NHTSA Complaint #10082466 — 2000 WINNEBAGO MINNIE

WE WERE TRAVELING IN OUR 2000 WINNEBAGO MINNIE 31C [CLASS C] MOTORHOME. WE LEFT THE CAMPGROUND WHICH IS LOCATED ABOUT 25 MILES NE OF RICHMOND, VA AT ABOUT 1130 AM. THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS BETWEEN 78-80 DEGREES. WE WERE TRAVELING SOUTH ON I-295 AND HAD BEEN ON THE ROAD ABOUT 15 MINUTES WHEN WE HEARD A LOAD BANGING SOUNDS AND FELT OUR RV SHAKING. LOOKING IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR WE SAW WHAT APPEARED TO BE CHUNKS OF TIRE FLYING AWAY FROM OUR RV. WE IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER TO THE HIGHWAY SHOULDER TO CHECK TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED. UPON INSPECTION, WE FOUND THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR INSIDE DUAL TIRE HAD FAILED. THE FAILED TIRE TORE A [1] FOOT BY ABOUT [1.5] FOOT HOLE IN THE FLOOR ABOVE THE TIRE. WE HAPPENED TO HAVE PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY RIGHT AT EXIT 41B, SO WE WERE ABLE TO SLOWLY DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO AN EXXON GAS STATION AT THAT EXIT. OUR AUTO CLUB SERVICE DISPATCHED A TIRE REPAIR SERVICE TRUCK TO CHANGE THE TIRE. UPON REMOVING THE TIRE WE SAW THAT THE TIRE TREAD HAD COME NEARLY COMPLETELY OFF THE TIRE. THE CLOSER INSPECTION REVEALED THAT ABOUT [3] THREE FEET OF THE TOP TREAD WAS COMPLETELY GONE AND THE REST OF THE REMAINING TREAD HAD COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE REST OF THE TIRE. THE ONLY THING HOLDING THE REMAINING TREAD TO THE TIRE WAS ABOUT A [6] INCH SECTION THAT WAS STILL ATTACHED. THE REPAIR SERVICE INSTALLED THE SPARE AND WE WERE ABLE TO DRIVE THE REMAINING 110 MILES HOME. *JB