Tire fell to pieces over the winter - never saw such a thing.

[TimB]

I have a fifth wheel camper that is 11 years old with, maybe 10,000 miles on it. I noticed last weekend that all of the tires are litterally falling apart. The tread is coming off the belted "core" in patches and at least two of the cores are grossly mis-shapened (inside edge of the core has blown out).

Last time I used the trailer (early last summer) these tires looked virtually brand new - no issues, no dry rot, 99% tread etc.

Does anyone have any idea how this might have happened?

These are the only things I can think of:

These are Load Range D - a couple years after I bought the trailer (brand new) I realized that the weight of the LOADED trailer divided by 4 (for 4 tires was probably a bit too much weight for D tires. (the new ones I ordered are Load Range E).

I sprayed some relatively innoccuous pesticides (pyrythrins) on portions ofthe tires maybe 2 ot 3 times over the 11 years, but the rubber does not seem to have been affected, this looks like an inside-out problem.

These tires are rated for maximum weigt at 65 PSI, I usually ran them at 60 psI.

It's got me beat.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Tire fell to pieces over the winter - never saw such a thing.

If the tires are also 11 years old, that's the problem.

 

[Thalasso]

Re: Tire fell to pieces over the winter - never saw such a thing.

I have a fifth wheel camper that is 11 years old with, maybe 10,000 miles on it. I noticed last weekend that all of the tires are litterally falling apart. The tread is coming off the belted "core" in patches and at least two of the cores are grossly mis-shapened (inside edge of the core has blown out).

Last time I used the trailer (early last summer) these tires looked virtually brand new - no issues, no dry rot, 99% tread etc.

Does anyone have any idea how this might have happened?

These are the only things I can think of:

These are Load Range D - a couple years after I bought the trailer (brand new) I realized that the weight of the LOADED trailer divided by 4 (for 4 tires was probably a bit too much weight for D tires. (the new ones I ordered are Load Range E).

I sprayed some relatively innoccuous pesticides (pyrythrins) on portions ofthe tires maybe 2 ot 3 times over the 11 years, but the rubber does not seem to have been affected, this looks like an inside-out problem.

These tires are rated for maximum weigt at 65 PSI, I usually ran them at 60 psI.

It's got me beat.

11yrs old is the biggest problem. Running tires that are rated at 65# of pressure at 60# is another problem especially when you think that the load is to much for the tires.

 

[Pony]

Re: Tire fell to pieces over the winter - never saw such a thing.

If the tires are also 11 years old, that's the problem.

+1 on that.

 

[choppywaters]

Re: Tire fell to pieces over the winter - never saw such a thing.

Trailer tires just don't last like others. We go through a set a year on our landscape trailers with all the turning, they don't have time to dry rot but they only last about 10k miles. Even though you pay a ton of $$ for them, they're all pretty much junk.

 

[tomdinwv]

Re: Tire fell to pieces over the winter - never saw such a thing.

Eleven years on a set of any tires is too much. You should never run tires underinflated. Sunlight and other enviromental factors destroy tires.

Check out rv.net or irv2.com for info on camper tires. Most of the folks on those sites recommend Maxxis tires for their campers. I have never ran them but, in a few years, that's probably what I'll put on my camper. I'll also be going with the load range E when I have to replace them.

 

[TimB]

Re: Tire fell to pieces over the winter - never saw such a thing.

I apprieciate the thoughts gents.

Tim

 

[loose rivet]

Re: Tire fell to pieces over the winter - never saw such a thing.

11 years old or not, its not generally normal for a tire to just fall apart. I've got vintage bikes and motorcycles with 70 year old rubber that still looks like new. While I probably wouldn't trust them at highway speed, they're not falling apart.

Modern tires, especially trailer tires have dropped in quality lately.
A set of tires I bought two years ago, from a local dealer that say Made in USA, are so badly cracked that they loose air. Their date coded June 2009. Yet another set, bought the same time, same date code look like new. Neither set has more than 20 miles on them and both are covered from the sun when parked.
On my bass boat, bought new with its trailer in 1989, still has its original tires which look perfect. All are 13" tires.
I've got one trailer which was new in 2005, which is on its third set of tires, and the last set, not yet a full year old is already showing cracks.
I mounted up a new pair of tires I had bought back in December of last year, they're already showing age cracks and haven't yet been out of the garage. Both are date coded 11/2011.
I went out of my way to find American made tires for my one trailer that uses 4.80x8" tires after loosing two new tires on a trip. Neither one lasted more than a year before showing cracks all over. Both were so out of balance that the trailer shook violently at speed from day one. The dealer blamed it on 'uneven galvanizing on the rims'. Funny thing is the el cheapo Chinese tires now on those rims don't shake.

Modern rubber is missing something, it don't seem to age well at all. The cost of tires is through the roof, the quality is down, and there's rarely any warranty.
I priced new American made tires for my one trailer last week and three new tires from one dealer cost as much as I have in my whole boat.