Unused Spare Tire Blew - Time for new shoes!

No1Hunter · 09-21-2024, 04:12 PM

Well, the title pretty much says it all. We were hooked up and ready to leave on a short trip when I noticed the spare tire cover looked strange while doing my usual walk-around inspection. I noticed the spare under the cover felt flat, and the cover actually had a rather large hole in it. I pulled the cover back and found the spare had blown (white fuzz is from inside the cover). The dang thing had never touched the ground.

Rolling the dice, we decided to still go but as soon as we got home, off to Discount Tire I went to get 5 new tires for my TT. Sure didn't want one actually being used to blow!!!

**Eagle5** · 09-21-2024, 10:09 PM

That is something I have never seen before; and in a tire that is just two years old and kept covered (and out of the direct sunlight.)
You are so lucky that it was the spare out of the five that blew. Were the other four the exact same tire?
Eagle5

Blue Sky · 09-22-2024, 02:26 AM

We recently traded our 2023 Micro Minne 2108TB in for a different trailer. When we bought it, it was advertised as having Goodyear tires. It did on the axles, but the spare was a Westlake.

There is a current thread on the Jayco forum regarding a trailer that was delivered to the customer with two different brands of tires. As the story goes, the dealer noticed bulges in two tires on arrival from the factory.

Your bottom picture clearly illustrates covered and "no use". The rim and tire look like they were just purchased.

No1Hunter · 09-22-2024, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Were the other four the exact same tire?

Yup, all 5 tires were good old Castle Rock tires. My TT now rides on Goodyear!

Quote:

The rim and tire look like they were just purchased

The guys at Discount couldn't believe it either, saying they had never seen that happen before either.

Tireman9 · 09-22-2024, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by No1Hunter

Well, the title pretty much says it all. We were hooked up and ready to leave on a short trip when I noticed the spare tire cover looked strange while doing my usual walk-around inspection. I noticed the spare under the cover felt flat, and the cover actually had a rather large hole in it. I pulled the cover back and found the spare had blown (white fuzz is from inside the cover). The dang thing had never touched the ground.

Rolling the dice, we decided to still go but as soon as we got home, off to Discount Tire I went to get 5 new tires for my TT. Sure didn't want one actually being used to blow!!!

Yes I have seen similar reports and in fact was able to duplicate this condition in our test lab.

Two things you need to do.

First capture the complete DOT serial, including the date numbers. Contact your local tire dealer for that brand and schedule a time for them to inspect and replace the failed tire. ( should be for free as there is no wear on the tire so they can't blame you for anything you did) In the mean time file a "complaint" with NHTSA. They will want the full DOT serial. NHTSA will not replace your tire as that is the responsibility of the tire dealer & company. But they will issue a "complaint number" You can provide that to the dealer. If the dealer refuses to replace the tire include that in your complaint to NHTSA.

Second. ANY replacement tire should list "Nylon" cap ply over the steel belts. This information will be posted on the tire sidewall along with the number and materials for each ply in the tire.

**Eagle5** · 09-22-2024, 12:17 PM

Thank you Tireman9 for the feedback on this failure. I sure don't like seeing stuff like this.
Eagle5

No1Hunter · 09-22-2024, 12:43 PM

Quote:

First capture the complete DOT serial, including the date numbers. Contact your local tire dealer for that brand and schedule a time for them to inspect and replace the failed tire. ( should be for free as there is no wear on the tire so they can't blame you for anything you did) In the mean time file a "complaint" with NHTSA. They will want the full DOT serial. NHTSA will not replace your tire as that is the responsibility of the tire dealer & company. But they will issue a "complaint number" You can provide that to the dealer. If the dealer refuses to replace the tire include that in your complaint to NHTSA.

Yeah, I know I could be a squeaky wheel but as far as I can tell, no one around me handle this brand of tire. Plus, I really didn't want a replacement as the reviews I have read. It seems it was only a matter of time before one of the tires on the ground would go and possibly damage my TT, even though I vigorously clean and condition them 3 or 4 times a year plus keep them covered. So, I bite the bullet and replaced them. If nothing else, for the piece of mind.

**Eagle5** · 09-22-2024, 01:24 PM

Hi No1Hunter,
Please still register the failure with the NHTSA, as Tireman9 recommends. That way, you may be protecting others from a catastrophic failure. Who knows, maybe the life you save might be your own?
Eagle5

No1Hunter · 09-22-2024, 01:40 PM

Eagle, I no longer have the tire, though Discount may have it on display!!! LOL I may check with them tomorrow and see if I can take some pictures of it.

I do have the other 4 as my son is going to use them on his utility trailer. I suppose I register one of them, as I am sure they were the same batch.

eatSleepWoof · 09-22-2024, 08:44 PM

That's just insane...

Is it possible the tire was ridiculously overinflated, and when you last towed, perhaps elevation change (and resulting pressure changes) took it over the edge, and the tire blew up?

**Eagle5** · 09-22-2024, 09:02 PM

Hi eatSleepWoof,
As you go up in altitude, typically the ambient temperature goes down, and of course tires are designed to handle the increased pressure of heat anyway. I suspect this was a breech of factory protocol during the tire's construction. Maybe a bonding agent was too old, or the belting around this particular tire wasn't contiguous. Hopefully, Tireman9 might give us some possibilities as to how this could have happened.
Eagle5

No1Hunter · 09-23-2024, 06:37 PM

Well, I stopped by Discount today to see if they still had the tire, and they didn't. They swapped out the junk tire trailer it was in earlier in the morning. Oh, well.

wyocamper · 09-23-2024, 07:56 PM

I experienced the same thing about 10 years ago. I was outside and heard a bang and went looking to see what it was, and found my 5th wheel spare tire cover on the ground. The spare was split wide open along the tread. It was 10 y/o and had never been off the spare rack or uncovered other than checking pressure. I don't remember the brand but there was no local retailer for it. My tire shop said they'd seen in before but it wasn't real common, and basically that "stuff" happens.

I didn't know about reporting it and since it was old I didn't really think about it, just bought 5 new tires. And two wheels, cause the trailer had 14" on one side and 15" on the other. The original owner (my neighbor) swore he had no idea how that could have happened.

**Eagle5** · 09-23-2024, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by No1Hunter

Well, I stopped by Discount today to see if they still had the tire, and they didn't. They swapped out the junk tire trailer it was in earlier in the morning. Oh, well.

Hi Bob,
It is good that you tried.
Thanks, Eagle5

wahoonc · 09-24-2024, 04:10 AM

I have seen this happen with spare tires on Jeeps on more than one occasion. As well as the occasional TT/5ver. It is not what I would consider common, but it does occur more often than people realize. The tire manufacturing process has become quite automated over the years and I honestly suspect that the quality of inspection has slipped as the volume has increased. Not to mention where many of the tires are now coming from.

Aaron

Tireman9 · Today, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by No1Hunter

Yeah, I know I could be a squeaky wheel but as far as I can tell, no one around me handle this brand of tire. Plus, I really didn't want a replacement as the reviews I have read. It seems it was only a matter of time before one of the tires on the ground would go and possibly damage my TT, even though I vigorously clean and condition them 3 or 4 times a year plus keep them covered. So, I bite the bullet and replaced them. If nothing else, for the piece of mind.

OK but we need to let NHTSA know about this type of failure as it can happen on many different brand tire. They will only investigate is there are a number of complaints. That has nothing to do with you getting a replacement.
you can lower tha chance by ensuring
1. Next tires list Nylon cap ply over the steel belts
2. Cover the tire with white cover to help keep it cool.

I have covered the temperature thing in my blog on RVTireSafety net