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Forum
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RE: First trip was great.....until
Any body have a video camera handy?
A picture is worth a 1000 words, video with sound speaks volumes.
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Road Trip
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06/10/08 07:17am |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Carlisle tire woes...ARGH!
If Special Trailer tires are made to the same exacting standards using the same exotic rubber compounds as the more expensive tires (LT), why dont those of us who have changed over to the 16 inch Light Truck tire have tire problems any more.
I have not had to air (add nitrogen) once since installation and I had to let it back out when the temperature got up.
There are plenty of occurances where the tires have to be aired up before each leg of the trip.
Do the tow vehicles tires seem to need this level of attention?
Does your car tires need this level of attention?
Road Trip
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Road Trip
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06/10/08 06:54am |
Towing
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RE: tire pressure monitoring devices
Tire Failure Progression
My Tire Pressure Monitering System (TPMS) allowed me to witness the failure progression of the ST tires that were on my Trailer. It went something like this:
1. Tire reaches a temperature that causes the rubber compound to start to fail and allows the steel belts to shift slightly.
2. As the belt shifts it tears a whole in the air bladder part of the tubeless tire. Usually a small leak occurs.
3. As the tire looses air pressure the sidewalls flex more violently. This causes heat to be created at an ever increasing rate.
4. When the tire gets hot enough the rubber will start to come apart drastically (Cap comes off, sidewalls start to fail and come apart etc air is gone).
5. Tire is now beating the devil out of the trailer.
When I experienced my first ST failure I stood at the side of the road and watched the remaining 20 PSI (that was what the monitor was indicating by the time the rig was stopped and I was getting out to see what was going on).
My other failures were detected at the campground getting ready to go.
I plugged the TPMS in and went about folding up camp. A few minutes later I finally figured out what the noise was about. I checked the indicated tire and found that the belts had shifted. The other tire alarming was just low on pressure (after 2 days?)
So far as I am concerened the TPMS is cheap RV insurance.
Road Trip
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Road Trip
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06/10/08 06:46am |
Beginning RVing
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RE: Travel Trailer Tires
My answers are for two sets of tires. First the tires that came on the trailer in May 2005 when I bought it. Bought a TPMS by June 2005.
1. Before I moved it (from storage, from campground to go home etc).
2. I had to add air to all four tires every time I checked pressure.
3. Mixed: 2 Nankangs ST225/75R15 LRD and 2 Goodyear Marathons ST225/75R15 LRD.
Bought new tires Spring 2006
1. Before I leave the storage area, going down the road, prior to entering any bridge/tunnel etc (TPMS installed).
2. I had to add Nitrogen November 2007 before leaving storage area. Temp was 40 Deg F. Tires were mounted in 90+ weather. Pressure bled back to 60PSI last week on an 80 Degree day.
3. LT225/75R16 LRD BF Goodrich Commercial T/As.
Road Trip
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Road Trip
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05/13/08 07:06am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Travel Trailer Tires
as needed to maintain pressure says nothing.
How often? Every time you check the pressure?
Once a month?
Come on, it won't hurt.
Road Trip
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Road Trip
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05/13/08 06:52am |
Travel Trailers
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Travel Trailer Tires
Here is something everyone can answer from first hand knowledge, not hearsay.
Simply answer the questions honestly.
1. How often/when do you check the pressure in the tires on your trailer?
2. How often do you have to add air/nitrogen to your trailer tires?
3. What tires do you have on your trailer?
Examples of answers:
1. At the beginning of every trip/every morning before leaving when on the road or TPMS installed/every so often.
2. Twice a year...once a month...every time I check them, you get the idea
3. Goodyear Marathons ST225/75R15 LRD or Michelin XPS LT225/75R16 LRD/LRE etc.
Be honest. No judgment calls, just simple straight answers please.
Road Trip
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Road Trip
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05/13/08 05:35am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: What brands of tires to look at for new fiver?
tazzy
First insist on 16 inch wheels. There is a larger variety of usable tires for a 16 inch rim than for a 15 inch rim.
Next deal for a set of Michelin XPS or BF Goodrich Commercial T/As in the size you need (LT225/75R16?).
Last, because you cannot tell if you have a flat on a dual axle trailer easily (like you can with a flat on the tow vehicle) buy a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).
And for those who say the TPMS is a waste of money and that they have been towing for years without problems, I'll bet they have overpowered diesel trucks, power steering, power brakes automatic transmissions and AC.
Our fathers didn't and they managed to get over the same mountains on much rougher road.
Road Trip
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Road Trip
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05/13/08 05:09am |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Just replaced tires and have a question
Michelin publishes a tire load/inflation chart/book.
It requires you weigh the trailer(preferrable each wheel) and then use the proper pressure.
My trailer owners manual has a recommended pressure. Having weighed each wheel I found this pressure more than adequate for the weight.
My aluminum wheels has the weight on the inside (cast numbers), the side that faces the brake drum.
Road Trip
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Road Trip
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05/12/08 04:39pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Help - Tire Pressure / Issue
Tire Pressure
Go to a CAT Scale (Certified Automated Tareweight) Scale and weigh your rig.
Determine the weight on all axles (easy).
Determine the weight on each wheel (not so easy).
Go to a tire inflation/load chart and inflate tire accordingly.
Road Trip
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Road Trip
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04/14/08 05:13am |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Please explain this to me....
The answer is simple, yes.
The ST tires could not stand the heat and the belts started to seperate and then caused an air leak. As the tire deflated it became "overloaded".
The severe flexing of the sidewalls (generating more heat as the air pressure went down in the tire), the hot road and the heat all contributed.
Botton line, what caused the failure was the rubber compounds failing alowing the belts to start shifting. The shifting of the belts caused a leak.
If you are going to use ST tires your top speed needs to be 55mph max or less.
In other words, the answer is simple, slow down or buy better tires.
Road Trip
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Road Trip
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04/07/08 11:44am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Cheap tires on new fivers
That post was for those who actually have ST tires.
With enough reported failures and letters to congressmen the requirements will be changed.
I just dont want to be injured by the ST that are still in use.
Road Trip
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Road Trip
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04/06/08 07:10am |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Replace Tires or Pressure Pro
No 90% of ST tire failures are not the fault of the owners.
ST tires are built to the specifications of the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.
They will not be better no matter who makes them.
They are 65 MPH tires, period.
Wand to stop the blow outs/shreads?
Do 55 mph.
OR
Go to a LT tire with a higher speed rating.
They can stand the heat of 65 mph on a hot summer day.
Its just that simple.
Road Trip
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Road Trip
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04/05/08 09:23pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Why so many blowouts on Travel Trailers
When I had ST tires I had to add air every time I moved the trailer. Had them loos pressure when going down the road ( I had a tire pressure monitering system).
ST tires are built to the standards required by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.
They will not be better no matter where they are built. They are Speed Rated at 65 MPH.
Want to stop the failures?
Do 55 mph or go to a LT tire with with a Speed Rating of (( mph or so.
Overheating causes the failures. The cheap compounds used cannot stand the heat of 65 mph on a hot summer day.
Its that simple folks.
Road Trip
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Road Trip
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04/05/08 09:13pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Weight police
With a proper set up and a little common sense.
It is not a written requirement that you must go up a 10% grade at 65 MPH. That is what the right lane is for.
Proper set up:
1. A properly installed and adjusted weight distributing hitch. Properly adjusted means that the ball height and spring bars are adjusted so as to have the same weight on all axles of the rig. This greatly improves the stopping stability of the rig and prevents any one axle from having a load on it AND PREVENTS THE FRONT AXLE FROM BEING LIGHT. You must go to a scale to do this properly (CAT Scale Etc) unless you are psychic.
2. A properly installed and adjusted SWAY dampening device, be it a friction type, dual cam/dual cam high performance, Equalizer Brand weight distributing hitch, Hensley Arrow, propride or Pull Rite.
3. A good quality brake controller. Proportional is best. Inertional is next best and a Stupid is a whole lot better than nothing. No matter what type you have it must be adjusted properly (so that the trailer brakes hit first and a little harder than the tow vehicle).
Assumptions are of course good tires all around, fully functional brakes all around and aduquate cooling capacity on the tow vehicle (this means a large transmission cooling device).
Road Trip
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Road Trip
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04/05/08 09:00pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Cheap tires on new fivers
ST tires are built to the standards required by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.
The relibility of the tires therefore will not improve.
We have two choices, slow down to 55 or less when running the
ST tire (Speed Rating of 65 MPH) or go to LT tires which carry a higher Speed Rating (usually 99 mph or higher).
All this PROPAGANDA (the most politically correct word I could think to use) about superior construction and Ultra Violet damage retarding chemicals in the coumpounds and stiffer sidewalls mean little when the ST tire is beating the devil out of our travel trailers/fifth wheels causing ruined vacations, thousands of dollars of damage and leave you changing a blown tire on the side of the Interstate with cars speeding by at 70 mph barely two feet from you (street side tire failure). I'm sure we all have seen the videos about the Interstate drivers half asleep hitting stopped police cars (with lights flashing)and broken down private vehicles on the side of the road.
Come on. We can think. These ST tires are a hazard no matter where they are made and its NHTSAs fault.
Want to change things?
Report all failures, NO MATTER HOW OLD THE TIRE IS, TO NHTSA.
They are statisticly driven, so gag them on failure reports.
Road Trip
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Road Trip
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04/05/08 08:43pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Please explain this to me....
ST Tire Failure Progression
1. After several hours of interstate driving the lower grade rubber compounds start to fail and release the steel belts.
2. The shifting of the belts causes usually a slow leak in the tire.
3. Pressure slowly drops in the tire.
4. As the pressure drops the weight carrying capacity of the tire also reduces (reference any tire manufacturers load/inflation charts/information).
5. As tire pressure drops the sidewalls flex more.
6. The sidewalls flexing more causes heat to be generated in the tire far in excess of the tires ability to dissipate said heat.
7. Excess heat causes the cheaper rubber compound to further release the steel belts and at some point a severe seperation takes place and you have a flaping steel belt beating the stuffings out of your trailer.
My Load Range D ST tires were less than 4 years old.
I ran them at 65PSI.
My Pressure Pro sounded of at 57 PSI which afforded me the opportunity to pull off to the sholder and watch the tire continue to go flat.
Later examination of the tire revealed steel belt hanging out between two tread lugs.
The tires still had the mold tits on the sidewalls.
So what do you do to ensure safe trailering on ST tires?
GET A TIRE PRESSURE MONITERING SYSTEM. That way you can see the failure comming ini its early stages.
Never drive over 55 MPH with ST tires (yea like that's gonna happen).
OR go to tires that will withstand our driving habits.
Its your choice, slow down or change tire types.
Road Trip.
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Road Trip
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03/31/08 05:09am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Why so many blowouts on Travel Trailers
I went to BF Goodrich Commercial T/As in LT225/75R16 LRD. Now I don't have to add air every time I go to move the trailer. I also havent had any failures with these tires. Bought them at Price Club (special order).
Road Trip
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Road Trip
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03/26/08 05:41am |
Tech Issues
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RE: What should tire temps be?
no
but the trailer tires (ST)needed air added every time I went to move it, either to the campground or to come home. Two of the marathons were new and had no punctures or leaks that could be found by local tire businesses.
Road Trip
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Road Trip
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03/14/08 11:30am |
Tech Issues
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RE: What should tire temps be?
to fordsooperdootydieselsmoker
Heat is a tires worst enemy, I agree with that.
Underflation is the leading cause of tire failure.
I have come to believe that.
HOWEVER,
on ST tires it becomes almost mandatory that you stop and check tire pressure every 5 miles or so to determine it the pressure is still correct or install a Tire Pressure Monitering System (TPMS).
One or the other is necessary because the ST tires loose pressure on their own while going down the road or just sitting still for a week.
We have become paranoid about checking tire pressure.
I was until I got the TPMS.
It told me my tires were loosing pressure going down the road, even though the pressure was 65 PSI five miles previous.
Underinflation is caused by the sorry ST tire's inability to hold air while going down the road.
Come on every one, through off the guilt trip. These tire failures are not our fault. Its the substandard tires fault.
Report any and all failures of the ST tire to the NHTSA.
Road Trip
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Road Trip
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03/14/08 07:29am |
Tech Issues
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RE: What tires to buy? I don't want Chinese
Just one of those things that make you go hmmmm.
Old saying: "you get what you pay for"
If the ST tire such an engineering marvel why are so many people having trouble?
If ST tires are of such good quality and built of such good materials then why do we have to inflate them to max pressure reguardless of the weight of the trailer?
Is this done to make the tires flex less and geneerate less heat?
Why does Goodyear recommend a 10 psi increase in air pressure (75 PSI?)if traveling over 65 mph? Is it to minimise the flexing of the tire or so maybe you can hear it when it goes?
After all, wern't the ST tires designed to give our trailers a softer ride?
How can they do that if they are hard as a rock?
If LT tires of the proper weight range and Speed Rating of around 99 MPH are so "substandard" for use on a trailer then why have those of us who have installed them (the LT tire of proper weight range and 99MPH Speed Rating) stopped having tire problems?
I have a utility trailer. My friends, I found out later woefully overloaded it and blew down the interstate for hours. It had P metric tires on it. They never let go. How come?
Hmmmm
Road Trip
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Road Trip
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03/14/08 07:15am |
General RVing Issues
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