NHTSA Complaint #10557336 — 2012 HEARTLAND CYCLONE

WE WERE TOWING A 2012 HEARTLAND CYCLONE 300C 5TH WHEEL TOY HAULER TRAILER EQUIPPED WITH TOW MAX 235/80 R16 TRAILER TIRES IN APRIL, 2013 ON CA HWY 60 NEAR RIVERSIDE, CA WHEN THE LEFT REAR TRAILER TIRE BLEW. THERE WAS NO SIGN THAT I STRUCK AN OBJECT OR RAN OVER ANYTHING. LUCKILY I HAD EXITED FREEWAY AND CAUGHT FLAT BEFORE ANY DAMAGE OCCURRED. ALL 4 TRAILER TIRES HAD 80 PSI AND TRAILER WAS NOT OVER LOADED. I CHANGED FLAT TIRE WITH SPARE UNTIL REPLACING IT WITH A GOODYEAR MARATHON OF THE SAME SIZE. IN NOVEMBER, 2013, WHILE TOWING THE SAME TOY HAULER TRAILER MY WIFE AND SON WERE FOLLOWING ME IN HER CAR ON CA HWY 395 HEADING TO RIDGECREST, CA WHEN SHE NOTICED MY RIGHT REAR TRAILER TIRE GOING FLAT. MY SON CALLED ME ON MY CELL PHONE TO ADVISE ME OF THIS SITUATION. I WAS ABLE TO PULL INTO THE NEXT SMALL TOWN AND FOUND BOTH TOW MAX TRAILER TIRES ON THE RIGHT SIDE COMPLETELY FLAT. AGAIN, THE TRAILER WAS NOT OVER LOADED AND I DID NOT STRIKE OR RUN OVER ANYTHING AND HELD 80 PSI. THE STEEL BELTS WERE PROTRUDING THROUGH THE CORNERS OF THE TREAD ON BOTH TIRES. WE WERE FORTUNATE THAT THERE WAS A TIRE REPAIR SHOP NEARBY THAT WAS ABLE TO SELL US TWO NEW TRAILER TIRES (NOT TOW MAX) AND HAVE US BACK ON THE ROAD WITHIN AN HOUR AND A HALF. *TR