Goodyear Blowout

[Chris_Bauer]

Yesterday, coming across IH 10 to San Antonio we experienced two blowouts on Goodyear ST185/80R13. Both were about an hour apart and both on the street side. The first we heard a slight pop and knew what had happened. The second we had no idea until someone pulled up along side us. This is a 3326 with double axle. I had one spare, the other we had to leave the trailer and head to a Walmart in Boerne. They only had an ST 175 and it was a Carlisle. That got us to San Antonio. Now, the big question. What could have caused two blowouts, the tires appear to be in good condition. I have one of the blownout tires which I will take to Western Auto to examine and then take the trailer when we leave on Tuesday to have all tires examined and determine what to do next. This is long and windy but are we using the right tires? Any recommendations before we head out again?

P.S. The trip has been great from McAllen to Fort Davis, will post some great photos later this week.

[G-V_Driver]

I'm no expert, but when we were initially looking at TM's it was apparent that some of them had tire problems. The more I followed up, the more it appeared that the 2-axle models had more problems than the single-axle models; just the opposite of what might normally be expected.

Then one of the TM old-timers told me that it was because the original 2-axle tires had fewer plys. He said that among his friends and acquaintances in the Colorado area, where there are a number of trailers and at least one very knowledgable dealer, that the heavier ply tires had solved most of the problems.

I'm not sure if this is the correct answer for any or all of the TM's, but it is a logical answer and is consistent with the answer that was proven (by an exhaustive testing process) for one of the business jets a few years back.

[BOB_STRONG]

Chris,

Sorry to hear about your tire problems. As you know, we are on our 2nd 3326 king TrailManor, and knock on wood, we have never had a tire failure. I better not say that too loud!!! I was told by a tire expert that trailer tires should be replaced every 4 years. After that time span, you are taking a big chance because of dry rot. The sun and heat are real killers on the tires. I know that you bought your 3326 King used, and these could still be the original tires.

Also, I always inflate the tires to the maximum as stated on the side walls (50psi). We had Goodyears on both trailers, and that was the suggested inflation for maximum load.

I would say that maybe it was a combination of age and inflation since you didn't say what you had the tires inflated to.

If you check the walls of the tires, there are numbers that tell when the tire was manufactured. You might be shocked at the age of the tires. I would check out the other 2 tires on the road side for their age as well as inflation. To get an accurate reading, make sure you check them when they are cold, and not been driven on.

Hope this gives you some insight. Please let me know what you find out

Bob Strong

[Chris_Bauer]

Thanks guys. You're right Bob, they may be the original tires and I will check the date, my unit is a 1999. I do keep them inflated to 50 psi.

I will let you know my findings and the brand that I choose in the next day or two. I want this resolved before heading back to the border.

[Denny_A]

Chris,

When a tire blows out on a dual axle configured vehicle,the remaining tire takes 100% of the load until the vehicle is stopped. If the tire is rated to carry 1820 lbs, and is suddenly carrying a few hundred lbs more than the max, its life can be seriously degraded. An older tire will be affected more than a new one.

Since the second tire failed later (the one which carried the extra weight), that means you are now running another tire which carried the streetside load(the spare?) for - how long? Since you had to be advised of the 2nd failed tire, the damage, if any, is unknowable. You may have another tire with overstress damage.

When any tire on one of my company's airplanes failed, it was always mandatory to replace the other tire, of any dual wheel setup, for the reasons mentioned above.

OTOH, if the weight of the trailer was such that the single tire limit wasn't exceeded (or exceeded only slightly), then - nevermind!

Denny_A

[Chris_Bauer]

Denny, good point and it makes a lot of sense. I will get my answer today. I was commenting to friends that this is a good learning experience. Fortunately, no damage was done to the trailer and no one was hurt.

A few points of interest:

I always checked the pressure on my spare but without removing it. Bad idea. Get to know your spare and how to remove it. The bolts that hold my spare are about six inches long and I could not remove the lugs with the tire iron. A pair of pliers were not very helpful but did the trick.

Second, my spare had a key lock which I took for granted was the same as the TM keys. Wrong. I had no key and had to pop the lock off before getting to the spare. It was easy and presented no problem.

Third, my flashlights were in the TM along with some tools. Lucky for us all of this took place during daylight.

I was a Boy Scout who has always believed in being prepared. Shame on me, I guess I need to go back and visit that valuable manual. Bottom line, I made too many assumptions and will now be more aware. GET TO KNOW YOUR SPARE TIRE. IT LOOKS PRETTY SITTING BACK THERE BUT MAKE SURE IT WORKS FOR YOU :o.

[JTorsrud]

Hello Folks:

If I'm not mistaking here, the newer models of the 3326 use 14 inch tires.

In the first post, I see Chris had 13 inch tires. Plus, the comment on the higher ply tires. This may be why TM went to 14 inch tires on the newer units.

While it might cost a little more, use the highest Ply you can get for your application.

My experience with our JAYCO trailer with twin axles and 15 inch tires was to check the tires about every 1500 miles or so for any unusual wear. Also, what Bob Strong said about replacing the tires every 4 years, very good point. This is one area not to be cheap in, replace all 4 tires at once, just like on a car!

Safety should never be compromised.

You all take care.

Jeff

[JTorsrud]

Chris:

I did a little research today on the Goodyear Website:

http://www.goodyear.com/rv/pdf/rv_inflation.pdf

Check out the above link!

You might want to consider going to a 14 inch tire on the 3326. The load factor by inflation of the tire increases significantly over the 13 inch tires you are running now.

I know, you would have buy new rims and all. But, this is one of the reasons TM has gone to the 14 inch tires on the new 3326 trailers.

TrailManor may be able to assist you with the problem also.

Anyway, take care and have a Happy and Safe New Year Camping with your TM.

Jeff

[Chris_Bauer]

Thanks guys. I think before the Spring break trip I will go to 14 inch rims. I ended up buying two Goodyear Marathons which, by the way, were the only two to be found in San Antonio without waiting for a couple of days. We made it home safely and this will be my new project.

Thanks again to all and a Happy New Year.

[2619PDX]

Chris:
Sorry to hear about your tire problems. First, I too picked up on your 13" tire size. The current TM spec if I read thier literature correctly is 14" tires... I would recommend you upgrade all 5 tires and wheels to 14" ASAP. It'll help with the load as well...

Next BOTH tires on the same side blew... Hmmm - Was the weight balanced out during your trip? If for some reason, you had weak tires AND a slight overloading, that may have resulted in your blow out problems...

If these were older tires, it could have been thier time to go... I do agree with the overloading on the odd tire that remains in service after one blows...

Next, carefully check your hubs now and the bearings. Suggest you repack the bearings on boths sides asap.

Hope this helps!

Gregg

[JTorsrud]

Hi Chris:

A note on the bearing repacking.

You might want to check with the TM Factory if you're gonna upgrade to the larger rims. I don't know what year they made the change over, but the newer 3326 models and I suspect all newer TM models now have Grease Fitting installed for easier maintenance.

Just a thought.

Take Care.

Jeff

[Chris_Bauer]

Thanks all. This is the next order of business when I return to the border. The blowouts occurred because of a combination of errors. Older tires, possibly a poor tire gauge (I have tried three different guages at the same reading and all are different), and the second most probably happened as a result of carrying the load for a short time on one tire while the first had blown.

I am checking with the factory this week on the 14" rims and will follow up here with the info.