NHTSA Complaint #10167096 — 2005 MOBILE SUITES TRAILER

WE LEFT AUSTIN AND HEADED TO DALLAS AT 1PM. WE WERE TOWING A 2005 DOUBLETREE MOBILE SUITES 36TK3 5TH WHEEL TRAILER. AFTER DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR, WE HAD A BLOWOUT ON THE OFF DOOR (LEFT), FRONT RV TIRE. JUST AS WE STOPPED, THE TREAD PEELED AWAY FROM THE TIRE CASING. THE TIRES ON THE RV WERE GOODYEAR UNISTEEL G614 RST TIRES AND ARE LT235/85R16. WE REPLACED THE BLOWN OUT TIRE WITH HI-RUN BCTJB43 LT235/85R16G TIRES. THE GOODYEAR TIRES ARE: SIDEWALL - 1 PLY STEEL CORD; TREAD - 4 PLY STEEL CORD. AS FOR DAMAGE, IT SHEARED THE SEWER DRAIN PIPE, TORE OFF THE GASOLINE/ELECTRIC CABLE HOLSTER, AND SPLIT THE CORNER OF THE FIBERGLASS WHEEL OPENING TRIM. NOTHING MAJOR, BUT WE WILL STILL REQUIRE SOME REPAIRS. WE DROVE 9 MILES UP I-35 AND OUR SECOND BLOWOUT ON THE GOODYEAR UNISTEEL G614 RST TIRES. THIS TIME, IT WAS THE DOOR SIDE (RIGHT) AND (AGAIN) ON THE FRONT AXLE. WE REPLACED 3 MORE TIRES TO REPLACE ALL OF THE GOODYEAR G614 TIRES. WE WEREN'T ABOUT TO WAIT FOR THE 3RD OR 4TH BLOWOUT! DAMAGE ON THIS SIDE WAS MORE SEVERE AND REQUIRED IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. THE UPPER SHOCK MOUNT WAS BROKEN FROM THE FRAME (ONLY SPOT WELDED). I LASHED IT TO THE SUSPENSION, SO I COULD MOVE THE UNIT WITHOUT PUNCTURING THE TIRE. IT ALSO TORE THE FIBERGLASS WHEEL OPENING TRIM, AND PUT A SMALL CREASE IN THE ALUMINUM SKIRT PANEL, ADJACENT TO THE SIDE DOOR. THE DOT INDICATORS ON THE TIRE WERE E01L DOT MJOR 610W 3104 AND FOOL DOT MJOR 610W 3104 - MANUFACTURED THE 31ST WEEK OF 2004. I RETAINED THE BLOWN TIRES. HERE IS SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT OUR UNIT: 2005 36TK3 (PURCHASED 04/05) UNIT NUMBER 1691 16,500 GROSS/15,840 SCALES (12,800 ON THE AXLES 3,040 ON THE PIN) ALUMINUM WHEELS (TREDIT TIRE REPLACEMENTS FOR STEEL). OUTSIDE TEMP 102 DEGREES. SPEED 60 MPH. TIRE PRESSURE 110LBS (ALSO MEASURED AT 122 LBS WHEN HOT) APPROXIMATE RV MILEAGE 10,000 MILES. I HAVE CONTACTED GOODYEAR AND HAVE STARTED A CLAIMS PROCESS. *NM