NHTSA Complaint #10093773 — 2003 FOREST RIVER ROCKWOOD

RE: CLAIM #26875 FOR BLOWOUT OF 4 TIRES AND TRAILER DAMAGE DUE TO BLOWOUT OF 4 TIRES (TIRE SIZE ST205 75 R14 LOAD RANGE C) INSTALLED BY OEM. FOREST RIVER 25' SHAMROCK RV TRAILER WAS PURCHASED NEW IN SPRING OF 2003. TOTAL MILEAGE ON TIRES IS ABOUT 4,000 MILES. IN JULY OF 2004 DURING A FAMILY VACATION FROM CONNECTICUT TO MICHIGAN AND BACK WE HAD 3 CARLISLE TIRES BLOWOUT (HEARD BLOWOUTS AND INSPECTION OF BLOWN TIRES APPEARED TO REVEAL PLY SEPARATION). BEFORE LEAVING ON TRIP TIRE PRESSURE WAS CHECKED TO BE AT 50 PSI PER TIRE SIDE WALL RATING. FIRST BLOWOUT OCCURRED ABOUT 7:00 P.M. ONLY ABOUT 50 MILES INTO TRIP. BLOWN TIRE WAS SAVED AND TRIP WAS CONTINUED. SECOND CARLISLE TIRE BLEW (AGAIN HEARD BLOWOUT) AFTER ABOUT 800 TOTAL TRIP MILES WEST OF DETROIT (ABOUT 200 MILES ON THAT DAY) AND 2 REPLACEMENT TIRES WERE PURCHASED (REPLACE TIRE THAT JUST BLEW AND ALSO TO REPLACE SPARE FROM 1ST DAY). SECOND BLOWN TIRE WAS ALSO SAVED INITIALLY AND BOTH DAMAGED TIRES WERE BROUGHT TO BERING SPRINGS, MI VACATION AREA. NO CARLISLE TIRE DEALERS WERE FOUND IN AREA TO RETURN DAMAGED TIRES TO FOR INSPECTION/REPLACEMENT AND TRAILER/TOW VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE ROOM TO STORE 2 DAMAGED TIRES FOR REMAINDER OF TRIP. TIRE PRESSURE WAS AGAIN CHECKED AND FOUND TO BE 50 PSI. TRAILER WAS WEIGHED ON COMMERCIAL SCALE WITH A TOTAL TRAILER TIRE WEIGHT OF ABOUT 5,700 LBS WELL UNDER RATING FOR THE 4 TRAILER TIRES OF 6,680 LBS (1,670 LBS PER TIRE BY 4 TIRES ON TRAILER). 2 DAMAGED TIRES WERE THEN DISCARDED. ON RETURN TRIP FROM MICHIGAN THIRD CARLISLE TIRE BLEW AT 10:00 P.M. IN CANADA JUST WEST OF NIAGRA FALLS. 3RD REPLACEMENT TIRE PURCHASED IN UPPER NEW YORK STATE AND 3RD REPLACEMENT TIRE WAS DISCARDED. FOURTH CARLISLE TIRE BLEW LABOR DAY 2004 WEEKEND TRIP TO RHODE ISLAND. THIS TIRE IS BEING RETURNED TO CARLISLE FOR INSPECTION. CARLISLE CONTACT: YVONNE JACKSON CARLISLE TIRE & WHEEL CO. 25 WINDHAM BLVD.,AIKEN, SC 29805 PHONE:1.800.260.7959 EXT. 414 EMAIL: [email protected]. *NM