Beware of old ST tires!!

[amxpress]

SO I'm driving down I-26 heading to Charleston for work when I come upon a Jayco fiver sitting along the road. I pulled over and found the owner removing the right front tire on the Jayco that had blown, the tread ripped off and took out the fender, damaged the undercarriage a bit, and scratched the side of the fiver. They were 15" Denman ST tires made in Mexico. I checked the build date. 4807. The tires were 5 1/2 years old. He said he recently had his mechanic install Nitrogen in all 5 tires. That didn't do much good. He was installing the spare and I stopped him. The tread was split on it.
I told him the tires were over 5 years old, he said the tread was still good. I looked at the right rear tire and it was dry cracked and under inflated. He called a tire shop to come out and install a new tire. In the mean time, I went to the next exit and brought him back a business card for a local truck tire shop.
Moral of the story. ST tires age. Don't trust them just because they have good tread. Installing Nitrogen in old tires is a waste of money. Find a trust worthy mechanic that would have found the tread splitting in his spare. Properly inflate your tires!!!
Not a good way to start a vacation. I hope he and his family have a good time in Charleston, and he gets 4 new tires!

[MSGTRETIREDCSP]

Yes, I suppose I am nuts for doing that. Anyway, that's what came on this rig when it was manufactured. I know I was taking a chance, that's why I put TPMS on the trailer. I do plan on changing tires as soon as I get home. Weather or not I go with ST tires remains to be seen. We'll see. Safe travels.:)

[2oldman]

Buckeye Chuck wrote:
I looked it up. " A series of fine cracks on a material" (crazing)

Well I'll be.. I learned a new word.

[gpshemi]

I'm not sure I know the difference honestly, but the result was cracking along the side walls. I'd call it weather checking.

[shadows4]

Buckeye Chuck wrote:
I've used the term crazing before. Must be a senior term. LOL. I looked it up. " A series of fine cracks on a material"

Wow!!!!! That could be me...... LOL

[Buckeye_Chuck]

I've used the term crazing before. Must be a senior term. LOL. I looked it up. " A series of fine cracks on a material"

[Buckeye_Chuck]

I've used the term crazing before. Must be a senior term. LOL

[2oldman]

ReneeG wrote:
What is weather checked? Is that the crazing I mentioned?

Yes.. but I have never heard the term 'crazing.' It's cracking or checking.

[JohnBoyToo]

While we r waiting for that definition tell us what crazing is 🙂 🙂 🙂

[ReneeG]

gpshemi wrote:
Towmax...two seasons and they weather checked all the way around. I went to pull it out of storage on season three and was afraid to drive it to the tire shop. I put it up on blocks and took the tires in seperately. Towmax covered much of the cost of the new tires - Bridgestone Duravis R250's. Twice the tire by far. Lesson learned.

What is weather checked? Is that the crazing I mentioned?

[Atom_Ant]

ST tires are too old for a heavy 5th wheel after 24 hours.

It's not age that kills the ST tires, or the Marathon tires on my boat trailer would never have gone 11 years (18 years on the spare) without a problem. It's weight that kills the tires. Somewhere somebody flipped the wrong bead on the abacus to figure an ST tire can carry the massive weight on these RVs!

[Allworth]

LT

LT

LT

[larry_barnhart]

Me Again wrote:

MSGTRETIREDCSP wrote:
Amen brother! I have Mission Tires mfg in 2007. The tread is good and like many folks, I thought I would try to get one more trip in before replacing the tires. The tread is good, but I was noticing some aging around the edge of the tire.

The alarm on my TPMS went on and indicated the right rear tire was rapidly deflating. I got pulled over okay without any damage. The tread was starting to seperate. I got the tire replaced with another Chinese ST tire.

Will be going home this Friday. Hopefully I'll get there without any tire failure??? When I'm home, all the remaining tires will be replaced with new ST tires. NO MORE trying to get in that last trip.

You are very brave running ST tires on a Select Suites 5th wheel. Chris

I have had some visiting with him on his 36ft MS when My friend had the same fifthwheel for sale. My friends had E load Mission and one towmaster tire when he had it delivered from Minn to Az. I hope he does not buy ST tires and can afford to get up to G tires and wheels.


Of course it is none of my business to tell anybody what to do but I still hope for this result for them.
chevman

[Me_Again]

MSGTRETIREDCSP wrote:
Amen brother! I have Mission Tires mfg in 2007. The tread is good and like many folks, I thought I would try to get one more trip in before replacing the tires. The tread is good, but I was noticing some aging around the edge of the tire.

The alarm on my TPMS went on and indicated the right rear tire was rapidly deflating. I got pulled over okay without any damage. The tread was starting to seperate. I got the tire replaced with another Chinese ST tire.

Will be going home this Friday. Hopefully I'll get there without any tire failure??? When I'm home, all the remaining tires will be replaced with new ST tires. NO MORE trying to get in that last trip.

You are very brave running ST tires on a Select Suites 5th wheel. Chris

[gpshemi]

Towmax...two seasons and they weather checked all the way around. I went to pull it out of storage on season three and was afraid to drive it to the tire shop. I put it up on blocks and took the tires in seperately. Towmax covered much of the cost of the new tires - Bridgestone Duravis R250's. Twice the tire by far. Lesson learned.

[SteveB]

And don't forget to check the valve stems, too.