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Old 09-28-2019, 03:21 AM   #1
jerseyphil
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5 years on tires - MUST REPLACE

So, here goes my HORROR story!
This past July, my wife and I went on a cross-country trip...NJ to California and back.
OF COURSE, I read all the posts saying you must change your tires after 5 years, but being a smart *** that I am, I looked over the tires, saw NO cracks whatsoever, (I mean really scrutinized them), and decided to go with them.
BIG MISTAKE!
TWO BLOWOUTS LATER, near Carlisle, Pennsylvania, limping into a rest stop on a Sunday night, I assessed the damage. Significant damage.
Both plastic skirts....gone.
Body work on 1 side mangled.
In the wheel wells, the insulation torn out leaving the plywood bare underneath on both sides, since I had 1 blowout on each side.
Someone at the rest stop had a phone number of "John's Mobile RV Service".
Called them. They couldn't come out until Monday morning.
They came. Took all 5 wheels off my RV, brought them to their shop, put on FIVE 12-ply rated Gladiator tires (don't know how good they are, but they were the best they had).

At the next RV Park, I went to Lowes and bought a 4 x 8 sheet of 2" thick styrofoam and 3" wide gorilla tape. I repaired the underneath.

SO....BOTTOM LINE.
It doesn't matter how good your tires look, or how few miles are on them.
Don't be a jerk like I was. Be Smart.
FIVE YEARS - REPLACE THOSE TIRES.
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Old 09-28-2019, 04:14 AM   #2
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Phil, there are those who will follow your advice, and then there are those who will post these same stories as yours down the road. I also might change that time period to reflect more along the lines of three-four years unless the brand has the word 'King' in it. Then we swap to the word 'immediately!'
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Old 09-28-2019, 04:36 AM   #3
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Yep, very typical of a blowout event. Service life in my book is 3-5 years on ST tires, no matter the condition or miles. I like the insurance of replacing after a "3 seasons of use" mark. Prevention is instrumental with trailer tires.

Also to note, reserve carrying (load) capacity is something that can help mitigate failures as ST tires age. Having this reserve capacity will help a tire last through those service years.
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Old 09-28-2019, 05:22 AM   #4
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Thanks for your replies.

Phil
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Old 09-28-2019, 05:30 AM   #5
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Please post make/model of blown out tires.

Do you have a TPMS?

Thanks,
Lee
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Old 09-28-2019, 12:03 PM   #6
Ken / Claudia
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Also what was the build date on the tires? If you do not know they could have been years old already when you brought them.
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Old 09-28-2019, 01:03 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by busterbrown View Post
Yep, very typical of a blowout event. Service life in my book is 3-5 years on ST tires, no matter the condition or miles. I like the insurance of replacing after a "3 seasons of use" mark. Prevention is instrumental with trailer tires.

Also to note, reserve carrying (load) capacity is something that can help mitigate failures as ST tires age. Having this reserve capacity will help a tire last through those service years.
And that's why I went from load range E to F when I replaced my tires. Of course, I also had to buy new rims since the original ones weren't rated for the air pressure needed for the higher load range.
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Old 09-28-2019, 02:20 PM   #8
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Throughout the tire industry there are areas where one can research tire life expectancies and find feedback for 3-10 years. Those expectations differ with basic tire design such a Passenger, Light Truck and Special Trailer tires. Mileage tires seem the get the highest time limit recommendations.

Being an “age out” tire the Special Trailer tire (ST) was for many years given a 3-5 year life expectancy. The load it’s expected to support each day plays a significant role in just how long it’s going to last. Other factors are present such as being operated very close to its limit at speeds very close to its limit. They will degrade faster to a point they can no longer support the load they are carrying.

One of the factors in the life expectancy of ST tires is their low speed rating. It’s much better now than it was before the manufacturers added speed letters or MPH limit identifications on the tire sidewalls. Any ST tire without a speed identification displayed on its sidewall is mandated to a maximum speed of 65 MPH. The ST tire’s speed rating is telling us a little something about its ability to carry the load it’s designed to carry. That’s the tires maximum load shown on the tire sidewall. Properly inflated it will carry that load up to and including its speed restriction. Above that speed restriction the tire will start degrading and increase the percentage of degrading with every MPH above the limit.

The real bottom line is tire history and an owner’s knowledge of that history and how the tire was maintained.
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Old 09-28-2019, 07:28 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hblick48 View Post
And that's why I went from load range E to F when I replaced my tires. Of course, I also had to buy new rims since the original ones weren't rated for the air pressure needed for the higher load range.
I did something similar; went from a ST205/75/14 LRC tire to a ST225/75/15 LRE. Everything the frame rails has been changed out for something bigger and more robust (springs, axles, hangers, tires, and wheels). Failures with any of these components can be vacation ending when your 2500 miles away from home. I worry less now on the road.
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Old 09-28-2019, 11:38 PM   #10
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@ topicstarter.
Can you give me weight of TT ( its a TT???) . And specifications of tires.
Then I will calculate a safe pressure for you with my made extra safe calculator and system.
Give tirespecs of old and new then.


If tires have been damaged only once by overheating, they look fine, but mechanical forces distroy them slowly , until mayby only after 3 years, that much damage that they blow or treath seperation.

Additional methode to check the tires yourselfes, is to hammer the treath, and yudge the sound, if gavaties are underneath the surface.

Then together with a high enaugh tirepressure, 6 to 10 years after first use is possible.

If a professional checks them, question is , if he also only checkes the outside, so not better then you.
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Old 09-29-2019, 02:42 AM   #11
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I have to get some facts together before I fully reply to some of the questions. It is early Sunday morning here in NJ and still dark.

Some of the info re: tires that blew will embarrass me, but..... whatever.
I bought the 5th wheel RV, a 2011 Keystone Cougar 318SAB, in October, 2010. That means it is now 9 years old.
YES, the original tires, were the ones that blew. I told you it would be embarrassment. They were Towmax China bombs. I try to find better info on them. I think I wrote it down.
The 5th wheel was rated about 9200 lbs empty, so loaded up, I probably at 13 to 14 thousand lbs.

I get info on the new tires in a little while.
Thanks for the interest and comments by everyone.

Phil
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Old 09-29-2019, 02:45 AM   #12
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I just read my last reply.

My typing stinks. Sounds like I need some writing lessons.
And, English is my first and only language.
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Old 09-29-2019, 04:19 AM   #13
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Click image for larger version

Name:	Gladiator - 1.jpg
Views:	490
Size:	409.3 KB
ID:	23860

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Name:	Gladiator - 2.jpg
Views:	506
Size:	307.3 KB
ID:	23861
New tires - Gladiator ST235/80R16
12 PLY RATING / LOAD INDEX 125/121N

Tried to attach photos.
Don't know if it worked.
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Old 09-29-2019, 04:34 AM   #14
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Well looks like you learned a hard and expensive lesson. Thankfully no one was injured. I'm surprised you only lost 2 tires. When one tire fails a great deal of the load it was carrying get's transferred to the other tire(s). Keep us posted on how those new tires perform.
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Old 09-29-2019, 04:47 AM   #15
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YES - very hard and expensive lesson.
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Old 09-29-2019, 05:48 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jerseyphil View Post
I have to get some facts together before I fully reply to some of the questions. It is early Sunday morning here in NJ and still dark.

...I bought the 5th wheel RV, a 2011 Keystone Cougar 318SAB, in October, 2010. ...
The 5th wheel was rated about 9200 lbs empty, so loaded up, I probably at 13 to 14 thousand lbs...Phil
To set the record straight, here's the specs on the 2011 Cougar 318SAB from the Keystone website:
Empty weight: 9495
Cargo weight: 2485
Pin weight (empty): 1580

That would give a GVW of 11980

With these "facts", to state that the trailer was "probably at 13 to 14 thousand lbs" would mean that the trailer was significantly overloaded as well as being supported on "9 year old OEM tires"...

At this point, maybe it's all speculation, but I'd suggest a "true and accurate weight" before going much further. Why? Even with the strongest tires available, all you're doing, if you are exceeding the trailer GVW by as much as 2000 pounds, is moving the weakest link from the tires to another structural component.

The issue, IMHO, is to keep the trailer within its "design criteria and design limitations" not to "make things OK by assuring the new tires won't blow if the trailer is significantly overloaded beyond the GVW".....

If your trailer is "loaded to 13 or 14 thousand lbs" with a GVW of 11980, you're going to have troubles again, possibly in an area that causes significantly more damage than "just a blown tire and wheelwell damage". You could possibly break a pinbox, lose an axle at towing speed, have the trailer "break in the middle" from being overloaded, or heaven knows what.... I'd urge a CAT scale weight before going any further, hopefully your estimate of 13 or 14 thousand lbs is "way wrong".....

You have definitely "solved your tire problems" with such heavy duty tires, but what have you done for the "real problem of being overloaded" ???
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Old 09-29-2019, 07:37 AM   #17
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Attachment 23860

Attachment 23861
New tires - Gladiator ST235/80R16
12 PLY RATING / LOAD INDEX 125/121N

Tried to attach photos.
Don't know if it worked.
I had a set of gladiators only lasted 2 years the tread started to separate luckily I caught before a blowout, switched out for Saliun . I would keep an eye on them hopefully you wont have that problem with them.
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Old 09-29-2019, 08:42 AM   #18
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I compared the 235/80R16 in goodyear list .
Your tire is realy calculated in maxload for 87mph belonging to N speedrated.

The ST of Goodyear has 3960 lbs maxload is loadindex 128 so 3 li steps higher , so 3x10 kmph lower speed is 110 kmph 65mph is 104kmph.
The unisteel G614 in that same document is LT , calculated for 160 kmph/99mph. so would mean 2 LI steps lower , has 3415 lbs at 95 psi.
This is loadindex 123, so 2 li steps lower then yours, and so exactly in line with my determined system( 160-140 = 2x10kmph so 2 li steps lower.

So when I get your real weight, and there is still daubt about it, I can calculate a highest pressure with no screws bumping loose, and livetime of 6 to 10 years.

Your original tires lasted 9 years, so I understand.

.
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Old 09-29-2019, 10:58 AM   #19
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I don't know what the actual loaded weight was.
I just threw those numbers out there.
A scale would help.
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Old 09-29-2019, 11:07 AM   #20
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I'm afraid there will no formula that will convince me of a " livetime of 6 to 10 years" on ANY ST tire. YMMV
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