no one would come) when the "Trailer Aid" ramp doohickey wouldn't raise the trailer far enough (I now carry multiple bottle jacks etc.).

[Javi]

They won't cover the tire in your case... they will/should cover the damage to the trailer..

As noted... if you had hit something causing the tire to blow, they would buy you a new tire..

Note: I have Geico insurance

[notanlines]

We have Geico (44 years) and the subject of how the tires blew never came up. They cut a 9000 dollar check on the spot AND paid for two tires. A most excellent company!

[bill-e]

I've had GEICO for 40 plus years as well and keep them, though they are more expensive, because they are easy to deal with for a payout. I made this phone call last year and the agent I spoke to was very quick with her answer. She explained how (in their mind) most blowouts happen because the tire is under inflated, old r running at too great a speed and they would not pay for that. Maybe things have changed since last you guys used them for a tire or maybe the agent was incorrect.

[JRTJH]

That agent's statement doesn't make sense. If you're speeding and total your trailer, they'd pay, if you parked too close to the campfire and burned down your trailer, they'd pay, if you backed it into a tree, they'd pay. Not paying because "the tire might have been underinflated or you might have been towing too fast" goes against their "policy of payment" in all other situations.

I would check with another source at GEICO. The purpose of insurance is two fold. First to protect the owner's investment, but for those who finance their rig, to protect the bank's investment. Few banks would require insurance if it didn't pay for damages that affect their investment in the trailer...

I've found that every insurance company I've worked with will pay for damages to an RV by a blown tire through the comprehensive section of the policy (assuming you have comprehensive insurance on the rig). To the bank, it wouldn't matter if the trailer was damaged by a collision, a fire, a tree falling on it or a blown tire. If they have a loss of investment, that's why they require insurance paid for by the borrower. GEICO has always been "one of the easiest to work with" when it comes to cutting a check to pay for damages. My guess is that agent gave you some bad information. I'd recheck with someone else to confirm or get the correct answer

[flybouy]

I've had GEICO for 40 plus years as well and keep them, though they are more expensive, because they are easy to deal with for a payout. I made this phone call last year and the agent I spoke to was very quick with her answer. She explained how (in their mind) most blowouts happen because the tire is under inflated, old r running at too great a speed and they would not pay for that. Maybe things have changed since last you guys used them for a tire or maybe the agent was incorrect.

I've never heard of an insurance company refusing a payout for coverage stated in the policy on "maybe" or "should have, could have". They certainly can withhold payment pending an investigation and the time limit on that is typically dependent on the policy holder's state laws of residency.

[flybouy]

I have GEICO. I called them to ask about just this sort of problem and their answer was NO, they will not pay if the tire just blows up, they see that as poor user maintenance. They did say however if I ran over something and the tire blew they would cover it under comprehensive.

I imagine that if any of my tires blow it will because I hit something. :)

I don't think your agent is giving you good info. I you "run over something" I would think it would be the same "running INTO something" and be covered under the collision and not comprehensive. I'm no insurance expert by any means. My mother worked for the State Insurance Commissioner before retirement and my BIL is a certified fraud investigator so my knowledge is ancillary at best but having the two knowledgeable people in the family to explain these things to me have been a great help in helping understand our policies over the years. This has saved our family a tremendous amount of money and grief over the years. I would urge you to contact your states Insurance Commissioner's office (often a division of Labor and Industry) and ask them for clarification.