NHTSA Complaint #10086576 — 2002 ALFA FIFTH WHEEL

WHILE DRIVING ON A FREEWAY ON A CROSS COUNTRY TRIP ON 6-21-04 WITH MY 2002 ALFA SY30RLDS TANDEM AXLE 5TH WHEEL TRAILER, SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE WHEELWELL. TOOK UNIT TO A TRUCK STOP AND THEY FOUND 2 TIRES WITH TREAD SEPARATIONS COMING TOGETHER AND RUBBING CAUSING THE SMOKE. THEY WERE REPLACED. ON THE SAME TRIP ON 7-10-04, THERE WAS A REPEAT CONDITION UNDER THE SAME CIRCUMSTANCES ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE TRAILER. THOSE TIRES WERE ALSO REPLACED. THE TIRES WERE ALL MERIT ALL COUNTRY RADIAL A/S LT 235/85R16 AND MOUNTED ON THE TRAILER WHEN PURCHASED NEW AT THE DEALER IN MAY OF 2002. THE TIRES HAD APPROXIMATELY 4450 MILES ON THEM AT THE FIRST SEPARATION AND 6900 MILES AT THE 2ND SEPARATION. AIR PRESSURE WAS SET AT 80 PSI AT THE START OF THE TRIP. THE AXLES AND TRAILER WEIGHTS WERE WELL UNDER MAXIMUM CARRYING CAPACITY. TOP TRAVEL SPEED WAS IN THE 60-65 MPH RANGE. WE HAVE ONLY ONE TIRE LEFT AS THE SPARE. THE OTHERS WERE NOT KEPT DUE TO THE STORAGE PROBLEMS CREATED BY THE TRIP. JMS