NHTSA Complaint #10165344 — 2004 DUTCHMEN TRAILER

I OWN A 2004 DUTCHMAN 5TH WHEEL RV. THE TIRES ON IT ARE CARLISLE BRAND. SINCE ITS PURCHASE 2 YEARS AGO, I HAVE HAD 2 BLOWOUTS AND CARLISLE/DUTCHMAN REPLACED ALL 4 TIRES AND SPARE SAYING TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE. I WAS PLEASED AND WENT ON. MY TRAILER IS LARGE, ALMOST 11000 LBS DRY. I HAVE ALWAYS THOUGHT IT STRANGE TO HAVE D LOAD RANGE TIRES SINCE MY DODGE DIESEL HAS E LOAD RANGE TIRES. ON JUNE 15TH 2006 I WAS TRAVELING HOME FROM VACATION WHEN A TIRE BLEW A LARGE HOLE IN IT. I DROPPED THE SPARE AND MOUNTED IT. IT WAS THEN I REALIZED THE SPARE CARLISLE HAD GIVEN ME WAS AN E RATED TIRE. I NOTICED IT DID NOT SAG UNDER LOAD SAME AS OTHER 3 TIRES. WHEN I GOT HOME, I BOUGHT A NEW REPLACEMENT TIRE. I WAS TOLD THAT SIZE TIRE WAS STANDARD IN 10 PLY E RATED. ON MY TRAILER, THERE IS A STAMPED PLATE WITH TIRE SPECS THAT SHOW 235/85R16 (E) AT 80 LBS PRESSURE. I CONTACTED MY RV DEALER, HE SAID IT SEEMED STRANGE THAT IT WOULD HAVE D RATED THAT ONLY INFLATE TO 65 LBS. HE CONTACTED MANUFACTURE WHO CONTACTED CARLISLE TIRES. CARLISLE SAYS THEY WERE OUT OF E RATED TIRES AT THAT TIME SO THEY BUILT A D RATED TIRE THAT ACTUALLY HOLDS MORE WEIGHT THAN AN E RATED AND THE TIRES ARE SUITED FOR MY RIG. IT LOOKS TO ME LIKE MY TIRES ARE COMING APART AGAIN THOUGH I MAY BE PARANOID AT THIS POINT. THEY DO NOT APPEAR TO BE WEARING EVEN. I JUST REPLACED MY TRUCK TIRES AFTER 65000 MILES BECAUSE I PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO MY TIRES. I THINK CARLISLE IS MISREPRESENTING THESE TIRES AND THAT THEY COULD POSE A SAFETY HAZARD SINCE THEY ARE HOLDING UP A 11000 LB. VEHICLE. *NM