Blowout kills 4

[Unplanned Tourist]

Originally Posted by Dan and Ann

Well said! I have experienced a right front tire blowout on our 40ft MH. I agree the key is not to panic - you can do that later! We were on I95 in Florida, 60mph, right lane when it happened. I tapped the brakes very briefly (to release the cruise), took foot off brake and accelerator and held on tight for the ride. Was able to slow down and steer to side of the road. Also be prepared to ignore the loud noises that sound like you are tearing the MH apart! Stuff can be replaced, people can't. By the way, I am the wife, scared husband silly, but he was proud of me.

Good driving Ann. I need to have a talk with my wife, she only drives when we are outside of the cities, and the rig drives so nice it's a one hand operation. I really take care of the tires, but road debris can appear anywhere.
Safe travels and Happy Glamping.

[GKW]

Originally Posted by Dan and Ann

Well said! I have experienced a right front tire blowout on our 40ft MH. I agree the key is not to panic - you can do that later! We were on I95 in Florida, 60mph, right lane when it happened. I tapped the brakes very briefly (to release the cruise), took foot off brake and accelerator and held on tight for the ride. Was able to slow down and steer to side of the road. Also be prepared to ignore the loud noises that sound like you are tearing the MH apart! Stuff can be replaced, people can't. By the way, I am the wife, scared husband silly, but he was proud of me.

Good work Ann! Your detailed description and reaction is exactly what I had in mind. Thankfully, I have never had a blowout but this is how I hope I would react.

[CF-104]

Originally Posted by V3600

How to Cope with a Front Tire Blowout

Don’t brake. Braking will intensify the side pull.
Accelerate. This counter intuitive step might seem foolhardy at first but it will stabilize your truck. Acceleration has a lifting effect on the tractor’s front end that takes weight off the blown out tire. Less weight reduces the damaged tire’s dragging. This in turn, reduces the side pull. Accelerate just enough to get control over the steering. Don’t overdo it. If your cruise control is on, you must quickly turn it off without braking.
Hold the steering wheel tightly. Grip your steering wheel firmly with both hands. You must resist the steering’s tendency to pull to the side. Don’t over steer. Simply keep your truck moving straight ahead.
Allow the truck to come to a stop. Slowly ease off the gas while keeping the truck in your lane. Turn on your flashers and allow wind and road drag to slow your truck down to a stop at the side of the road.
Again, stay away from the brake pedal.

I've had this very discussion on another thread .... (I was training at the time ... now have my C3 [commercial] DL) ... that's what you must do to maintain control of a blow out on the steer axel .... can't wait for the uninformed to FLAME this ..... I gave up in the past trying to educate the ignorant.

[birddog2you]

You can take a horse to the water trough but you can't make them drink!

[CF-104]

Originally Posted by twinboat

How many organizations quote the " Step on the gas "theory ?

Is anyone speeking from experence or are we jumping on one recomendation, and taking it as the only way to do it. Are there others ?

AAA and CDL training say take foot off gas and hold onto wheel. Are they wrong ?

How can you prove what didn't happen with the way you handled a front tire blow out ?

CDL training say take foot off gas

physics are different up here in Canada ...... accel hard (a couple of seconds - with all that weight and accel lag this just keeps the truck STRAIGHT- maintain control .. then foot off gas ... DO NOT touch he brake until under control OR DIE.

[zippy-]

Originally Posted by pduggs

Apparently there are people who are unaware of the dangers of driving on old tires.

Some people value little bits of paper over safety. After years of riding motorcycles both on and off the track I take no chances on tires. Cracks in the tire...replace them. Down to wear bars....replace them. Age beyond 5-7years replace them on rv regardless...and i keep my rv indoors and climate controlled year round except when in use. The paper is just worthless paper in the end.

I would hate to see how some people maintain their boats or airplanes. Scary.

Stay safe and a set of tires is not worth dying for.

[hohenwald48]

Originally Posted by stepside454

I'm not sure it matters much but every motorhome accident I see involving a blown tire is a DP.
I may have missed it , but I've not seen a gas motorhome involved in an accident due to blow out

I wonder if that's because the ride and handling of a DP is so much better than a gas Class A. That would tend to give DP drivers a more secure feeling and perhaps encourage them to drive a little faster and more comfortably than gas drivers. Just a thought.

[stepside454]

Originally Posted by hohenwald48

I wonder if that's because the ride and handling of a DP is so much better than a gas Class A. That would tend to give DP drivers a more secure feeling and perhaps encourage them to drive a little faster and more comfortably than gas drivers. Just a thought.

That thought crossed my mind as well

[BradF1956]

Road hazards can and do happen, however, I see so many drivers exceeding the speed limit with a vehicle that is essentially a semi truck with beds and TV's compounded by towing a TOAD!
SLOW DOWN, the safety factor improves a bunch and you might be surprised at what you will see along the way.

[Cat320]

Originally Posted by 4x4van

Been there, done that, WITHOUT stomping on the throttle. I've had several blowouts over the past 3 decades of RVing, at least 2 right front. One at 65mph, one at about 55-60 while going down an offramp. BANG! (Surprise!) Lift foot off gas. Maintain steering control. Lightly apply brakes. Gently slow RV to a stop. Never was the "pull" so bad that I was in fear of going off the road or into another lane.

This is not rocket science, people. Stepping in the gas for 2-3 seconds (the video actually showed 6+ seconds) at 65mph means you will cover the distance of a football field BEFORE YOU EVER EVEN BEGIN TO SLOW DOWN! And once you finally DO let off the throttle, all of the same forces that you supposedly eliminated, immediately return. BTW, the graphics in the video are intentionally skewed to overstate the side forces and understate the forward forces.

Here's the bottom line: DON'T PANIC! DON'T STOMP THE BRAKES! The goal is to stop the RV without losing control, NOT to continue for another 1 or 2 football fields before even beginning that process.

Do what both the AAA and the CDL recommend.

Agree.

The Michelin video is pure conjecture. I've had the same experience as noted above. Get a good grip on the wheel (these big diesels have strong power steering systems), tap the cruise off (get rid of that speed, but don't brake), and get off the road. There is no way you solve an emergency involving a tire or wheel by stepping on the accelerator. When that tire blows, the last thing that will enter your mind is more speed/thrust. BTDT.

[V3600]

The CDL manuals say the following:

Tire Failure

Hold the steering wheel firmly — If a front tire fails, it can twist the steering wheel out of your hands. The only way to prevent this is to keep a firm grip on the steering wheel with both hands at all times.

Stay off the brake — It is natural to want to brake in an emergency. However, braking when a tire has failed could cause loss of control. Unless you are about to run into something, stay off the brake until the vehicle has slowed down. Then brake very gently, pull off the road and stop.

Check the tires — After you have come to a stop, get out and check all the tires. Do this even if the vehicle seems to be handling all right.