NHTSA Complaint #10251894 — 2008 AIRSTREAM BASE CAMP

I EXPERIENCED A TIRE FAILURE ON 9/1/08 ON HWY 44 IN MO. THE TIRE WAS ON A TRAILER PURCHASED 3/20/08. THE TIRE PRESSURE HAD BEEN CHECKED PRIOR TO DEPARTURE, AS IT HAD BEEN ON THE DAY OF THE TRIP ORIGIN. TIRE AIR PRESSURE WAS ADJUSTED ON THE DAY OF DEPARTURE, BUT NO AIR NEEDED TO BE ADDED ON THE DAY OF THE FAILURE. THE TRAILER IS TYPICALLY LOADED TO CAPACITY, SO I AM CAREFUL TO MONITOR TIRE PRESSURE (40 PSI PER THE OWNERS MANUAL). WHEN THE TIRE DEFLATED, IT WAS REPLACED WITH THE SPARE. THE FAILED TIRE APPEARED TO HAVE DEFORMED AFTER OVERHEATING, BUT AS NOT PUNCTURED. I CONTACTED THE TRAILER MAKER, AND THEY IMMEDIATELY OFFERED TO SEND A SET OF THE OPTIONAL WHEELS OFFERED FOR THE TRAILER, AND I WAS TO RETURN THE ORIGINALS. THE SPARE TIRE I HAD INSTALLED AT THE TIRE FAILURE WAS RETAINED, AND IT WAS REINSTALLED ON THE TRAILER AS THE SPARE. AFTER NOTICING THAT THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE STATED THAT THE TIRE SHOULD BE MOUNTED ON A WIDER RIM, I QUESTIONED THE TRAILER MANUFACTURER ABOUT THIS. I ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THE TIRE DOESN'T SEEM TO CONFORM TO DOT TIRE LABELING REQUIREMENTS IN THAT THERE IS NO DATE OF MANUFACTURE CODE. HOWEVER, BOTH OF MY CONCERNS WERE DISMISSED. ANOTHER ISSUE IS THAT THE TUBE VALVE STEM DOES NOT SEEM COMPATIBLE WITH THE WHEEL RIM. THE OPENING APPEARS INTENDED FOR USE WITH A SPECIAL VALVE STEM, NOT THE THREADED METAL STEM THE TUBE HAS, WHICH APPEARS TOO SMALL FOR THE OPENING. A NUT IS THREADED ONTO THE STEM, BUT THE MISFIT IS STILL OBVIOUS. I ACTUALLY NOTIFIED THE TRAILER MANUFACTURER OF THIS WHEN I FIRST RECEIVED THE TRAILER, AS ONE OF THE THREE WHEELS (ONE IS A SPARE) ARRIVED WITH THE STEM OF THE TUBE STICKING OUT AT AN ANGLE, INDICATING THE TUBE WAS NOT PROPERLY POSITIONED ON THE RIM DURING THE MOUNTING OF THE TIRE. I WAS TOLD TO TAKE THE WHEEL TO A MOTORCYCLE SHOP TO HAVE THE TIRE REMOUNTED, WHICH I DID. A FRIEND OF MINE PURCHASED A 'KD65' TRAILER LATER IN THE YEAR, AND ONE OF HIS THREE WHEELS WAS DELIVERED WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR