Breakdown Information
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RV particulars: 1983 Pace Arrow 29’
Driveline: 454 dual fuel – gasoline or propane
Miles: 45,000
Year: The coach is an ’83; it happened in 2004
Break Down Description: A seven-year-old right rear inner tire blew on I-15 at 55 mph, 30 miles from home.
Symptoms: Whap-whap-whap of the tread destroying the wheel-well area of the RV.
Effect: No loss of control; had to pull over.
Cause: I was a newbie at class-A RVs, and had no clue about retiring tires that were older than 6 years. The tires were old Michelin X’s, made in 1997, with a good deal of tread but also a good deal of checkering and cracks. The tread separated and lashed out with every revolution of the wheel.
Outcome: The flapping tire chopped off the end of the tailpipe, severed the filler hose to the gas tank and ripped the gas cap assembly off the side of the RV. It cut a bundle of wires going to running lights and cut the fuel line to the generator.
Then it ripped out the metal underfloor, the rigid foam insulation above it and pushed up a section of plywood floor about 3 inches into the coach (it was in a storage area). In the storage area I had two tool boxes, one plastic which now is full of cracks, and the other metal which now has an inward dent in the bottom.
The vibration caused existing cracks in the very old rubber fuel line to the engine to begin to leak. But I didn’t notice that until we got home and wondered why gas drizzled off the frame whenever the engine was running.
My undercarriage inspection also revealed a broken shock mount bolt on the rear, opposite the damage. Don’t know how long that’d been like that.
Being a do-it-yourselfer (you have to be with a 25 year old RV) I have since repaired the damage; I replaced the filler hose and exhaust tip, dropped the gas tank and replaced all the rubber lines, repaired the shock mount bolt, salvaged a gas cap assembly from an old Chevy Suburban, and fixed the floor and insulation of the RV.
And I got six brand new tires.
Driveline: 454 dual fuel – gasoline or propane
Miles: 45,000
Year: The coach is an ’83; it happened in 2004
Break Down Description: A seven-year-old right rear inner tire blew on I-15 at 55 mph, 30 miles from home.
Symptoms: Whap-whap-whap of the tread destroying the wheel-well area of the RV.
Effect: No loss of control; had to pull over.
Cause: I was a newbie at class-A RVs, and had no clue about retiring tires that were older than 6 years. The tires were old Michelin X’s, made in 1997, with a good deal of tread but also a good deal of checkering and cracks. The tread separated and lashed out with every revolution of the wheel.
Outcome: The flapping tire chopped off the end of the tailpipe, severed the filler hose to the gas tank and ripped the gas cap assembly off the side of the RV. It cut a bundle of wires going to running lights and cut the fuel line to the generator.
Then it ripped out the metal underfloor, the rigid foam insulation above it and pushed up a section of plywood floor about 3 inches into the coach (it was in a storage area). In the storage area I had two tool boxes, one plastic which now is full of cracks, and the other metal which now has an inward dent in the bottom.
The vibration caused existing cracks in the very old rubber fuel line to the engine to begin to leak. But I didn’t notice that until we got home and wondered why gas drizzled off the frame whenever the engine was running.
My undercarriage inspection also revealed a broken shock mount bolt on the rear, opposite the damage. Don’t know how long that’d been like that.
Being a do-it-yourselfer (you have to be with a 25 year old RV) I have since repaired the damage; I replaced the filler hose and exhaust tip, dropped the gas tank and replaced all the rubber lines, repaired the shock mount bolt, salvaged a gas cap assembly from an old Chevy Suburban, and fixed the floor and insulation of the RV.
And I got six brand new tires.
