Had a tire blow on my TT the other day due to it finding some nasty thingie on the road. Put on the spare and life went on. Now all my 'Camping Expert' buddies are telling me that I also need to replace the other tire (dual axles) due to the load I put on it, even if it was for less than a mile. The tires have 6,000 miles on them .

 

I'm not sure about the Myth, personally I wouldn't worry about it.

BUT a friend just went through the same thing, blew 1 tire, tore up his 5th wheel, changed the flat went straight to buy a new tire. 25 miles later the other tire on that side blew.

How old are the tires?
The life expectancy of TT tires is usually based on time (4 or 5 years) not distance.

ab

 

What tears these tires up is the down time. Tires need to flex to keep the rubber in them soft and plyable. When parked for long periods of time they dryrot and cracks form in the tires allowing moisture to get into the steel belts and rust, causing tire failure. If you have a camper or motorhome with dual wheels, (one inside, one outside) you'll notice the outer one dries out quicker than the inner one does. Aside from driving them when you're not using them, it's best to spray the sidewalls with a protectant and cover the tires to protect them from the sun.

If there's much age on the tires, and one has already let loose, you may want to consider replacing the rest. To determine the age of the tire, locate the DOT number. All tires have them, required by law. They only put the numbers on one side, so if you don't find it on the outside, then it's on the inside. Usually located close to the bead. Look at the last 4 digits, example DOT# BFGC2401. In this case I made up the first 4 digits, but the last four tell when the tire was made. 24 indicates the week of the year, and 01 indicates the year. So week 24 of 2001. If made in 1999 or before, use the last 3 digits, as in BFGC049. This one would be week number 4 in 1999.

 

There's some truth to that "myth"; when a tire blows on one side of a tandem-axle trailer, the other tire is instantly overloaded and can fail quickly. That's why some folks with tandems carry two spares.

Steve

 

I think it has a lot to with 'Why' the tire blew out. If it was old, dry rotted, then yes, more than likely the second tire will blow as well because they were probably put on as a pair (same age, live thru the same conditions). However, if the first tire blowout due to debris in the road, then the second tire will more than likely survive.

the same could be said for under inflation blowouts. If a tire A failed due to under inflation, the more than likely you'll have some issues with tire B, since it has been carrying more that it's share of the load. However, it depends a lot on tire B's condition - if it was properly inflated and in good condition (not dry rotted), then it could survive the load.

I think to say that 'when one tire blows, the other is instantly overloaded and will blow' is pretty much unfounded. Although, in theory, is carries some validity; there are tires on the road that are overloaded everyday and don't blow out. Not saying you should drive around on overloaded tires - but I think you can see my point.

I've had 2 flats (not necessarily blow-outs) while on trips - both were discovered at stops, so I really don't know how long they were flat. Both times I changed to the spare and got a replacement later... I did not change the spare back out. The original spare was now one of the primary tires. I never had an issue with the remaining tire failing.

 

Mark -

Not sure why you changed my "can fail" to "will fail" but sometimes it happens after a short period of time/mileage so it's not exactly "unfounded". My son's 28' toy box (7 months old) blew a R/H tire coming thru Needles, CA; after putting on the spare the other R/H tire blew coming into Lake Havasu City (about 40 miles). He now carries 2 spares, and uses Goodyear instead of Carlisle.

Steve

 

That was unintentional - I wasn't really even attempting to quote you, I just used similar statement (mainly extrapolating from what the OP said). If I were truly quoting you, I would have used the quote feature.

Just because it happened to your son's TB, doesn't necessarily mean there is truth to the myth - all of the details are not presented. Although you said his TB was only 7 mos old - that doesn't date the tires. Often, by the time a RV hits the lot, the tires could be greater than a year old - and could be blemish tires. Also, we don't know if the tires were properly inflated or even properly rated for the load. I'm not, in any way, trying to bash you or your son here, but often myths are created from incomplete details.

 

Mark -

The Carlisles were dated September '07, run at max pressure and were properly rated for the toy box. The SoCal Carlisle dealer refused to investigate when my son dropped off the carcasses, insisting the tires couldn't have been at fault (calls and e-mails to Carlisle have been no help; their response is it's the dealer's call). You're right............it doesn't ALWAYS happen but it happens enough to take this scenario out of the "myth" category.

Steve

 

I would have to say "It depends". What is the shape of the rest of the tires? If your tires are brand new and one blew, fine. Replace the one. If the tires are 9 years old and one blows, replace ALL. I recommended my friend replace one side only. Why? Because of the way he parks his trailer and the fact that they are 2 yrs old. Sun kept hitting on one side so that side was brittle and cracked.

 

AHHHHHH ! YES!!!!!!! Another satisfied Carlisle customer. I've heard that story way too often. If you go over to RV.NET there's not too many folks that have nice things to say about the tires or the way the company stands behind them.

 

Another AHHH YES from me Carlisle and good old Nankang, what a tire. I've been pulling 5th wheels since 1985 and have had a few blowouts. I have never had another tire blow within 40 miles of putting the spare on. I guess I have just been lucky. I have noticed the most common reason for tire separation is making extremely sharp turns, especially while backing. I can relate almost every tire separation to having to back into a tight space previously.

I put a new set of Nankangs on in Bishop California and they all blew out before I hit the Canadian Border. I started running Denmans under advice from my local tire store and haven't had a blowout since. Towmaster appears to be another good tire.

Note the attached photograph, it shows what happens when you run Nankangs.