MileHigh said "I think it would be a pipe dream to believe that the RV industry is ever going to have the access to resources like the auto industry, as they just aren't even in the same league as far as volume of sales or industry might.
They don't need a staff of engineers. All they need to do is to look at how tires are sized & selected by large companies and follow their example but to do so would mean they would have to improve the "Quality" i.e. margin for speed & load over the bare minimums. And what would be their incentive?
Happier customers and better reputation. As long as tire manufacturers continue to produce the ST tire that meets their spec, and are willing to warranty their product, why would the RV industry care really.
Just because a company makes a product does not make it appropriate for all usage. Example steel with primer intended for indoor use work for a time on car body panel but with time it rusts. Car companies learned this in 1970 and had their clock cleaned by other car companies that developed better paint and rust proofing. How is car rust the paint companies fault when the selection of paint was made by the car mfg? Please tell me what part of the major tire manufacturer selection chart for a trailer explains this? Marathon I am an Engineer and I write specifications and I see no warnings in here that would lead me to another tire other than Marathon. In fact, for a fifth wheel only the Marathon and G614 are recommended.Why wouldn't the tire manufacturer take a more proactive role in offering an alternate tire specification that is more suitable for an RV,
They do. They are called LT tires Not according to the tire manufacturers Dealers! LT tires do not dissipate heat like an ST tire and are therefore not suitable for....blah blah, I'm sure you know the story, FE says it all the time. instead of just watching the money roll in and the Chinese tires come to port with your name on them, while you sit back and take the same posture as the tobacco industry "hey- we just make em, we don't tell people how to use them!"
If someone tried to remove ST type tires from the market the biggest complainers would be the RV mfg because they want cheap tires. Let them complain - that's what I mean by being proactive. Aren't you getting tired of warrantying them, investigating them (maybe that is your bread and butter, I don't know)? When keystone started putting heavier axles on their larger fleet in late 2006 (7K axles), the only US tire made that would meet the load range was a G614 - but wait..within 6 months the Goodyear Marathon line expanded with new heaver load capacities and larger tire sizes to accommodate, and soon the other manufacturers followed suit - tell me that isn't the Tire Manufacturer always looking out for themselves. What exactly do you think their intended market was? Snowmobile trailers?.In your own words, the ST tire might be a useable tire IF it was never driven over 50 mph and never abused, so why doesn't the tire specification, at least performance expectation, say just that.
The tires say MAX speed much like your engine says MAX RPM. If you choose to run your engine at and above the stated MAX RPM why is it the engine mfg fault when the engine fails. If your "red line is 4,500 and you run 4,450 would you expect the same life as if you were to run no higher than 3,800 with only occasional seconds at 4,450?I understand exactly where to find the maximum speed on the tire, but you said 50 mph! Most ST tires at least say 65, and I truly believe that given discussion on this forum, most of these rigs never see anything over 65, yet the maypop strikes even the most conservative.Instead, we got guys like FE over here that are convinced it is a criminal act to run anything but the exact ST tire the RV manufacturer put on the sticker in the left front!
No, I've seen too many instances on this forum alone where a guy takes better care of his tires than his wife on Valentines Day, TPMS, parking on boards, covering the tires, driving 60, and yet they pop like popcorn with no warning other than a puff of white dust in the mirror. It's not neglect by the owner,
How do you know the reason the tire failed? I have only seen 2 guys make the effort to understand the real technical reason for the failure. I have said before the zip code of the plant is not a technical reason. If it were we would see thousands of identical failure on all types of RVs not the random occurrence we actually see.I don't know the reason and I'm not convinced you do either. Your science seems to be bias to your company, and I understand that - we all need to get paid, but I have no bias and science works for me until it just doesn't pass the ho-ho test, then I start looking for errors with the application of the science. You will never convince me that ST tire failure is directly related to owner abuse. They are defective by nature and should be removed from the market entirely for anything beyond a 12" wheel. something is just plain wrong with the tire!
OK I ask for the third time, how about providing some data on how polyester melts at the flex line in the picture I posted when the tire is not run underinflated. Either the overseas zip code is pulling the wool over you guys and found a new disposal method for their hazardous waste (tell me we have always found their products to be pure), or they are not designed correctly for their market."
