NHTSA Complaint #10196491 — 2000 COACHMEN CATALINA

PREPARED FOR 10 DAY VACATION FROM TEXAS TO SOUTH DAKOTA VIA OKLAHOMA, KANSAS, NEBRASKA, RETURNING VIA WYOMING, COLORADO, NEW MEXICO. ALL TIRE VERIFIED INFLATED AT 75 PSI (WITHIN 10% OF MAX UPON DEPARTURE. TIRE HAD 80% TREAD LEFT ACCORDING TO MIDROMETER MEASUREMENT WHEN TIRES REPLACED AFTER MULTIPLE BLOWOUTS. TIRES WERE ON 2000 COACHMAN CATALINA CLASS C 23 FT MOTORHOME. FIRST TIRE BLEW OUT CAUSING SEVERE DAMAGE TO UNDERSIDE, STORAGE COMPARTMENTS, AND KITCH CABINETS ON RIGHT SIDE OF MOTOR HOME. PUT ON SPARE AND WITH 15 MILES A SECOND TIRE BLEW OUT ON INSIDE LEFT. THIS TIRE TOOK OUT LP GAS LINE TO REFIGERATOR AND HOT WATER HEATER AS WELL AS SEVERE DAMAGE TO UNDERSIDE, STORAGE COMPARTMENTS, AND BATHROOM FLOOR/CABINETS. WITHIN THE NEXT 100 MILES, A 3RD TIRE STARTED TO SEPARATE BUT I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER BEFORE COMPLETE BLOWOUT. UNKNOWN AT THE TIME WAS THE REAR BRAKE LINES HAD BEEN COMPROMISED. THE REAR BRAKES COMPLETELY FAILED BY THE TIME WE REACHED DENVER, CO. VERY TRAUMATIZING EXPERIENCE AND BECAUSE OF OUR REMOTE LOCATION, WE WERE UNABLE TO MATCH REPLACEMENT TIRES BY SIZE OR BRAND. THROUGH THE GRACE OF GOD WE MADE IT HOME SAFELY AND THE RV IS NOW AT A DEALERSHIP AWAITING INSURANCE ESTIMATE AND REPAIRS. UNFORTUNATELY, THE INSURANCE COMPANY WANTS THE OLD TIRES SO THEY CAN GO AFTER FIRESTONE FOR REIMBURSEMENT BUT I DID NOT WANT TO CARRY THEM 2000 MILES BACK TO TEXAS. DO I HAVE ANY RECOURSE THROUGH FIRESTONE TO GET NEW MATCHING TIRES ON THE GROUND AS WELL AS THE SPARE (7 TIRES TOTAL)? *TR