Dry Rot

flbradjr · 08-26-2022, 02:59 PM

2005 Sunline #2753

We have tire monitors to measure the PSI. Passenger side rear tire lost about 5 psi. I rotate my tires - same side but only front to back - and always check for sidewall Dry Rot. Oops - Dry Rot between the treads.
Changed the tire and spare blew up. My bad - didn't even look at what it was - only checked the psi. I suspect it was a leftover from my original set. A NYS Thruway gas attendant gave us a RV dealer in Amsterdam - where we were getting off anyway and we were able to purchase a new tire to replace "the Leaker".
Take away - more than one way to collect Dry Rot.
flbradjr "Brad"

**JohnB** · 08-28-2022, 07:35 PM

Hi Brad,

Yes, tire age is a big deal on trailer tires. On both the main 4 tires and the spare. The spare is sometimes a forgotten necessity until the day you need it.

Thanks for sharing your unfortunate experience. This is a good topic for folks to check and see just how old is the spare they have?

After personally dealing with tire failures while camping, ( talk about how to not have a fun time camping, just have a blow out...) I have been buying a new spare tire every time I buy new main tires. The spare sitting on the camper never being used, dies from age after 5 years, sun and heat exposure and lack of rotating even though it looks perfectly new. I know years ago on auto's, the spare could be a left over something just to get you to a tire store. I have seen this done by many folks, my own family even. But, the loading on an auto tire is very different then on a trailer tire. And the tires are made different. You should not compare how you can get by with an auto tire on the auto like a spare tire on a trailer.

With tandem axle trailers, the other tire on the same side of the camper took a beating into overload when the first tire failed. It is common that other tire can fail early in it's life due to that overload event. Yet another reason the spare has to be be able to handle full load.

I know it may seem like a waste of money to some to buy a new spare every time you buy 4 new tires as you may have never used the spare. But... there is always one of them, on a camper, the tires are very close to max loading all the time when in use. The day you have a flat or other tire damage and you need to put the spare on, you want to count on that spare is good and can handle close to full load just like the 4 main tires for a good amount of time. It may take a hundred miles or hundreds of miles, before you find a tire shop that is open and has your size trailer tire. Your spare has to be up to the task.

After dealing with major siding damage to the camper after the tread flew apart beating up our camper, you really know that spare had better be a good one and not fly apart and beat up the camper. That cost of the new spare gets to be real cheap the day a spare fly's apart and beats up the camper due to be being an old tire. Think of the new spare tire as an insurance. You buy it hoping you never have to use it. But you are glad the day you have to use that insurance.

You were fortunate, it sounds like you did not have camper damage from your spare flying apart. You dodged a bullet on that one.

To add to how common this is on old spare tires, when I went to pick up my 4 project campers, every one of those campers had the original spare tire on it and every one of those project campers was at or over 11 years old. The issue is more common then one thinks.

Thanks

John

flbradjr · 08-30-2022, 08:33 AM

Hi John,
So I'm all set with a new spare - courtesy of RV store in Amsterdam
Next year before travelling - a new set - MAXXIS M8008 or Goodyear Endurance
Both years of problems with tires are at the 7-8 year use. Originals #1 & Maxxis #2
They do stay outdoors but lifted off of the ground and have wheel covers.
Brad

**JohnB** · 08-30-2022, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flbradjr

Both years of problems with tires are at the 7-8 year use. Originals #1 & Maxxis #2

Hi Brad,

7 - 8 years on ST trailer tires = not good.

Good to hear you have a plan for all new tires.

Those two brands you mentioned are good. The Carlisle Radial Trail HD is another good option. But only this series, https://www.carlislebrandtires.com/o...dial-trail-hd/

Torskdoc423 · 09-01-2022, 12:01 PM

DOT Strongly recommends changing tires on RV's @ 5-6 years (IIRC), tread is to the wear marker's or when cracking of sidewalls occur (whichever comes 1st.). I would add cracking of the tread also.

Tireman9 · 09-01-2022, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnB

Hi Brad,

Yes, tire age is a big deal on trailer tires. On both the main 4 tires and the spare. The spare is sometimes a forgotten necessity until the day you need it.

Thanks for sharing your unfortunate experience. This is a good topic for folks to check and see just how old is the spare they have?

After personally dealing with tire failures while camping, ( talk about how to not have a fun time camping, just have a blow out...) I have been buying a new spare tire every time I buy new main tires. The spare sitting on the camper never being used, dies from age after 5 years, sun and heat exposure and lack of rotating even though it looks perfectly new. I know years ago on auto's, the spare could be a left over something just to get you to a tire store. I have seen this done by many folks, my own family even. But, the loading on an auto tire is very different then on a trailer tire. And the tires are made different. You should not compare how you can get by with an auto tire on the auto like a spare tire on a trailer.

With tandem axle trailers, the other tire on the same side of the camper took a beating into overload when the first tire failed. It is common that other tire can fail early in it's life due to that overload event. Yet another reason the spare has to be be able to handle full load.

I know it may seem like a waste of money to some to buy a new spare every time you buy 4 new tires as you may have never used the spare. But... there is always one of them, on a camper, the tires are very close to max loading all the time when in use. The day you have a flat or other tire damage and you need to put the spare on, you want to count on that spare is good and can handle close to full load just like the 4 main tires for a good amount of time. It may take a hundred miles or hundreds of miles, before you find a tire shop that is open and has your size trailer tire. Your spare has to be up to the task.

After dealing with major siding damage to the camper after the tread flew apart beating up our camper, you really know that spare had better be a good one and not fly apart and beat up the camper. That cost of the new spare gets to be real cheap the day a spare fly's apart and beats up the camper due to be being an old tire. Think of the new spare tire as an insurance. You buy it hoping you never have to use it. But you are glad the day you have to use that insurance.

You were fortunate, it sounds like you did not have camper damage from your spare flying apart. You dodged a bullet on that one.

To add to how common this is on old spare tires, when I went to pick up my 4 project campers, every one of those campers had the original spare tire on it and every one of those project campers was at or over 11 years old. The issue is more common then one thinks.

Thanks

John

One thing almost no RV owners do is to file a complaint with NHTSA (part of DOT dealing with tires). Unless your tire failure was due to obvious external cause such as puncture or pot-hole you should file a complaint. NHTSA can only investigate "safety defects" if they get a number of complaints. When you hear about a "Recall" on cars etc it is because NHTSA investigated the complaints. Obviously they pay most attention to problems that involve personal injury but if there were a significant volume of complaints they might order a recall on RV tires and the owners would receive free replacement.
But if they do not get complaints, there will be no investigation and therefore there could be no recall. Recalls are expansive and tire companies will spend money improving tire quality to avoid having recalls.

So if you want better quality tires spend the few minutes it takes to file a complaint. You will need the VIN of the RV and the COMPLETE DOT serial with the date part from the tire.
Pictures are good also.

flbradjr · 09-05-2022, 08:10 AM

I posted a thread on my recent flat tire which turned out to be a leaking tire valve.
Since I've had this issue before - I wouldn't be surprised if my dry rot between the treads loosing air tire - turns out to be a leaking valve stem
Brad

Tireman9 · 09-05-2022, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flbradjr

I posted a thread on my recent flat tire which turned out to be a leaking tire valve.
Since I've had this issue before - I wouldn't be surprised if my dry rot between the treads loosing air tire - turns out to be a leaking valve stem
Brad

You didn't mention if the valve stem was a standard rubber "snap-in" valve. If you switch to metal bolt in, (not rubber with thin metal cover but actual bolt in stems) you can avoid many valve related problems.
I have been using bolt in metal stems in both racing and RV activities for over 50 years and have never had a stem failure.

Torskdoc423 · 09-05-2022, 09:15 AM

If you have one of those plastic kiddie wading pools, fill it up, and submerge tire and rim. Any leaks will show as bubbles.