Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
After supper I was out walking my dogs up the county caliche road that runs alongside my place, our usual ritual. I heard a weak blowout sound in the distance and looked up to see a pickup, fifthwheel, and trailered boat slowing and pulling off the highway a little west of my farmhouse.
After I got the dogs settled in inside my fence I walked down the highway to see if the people were stranded and needed help. (I thought maybe it was another dead Furd Sick. Ohh) As I approached I could see the owner changing the left rear wheel of his fifthwheel. He was putting the spare tire off a GM-2500 on as he did not have a second spare.
He had lost a tread and blown a tire and suffered major damage to the trailer slideout, fenderwell, etc. A five foot length of the bottom 16" section of the slide out room skirt was ripped off, the inner fender was torn off and hanging under the trailer, a tank was busted, apparently the fresh water tank, because the pavement was wet under the trailer, and the end of the pvc pipe for the black and gray water drain system was broken off and missing.
The trailer was a large 2006 Alfa "See Ya" fifthwheel with a GVWR of 16,200# equipped with GY G-614 LRG tires, original to the trailer. The owner told me he had blown one on the curb side about 100 miles east a little eariier today without damage but this one did major damage.
The owner was aware of the damage GY Marathons in 15" sizes do, he had experienced that with a previous trailer. He was not aware that GY G-614s also blow out or sling their treads. I guess he was also unaware that an RV tire over five years of age is simply a bomb waiting to explode and damage a nice trailer.
The owner probably has comprehensive insurance on his trailer and his trailer will probably be repaired but it is not going to be real simple. The Alfa trailer plant went out of business and shut down in 2007 so unique Alfa parts are no longer available.
After I got the dogs settled in inside my fence I walked down the highway to see if the people were stranded and needed help. (I thought maybe it was another dead Furd Sick. Ohh) As I approached I could see the owner changing the left rear wheel of his fifthwheel. He was putting the spare tire off a GM-2500 on as he did not have a second spare.
He had lost a tread and blown a tire and suffered major damage to the trailer slideout, fenderwell, etc. A five foot length of the bottom 16" section of the slide out room skirt was ripped off, the inner fender was torn off and hanging under the trailer, a tank was busted, apparently the fresh water tank, because the pavement was wet under the trailer, and the end of the pvc pipe for the black and gray water drain system was broken off and missing.
The trailer was a large 2006 Alfa "See Ya" fifthwheel with a GVWR of 16,200# equipped with GY G-614 LRG tires, original to the trailer. The owner told me he had blown one on the curb side about 100 miles east a little eariier today without damage but this one did major damage.
The owner was aware of the damage GY Marathons in 15" sizes do, he had experienced that with a previous trailer. He was not aware that GY G-614s also blow out or sling their treads. I guess he was also unaware that an RV tire over five years of age is simply a bomb waiting to explode and damage a nice trailer.
The owner probably has comprehensive insurance on his trailer and his trailer will probably be repaired but it is not going to be real simple. The Alfa trailer plant went out of business and shut down in 2007 so unique Alfa parts are no longer available.
