Solution for damage from flat tires - thoughts?

[kep5niner]

Anyone who has owned an RV for some time, or has perused this (or any) RV forum for any amount of time has learned of the trials and tribulations associated with flat tires and blow-outs, more specifically the damage they can cause to the coach once the flat occurs.

With that, I thought of a solution that I have not seen identified here yet. Would installing steel fenders directly above your tires be beneficial to mitigating the damage from a flat or blow-out? These fenders, available in tandem configurations, could be welded or bolted to the frame directly above the tires.

This would take some ingenuity to make work, and there could be further implications such as interference with the slides, but it could be doable.

With the often-times catastrophic damage from blow-outs (let alone safety concerns), I'm just curious why I haven't seen that yet. What other factors make this non-feasible? I'm certain a recommendation would be to simply buy Brand (fill in the blank) tire, but it's fair to say that there is no bullet-proof tire out there, let alone a consensus on what that tire would be. I'm not looking for a tire discussion, just some feedback on the plausibility of installing steel fenders in order to mitigate the damage in the event of a blow-out or flat. Could be cheap insurance.

Let me know what you think. Thanks!

[3ares]

I have installed aluminum jeep style fenders on my older trailers. They did the job. The aluminum fenders were purchased at Tractor Supply.

[time2roll]

myredracer wrote:
Good article from a tire engineer: Can you "contain" a tire failure?

500 pounds of steel is an exaggeration. I added 20 pounds of diamond plate to each side. Just used screws to hold up onto the wood floor and existing steel frame. May not prevent all damage but should provide more strength against ripping the wood floor from underneath along with any plumbing and electrical in the vicinity.

[time2roll]

pnichols wrote:
Hmmm ... what am I missing here: Do pickup truck fenders get torn up if the truck has a blowout?

Yes. BTDT

[pnichols]

Hmmm ... what am I missing here: Do pickup truck fenders get torn up if the truck has a blowout?

It seems like RV designs could easily incorporate whatever pickup trucks have. Our Winnebago Itasca's dually rear wheel wells are steel lined, but probably not as heavy duty as the plain old stock steel wheel well areas on the Ford E450's front end.

[Dollarbill60]

Read a report written by the NTSB about tire failure rates. All bets off when they hit 6 years old. Study showed dramatic failure rate at 6 years and beyond. Not knowing that, I had what I thought were great tires, not knowing that they were 9 years old with very little miles. Pulled 700 miles to Florida. Heading back home I blew two tires in two days in 90 degree plus heat. Underside of fifth wheel took it tuff but repairable. My tire dealer agreed with the NTSB. Lesson learned, new tires at 5 years no matter how they look.

[kep5niner]

myredracer wrote:
Good article from a tire engineer: Can you "contain" a tire failure?

Great article! It appears my question is not the first time the concept has been considered. The most interesting take-away from the article is the degradation associated with sun exposure - down to the hours exposed as it relates to the equivalency of miles driven. I cover my tires in the winter, maybe I should consider covering them every time I park the 5er...what a PITA though....

[myredracer]

Good article from a tire engineer: Can you "contain" a tire failure?

[westend]

Some trailers have the top of the wheel well area just covered with Darco over the plywood. A spinning, parted radial belt is going to chew through that faster than you can say "Oh ship, my TPMS says we have a flat". A Plastic liner will last a few turns longer, maybe enough to get pulled over when you see the smoke and debris in the mirror. A metal covering will last for miles, probably until the belts have left the tire and all that remains are the sidewalls or the bead.

I used 16 ga 404 steel. That was maybe a bit too thick but I have the tools to cut it and drill. I glued and fastened it into the wooden frame and then, after caulking the joints, sprayed box liner on all the steel. These modern, high durability steel products can really offer excellent durability in thinner material. IIRC, when I helped my buddy reline a garbage truck compactor, we used 1/8" plate. My welding table has the same, .125 404 and it is like I installed it yesterday. Just thought I'd throw this out there for others that may wish to DIY a wheel well upgrade. It gives a lot of peace of mind.

[slickest1]

In my trucking days a blowout could rip off rear fenders installed over the drive tires. It did not seem to matter how heavy they were it would still bend them. Weight is a factor so how heavy can you go??
I agree the industry could have engineered something a whole bunch better from the start. They also could have routed wiring and plumbing differently to avoid expensive damage to occur to those components.

[rhagfo]

I have given thought to heavy gauge Dimond plate aluminum.

[down_home]

I have thought, for a long time, that steel cans or inner fenders may save lives and damage.
It would take cad/cam or sharp pencil, and just a bit, to draw up plans, for them and attachment points anchoring them to reinfor,ced area, around fender opening, of the coach body, leaving plenty of room for axe and tire movement and to shield body and engine, exhaust, wires and lines etc. Made of 3/8 inch high strength steel or neoalloy, it would weight maybe 120 lbs to 140 lbs each. Sure an exploding tire might or probably will ding it, pretty badly, but not the expensive coach, maybe. On the front, there is all kinds, of room. Extra cost for the steel and forming and mounting etc, but should not be more than 200.00 per axle side. 800.00 and maybe some lives saved, and destruction, of the coach.
Not quite as simple as I say but it would be a great selling point especially to Rrepeat RV Buyers, who have witnessed or experienced a blowout.

[time2roll]

My last tire that let go never lost pressure, just the tread cap.

[Turtle_n_Peeps]

Kind of like trying to build a bullet proof airplane.

Most tires on trailers lose air from a puncture, get hot and come apart. Common to what a lot of people think, most just don't blow up (blow out).

The best prevention is a TPMS not armoring up like a tank.

[time2roll]

Tire punched a large hole through two layers of plywood just missing some water pipes.
Now it will also need to get through some added diamond plate.

Going to damage, my concern is lost usability while on the road.