Multiple Tire Blowouts

[ItsMeCarlos]

Hi all!

Noobie to the forum but have been lurking for a while.

Thanks for all the info you all share in this forum. It helps a lot more people that you know.

So I have an issue....

We own a 2017 Forest River Salem 30KQBSS TT. This is our first RV and we love it.

We usually just go up the road to Orlando maybe 2-3 times a year. This is just shy of 400 miles round trip.

During the summer of 2018, we make our 4th trip to Orlando and we get our first blowout on the passenger side. These were the original factory tires (I do not have the tire info on hand). The tires probably had around 1400 miles on them.

A little bit of background, I am very meticulous when it come to towing safety. I have towed in the past. I check all air pressures, inspect all tires, grease, lube, etc, etc... The tires looked in good shape.

Back to the blowout, I change the tire and I see the tire behind it (non blowout) has some of the steel threads embedded in it from the blowout tire.

I decided to change it out also as a safety precaution. Luckily I carry two spares.

It caused a lot of undercarriage damage as well as fender damage but I was able to duct tape and tie wrap everything so I can get back on the road. It was a mess.

We get to our destination and had roadside come and replace one of the tires since I now had no spare.

So now I had one spare tire on (can't remember the make), one new tire that roadside installed and the two original tires that came with the TT.

Made it home with no issues.

Before our next trip I installed two new tires. This time I purchased Load Range E tires. Originally all the tires before were Load Range D tires so I figured I would go with a higher range tire.

All my tires up to that point were Load Range D as per the manufactures recommendations.

I install my 2 new E tires (1 on front passenger, 1 on front driver) and I install my newer tire (roadside assistance replacement) as well as my newest spare tire.

Fast forward to this July 2019 (6th trip). This would be our second trip since our last blowout (about 500 miles on the new tires). One hour into our trip we get a blowout on the drivers side, rear tire. This was a load D tire. I replace it with one of my spares (Load D). It was another mess but got back on the road and finally made it to Orlando from Ft. Lauderdale.

Same trip driving back home (remember, this is a 200 mile trip one way), I get a low air pressure reading from my new wireless TMPS system I had purchased before our trip. On a side note I highly recommend one of these. It gave me peace of mind.

I pull over and sure enough as the TMPS said my passenger side rear wheel was way low on air and it was (air leak). This tire was also a Load D tire. Down to my 2nd and last spare, I change it out. This tire is also Load D.

Get back on the road.

About an hour later BOOM! Tire I just replaced blows out! @!%#%

Luckily it happened next to the rest area.

With no spare tires left, I call a local, mobile tire repair shop.

While I was waiting for him I'm trying to figure, 1. What the heck is going on. 2. I still will not have a spare if it happens again.

I called the tire guy before he got there and I told him to bring me two tires.

Gentleman comes out and replaces the blowout and the last remaining Load D tire with a Load E as per his recommendations.

A couple of hours later we (wife, our two kids and our dog) get back on the road. We made it home with no more issues.

Any ideas what can be happening?

I'm thinking of weight issues, so I looked at the manufactures weight and tire info on the trailer.

The GVWR is 9699 lbs.

On the tire and loading information sticker, it says " The combination weight of Cargo should Never Exceed 2731 lbs."

There is another yellow sticker that is labeled Recreational Vehicle Trailer Cargo Carrying Capacity that states the same thing. "The weight of the cargo should never exceeded 2731 lbs."

So am I missing something?

There is no way I am carrying more that 2,700 lbs of stuff in my trailer. Clothes and food for 7 days, games and the kids scooters, etc should be no where near that. I know, I should take the trailer to a local scale to know for sure.

So if by the manufactures numbers, GVWR 9699 lbs. plus Cargo 2731 lbs. totaling 12.430 lbs. can be safely towed.

Now here is the kicker, the tires that came with the trailer and the tires that are recommended from factory are Load Range D tires. Load range D tires have a max load 2540 lbs. per tire. My trailer is a dual axle (4 tires), so the total of the max weight for the tires should be 10,160 lbs. This is almost the weight of the TT without anything in it!!!

As per the TT label I should be able to load another 2700 lbs but there is no way these factory tires are manufactured to hold this.

So, am I missing something?
Am I reading the label wrong?
Did the manufacture mess something up?

Six tires on a two and a half year old TT with around 2700 miles.

I am in the process of contacting Forest River but I wanted to get some advice before I do.

Sorry for the long read.

I look forward to hearing your replies.

Thank you in advance!
Carlos

[theoldwizard1]

ItsMeCarlos wrote:
So if by the manufactures numbers, GVWR 9699 lbs. plus Cargo 2731 lbs. totaling 12.430 lbs. can be safely towed.

treyster wrote:
I think your GVWR minus your carrying capacity is your dry weight.

Treyster is correct. GROSS Vehicle Weight Weight Rating (GVWR) includes the cargo. In theory, your trailer weighs 6968 lbs. The only way you will know for sure is to take your empty trailer to a certified scale and have it weighed. (I will bet it weighs over 7000 lbs. !)

ItsMeCarlos wrote:
... the tires that came with the trailer and the tires that are recommended from factory are Load Range D tires. Load range D tires have a max load 2540 lbs. per tire. My trailer is a dual axle (4 tires), so the total of the max weight for the tires should be 10,160 lbs. This is almost the weight of the TT without anything in it!!!

Yes, the TT manufacturer was cutting a corner, even if the GVWR is 9699 lbs.

In the past, umber of plies and letter load ranges were not always consistent. This is why the DOT requires all tires to have the actual load rating IN POUNDS embossed on the side of the tire.

Also, you CAN use LT (light truck) tires in addition to ST (specialty tires) on a trailer. Just make sure the load rating is adequate (I would about 20%-30% OVER the GVWR of my trailer).

[theoldwizard1]

ItsMeCarlos wrote:
So if by the manufactures numbers, GVWR 9699 lbs. plus Cargo 2731 lbs. totaling 12.430 lbs. can be safely towed.

treyster wrote:
I think your GVWR minus your carrying capacity is your dry weight.

Treyster is correct. GROSS Vehicle Weight Weight Rating (GVWR) includes the cargo. In theory, your trailer weighs 6968 lbs. The only way you will know for sure is to take your empty trailer to a certified scale and have it weighed. (I will bet it weighs over 7000 lbs. !)

ItsMeCarlos wrote:
... the tires that came with the trailer and the tires that are recommended from factory are Load Range D tires. Load range D tires have a max load 2540 lbs. per tire. My trailer is a dual axle (4 tires), so the total of the max weight for the tires should be 10,160 lbs. This is almost the weight of the TT without anything in it!!!

Yes, the TT manufacturer was cutting a corner, even if the GVWR is 9699 lbs.

In the past, umber of plies and letter load ranges were not always consistent. This is why the DOT requires all tires to have the actual load rating IN POUNDS embossed on the side of the tire.

Also, you CAN use LT (light truck) tires in addition to ST (specialty tires) on a trailer. Just make sure the load rating is adequate (I would about 20%-30% OVER the GVWR of my trailer).

[krobbe]

How fast are you towing? I typically run 62 to 75 on most trips depending on wind direction for best fuel mileage and traffic/road conditions.
Speed and heat buildup can easily kill a tire. Most ST tires from a few years ago were only rated to 65mph. Trailer manufacturers tend to use cheaper tires that are rated to do the job but are lacking in durability.
The Goodyear Endurance ST and Carlisle HD get top ratings from many folks.

My Kumho Radial 857 tires 205/R14 are load range D, speed rated to 106mph. So far I have 15,000 miles on them and all is good. These are LT's only avail in size 14.
If your rims are 15", GY Endurance ST. A LT tire like Michelin XPS RIBS will do well for 16" rims.

[PNW_Steve]

I have 6000+ miles on a set of Chinese tires with no issues.

I understand that many of the "American" tire brands are manufactured in China.

There is definitely some real junk manufactured there but I would not condemn a product simplify because it was manufactured in China.

At work a few years ago we bought a new $1,000,000+ IBM system. With 35 years working in technology this was the most reliable and stable platform I have supported. About half of the system components were manufactured in China.

[SkiddyMiller]

Your GVWR is the max of the trailer, including the hitch. 9700 is the max for your rig. With four tires on the ground, most manufacturers use that weight or close to it, equally split among the tires so a tire with a rating of just under 2400 is about right. The hitch will take another 900 pounds off so each tire will be loaded at about 2200 or so in a perfectly balanced world.
The CCC is key, everything you put in/on must be accounted for. Not sure about the FR Salem, but GDRV provides a weight sheet for each unit. Add propane, battery fresh water and then everything else you carry for the family, if it is under the GVWR, there should not be an issue - suggest you run it across a scale to really know.

[CALandLIN]

ItsMeCarlos wrote:
Hi all!

Noobie to the forum but have been lurking for a while.

Thanks for all the info you all share in this forum. It helps a lot more people that you know.

So I have an issue....

We own a 2017 Forest River Salem 30KQBSS TT. This is our first RV and we love it.

We usually just go up the road to Orlando maybe 2-3 times a year. This is just shy of 400 miles round trip.

During the summer of 2018, we make our 4th trip to Orlando and we get our first blowout on the passenger side. These were the original factory tires (I do not have the tire info on hand). The tires probably had around 1400 miles on them.

A little bit of background, I am very meticulous when it come to towing safety. I have towed in the past. I check all air pressures, inspect all tires, grease, lube, etc, etc... The tires looked in good shape.

Back to the blowout, I change the tire and I see the tire behind it (non blowout) has some of the steel threads embedded in it from the blowout tire.

I decided to change it out also as a safety precaution. Luckily I carry two spares.

It caused a lot of undercarriage damage as well as fender damage but I was able to duct tape and tie wrap everything so I can get back on the road. It was a mess.

We get to our destination and had roadside come and replace one of the tires since I now had no spare.

So now I had one spare tire on (can't remember the make), one new tire that roadside installed and the two original tires that came with the TT.

Made it home with no issues.

Before our next trip I installed two new tires. This time I purchased Load Range E tires. Originally all the tires before were Load Range D tires so I figured I would go with a higher range tire.

All my tires up to that point were Load Range D as per the manufactures recommendations.

I install my 2 new E tires (1 on front passenger, 1 on front driver) and I install my newer tire (roadside assistance replacement) as well as my newest spare tire.

Fast forward to this July 2019 (6th trip). This would be our second trip since our last blowout (about 500 miles on the new tires). One hour into our trip we get a blowout on the drivers side, rear tire. This was a load D tire. I replace it with one of my spares (Load D). It was another mess but got back on the road and finally made it to Orlando from Ft. Lauderdale.

Same trip driving back home (remember, this is a 200 mile trip one way), I get a low air pressure reading from my new wireless TMPS system I had purchased before our trip. On a side note I highly recommend one of these. It gave me peace of mind.

I pull over and sure enough as the TMPS said my passenger side rear wheel was way low on air and it was (air leak). This tire was also a Load D tire. Down to my 2nd and last spare, I change it out. This tire is also Load D.

Get back on the road.

About an hour later BOOM! Tire I just replaced blows out! @!%#%

Luckily it happened next to the rest area.

With no spare tires left, I call a local, mobile tire repair shop.

While I was waiting for him I'm trying to figure, 1. What the heck is going on. 2. I still will not have a spare if it happens again.

I called the tire guy before he got there and I told him to bring me two tires.

Gentleman comes out and replaces the blowout and the last remaining Load D tire with a Load E as per his recommendations.

A couple of hours later we (wife, our two kids and our dog) get back on the road. We made it home with no more issues.

Any ideas what can be happening?

I'm thinking of weight issues, so I looked at the manufactures weight and tire info on the trailer.

The GVWR is 9699 lbs.

On the tire and loading information sticker, it says " The combination weight of Cargo should Never Exceed 2731 lbs."

There is another yellow sticker that is labeled Recreational Vehicle Trailer Cargo Carrying Capacity that states the same thing. "The weight of the cargo should never exceeded 2731 lbs."

So am I missing something?

There is no way I am carrying more that 2,700 lbs of stuff in my trailer. Clothes and food for 7 days, games and the kids scooters, etc should be no where near that. I know, I should take the trailer to a local scale to know for sure.

So if by the manufactures numbers, GVWR 9699 lbs. plus Cargo 2731 lbs. totaling 12.430 lbs. can be safely towed.

Now here is the kicker, the tires that came with the trailer and the tires that are recommended from factory are Load Range D tires. Load range D tires have a max load 2540 lbs. per tire. My trailer is a dual axle (4 tires), so the total of the max weight for the tires should be 10,160 lbs. This is almost the weight of the TT without anything in it!!!

As per the TT label I should be able to load another 2700 lbs but there is no way these factory tires are manufactured to hold this.

So, am I missing something?
Am I reading the label wrong?
Did the manufacture mess something up?

Six tires on a two and a half year old TT with around 2700 miles.

I am in the process of contacting Forest River but I wanted to get some advice before I do.

Sorry for the long read.

I look forward to hearing your replies.

Thank you in advance!
Carlos

I agree, you need to get scaled weights. I'm adding a "Click Here" reference that gives all sorts of info and charts to properly calculate your scale weights. Look at the end of chapter #4.

Tires for RV trailer fitments are determined by the GAWR values found on the vehicle certification label.

Remember, all onboard water is considered cargo.

Click Here!

[TenOC]

1. Check the tire for uneven ware. Often TT axles are not aligned and or undersized for the load since many owners only drive to the lake (a few 100 mile) a year.

2. Get the highest load range (E or 10 ply) tire you can find in your size. I also fill to maximum side wall PSI.

3. Readers will blame China made tires, but I have had low mileage blowouts with US made tire before I upgraded my axles.

4. Make sure your TT brakes do not lock up the wheels.

5. If I get 15,000 miles out of my TT tires I am happy.

[treyster]

I think your GVWR minus your carrying capacity is your dry weight.

[time2roll]

Actually fairly common for China made ST tires. You are not the first to post similar experience.
I recommend Goodyear Endurance or Carlisle Radial Trail HD
Both available in E rating

Or consider LT tires but you probably would need to go 16+ wheels.

Either way get tires rated for the full trailer GVWR as minimum.

So if by the manufactures numbers, GVWR 9699 lbs. plus Cargo 2731 lbs. totaling 12.430 lbs. can be safely towed.

BTW: GVWR is the max weight.

Actual scale weight deducted from GVWR is the remaining weight you can carry. Forget dry weight.

[azdryheat]

CHINA. Your tires are made in CHINA and are total JUNK! Replace them with American made Goodyear Endurance trailer tire or better yet with a truck tire like Michelin XPS RIB, which is what I use. No tire issues in 7 years.