Roadside Assistance

[m2dougherty]

We had a tire problem on a new tire with less than five thousand miles on it.  Turns out there had been a recall on it which we did not about until now. A kind truck driver let us know that something was wrong.

We called the FMCA RA for help as we were by the side of a busy highway. We did get help after three hours or so. The issue I am writing about is that The person who answered said that they send you a text to your phone which you send back to them and then they know where you are.  In our case it was not working. Do not know why. We got the text and did what was asked but no info was transmitted. We had three bars on the phone.

I understand that the person who answers may be located far away from where you are and not know the roads.It does seem odd to me that we knew which highway we were on in SC and what exit were we at and what the cross street was from Google maps but the person was saying they could not find us? We also called the state police just to let them know where we were and that we had sent for help. We thought they would want some explanation as to what we were doing there and might also have suggestions as to who to call if the FMCA service failed us. The state police dispatcher was polite but totally disinterested. Some have said on forums about RA that the state police will often tell you of service providers in their area. That was not the case here. I am not complaining but more wanting to inform others of what may happen when you need help.

[wildebill308]

Glad you finally got help. Yes getting things done when sitting beside the road can be challenging. I am glad we now have cell phones. I can remember when your first thoughts were which way is the closest pay phone and how far do I have to walk.

"We had a tire problem on a new tire with less than five thousand miles on it.  Turns out there had been a recall on it" 

Can you elaborate on what tire and recall?

Bill

[m2dougherty]

Yes, it is a Sailun. I will give the specs as soon as my husband wakes up as I will be making too much noise getting my paperwork out to report the size. They are G rated tires. We have a 2010 Nuwa Hitchhiker. The owners group is fading some as trailers are now orphans of sort as Nuwa no longer builds trailers. The owners forum is still around and the archives are very useful. Several of the owners had switched over to Sailuns as the Goodyear tires  they were using were not all that reliable. The Sailuns are cheaper so what do you expect I guess but overall they have been happy with them. We follow the advice of changing the tires out every five years despite mileage for fear of dry rot. There was a letter sent about the tires made at a factory in Vietnam between May and October of 2020. You only got the letter if you had registered your tires. Our paperwork is at home but I do not remember receiving any registration paperwork with them. We buy our trailer tires at the truck division of Sullivan tires in MA.Our new set of tires were put on in the fall of 2022. I saw at the time that they were made in 2021 except for this one tire made in 2020. We bought five so as to have a new spare as well. They are G rated, I  believe, think they are S637. I think they are 185/16R,I found out about the letter while using my cell phone by the side of the highway waiting for the kind man who helped gets us on our way. I had all of my RA paperwork with me which was a good thing as she wanted me to read off the last 8 digits of our vin number along with membership number cell number and the rest. I will get back here if any of my numbers are off. The mid belt was separating from the tire. WE stopped in good time before worst damage happened but our TPMS did not register as the tire was still inflated.

I do want to mention that the former Nuwa factory still operates as Kansas RV repair in Chanute, Kansas. They are the same people who know what they are doing and do good work. I can recommend them to any trailer owner as being honest and reliable. We have had work done there while traveling through.

 

[m2dougherty]

Correction: The SailunTires being recalled are ST235/85R16 and ST235/80R16  with DOT codes 2020 through 4120.

[wildebill308]

Thanks for the update.

Bill

[rayin]

Every USDOT tire manufacturer has had to  recall tires at some point. Sailun tires are built like Michelin truck tires, but are a bit heavier. I ran Sailun tires on our 5er for several years. Once the axle U-bolt broke at one wheel, this allowed the axle to slide back about 4". The result was tread completely scrubbed off that tire down to the steel belts. I was in Alaska and a new tire was nowhere to be found.

I continued the trip, putting an additional 6,000 miles on our rig, and that tire was still holding air and supporting the load when we got back home. That happened in 2012.

 

Edited January 12 by rayin

[m2dougherty]

Thank you Rayin, I am happy to hear your good opinion of the Sailun tires. We are fortunate that in our nine years of rv travel since our retirement ; this was the first time we had to call for RA. We had a spare with us. It will be good if we can get our tire replaced for free or at a reduced price because of the recall.

We have benefitted so much from following the advice given on the rv forums over the years. When I have a question or concern I always search the archives of the Nuwa forum, the IRV2 forum and of course this forum since fifth wheel trailers have been allowed. I usually follow the most conservative advice as to what size truck we need to be safe with the trailer we have and what roads to use if the situation is dicey due to existing conditions. I am full of appreciation for those like yourself willing to share their experience with those new to this type of travel.