Speed and blown tires
Another thought I had while driving home today again from our holiday camping trip up north. I posted about driving to fast and not surprisingly I was told I was going to fast at 68mph even though I ...
Forum Discussion
Three main things will contribute to a "blowout" on ST tires - exceeding max. speed rating of the tire, towing under-inflated or towing over-loaded or any combination thereof. These 3 factors result in overheating that damages the internal structure of a tire.
Then there are other things like physical impact damage from hitting potholes that can break the belts and weaken a tire or picking up a piece of metal from say driving on road shoulders. Some manufacturers provide too low a reserve load capacity and reduce it's ability to handle internal heat. UV rays can damage tires. Using ST tires after 5 +/- years is another factor.
If you want to minimize the chances of a blowout, treat the max. speed rating like a redline (I go by our GPS, not the speedo). Go to a scale and weigh your trailer, including side to side and each axle and compare to the tire's load rating. Periodically check tire pressure on a trip (before hitting the road) and before you leave home and also inspect for anything unusual looking. Keep ST tires inflated (cold) to the sidewall max at all times.
Blaming a tire brand or country of origin for a blowout is pointless as you will never ever know the exact history of tires and how they were treated.
RVtiresafety.net is an excellent source of RV tire info. from a retired tire engineer.
Sadly, RV manufacturers or dealers never tell you how to treat the tires.
Then there are other things like physical impact damage from hitting potholes that can break the belts and weaken a tire or picking up a piece of metal from say driving on road shoulders. Some manufacturers provide too low a reserve load capacity and reduce it's ability to handle internal heat. UV rays can damage tires. Using ST tires after 5 +/- years is another factor.
If you want to minimize the chances of a blowout, treat the max. speed rating like a redline (I go by our GPS, not the speedo). Go to a scale and weigh your trailer, including side to side and each axle and compare to the tire's load rating. Periodically check tire pressure on a trip (before hitting the road) and before you leave home and also inspect for anything unusual looking. Keep ST tires inflated (cold) to the sidewall max at all times.
Blaming a tire brand or country of origin for a blowout is pointless as you will never ever know the exact history of tires and how they were treated.
RVtiresafety.net is an excellent source of RV tire info. from a retired tire engineer.
Sadly, RV manufacturers or dealers never tell you how to treat the tires.
