NHTSA Complaint #10163918 — 2002 FOUR WINDS CHATEAU

GENERAL TIRE AMERI*550 AS LT225/75R16 M+S TREAD SEPARATION ON FREEWAY. RIGHT OUTSIDE REAR TIRE OF DUAL TIRE CONFIGURATION ON 2002 FOUR WINDS MOTORHOME. AIR PRESSURE WAS 65 COLD - NITROGEN FILLED. FELT VIBRATION AT FIRST, THEN THE TREAD RIPPED OFF WHILE TIRE STILL MAINTAINING AIR. I PULLED OFF THE ROAD, INSPECTED, AND LIMPED OFF THE FREEWAY. I CHANGED IT WITH A SPARE. THERE IS SOME DAMAGE UNDER THE MOTORHOME DUE TO FLYING PIECES OF RUBBER. THERE ARE 15K MILES ON THE TIRE AT THE TIME OF FAILURE. DON'T KNOW THE EXACT WEIGHT BUT NOWHERE CLOSE TO BEING OVERLOADED. OUTSIDE AIR TEMPERATURE WAS 90, APPROXIMATE TIME FROM COLD START TO SEPARATION WAS 45 MINUTES. TIME ON FREEWAY AT 65 MPH WAS 15 MINUTES. *JB