Recaps on a Fifth Wheel TT?

[Alan Reagan]

I couldn't believe it. I was running 70 down I-16 to Savannah yesterday and I saw this Super Dudy coming up behind me. He finally catches me and gets in the left lane. About the time he gets his front bumper even with my rear, we round a long curve and I see a big truck recap in his lane. Knowing he can't accelerate fast enough to get by me so I pull up to give him room to move over. Rather than pull back in behind me to get around the 'cap, he goes off the left shoulder and keeps coming. He finally gets by me (no, I wasn't screwing around with him) and comes into the right lane. Then he matches the speed I was already running. Suddenly he moves into the left lane in front of an oncoming Explorer. Here's where it gets interesting. The Explorer is blowing the horn and weaving behind this fiver. Then this hellacious banging noise starts coming from the fiver. Rubber starts flying everywhere, especially into the front end and windshield of the Explorer. I'm on the binders and start flashing my headlights to give him the all clear to come into the right lane and get off the road. The way the trailer was swaying, I though it was going to be one heck of a wreck. He managed to hold it straight. The right rear trailer tire had separated its tread leaving the casing intact. The casing still had air, just no tread around it. Surely guys that can afford a four door Super Dudy and a fifth wheel travel trailer don't have to settle for recaps on their trailer tires... ... ... Do they?

BTW, when the tread separated, it did a nice amount of sheet metal damage to the TT. Warning. Run good tires.

 

[Jumbo Jet]

It could have been a regular tire. I threw the tread off a bias ply trailer tire and it made it home - about seven miles - without blowing.

 

[Bill Stockard]

I had a new Goodyear Wrangler HT Radial do the same thing. It threw the complete tread and the casing still held 80 PSI air pressure. You can imagine what that did to the fender well on the Hitchhiker 5th wheel!!! So may not have been recaps!!!!



Bill

 

[DRR-24V]

Carlisle Tires !

Chances are , it was a Carlisle tire. Sounds normal to me. That Driver needed an attitude adjustment.

 

[roadranger]

Re: Carlisle Tires !

Originally posted by DRR-24V

That Driver needed an attitude adjustment.

Heee Heee... That driver for SURE will need an RV adjustment.

 

[B.G. Smith]

Recaps

I had three Marathons come apart, switched to Wrangler HT and after the first one threw the tread I quit road testing for that company. I probably would have been better off with recaps, used to run them on my 34 Chevy. bg

 

[PUMPERDUDE]

Goodyear Marathons

Been there. Done that. (2 blowouts)No fun.

 

[Harlan]

After throwing two treads on good tires on my old trailer. Then having to replace the damaged panels. When I got my 99 34' 5er I bit the bullet and got 4 new 16" rims and 4= LT215/85r16 Michelin XPS Traction 10pl. Max load 5360 at 80Psi. The reasening is over kill and when I leave Reno in the winter, some times there is snow on the ground. M/S help to stop on snow, nuthing helps on ice. For what my deductuble is I can aford the tires and not have the down time to repair what gets beet up.

Just my thinking.

Harlan

 

[Jack in Alaska]

Harlan,



I agree with you 100%. You can't put a too expensive tire on your RV. Considering the damage a tire can do to your rig as well as the possibilty of a wreck and the extra longevity from a good tire the cost of a tire is cheap.

I use Goodyear G159 commercial all steel 10 plys. They have performed excellent for me plus they are made in the USA.

My $0. 03 worth.

 

[Bill Stockard]

Harlan & Jack,



You are right. Tire problems on the side of the highway aren't fun and by the time you pay the deductable for the damage, you can buy an expensive set of tires!!



I cured my 5er tire problems with a set of Michelin XPS Radials.



Bill

 

[Steve Campbell]

Learned that lesson 20 yrs ago

It was amazing how much damage a cap coming off of the casing could do tho the back end of an aluminum cattle pull trailer.