2015 JAYCO FIFTH WHEEL EAGLE PREMIER — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

LAST SUMMER THREE OF FOUR POWER KING TOWMAX STR'S ST235/80R16 TIRES THAT CAME WITH MY NEW 2015 JAYCO EAGLE 375BHFS EXPLODED. AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE THE TIRES HAD ONE SEASON OF USE, ABOUT 6000 MILES. ABOUT FOUR HOURS INTO OUR FIRST TRIP THE RIGHT REAR TIRE EXPLODED. AN HOUR LATER, THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE EXPLODED. IN ORDER TO COMPLETE OUR JOURNEY I HAD TO REPLACE BOTH TIRES WITH THE SAME TOWMAX TIRES. SEVEN WEEKS LATER, THE LEFT FRONT TIRE EXPLODED. ON DECEMBER 23, 2016 THE TIRE MANUFACTURE, DYNAMIC TIRE CORPORATION, WAS PROVIDED NOTICE OF THE POTENTIAL HAZARDS I OBSERVED AS A LICENSE PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER: THE ISSUE, HOWEVER, THAT IS PARAMOUNT WITH THE FAILURE OF THESE TIRES, IS THE EVIDENCE OF EXCESSIVE HEAT BUILDUP AS YOU STATED IN YOUR REPORT IS INDICATED BY THE BLUE DISCOLORATION. THIS IS EVIDENT NOT ONLY IN THE REMAINING TWO ORIGINAL TIRES BUT IS ALSO PRESENT IN THE TWO REPLACEMENT TIRES CONTRARY TO YOUR REPORT, THE ORIGINAL TIRES AND THE REPLACEMENT TIRES WERE NEVER OPERATED IN AN UNDERINFLATED CONDITION OR EXPOSED TO LOADS GREATER THAN INDICATED ON THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRES. ALL TIRES WERE CLOSELY MONITORED BY MYSELF AND IT IS MY PROFESSIONAL OPINION THAT THESE TIRES GENERATED EXCESSIVE HEAT DURING THEIR OPERATION WITHIN THE MANUFACTURES OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR PRESSURE AND LOAD. WITH THE FAILURE OF THE THIRD TIRE IT BECAME APPARENT TO ME THAT THE MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE TIRE ARE NOT ABLE TO OPERATE AT THE MANUFACTURES RATED CAPACITY. SINCE THERE EXISTED A REAL PROBABILITY THAT THESE REPLACEMENT TIRES WILL ALSO EVENTUALLY FAIL BOTH REPLACEMENT TIRES WERE ALSO REMOVED FROM SERVICE AT THAT TIME. IT IS MY PROFESSIONAL OPINION THAT DTC NEEDS TO GIVE SERIOUS CONSIDERATION TO EXAMINING THE CAUSE FOR THE EXCESSIVE HEAT BUILDUP IN THEIR TIRES AND THE RESULTING DEGRADATION OF MATERIAL STRENGTH THAT OCCURS OVER TIME AND REEVALUATE THE RATINGS INDICATED BY DTC ON THE SIDEWALL.

WE RECEIVED OUR 5TH WHEEL FROM THE DEALER AFTER DOING SOME WARRANTY REPAIRS ON IT. GOT AROUND 100 MILES AWAY AND ONE OF THE TIRES DEVELOPED A PROTRUSION ON THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE. STOPPED AND CALLED FOR A REPAIRS. ON OUR WAY TO THE NORTHWEST OF THE UNITED STATES, FROM MEMPHIS, TN, ONCE A WEEK FOR FOUR WEEKS WE EXPERIENCED A TIRE FAILURE. SECOND ONE IN DENVER, COLORADO, THE NEXT WAS IN SPOKANE, WASH. FINALLY THE LAST ONE SACRAMENTO, CAL. NUMBER THREE TIRE DID DAMAGED TO THE SIDE OF OUR 5TH WHEEL WHEN IT EXPLODED AND DRAGGED THE RIM ON THE PAVEMENT, DAMAGING THE RIM. GOT BACK HOME AND SENT NUMBER 3 AND 4 TIRE BACK TO TOWMAX FOR ANALYSIS AS REQUESTED BY THEM. GOT BACK THE REPLY AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD ONLY PAY FOR THE TIRES REPLACEMENT ($250.00). WHAT A COMPLETE JOKE. HAVE HAD OVER $1000.00 DAMAGE FROM THE NUMBER 3 TIRE. GUESS I WILL BE CALLING THEM TOMORROW AND SEE WHAT THEY ARE GOING TO DO ABOUT THE OTHER DAMAGED TO THE UNIT. WITH ALL THE ISSUES WITH THESE TIRES THE COMPANY SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL/ANY DAMAGE BEYOND FROM JUST GETTING A REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE TIRES. THIS 5TH WHEEL WAS STILL ALMOST NEW AND HAD VERY LOW MILEAGE ON THE TIRES. ALL INSTANCES EXCEPT FOR ONE WAS ON THE INTERSTATE AND LEFT US AND FELLOW TRAVELERS IN A DANGEROUS POSITON UNTIL THE REPLACEMENT COULD BE MADE. AS A MASTER ASE TRUCK/AUTO TECHNICIAN FOR 40 YEARS I AM WELL AWARE OF TIRE CONDITIONS AND MAINTENANCE. THIS IS THE BAD NEWS FROM TOWMAX "WE ARE WILLING TO PROVIDE THIS CUSTOMER GOODWILL ONLY ON THE CONDITION THAT YOU SIGN A GENERAL RELEASE OF DYNAMIC TIRE CORPORATION (DTC) FROM ALL OTHER LIABILITY RELATING TO THE INCIDENT AS WELL AS AGAINST ANY FUTURE CLAIMS RELATED TO THIS MANNER" THIS WAS A LETTER THAT I RECEIVED FROM THEM DATED AUG. 2, 2016. THIS RESPONSE FROM THEM IS LIKE A KICK IN THE BUTT. WE WILL SEE WHAT THEY WILL PROVIDE WITH THE NEXT CONVERSATION.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 JAYCO EAGLE PREMIER EQUIPPED WITH DYNAMIC POWER KING TOWMAX ST (NA) TIRES, SIZE: 235/80R16. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE BLEW UP. THE TIRE WAS REPLACED WITH A SPARE AND TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE TIRE WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON OTHER UNKNOWN TIRES. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE TIRE AND VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,700.

TIRE BLOW OUT ON 40 FOOT FIFTH WHEEL RV TRAVELING 60 MILES PER HOUR O INTERSTATE 5. I ALWAYS CHECK TIRE INFLATION AND WHEEL LUG TORQUE BEFORE EACH TRIP. I HAVE OWNED THE TRAILER SINCE NEW AND TOOK DELIVERY IN FEBRUARY 2014. THE TOTAL ESTIMATED MILES IS 6,000. I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IMMEDIATELY AND AVOIDED DAMAGE TO THE TRAILER OR RIM. THE SPARE WAS INSTALLED WITHOUT INCIDENT. WHEN I GOT HOME I DISCOVERED TREAD SEPARATION ON THE REMAINING THREE TIRES. ONE OF THEM ALSO HAS A SIDEWALL BULGE. THESE ARE TOW MAX ST25/80R16. UPDATED 09/14/15*LJ......UPDATED 11/13/15 *BF *CN