1997 WINNEBAGO MINNIE WINNIE — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH THE REAR PASSENGER INSIDE TIRE BLEW OUT DUE TO TREAD SEPARATION. THE TIRE WAS MADE BY FIRESTONE, TIRE LINE 22575R16. THE DEALERSHIP AND MANUFACTURER HAVE NOT BEEN ALERTED.

MY FAMILY AND I WERE TRAVELLING IN OUR 1997 WINNEBAGO MINNIE WINNIE CLASS C RV AT APPROX. 55 MPH ON RT. 44 IN MIDDLEBOROUGH, MA WHEN THE LEFT FRONT TIRE BLEW AND THE RV IMMEDIATELY PULLED LEFT TOWARD ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I WAS ABLE TO PULL BACK TO THE RIGHT AND SAFELY PULL OVER. UPON INVESTIGATING THE ISSUE, THE TREAD ON THE TIRE HAD COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE. ALL THAT WAS LEFT WAS THE SIDEWALL. THE TIRE IS A FIRESTONE STEELTEX RADIAL R4S, SIZE LT225/75R16. WE PURCHASED THE RV IN OCTOBER 2004 AND THIS WAS ONLY OUR SECOND TRIP IN IT (FIRST IN 2005). THE TIRE WAS NOT WORN AT ALL AND APPEARED TO BE NEW WHEN WE PURCHASES THE RV.

PURCHASED ONE OWNER 1997 29 FT. USED CLASS C WINNEBAGO MOTORHOME PRIVATELY FROM ELDERLY COUPLE (30,000 MILES) PREVIOUSLY SERVICED BY DEALER, LAST APRIL. WE HAVE USED THIS VEHILCLE 2000 MILES THIS YEAR. APPROXIMATELY TWO MILES AFTER GETTING ON THE HIGHWAY, TREAD AND OUTER BELT SEPERATED WITHOUT WARNING TO STEEL BELT AT INSIDE CORNER 3 INCHES WIDE X 1/4 TO 1/3 CIRCUMFERENCE FROM FIRESTONE STEELTEX R4S LOAD RANGE E TIRE ON PASSENGER REAR AT 58 MPH ALONG SMOOTH ROUTE 95, MYSTIC, CT, DRY, SUNNY 75 DEGREE DAY WITH FAMILY AND DOG ABOARD, UNDERWEIGHT. CAUSING A SEVERE VIBRATION. ALL TIRES WERE INFLATED PROPERLY AND ROUTINELY CHECKED BY ME. I AM THE ONLY DRIVER OF THIS VEHICLE. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF IMPACT, CRACKING, OR HEAT CHECKING ON ANY OF THE TIRES. I WORKED AS A TIRE SALESMAN IN MY YOUNGER YEARS. I AM 48 YEARS OLD, WORK AS A MECHANICAL INSPECTOR IN THE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY AND HAVE RACED SPORTSCARS. I HAVE CONSIDERABLE EXPERIENCE WITH NUMEROUS DIFFERENT BRANDS OF TIRES. EVEN WHEN CONSIDERING THE AGE OF THESE TIRES, THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. I CONTACTED MY LOCAL FIRESTONE DEALER WHO INFORMED ME THAT THERE IS NO RECALL ON THIS LOAD RANGE. *AK

WE HAVE A 1997 MINNIE WINNIE MOTORHOME WITH FIRESTONE STEELTEX RADIAL TIRES R4S LT225/75R16 M/S. ONE OF THE REAR DUALLY TIRES BLEW ON A TRIP WITH LESS THAN 18,000 MILES. WE REPLACED THE TIRE AND DIDN'T THINK MUCH ABOUT IT UNTIL WE TOOK ANOTHER TRIP AND ONE OF THE DUALLY TIRES ON THE OTHER SIDE BLEW OUT CAUSING SOME DAMAGE. I DO HAVE PICTURES OF THE SECOND BLOWOUT, NOT SURE ON THE FIRST. WE WERE NOT ON THE ROAD LONG WHEN THE SECOND BLOWOUT OCCURED AND HAD INSPECTED, AND CHECKED THE PRESSURE BEFORE OUR DEPARTURE. NOW THE FRONT TIRES ON THE VEHICLEHAVE AREAS IN MID SECTION OF THE TIRES WHERE THERE ARE DIPS. A FIRESTONE REPRESENTATIVE TOLD US IT LOOKS LIKE "CUPPING" AND PROBABLY CAUSED FROM BEING OUT OF BALANCE. A GOODYEAR TIRE DEALER TOLD US THE TREAD IS SEPARATING FROM THE BELT. WE FEEL ALL THE TIRES ON THE VEHICLE ARE DEFECTIVE. IT IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE! WE ARE LUCKY THE FRONT DID NOT BLOW OR PROBABLY WOULD HAVE FATALITIES INVOLVED. WE WILL SUBMIT WHAT IS LEFT OF THE SECOND TIRE TO FIRESTONE AT OUR OWN EXPENSE FOR THEIR REVIEW OF OUR CLAIM. THEY CERTAINLY DON'T MAKE IT EASY. (THE FIRST BLOWOUT WAS LEFT WITH THE DEALER WE PURCHASED REPLACEMENT TIRE FROM. *AK

FIRESTONE STEELTEX RADIAL LT225/75R16. INSIDE RIGHT REAR DUAL ON OUR 31 ' 97 WINNEBAGO VIBRATED FOR ABOUT 3 SECONDS AT HIGHWAY SPEED AND THEN A LOUD NOISE (TREAD CAME OFF AND I COULD SEE TRAFFIC BEHIND ME AVOIDING THE TREAD). THE TIRE STILL HAD AIR IN IT, BUT ALL TREAD HAD COME OFF. MY WIFE AND I ARE EXTREMELY CONCERNED THIS EXPERIENCE COULD HAPPEN AGAIN WITH MUCH WORST CONSEQUENCES. THE TREAD RIPPED A VOLLEY BALL SIZE HOLE IN THE WHEEL WELL JUST UNDER THE HOT WATER HEATER. *NLM