It's a Shame!

rbowen1063 wrote:
It's a shame RV manufactures (Keystone, specifically) resort to putting marginal tires, on their "luxury" fifth wheels. I realize it's a cost factor, but they are shooting themselves in the foot as far as I'm concern and ignoring any safety factor. Why not include an upgraded tire as an option? This is a serious problem!! If anyone is considering buy a new 5er, insist the dealer upgrade the tires to "F" or "G" rated. It will save you a lot of grief and expense in the future.

Welcome to the "Real World" !!

Many posters have already covered this "territory" with replies to your thread.
Also - *HOURS* (days?) of reading on the subject if you use the search feature and then the archives search feature.

But, here ya go:
"Why not include an upgraded tire......etc.?"

Some do. However, what is an "upgrade"?
One person's idea of an "upgrade" is another's version of "junk".
(Like the Westlake G rated tires)
Sooooo - the mfgr seeks bids for tires that meet the required weight of the trailer. And - plenty of "ammunition" to prove ST are what you should have.
Want something different - that meets YOUR specs? Negotiate with the dealer.
However that's just another "BOHICA" - you will save $ by replacing them yourself.
And - of course - there are plenty of folks happy as clams with their original factory equipped Maypops, and have thousands of happy miles on them.

Lawsuits ready to happen!!
Yeah right.
How deep are *your* pockets?

However, a law firm will take your (civil) case on contingency *if* they see an *excellent* chance of success.
Of course when the rubber meets the road (pun), the attorney will encourage you to settle. The judge will encourage "compromise" also.
That means you -and your atty- take whatever is offered and run.
The ruling will *not* be published.
It may take a couple of years to get to that outcome.

Win or lose - the tire mfgr has dozens of attys on the payroll ready to move to the next level and appeal. About $250. and one paragraph.
May take five (more) years before the case is heard on appeal.
Think your attorney is going to risk it?
If you're on your own hook -
you've already paid for his new Jag,
.......now you're going to buy his wife a new Benz?.:@

Moving on to the NHTSB.
Way, way understaffed.
Trailer tires are a niche business - not even a fly on the wall at NHTSB offices.
And of course they *do* meet the desired DOT specs for the intended application!

Chinese Tires -vs- USA mfg tires.
The tire mfgrs are well aware of the problems - and the majority avoid putting their name on ST tires.
Even when tire mfgrs (GY for example) produced ST tires in the USA, some sizes were produced only once a year. Resulted in the "product" being "new old stock".
More cost effective (and profitable) to ship ST production to China - with a creative brand name.

And - back to the lawsuits.
You won't find much info *unless* you Google various law firm's web sites.
Why?
Usually, a condition of a settlement (if there is one) is it's sealed.
Also, judges don't want to make case law.

However, in one of the cases that managed to make the press, if you Google "Goodyear Kept Tire Problems Quiet", you will find it's really *YOUR fault* tires fail..:(

Quote the GY rep's testimony:
"In every case customers were at fault. The tires failed because they were run with too little air, too heavy a load, too fast, too hot or too seldom; they were punctured and poorly repaired or they were driven over sharp objects."

Politics.
Republican or Democrat -
Bottom line.....big business will find a way. (Called "you pay", LOL!)
The import tax on Chinese tires by the current administration, simply means business as usual - you pay a bit more for the "off shore" tires.

So - either get those after market XPS Ribs or load range G tires of your choice ...
-or-
carefully run what it came with and ....
*DON'T* do what the GY rep says you do - and you'll be just fine!..:C


~