tireman9

Well no catchy Seminar title this time. Saturday 1 PM "Trailer Tires" Be sure to add the seminar to your schedule on the FMCA Convention App.

I agree with your analysis of the dealer. The statement seems to imply that there is some magic point in the tire life that results in failure at 5 - 6 hours. If so why don't the tires fail after a couple of 3 - 4 hour runs? Tires do not repair themselves if you just park the RV for a few hours.

Sorry but I don't see a sound technical review in your link. All too often the actual reason, if there is one, is not an actual "defect" that can be identified. Have to wonder why people use a single data point to "convict" all other possible tires. Does the improper application (speed rating) of one item mean every tire with the same name molded on the sidewall have similar problems?

Many times this can be a marketing position as many owners will stay with the same tire as what came originally. This is also seen in the passenger car market

Here is how I checked my "4 corner weight" for FREE

Having spent a portion of my career doing ride evaluations. I am a bit suspect of comparisons of a new tire of one brand vs an old tire of a different brand. The only valid comparison IMO would be new vs new over the identical route of 1 to 5 miles. Not saying you can't feel a difference but in the 100 psi range I would not expect much difference but I would expect almost any worn tire to ride better than a new tire due to tread depth.

Short video on spare tires. See me at Perry if you want to discuss. Note this is old video. My blog address is RVTireSafety.NET not .com youtube_com.What_you_may_not_know_about_your_RV_spare_tire_but_should_-_YouTube.flv

Nice install. You might consider some protection for that spare tire. Continuous exposure to the sun can result in a belt separation, EVEN WHEN MOUNTED ON THE CARRIER as seen here

As you have learned, Just because you check your pressure in the AM or at a fuel stop that doesn't mean you can't develop a leak later on. I have even seen tire failures due to a leaking valve core that stuck partially open after a pressure check with the failure occurring some 50 miles later. I agree with the need to confirm your rear axle load for each end of the axle when the RV is fully loaded. Larger Class-C MH can easily overload the rear axle and tires. Glad you now have a TPMS. You might want to review my blog on how I set my TPMS warning levels HERE. Is there any chance you have pictures of the failed tires? Blowout is a catch-all term meaning the tire failed and came apart. Sometimes the condition of the tire after the failure can provide clues on the reason for the failure. It could be a loss of air or it might be a belt separation which have two different root causes.

Did some checking in the 2018 Tire & Rim Standards book for both tire section and the rim section. The 295/75R22.5 size tire and the only "approved" rim widths are 8.25 and 9.0. Toyo only shows 8.25 - 9.0 as approved rim width I would be surprised if you find a Toyo rep that would approve the 7.50 rim width but they might have some internal company information.

For those interested, I will have 6-pack of new red band short valve cores with me at Perry $2.00 Hope this info doesn't violate forum rules.

Dug up an old (1977) Tire & Rim standards book. 12-22.5 bias and radial show the same "design" dimensions On a 9.00 rim 11.80 width and 42.70 OD Occasionally old TRA books are found on eBay

Found this web page on the FS561 on the right side you can get the info on different size and Load Range. and HERE are the specs on the FS400 You didn't provide your actual "4 corner weights" so I will leave it up to you to confirm how much "Reserve Load" you actually run. I do agree that not having the fronts contact anything should be one of your goals. I seem to recall reading about some adjustment that can be made to limit the max turn of fronts but not sure about your coach. Other than the tire contact, If you are happy with the "Stones" why would you change? Please PM me if you have other questions or you can view/download the complete HD tire databook HERE.

One way to lower the chance of bent valve core is to use the short ones. The long ones with the external springs are more prone to damage. No reason to remove the TPMS except to add air which should only be once every 3 to 6 months. I have a few posts on valves and core on my blog. let me know if you have more questions.

NHTSA Recall ID Number : 18T016 Synopsis : Yokohama Tire Corporation (Yokohama) is recalling certain Yokohama RY023 tires, size 295/75R22.5 (14G), that have DOT date code 2318. The rubber compound may be incorrect, possibly resulting in the tread separating from the casing. As such, these tires fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 119, "New Pneumatic Tires-Other than Passenger Cars." If the tread separates, the driver may experience a loss of control, increasing the risk of a crash. Yokohama has notified owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the tires, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 28, 2018. Owners may contact Yokohama customer service at 1-800-722-9888.

Inspection is imperative. Playing with inflation is something I don't think I would ever advise. A close visual inspection of the entire 360 degrees (yes you would need to move the RV a bit) and look closely for an area of more wear than on the rest of the tire could be an indication of a separation in the tire. Not sure how different size tires would cause the described noise. If size is different then BOTH tires MUST be replaced ASAP. Looking forward to hearing what the truck tire dealer discovers.

Thanks for all the replies. He lives in TN and is just looking to the future. Yes he has a propane furnace so IMO the real power drain is just the blower. I think a test run and careful measurement of batteries would give the best indicator.

I have a friend with a trailer. He is new to RV life. He asked me the following: "I want to update the Battery and Electrical system in the camper. I want to be able to run my heater overnight and not damage my batteries. I have 2) 80 amp h batteries. I have a standard propane heating unit. Can I run one night and not damage the batteries? How long will I need to charge it? Do you have contact the is an expert in this area? " I told him this 1. Check the info plate on the blower or look-up info on the internet. 2. Calculate the Amp Hours you need to run the blower all night plus any other electrical items (lights, refrigerator) 3. I would think that with 160 A-H available you should be OK 4. Don't know how fast you can charge the batteries. but will look up some numbers. I will post on my FMCA forum and let you know what I learn. I am working on getting him to join. Anyone here want to add info?

Best solution I can offer other than not using toll roads is to sign-up for EZPass or similar electronic auto payment of the tolls. In the past, for East coast travel you would need a number of different accounts and multiple transponders to do the auto-pay but now there is a single account available through North Carolina that covers 18 states. Most of these systems offer varying level of discount. They all eliminate the need for getting out some change. Some even allow you to bypass the toll booth and continue at 50 mph. The new system combines the electronics in a single transponder. Learn more HERE. Cost is $7.40 + tax & shipping but no annual fee according to the NC office that handles the program. You still have to pay the tolls but you would not get hit with the $5 to $20 charges for the photo enforcement charges. The NC Quick Pass E-ZPass work on toll facilities in North Carolina, Florida (SunPass), Georgia (Peach Pass) and the following states where E-ZPass is accepted. Delaware Florida Georgia Illinois Indiana Kentucky Maine Maryland Massachusetts New Hampshire New Jersey New York North Carolina Ohio Pennsylvania Rhode Island Virginia West Virginia

Trailer application is not like Motorhome or tow vehicle or truck operation. I cover "Interply Shear" extensively in my RV Tire blog (see my signature). IMO as a tire expert, the damage as seen was not due to "over-inflation" but evidence of the abnormally high side loads trailer application puts on tires.

Saw an RV forum post on this topic. Here was my answer. If you are running a TPMS (which you, of course, should be), you should have received plenty advance notice of needing to add 3 to 5 psi. This slight loss of pressure is due to normal air loss and pressure change due to the change in ambient temperature. You can easily top off your tires at your next fuel stop. If you don't have TPMS and discover you have been driving on a tire that needs more than 20% of it's required inflation, you should be calling road service and have the tire changed, as there is a good chance you may have done permanent internal structural damage. I consider this operation on the under-inflated tire made the tire unsafe to re-inflate until the tire has had a complete internal and external inspection by a trained tire service person, not just the guy that mounts tires who probably has not received the training. AFTER the inspection, the tire should only be inflated in an approved safety cage as doing otherwise can lead to serious personal injury. Regarding how to find trained, certified tire inspectors... Use THIS link from Tire Industry Association. There is a directory that you can search by zip code. Those listed are TIA Members, and those with the Certified Patch next to them have been TIA Certified. I will suggest that folks with 19.5 or larger tires or with Load Range E, F, G or higher or with any steel body ply of any Load Range go to Certified, Commercial inspection People with Passenger, LT or ST type tires of lower load range, can use the "Automotive" link but a certified Commercial person should be able to inspect smaller tires too. Remember as Sgt. Esterhaus of Hill Street Blues said 'Let's be careful out there'

I do note that when there are tire problems, including actual "failure" it's common to say "My xxx brand tires failed, I will never buy xxx tires again". Well sorry to tell you but there is no such thing as "Fail-Proof" tire. This was even mentioned by DOT spokesperson during the Ford Explorer rollover fiasco of 2000. Today's tires are amazingly robust. Even when they are made in Japan, and we all remember how bad "Made In Japan" was when were growing up. As I pointed out in this thread previously the subject tire was not at all appropriate for heavy trailer application. Both the tire type / size was wrong and the tread pattern was wrong. for the application. Why is this the tire's fault? If you put a truck tire with a heavy off-road mud traction tread design on the front of your 40' DP and had loud noise and vibration and harsh ride would that be the tire's fault? Would simply changing tire brands from say Bridgestone to Michelin solve the problems? No of course not. From my experiences as a tire engineer, I can tell you that I can probably "fail" any tire in under an hour and under 50 miles if you let me set the conditions. A tire is just a tool you use to get a job done. If you don't select the correct tool that is appropriate for the job you want to be done why is it the fault of the tool manufacturer? Think of the absolute best tool company. Now select one of their flat blade screwdrivers. OK now start using it as a chisel and pound on it as you try and cut through some rusty bolts. After cutting through a few bolts would you blame SK or MAC or Snap-On or ???? if the point of the screwdriver is dented and chipped?

Bill, That site is reasonable but it does not have any info on Dual Spacing. IMO its always better to get & confirm tire dimensions from the manufacturer as almost all are slightly different dimensions.

Your RV should have a "Certification Label" aka Tire placard that shows GVWR, GAWR, tire size, Load Range and inflation. As a minimum, you need to learn the weight on each axle. You can get this at any truck scale. Later when you go to an FMCA Convention you can get individual corner loads.

IMO I would consider that tread design too aggressive for a trailer application. If you read my blog on Interply Shear. you may understand that all the high side loading has to go through the tread to get to the belts. The side loading seen in the video is just tearing the big lugs off the carcass. A ribbed pattern would be better for trailer application. I hear good things about the Sailun S637 in STt235/85R16 LR-G and LT235/85R16 LR-G You do need to be sure your wheels have the load & inflation rating to support the tire.