NHTSA Complaint #11286292 — 2018 FOREST RIVER FLAGSTAFF

ON 27-APR-2018 I PURCHASED A NEW FLAGSTAFF 832OKBS. THE TIRES ON THIS TRAVEL TRAILER WERE CASTLE ROCK (LIONS HEAD TIRES) ST22575R15 LOAD RANGE E 10 PLY TIRES. ON THE FIRST DAY OF A RECENT TRIP, ABOUT 28 MILES FROM HOME, THE RIGHT REAR TIRE ON THE TRAVEL TRAILER EXPLODED. I PULLED OFF THE ROAD TO ASSESS THE PROBLEM AND COULD NOT BELIEVE THE CONDITION OF THE TIRE AND THE DAMAGE TO THE FENDER AREA OF THE TRAILER. I INSPECTED THE OTHER TIRES AND DID NOT SEE ANY OTHER DAMAGE SO I INSTALLED MY SPARE TO RESUME OUR TRIP WE GOT BACK ON THE ROAD AND I DECIDED TO STOP AT THE NEXT REST AREA (24 MILES FROM THE FIRST BLOWOUT) TO CHECK EVERYTHING OUT AND RE-TORQUE THE LUG NUTS ON THE WHEEL I CHANGED. AS I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPOT THE LEFT FRONT TRAILER TIRE BLEW. THESE TIRES ALL HAD 2017 DATE STAMPS AND HAD APPROXIMATELY 4235 MILES. I CHECKED ALL THE TIRE PRESSURES BEFORE WE LEFT AND THEY WERE PROPERLY INFLATED TO 80 PSI. I HAD RECENTLY WEIGHTED THE TRAILER LOADED AT A PILOT TRUCK STOP AND IT WEIGHTED 9080LBS, WHICH IS WITHIN THE SAFETY RATING OF THE TIRES. AFTER MY TIRE FAILURE I DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND FOUND NUMEROUS ACCOUNTS OF THE CASTLE ROCK ST22575R15 FAILING CATASTROPHICALLY. I FILED A CLAIM WITH LIONS HEAD AND THEY AGREED TO REIMBURSE ME FOR ALL FIVE TIRES BUT WOULD NOT COVER THE DAMAGE TO MY TRAILER. VEHICLE DAMAGE IS NOT COVERED UNDER THERE WARRANTY. I BELIEVE THESE TIRES POSE A SIGNIFICANT RISK TO LIFE AND PROPERTY AND SHOULD BE RECALLED AND REPLACED.