Check your tires guys!!!

[Pusherpilot]

This happened yesterday. These folks were FMCA members and members of the Ramblin Pushers on Yahoo. They just left Lazy Days going home to Ky. No info on the cause of the crash but there were 3 fatalities and a fire. the coach is a HR Imperial, year not determined.
Ron
http://www.paducahsun.com/component/cont........-wife-and-friend-killed-in-florida-wreck

[Bonanza]

Thanks Pusherpilot for the information, will keep their families in our prayers.

[RVRon]

This is truly a tragedy. A terrible loss for our community. I am certain that if you've ever had a front tire blow-out, you have slowed down your pace a little and checked your tires a little more closely and more often. It is a frightening experience. I was lucky, these folks were not. We all need to pay attention to what keeps us safe by checking dates of manufacture on the tires, the PSI and also signs of sidewall and/or tread issues. What a shame......

[Elkhartjim]

Somebody posted this yesterday and also recommended that if this should occur to not apply the brakes but accelerate until you have the MH under control. Michelin has a video on their website demonstrated this procedure. Of course it is a tragic lose for all those connected to this family.

[Nonno]

My condolences to the Gore and Wyatt families for their loss.

Although the cause of the blowout is not known, a friend of theirs and the other couple they were traveling with, posted on the Ramblin Pusher e-group that they had checked tire pressure prior to departing.

[The Texan]

A little more information on this tragic accident, as reported on another forum by one if the other 2 couples traveling with them. The coach was a 2006 and the tires were original and 4 years old. The coach was always stored inside on plastic pads under the tires. They had checked the pressure in Tampa, before they departed that morning. Mr Gore always took meticulous care of his coach, so until the FHP MAIT report is completed it is only speculation as to what may have caused the tire failure and resulting accident.

[motojavaphil]

A very sad event. God Bless Them and Their Families.

The findings of the investigation will be interesting.

[Stretch]

Having been in the HD Truck industry for 30 years I am at a loss to understand why RV front tires fail so often. Big Class 8 trucks that carry 80,000 lbs dont seem to have the same problems. I know the commercial trucks travel many more miles in a shorter time frame so that the casings cannot be very old when worn out, but 4 years on an RV tire is not OLD. What else can cause these problems.

I presently have an 43 ft 05 HR Navigator with a 60 series Detroit Diesel engine. So the tires are 6 years old at about 30,000 miles total and I see no signs of sidewall wear or checking/cracking and I do not intend to change them for the foreseeable future.........

[The Texan]

IMHO, it's a multiple faceted problem, starting with the tire industry trying to make the RVer happy and building a very poor tire with a very inferior sidewall so it rides softer. Another reason is because many Rvers never check their actual tire pressures, more than once or twice a year. Another contributing factor is weight, which most RVers have no idea what the 4 corners of their coach weighs, ready for the road. You are not talking a professional driver, when it comes to an RVer, unlike the professional OTR driver who loses money when he had downtime with a tire problem.
Bob

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stretch Having been in the HD Truck industry for 30 years I am at a loss to understand why RV front tires fail so often. Big Class 8 trucks that carry 80,000 lbs dont seem to have the same problems. I know the commercial trucks travel many more miles in a shorter time frame so that the casings cannot be very old when worn out, but 4 years on an RV tire is not OLD. What else can cause these problems. I presently have an 43 ft 05 HR Navigator with a 60 series Detroit Diesel engine. So the tires are 6 years old at about 30,000 miles total and I see no signs of sidewall wear or checking/cracking and I do not intend to change them for the foreseeable future.........

[georgetown350]

Quote:

Having been in the HD Truck industry for 30 years I am at a loss to understand why RV front tires fail so often.

How often do RV front tires fail? where can we see the stats?

If a front tire blows instantly it will take all the strength you have to keep the rig straight. Very sad for this family.

[caymann]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stretch ....I presently have an 43 ft 05 HR Navigator with a 60 series Detroit Diesel engine. So the tires are 6 years old at about 30,000 miles total and I see no signs of sidewall wear or checking/cracking and I do not intend to change them for the foreseeable future.........

As a general rule of thumb, one MUST change all tires at 6yr mark, period.

The primary reason RV tires fail is due to dry rot. This can happen to the inside
wall or outside wall and sometimes they are microscopic. When tires run a lot (such as a truck), the chemicals in the rubber has a chance to spread out. When tires sit a lot (such as RV), the spreading doesn't happen and creates possibility of dry rot.

When one has a tire failure, it also does severe damage to the body and may drag down system components (air hoses, brakes etc). You can expect your RV to be out of the road in a repair shop for several weeks to months. So this really is a showstopper.

On the flip side, it is just the cost of 8 tires + install.
Sometimes, prevention is better than cure !