I’m just going to run this by the readers here. It’s my perception of the overall tire failure problem on RV trailers.
Tire manufacturers build tires to satisfy the needs of a extremely large vehicle manufacturing community. Once they have built the tire and it has successfully jumped all the hoops to DOT certification the tire manufacturer has satisfied their responsibility to the end users.
Vehicle manufacturers have the sole responsibility for selecting tires for their products. They select them by load capacity to meet the requirements of the vehicle they are earmarked for and then they set the recommended tire pressure to achieve the load capacity of that vehicle. Morally they can be held accountable for skimping but that is just what it is, a moral responsibility to their customers. They cannot be punished for providing tires that meet the criteria for the DOTs written regulations.
The DOT - with the additional regulations put into motion in 2007 - places the burden of safety right on the shoulders of vehicle owners. They give us everything needed to make sound safety decisions about our vehicles. They have tightened the rope on cargo weight disclosure and made provisions that requires manufacturers to make changes to the disclosure information as they add optional equipment or upgrades. They make it very clear that it’s the prospective owners responsibility to insure they are satisfied with their purchase prior to signing on the dotted line. It is written right in the existing DOT regulations that the buyer can have tires changed prior to signing for their purchase.
Remember, tires have a memory, no matter what their design might be. They remember all damage inflicted on them and no kind of bandage will stop that damage from being there. Most RV trailer purchasers have no idea of the tire history on their new trailer weather it is new or used. Remember, you trusted the dealer that sold you the rig with marginal tires on it. You also trusted that the delivery driver took good care of the tires on the way from the factory to the dealer. The dealer must have kept the tires properly aired, right? Ding, Ding!
FastEagle
