tow max tire failure

[thesenator]

anyone out there having trouble with les tow max tires. I have a 2010 wildcat 5th wheel. in the last 2 years I have replaced 4 tires due to separation. everything is alig correct no excess weight. dealer keeps telling me they sell thousands. when asked how many have they replaced. no response tire size st235/80r-16/10. the last tire separation happened only 45 day from being installed. there telling me the 45 day tie is not separated. nothing like going down thw highway waiting for a blow out. iam ready to try geo star LT 235/85R16/14. any input would be helpful.

[handsome51]

NC Hauler wrote:

ReneeG wrote:
Time will tell for sure. As did our last ones that lasted 4 years.

Ask yourself , is it worth the damage to the wheel well and side of your 5th wheel to take a chance on the china towmax tires. You were lucky the first go around. Their is to many people out their that were not that lucky. I was lucky in a sense. I noticed the problem when we got to the campground at the casino. I took care of the right side then. What I forgot to tell you was in the short trip back to the house. The two towmax tires on the left side started to grow in the middle. All it cost me was the cost of 5 new XP Ribbs and the one new china made spare I bought at the casino to get home. But that is a lot cheaper then not only buying the tires but having to repair the right side of the 5th Wheel. So in that sense I considered me lucky.
I hope you are also lucky on this set of Towmax tires. If you are, buy some good tires next time like the XP Ribs. Like the saying goes, you get what you pay for. Or like they say: pay me now or pay me later.

[ReneeG]

NC Hauler wrote:

ReneeG wrote:

NC Hauler wrote:

ReneeG wrote:

NC Hauler wrote:

ReneeG wrote:
Time will tell for sure. As did our last ones that lasted 4 years.

Would it do any good to give you the name of the national RV tire experts that are all over the web? No, you've got it in your mind to believe what you want.

Yes it would be perfect for you to give the "national" RV tire expert(s) that are "all over the web"....a lot of so called "experts" on the web doesn't mean much unless they can PROVE they are just that, "tire expert"..We have several experts on this forum whom I would trust due to their expertise in the tire field and I too know a little about the industry as one of the products my company produces is tires/ I believe in data...I believe in facts, not "hear say".

Your 5er has a GVW of 14,000#. I would think it has 6,000# weight rated axles, "E" rated tires, I personally would have went with a Michelin XPS RIB (pricey, but how can one put a price on safety and peace of mind), or the Duravis R250 (believe that's correct, "me again" could correct me if wrong)...two tires far more robust than the Tow Max tires, don't believe me, go to a tire store, pick up a Tow Max tire like you have o your 5er and check sidewall thickness, see how heavy it is..now pick up a Michelin XPS RIB and check ridigity of the sidewall...proof is in the pudding:)

We've weighed ours fully loaded and it's no where near that, does have 6K axles and E tires. As for the expert, he's been mentioned here many times - Roger Marble at http://www.rvtiresafety.com/. We do believe our dealership as well, the service manager used to be in the tire business and he too provided his advice.

I only stated 14,000# GVW signifying the 6,000# axles...If I were running "E" rated tires, I would replace OEM with Michelin XPS RIBS, again, quite a bit more expensive then the tires you've referenced, but I know quite a bit factually about both tires and would go with the RIBS anyday over the Tow Max tires, but again, that's based on some pretty valuable data also...Glad your's work for you and hope they will continue to do so.

I do too. We can only go on the advice we were provided at this point. Thanks for the advice. I too believe in the best, we have a BD3 hitch after all, so we shall see.

Don't particularly agree that the BD3 hitch is "the best" just because it cost so much, but it would back my philosophy on tires....you get what you pay for, ie Michelin XPS RIBS compared to the Tow Max tires

I can respect that you have a different opinion and that's ok. That's what keeps businesses in business.

[ReneeG]

NC Hauler wrote:

ReneeG wrote:

NC Hauler wrote:

ReneeG wrote:
Time will tell for sure. As did our last ones that lasted 4 years.

Would it do any good to give you the name of the national RV tire experts that are all over the web? No, you've got it in your mind to believe what you want.

Yes it would be perfect for you to give the "national" RV tire expert(s) that are "all over the web"....a lot of so called "experts" on the web doesn't mean much unless they can PROVE they are just that, "tire expert"..We have several experts on this forum whom I would trust due to their expertise in the tire field and I too know a little about the industry as one of the products my company produces is tires/ I believe in data...I believe in facts, not "hear say".

Your 5er has a GVW of 14,000#. I would think it has 6,000# weight rated axles, "E" rated tires, I personally would have went with a Michelin XPS RIB (pricey, but how can one put a price on safety and peace of mind), or the Duravis R250 (believe that's correct, "me again" could correct me if wrong)...two tires far more robust than the Tow Max tires, don't believe me, go to a tire store, pick up a Tow Max tire like you have o your 5er and check sidewall thickness, see how heavy it is..now pick up a Michelin XPS RIB and check ridigity of the sidewall...proof is in the pudding:)

We've weighed ours fully loaded and it's no where near that, does have 6K axles and E tires. As for the expert, he's been mentioned here many times - Roger Marble at http://www.rvtiresafety.com/. We do believe our dealership as well, the service manager used to be in the tire business and he too provided his advice.

On finding out who Roger Marble is (Tireman9, didn't recognize the name at first), I respect his opinions , but as far as a dealership or service manager , not really.....

I understand how you feel but if you knew ours, you'd agree.

[NC_Hauler]

ReneeG wrote:

NC Hauler wrote:

ReneeG wrote:

NC Hauler wrote:

ReneeG wrote:
Time will tell for sure. As did our last ones that lasted 4 years.

Would it do any good to give you the name of the national RV tire experts that are all over the web? No, you've got it in your mind to believe what you want.

Yes it would be perfect for you to give the "national" RV tire expert(s) that are "all over the web"....a lot of so called "experts" on the web doesn't mean much unless they can PROVE they are just that, "tire expert"..We have several experts on this forum whom I would trust due to their expertise in the tire field and I too know a little about the industry as one of the products my company produces is tires/ I believe in data...I believe in facts, not "hear say".

Your 5er has a GVW of 14,000#. I would think it has 6,000# weight rated axles, "E" rated tires, I personally would have went with a Michelin XPS RIB (pricey, but how can one put a price on safety and peace of mind), or the Duravis R250 (believe that's correct, "me again" could correct me if wrong)...two tires far more robust than the Tow Max tires, don't believe me, go to a tire store, pick up a Tow Max tire like you have o your 5er and check sidewall thickness, see how heavy it is..now pick up a Michelin XPS RIB and check ridigity of the sidewall...proof is in the pudding:)

We've weighed ours fully loaded and it's no where near that, does have 6K axles and E tires. As for the expert, he's been mentioned here many times - Roger Marble at http://www.rvtiresafety.com/. We do believe our dealership as well, the service manager used to be in the tire business and he too provided his advice.

I only stated 14,000# GVW signifying the 6,000# axles...If I were running "E" rated tires, I would replace OEM with Michelin XPS RIBS, again, quite a bit more expensive then the tires you've referenced, but I know quite a bit factually about both tires and would go with the RIBS anyday over the Tow Max tires, but again, that's based on some pretty valuable data also...Glad your's work for you and hope they will continue to do so.

I do too. We can only go on the advice we were provided at this point. Thanks for the advice. I too believe in the best, we have a BD3 hitch after all, so we shall see.

Don't particularly agree that the BD3 hitch is "the best" just because it cost so much, but it would back my philosophy on tires....you get what you pay for, ie Michelin XPS RIBS compared to the Tow Max tires

[NC_Hauler]

ReneeG wrote:

NC Hauler wrote:

ReneeG wrote:
Time will tell for sure. As did our last ones that lasted 4 years.

Would it do any good to give you the name of the national RV tire experts that are all over the web? No, you've got it in your mind to believe what you want.

Yes it would be perfect for you to give the "national" RV tire expert(s) that are "all over the web"....a lot of so called "experts" on the web doesn't mean much unless they can PROVE they are just that, "tire expert"..We have several experts on this forum whom I would trust due to their expertise in the tire field and I too know a little about the industry as one of the products my company produces is tires/ I believe in data...I believe in facts, not "hear say".

Your 5er has a GVW of 14,000#. I would think it has 6,000# weight rated axles, "E" rated tires, I personally would have went with a Michelin XPS RIB (pricey, but how can one put a price on safety and peace of mind), or the Duravis R250 (believe that's correct, "me again" could correct me if wrong)...two tires far more robust than the Tow Max tires, don't believe me, go to a tire store, pick up a Tow Max tire like you have o your 5er and check sidewall thickness, see how heavy it is..now pick up a Michelin XPS RIB and check ridigity of the sidewall...proof is in the pudding:)

We've weighed ours fully loaded and it's no where near that, does have 6K axles and E tires. As for the expert, he's been mentioned here many times - Roger Marble at http://www.rvtiresafety.com/. We do believe our dealership as well, the service manager used to be in the tire business and he too provided his advice.

On finding out who Roger Marble is (Tireman9, didn't recognize the name at first), I respect his opinions , but as far as a dealership or service manager , not really.....

[ReneeG]

NC Hauler wrote:

ReneeG wrote:

NC Hauler wrote:

ReneeG wrote:
Time will tell for sure. As did our last ones that lasted 4 years.

Would it do any good to give you the name of the national RV tire experts that are all over the web? No, you've got it in your mind to believe what you want.

Yes it would be perfect for you to give the "national" RV tire expert(s) that are "all over the web"....a lot of so called "experts" on the web doesn't mean much unless they can PROVE they are just that, "tire expert"..We have several experts on this forum whom I would trust due to their expertise in the tire field and I too know a little about the industry as one of the products my company produces is tires/ I believe in data...I believe in facts, not "hear say".

Your 5er has a GVW of 14,000#. I would think it has 6,000# weight rated axles, "E" rated tires, I personally would have went with a Michelin XPS RIB (pricey, but how can one put a price on safety and peace of mind), or the Duravis R250 (believe that's correct, "me again" could correct me if wrong)...two tires far more robust than the Tow Max tires, don't believe me, go to a tire store, pick up a Tow Max tire like you have o your 5er and check sidewall thickness, see how heavy it is..now pick up a Michelin XPS RIB and check ridigity of the sidewall...proof is in the pudding:)

We've weighed ours fully loaded and it's no where near that, does have 6K axles and E tires. As for the expert, he's been mentioned here many times - Roger Marble at http://www.rvtiresafety.com/. We do believe our dealership as well, the service manager used to be in the tire business and he too provided his advice.

I only stated 14,000# GVW signifying the 6,000# axles...If I were running "E" rated tires, I would replace OEM with Michelin XPS RIBS, again, quite a bit more expensive then the tires you've referenced, but I know quite a bit factually about both tires and would go with the RIBS anyday over the Tow Max tires, but again, that's based on some pretty valuable data also...Glad your's work for you and hope they will continue to do so.

I do too. We can only go on the advice we were provided at this point. Thanks for the advice. I too believe in the best, we have a BD3 hitch after all, so we shall see.

[NC_Hauler]

ReneeG wrote:

NC Hauler wrote:

ReneeG wrote:
Time will tell for sure. As did our last ones that lasted 4 years.

Would it do any good to give you the name of the national RV tire experts that are all over the web? No, you've got it in your mind to believe what you want.

Yes it would be perfect for you to give the "national" RV tire expert(s) that are "all over the web"....a lot of so called "experts" on the web doesn't mean much unless they can PROVE they are just that, "tire expert"..We have several experts on this forum whom I would trust due to their expertise in the tire field and I too know a little about the industry as one of the products my company produces is tires/ I believe in data...I believe in facts, not "hear say".

Your 5er has a GVW of 14,000#. I would think it has 6,000# weight rated axles, "E" rated tires, I personally would have went with a Michelin XPS RIB (pricey, but how can one put a price on safety and peace of mind), or the Duravis R250 (believe that's correct, "me again" could correct me if wrong)...two tires far more robust than the Tow Max tires, don't believe me, go to a tire store, pick up a Tow Max tire like you have o your 5er and check sidewall thickness, see how heavy it is..now pick up a Michelin XPS RIB and check ridigity of the sidewall...proof is in the pudding:)

We've weighed ours fully loaded and it's no where near that, does have 6K axles and E tires. As for the expert, he's been mentioned here many times - Roger Marble at http://www.rvtiresafety.com/. We do believe our dealership as well, the service manager used to be in the tire business and he too provided his advice.

I only stated 14,000# GVW signifying the 6,000# axles...If I were running "E" rated tires, I would replace OEM with Michelin XPS RIBS, again, quite a bit more expensive then the tires you've referenced, but I know quite a bit factually about both tires and would go with the RIBS anyday over the Tow Max tires, but again, that's based on some pretty valuable data also...Glad your's work for you and hope they will continue to do so.

[ReneeG]

NC Hauler wrote:

ReneeG wrote:
Time will tell for sure. As did our last ones that lasted 4 years.

Would it do any good to give you the name of the national RV tire experts that are all over the web? No, you've got it in your mind to believe what you want.

Yes it would be perfect for you to give the "national" RV tire expert(s) that are "all over the web"....a lot of so called "experts" on the web doesn't mean much unless they can PROVE they are just that, "tire expert"..We have several experts on this forum whom I would trust due to their expertise in the tire field and I too know a little about the industry as one of the products my company produces is tires/ I believe in data...I believe in facts, not "hear say".

Your 5er has a GVW of 14,000#. I would think it has 6,000# weight rated axles, "E" rated tires, I personally would have went with a Michelin XPS RIB (pricey, but how can one put a price on safety and peace of mind), or the Duravis R250 (believe that's correct, "me again" could correct me if wrong)...two tires far more robust than the Tow Max tires, don't believe me, go to a tire store, pick up a Tow Max tire like you have o your 5er and check sidewall thickness, see how heavy it is..now pick up a Michelin XPS RIB and check ridigity of the sidewall...proof is in the pudding:)

We've weighed ours fully loaded and it's no where near that, does have 6K axles and E tires. As for the expert, he's been mentioned here many times - Roger Marble at http://www.rvtiresafety.com/. We do believe our dealership as well, the service manager used to be in the tire business and he too provided his advice.

[NC_Hauler]

ReneeG wrote:
Time will tell for sure. As did our last ones that lasted 4 years.

Would it do any good to give you the name of the national RV tire experts that are all over the web? No, you've got it in your mind to believe what you want.

Yes it would be perfect for you to give the "national" RV tire expert(s) that are "all over the web"....a lot of so called "experts" on the web doesn't mean much unless they can PROVE they are just that, "tire expert"..We have several experts on this forum whom I would trust due to their expertise in the tire field and I too know a little about the industry as one of the products my company produces is tires/ I believe in data...I believe in facts, not "hear say".

Your 5er has a GVW of 14,000#. I would think it has 6,000# weight rated axles, "E" rated tires, I personally would have went with a Michelin XPS RIB (pricey, but how can one put a price on safety and peace of mind), or the Duravis R250 (believe that's correct, "me again" could correct me if wrong)...two tires far more robust than the Tow Max tires, don't believe me, go to a tire store, pick up a Tow Max tire like you have o your 5er and check sidewall thickness, see how heavy it is..now pick up a Michelin XPS RIB and check ridigity of the sidewall...proof is in the pudding:)

[ReneeG]

Time will tell for sure. As did our last ones that lasted 4 years.

Would it do any good to give you the name of the national RV tire experts that are all over the web? No, you've got it in your mind to believe what you want.

[wrgrs50s]

NC HAULER hit the nail on the head.

Anyone that sells any product is not likely to tell you that what they are selling is no good.

I hope for your sake RENEEG, that your luck is better than most but I have a feeling you will have regrets with your towmax in time.

[NC_Hauler]

ReneeG wrote:
Tim, Aware of the damage that can happen when tire tread separates, which is what happened to us. Insurance comprehensive took care of it. After showing the tires to a national RV tire expert, to our RV dealer, and to our local tire shop, all experts, I can agree that the condition of the tires was expected for the age of them and how we used them. Bottom line, it could've been prevented by us. We are taking a different approach this time, but again with the warranty provided by the tire shop and opinions on the tires by our RV dealership (well respected in this area) and the national RV tire expert, both DH and I are comfortable with what we have.

Interesting that Maxxis is highly regarded. Our last RV came with Maxxis. We bought it brand new and within 2 years, the tires were showing signs of aging and cracking on the sidewalls and those tires had been manufactured the same year as the TT. We had to replace them.

Don't know who the so called "experts" were that stated tow max was a good, reliable tire...sounds to me like they only know about China manufactured ST tires and are cluless about a good tire. IF talking an "E" rated tire, I'd take Michelin RIBS ..If talking G rated tires, I'd go GY G614 or the Sailun S657 tire (a China tire that is ACTuALLY a quality product, unlike the TowMax tires...)

RV dealers would be the LAST place I'd ask about tires, and the LAST place I'd purchase them due to the high cost. The Towmax tires may work ok on a light weight TT or a light weight 5er...maybe, but other than that, they're pretty much China made "may pop;s" and I wouldn't use them on a TT or 5er with a GVW over 11,000#...

All one has to do is do a search and one can read actual reviews, (almost all bad), on Towmax tires.....Were all these "experts" self proclaimed, or did you just think they were becasue they recommended the Tow Max tires?

[handsome51]

Did you report the tire failure? That to me sounds like true tire failure. Problem with a lot of reports here is that no one reports the problems. If the manufacturers don't know they can't fix the problem and there are no statistics. For us, we truly had a legitimate problem with the age of the tire so we didn't report it. I was told to keep a copy of the DOT's on hand, so that if they failed prematurely, I'd have a reference to report them, and you bet I would. Not reporting the problems is kind of like having a bad neighbor. Rather than dealing with it head on, you move. The poor next guy has to deal with it.




I found out through the carriage forum that their was a few people that had good luck with the towmax tires. But their were more that did not. I try to stay away from anything made in china if I can. The problem is not where it is made but that their seems to be no quality control in china like their should be. A good example is when I put a aux. fuel tank in front of my tail gate. I put a electric fuel pump to help move the fuel. I had used this type of pump since the late 60s and never had a problem with one. 9month later on a trip the fuel pump failed. Well I said things do fail. So I carried a spare and installed it. 9 months later it failed on a trip and I put the spare on. I looked and the pump was made in china. When I got home I got on the internet and found a fuel pump just like what I was using except it said made in USA. I did not wait for the one I put on during the trip to fail again. I put the made in USA pump on. That was in the first of 2008 . I still have the same pump on the truck and it works great. That is why I try to stay away from made in china if I can. You might pay a few dollars more for something made in the USA. But you only have to buy it once.

[ReneeG]

handsome51 wrote:

ReneeG wrote:

handsome51 wrote:
I bought a 2006 carriage 5th wheel new and it came with tow max tires. I made up my mind if I had problems with one tire they all would go. Had 7,000 miles on the tires when the two on the right side were growing . The back one also had a bubble on the inside side wall. What got my attention is my shock would not fit between the tires is what got me looking. I replaced all 5 tires with XP Ribs. Have not had a tire problem since

7,000 miles? How many years is that, seasons?

I took delivery in Sept.2006 and in Sept 2007 I was 137 miles from the house in Louisana at a casio when I had the tire problem. I put the spare on and bought another china made tire to get me back to the house. While I was in Lousiana I called my tire guy and ordered 5 XP Ribs. By the end of the week I had 5 good tires on the trailer. I am on the 2nd set of XP Ribs now. I replace the tires every 5 years by the date on the tire. That is cheaper then getting the trailer repaired plus buying tires.

Did you report the tire failure? That to me sounds like true tire failure. Problem with a lot of reports here is that no one reports the problems. If the manufacturers don't know they can't fix the problem and there are no statistics. For us, we truly had a legitimate problem with the age of the tire so we didn't report it. I was told to keep a copy of the DOT's on hand, so that if they failed prematurely, I'd have a reference to report them, and you bet I would. Not reporting the problems is kind of like having a bad neighbor. Rather than dealing with it head on, you move. The poor next guy has to deal with it.

You said you are on the second set of XP Ribs, with the date ranges you listed, it appears that you are replacing them every 4 years or so, is that right? If so, that's about right and right on for any towable tire based on how long it sits in one spot in between. Our Towmaxx tires lasted 4 years and had we had them inspected regularly, we would've known they were going bad from age and possibly being under inflated. That alone will do damage.