NHTSA Complaint #10746494 — 2014 PRIME TIME CRUSADER

TOWING MY 2014 PRIME TIME CRUSADER RV 5TH WHEEL WITH TOWMAX STR ST235/80 R16 TIRES THE TRAILER STARTED TO SWAY BAD AT 35 MPH SO I STOPPED AND NOTICED THAT MY TIRE WAS OUT OF ROUND AND SEAMED TO BE NOTICEABLY LARGER THAN THE OTHER TIRE ON THE OTHER AXLE. UPON FURTHER EXAM STEEL BELTS WERE STICKING OUT OF THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE. AFTER CHECKING THE OTHER TIRES 1 FOUND ANOTHER TIRE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RV ON A DIFFERENT AXLE IN THE SAME CONDITION. BOTH TIRES WERE REPLACED AT A PRO RATED COST. THE DEALER RECOMMENDED THAT BOTH NEW TIRES GO ON THE REAR AXLE. 3 MONTHS LATER I TOOK MY RV TO CANADA APPROXIMATELY 420 MILES. WHEN RETURNING AT 60 MPH THE TRAILER STARTED TO SWAY VIOLENTLY ALMOST CAUSING ME TO LOSE CONTROL AGAIN. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE TRAILER WHEN IT WAS SAFE TO DO SO AND DISCOVERED THAT THE 2 REMAINING TIRES HAD BELT FAILURE AS WELL. 1 TIRE LOST ABOUT 70% OF ITS TREAD AND ALL THE BELTS WERE EXPOSED. THE OTHER TIRE ON THE SAME AXLE WAS OUT OF ROUND WITH OBVIOUS SIGNS OF BELT DAMAGE. PRIOR TO LEAVING FOR THE TRIP TO CANADA AND RETURNING HOME I CHECKED THE PRESSURE IN THE TIRES AS I ALWAYS DO. ALL TIRES WERE SET TO 80 PSI COLD BEFORE LEAVING TO CANADA AND 3 TIRES WERE AT 80 PSI AND 1 AT 79.5 PSI RETURNING FROM CANADA. THE 2 TIRES THAT FAILED WERE BOTH AT 80 PSI THE TOTAL RV WEIGHT WAS 13394 AS I HAD IT WEIGHED TO CONFIRM I WASN'T OVERWEIGHT. THE TAG ON THE RV IS 12144 DRY AND 1649 POUNDS OF CARGO OR COMBINED 13793. I AM 400 POUNDS UNDER MY MAXIMUN ALLOWED WEIGHT. THE RV WAS STORED AT THE DEALER WITH TIRES COVERED ALL WINTER ON CONCRETE. THESE TIRES ARE THE SAME THAT WERE ON MY 2011 COUGAR 5TH WHEEL AND 2 OF THOSE EXPLODED VIOLENTLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS ON SEPARATE INCIDENTS. THIS IS NOT A COINCIDENCE. PLEASE INVETIGATE THESE TIRES BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT OR KILLED IN A BLOWOUT INCIDENT.