Will you survive the worst RV tire blowout disaster???

[cabinetmaker]

If you haven’t seen this it’s probably a good idea you do.

Here’s a question they ask...

If a tire blows do you:

1) hit the brakes hard

2) speed up

3) slow down and find a exit

You might be surprised at the answer

http://rvlife.com/rv-tire-blowout-disaster/

[foglght]

Well....the dashed lines are 10 feet long and the spacing 30 feet between stripes. RV covers around 20-21 of them before blowing out the tire in about 7.5 seconds.

That works out to around 75mph.

Probably too fast for a diesel pusher toading a pickup truck. Just sayin...

[bono]

+1

They did not even mention speed factor in the article.

[RoWest]

The wife and I are home from a California to Memphis trip by way of Corpus Christi and New Orleans. The blown tire remnants in Texas and other states were noticeably smaller than your 22.5" semi- truck. Lots of intact sidewalls to gauge. Texas has an 80 MPH speed limit with no limitations for towing or trucks. Trailers, fifth wheels, and boats blow by riding on non-high speed trailer tires. They must blow apart from centrifugal force. There's a white knuckler.

From eTrailer: Speed is a huge issue with trailer tires actually. Unless otherwise noted trailer tires are rated as 65 miles per hour as their max speed. Exceeding the speed rating will cause the tire to heat up and fail easier.

[33 RLDS]

I think he was going down no matter what he tried to do at that speed.

[hoppers4]

I've shared that Michelin video several times on various forums. Great information that. Thanks for the refresher.

[WinnieView]

We have a SAFE-T-PLUS installed, of course we will survive.

[jimp]

While the logic of the recommendations seem good, who really thinks they will be able to follow the recommendation. I for one, not sure. Instinct may take over and go with #3.

[cabinetmaker]

This is why I always:

1) check my tire pressure

2) use a infrared heat gun at every stop to check tire temps (especially the inside duals)

3) never exceed 65mph and usually drive 60-62

4) never overload my Motorhome. All tanks empty when traveling except fresh water will have less than 1/3 just for flushing toilet. Leave things I don't use at least once every trip at home.

5) replace tires with age not how much tread is left

6) exercise the motorhome at least once a moth to keep everything working including the tires. Storage sitting in one spot not your friend

7) say a quick prayer before heading out each day!

Most RV's that have tire issues are not caused by flats but blowouts. Be safe out there!!

[jd99336]

Originally Posted by cabinetmaker

This is why I always:

1) check my tire pressure

2) use a infrared heat gun at every stop to check tire temps (especially the inside duals)

3) never exceed 65mph and usually drive 60-62

4) never overload my Motorhome. All tanks empty when traveling except fresh water will have less than 1/3 just for flushing toilet. Leave things I don't use at least once every trip at home.

5) replace tires with age not how much tread is left

6) exercise the motorhome at least once a moth to keep everything working including the tires. Storage sitting in one spot not your friend

7) say a quick prayer before heading out each day!

Most RV's that have tire issues are not caused by flats but blowouts. Be safe out there!!

I prefer a long prayer....but all good advice.

[michael.g]

Although the advice makes complete sense, it was not my experience. We blew an inner dual driving 70 mph heading south just south of Savannah, GA on I-95. As soon as I realized what happened, in a matter of seconds, I firmly hit the brakes, held the steering wheel firmly and moved onto the shoulder. Fortunately I was in the right lane. I had no handling issues whatsoever. I was easily able to get onto the shoulder.

The next exit was about 6 miles away and I wasn't comfortable driving with the inner dual blown, so I just called AAA. We were running pretty light with almost empty tanks. Perhaps things would have been different if we were running heavier or had a toad.

-Michael

[John from Central Florida]

Originally Posted by foglght

Well....the dashed lines are 10 feet long and the spacing 30 feet between stripes. RV covers around 20-21 of them before blowing out the tire in about 7.5 seconds.

That works out to around 75mph.

Probably too fast for a diesel pusher toading a pickup truck. Just sayin...

Awesome math!
I’d just let off the gas and pull to the side when able.

[WaltW]

The 22.5 tires that A's and super C's are running are only rated to 75 mph. Michelins on my A needed to be replaced at about 4 1/2 yrs, plenty of thread but cracking in sidewalls by rims. Most recommend replacement at circa 6 years...much longer than that and you're pushing your luck. One of the expenses of owning a MH.

[WinnieView]

Originally Posted by WaltW

The 22.5 tires that A's and super C's are running are only rated to 75 mph. Michelins on my A needed to be replaced at about 4 1/2 yrs, plenty of thread but cracking in sidewalls by rims. Most recommend replacement at circa 6 years...much longer than that and you're pushing your luck. One of the expenses of owning a MH.

Our super C tires are 19.5. We've had 22.5 tires on previous class A motorhomes and tend to run them closer to 10 years with proper care, and as mentioned less than 75 mph.

[foglght]

Originally Posted by michael.g

Although the advice makes complete sense, it was not my experience. We blew an inner dual driving 70 mph heading south just south of Savannah, GA on I-95. As soon as I realized what happened, in a matter of seconds, I firmly hit the brakes, held the steering wheel firmly and moved onto the shoulder. Fortunately I was in the right lane. I had no handling issues whatsoever. I was easily able to get onto the shoulder.

The next exit was about 6 miles away and I wasn't comfortable driving with the inner dual blown, so I just called AAA. We were running pretty light with almost empty tanks. Perhaps things would have been different if we were running heavier or had a toad.

-Michael

I wanted to ask about your AAA experience. Do you have a spare on your motorhome? Did they change the tire on teh side of the road?

[SloPoke]

Originally Posted by RoWest

From eTrailer: Speed is a huge issue with trailer tires actually. Unless otherwise noted trailer tires are rated as 65 miles per hour as their max speed. Exceeding the speed rating will cause the tire to heat up and fail easier.

So true!!! After going thru a lot of "trailer tires" over the years... I consulted with a Tire expert in Provo UT. He has a tire business and won't recommend any trailer tire for the same reasons. We set up our current trailer with medium duty truck tires on 1-ton truck rims. A typical 265/70/17 gives us 2,510 Lbs of capacity at Speed Ratings "S" (up to 112mph). That is pretty solid for our trailer that has never weighed more than 8k on the scales. Then if you add TPMS to constantly monitor pressures and temperatures - you might get some warning before you have an incident.

[cabinetmaker]

Originally Posted by foglght

Well....the dashed lines are 10 feet long and the spacing 30 feet between stripes. RV covers around 20-21 of them before blowing out the tire in about 7.5 seconds.

That works out to around 75mph.

Probably too fast for a diesel pusher toading a pickup truck. Just sayin...

They just included that first video of the motoehome blowing a tire and going off the road to illustrate what happens when a tire blows.

Speed probably was a factor but the point they were making is how to respond.

The second video later in the article is what the focus of this article is about. Scroll down and watch that one if you haven't. Some good information on true test of tires blowing on a loaded motorhome and how to control and stay on the road until safe to pull over.

Accelerate and gain control then slowly move to safety. Never hit the brakes!

I must admit I was surprised by this. That's why I posted it. Might save someone down the road someday.

[michael.g]

Originally Posted by foglght

I wanted to ask about your AAA experience. Do you have a spare on your motorhome? Did they change the tire on teh side of the road?

Yes, our Motorhome came with a full size spare tire mounted on the rear bumper. We removed it from the bumper and put it under the bed. The tire on the bumper interfered with our bike rack.

AAA sent a local Mobile Tire Repair, although it took them a long time to find someone because they were looking for a mobile tire repair company that could tow the Motorhome in case it wasn't safe for the mobile repairman to change on the side of the road. I told them it would be safe and the mobile repair company they ultimately sent didn't have the ability to tow the Motorhome.

AAA told me that I had to have a mounted spare, they wouldn't cover a new tire and they wouldn't cover the tire repairman to remove the blown tire from the rim and mount a spare tire onto that rim, had to be a fully mounted spare that the repairman could just swap on and off.

Keep in mind this is AAA South with Plus level service and the RV add-on. Your mileage might vary in a different AAA Region.

-Michael

[foglght]

Originally Posted by michael.g

Yes, our Motorhome came with a full size spare tire mounted on the rear bumper. We removed it from the bumper and put it under the bed. The tire on the bumper interfered with our bike rack.

AAA sent a local Mobile Tire Repair, although it took them a long time to find someone because they were looking for a mobile tire repair company that could tow the Motorhome in case it wasn't safe for the mobile repairman to change on the side of the road. I told them it would be safe and the mobile repair company they ultimately sent didn't have the ability to tow the Motorhome.

AAA told me that I had to have a mounted spare, they wouldn't cover a new tire and they wouldn't cover the tire repairman to remove the blown tire from the rim and mount a spare tire onto that rim, had to be a fully mounted spare that the repairman could just swap on and off.

Keep in mind this is AAA South with Plus level service and the RV add-on. Your mileage might vary in a different AAA Region.

-Michael

So, understanding this correctly:

If you have a tire blowout and you don't have a spare, AAA won't do anything or will they tow it to the nearest place to get a new tire?

Ours didn't come with a spare.

[michael.g]

If you don't have a spare, then they would have to have the Motorhome towed.

-Michael