cancel
Showing results forย 
Search instead forย 
Did you mean:ย 

Are today's WHEELS just as bad as the TIRES????

Farm_Camp
Explorer
Explorer
Purchased the TT in my SIG in 2013. In the last 12 months I have had two, count them TWO of these four RIMS fail. Both in exactly the same manner: Hairline cracks in the steel.

The factory installed wheels were just the plain white painted steel variety. I've got a total of under 20K Miles towing the trailer. Probably closer to 12K Miles. Last year one tire went flat while I was parked at a campground in Gatlinburg TN...

I Automatically blamed the "China Bomb" factory installed tire and purchased a new tire.

The next day the brand new tire was flat as well...

Discovered a tiny hair line crack in the side of the rim, not close to any of the welds... I replaced the rim and thought no more of it - how may rims ever fail??? Fast forward almost exactly 12 months and another rim has failed in the exactly the same manner... Two of the exact same failures in two rims in 12 months.

That was enough for me - I needed new tires anyway and went ahead and got 4 new wheels to go with. Upped the Load range of the tires, added a TPMS... Clearly my "luck" requires this! ๐Ÿ™‚

I'm just wondering - am I just that "lucky" or is this kind of failure just more common than I thought? I certainly don't remember reading many posts about failed rims. Maybe I got a bad batch?

Before somebody asks - no accidents, serious curbing incidents, off-roading, nothing out of the ordinary. My truck is somewhat underpowered for the trailer so I'm almost never towing in excess of 63-7MPH... Just normal towing. Probably less towing than most...
TV: 2010 F250 XLT 4X4 SC SB 5.4L 3.73 - "The Blue Monster" (2013-2018) Traded at 100K
TV: 2017 F250 XLT 4X4 CC SB 6.7L PD 3.31 - "The Silver Streak"
TT: 2014 Starcraft Autumn Ridge 329BHU

Our Story...
Places we've camped
13 REPLIES 13

mkirsch
Nomad II
Nomad II
Problem with aluminum is after a few years they corrode and won't hold air anymore.

Putting 10-ply tires on half ton trucks since aught-four.

JIMNLIN
Explorer
Explorer
Cracked/busted wheels are a problem more so with folks on the road pulling/hauling than RV trailers.

My equipment trailer mfg is just down the road from me. They buy in large quantities from Rockwell American/etc USA made steel wheels. They have very few defective wheel returns compared to steel/aluminum wheels from they've used from Asian rim countries.

The remaining wheels are probably from the same defective batch and should be dumped.
I would go with a made in the USA Rockwell American or Carlstars that are made in the USA.
"good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment" ............ Will Rogers

'03 2500 QC Dodge/Cummins HO 3.73 6 speed manual Jacobs Westach
'97 Park Avanue 28' 5er 11200 two slides

Bedlam
Moderator
Moderator
My Weekend Warrior had cutouts in the rims that started to spider in the corners. I replaced the rims with RaceLine's.

My enclosed trailer needed new tires and I found mail ordering mounted tires on rims were not much more than buying new tires and having them mounted on existing rims locally.

Host Mammoth 11.5 on Ram 5500 HD

Farm_Camp
Explorer
Explorer
LOL. I'm just saying we have not added a lot of weight in stuff to cause overloading. We keep it mostly empty and just take what we're actually going to use on a given trip.

But those mice are kinda shifty acting if you ask me.

๐Ÿ™‚
TV: 2010 F250 XLT 4X4 SC SB 5.4L 3.73 - "The Blue Monster" (2013-2018) Traded at 100K
TV: 2017 F250 XLT 4X4 CC SB 6.7L PD 3.31 - "The Silver Streak"
TT: 2014 Starcraft Autumn Ridge 329BHU

Our Story...
Places we've camped

gmw_photos
Explorer
Explorer
Yeah, blame it on the mouse. Probably a mouse from chinna. You just can't trust them commie mouses....

SoCalDesertRid1
Explorer
Explorer
I don't think the mouse did it.
01 International 4800 4x4 CrewCab DT466E Allison MD3060
69Bronco 86Samurai 85ATC250R 89CR500
98Ranger 96Tacoma
20' BigTex flatbed
8' truck camper, 14' Aristocrat TT
73 Kona 17' ski boat & Mercury 1150TB
92F350 CrewCab 4x4 351/C6 285 BFG AT 4.56 & LockRite rear

Farm_Camp
Explorer
Explorer
I don't think it's a weight or inflation pressure thing unless it's been that way from the factory.

The wife is scared of getting mice and so we generally do not keep lots of extra "stuff" in there.

I still have one of the failed ones. I'll have to see if I can see a manufacturer name.
TV: 2010 F250 XLT 4X4 SC SB 5.4L 3.73 - "The Blue Monster" (2013-2018) Traded at 100K
TV: 2017 F250 XLT 4X4 CC SB 6.7L PD 3.31 - "The Silver Streak"
TT: 2014 Starcraft Autumn Ridge 329BHU

Our Story...
Places we've camped

3oaks
Explorer
Explorer
Appears the trailer manufacturer went with the cheapest supplier for wheels and got exactly what they paid for, very cheap wheels that are prone to failure. Unfortunately the end consumer pays the price. ๐Ÿ˜ž

SoCalDesertRid1
Explorer
Explorer
Possibly a cheaply made rim with poor manufacturing quality control or bad design, too thin metal in the rim shell.

Or possibly tires inflated beyond the pressure capacity/rating of the wheels.

Or possibly the loaded axle weight is greater than the weight capacity/rating of the wheels.
01 International 4800 4x4 CrewCab DT466E Allison MD3060
69Bronco 86Samurai 85ATC250R 89CR500
98Ranger 96Tacoma
20' BigTex flatbed
8' truck camper, 14' Aristocrat TT
73 Kona 17' ski boat & Mercury 1150TB
92F350 CrewCab 4x4 351/C6 285 BFG AT 4.56 & LockRite rear

Rainier
Explorer
Explorer
Trailer overweight?

Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Explorer III
NEVER have had an issue with steel rims.......beat them up, banged them, dented them, slammed them into curbs, bent them etc

Have had aluminum crack/fail so I stick to steel rims.

Happen to know MFG. of your problem rims??
Is it time for your medication or mine?


2007 DODGE 3500 QC SRW 5.9L CTD In-Bed 'quiet gen'
2007 HitchHiker II 32.5 UKTG 2000W Xantex Inverter
US NAVY------USS Decatur DDG31

time2roll
Nomad
Nomad
I had similar recently but the wheel lasted 10 years. Good excuse to replace all with better rated and better looking aluminum. Good time to go up a wheel and tire size if you are inclined.

coolbreeze01
Explorer
Explorer
Not common and sounds like they were defective. I would let Starcraft and the NHTSA know.
2008 Ram 3500 With a Really Strong Tractor Motor...........
LB, SRW, 4X4, 6-Speed Auto, 3.73, Prodigy P3, Blue Ox Sway Pro........
2014 Sandsport 26FBSL