RobertEH
Silver Member
Last Oct coming back from a deer hunt, I had a blow out on my bumper pull RV.
I was getting ready to pass a vehicle that was doing 40 in a 65 and as I crossed the centerline I "think" I heard something that caused me to glance at the side view mirror. I say think because it all happened very fast and I am not positive what made me check the side view. It looked like I had run over a flock of geese - white fluff going everywhere. Having no idea what happened I pulled over and Praise God I found a spot with 100 yards of where the blowout happened. In that 100 yards a flap on the tire beat the hell out of my undercarriage and created a hole all the way thru to the interior (under the sink). It also took out a low water drain. The fluff I saw flying out as I was pulling over was insulation. Damage was about 4K.
I am not sure if it was a catastrophic failure, or a flat that I was running for a while that finally ripped the tire apart. It is a dual axle trailer so I doubt I would have noticed a flat on one of the 4 tires.
I picked up a well reviewed TPMS system off Amazon that seems to be working OK. Amazon.com
As noted in an earlier post, you need to screw the sensors on fast or you lose air! I do verify pressure before putting them on so I know they are starting correctly - so if the TPMS fails, you see it on the screen and know not to trust the unit.
I was told by the RV dealer that I took it to for repairs that it was probably a catastrophic failure and the cause was older tires. The tires were about 6/7 years old (put on by the prior owner). I had it in for some service the year prior and the tire dealer said the tires looked good - and they had lots of tread. But since it sits for long periods between use they can develop weak spots and fail. Both the tire dealer and the RV dealer (who does not sell tires) recommended replacing the tires every 5 year regardless of use.
Some photos-the Styrofoam you see is the insulation around the hot water heater - fortunately no damage there.
I was getting ready to pass a vehicle that was doing 40 in a 65 and as I crossed the centerline I "think" I heard something that caused me to glance at the side view mirror. I say think because it all happened very fast and I am not positive what made me check the side view. It looked like I had run over a flock of geese - white fluff going everywhere. Having no idea what happened I pulled over and Praise God I found a spot with 100 yards of where the blowout happened. In that 100 yards a flap on the tire beat the hell out of my undercarriage and created a hole all the way thru to the interior (under the sink). It also took out a low water drain. The fluff I saw flying out as I was pulling over was insulation. Damage was about 4K.
I am not sure if it was a catastrophic failure, or a flat that I was running for a while that finally ripped the tire apart. It is a dual axle trailer so I doubt I would have noticed a flat on one of the 4 tires.
I picked up a well reviewed TPMS system off Amazon that seems to be working OK. Amazon.com
As noted in an earlier post, you need to screw the sensors on fast or you lose air! I do verify pressure before putting them on so I know they are starting correctly - so if the TPMS fails, you see it on the screen and know not to trust the unit.
I was told by the RV dealer that I took it to for repairs that it was probably a catastrophic failure and the cause was older tires. The tires were about 6/7 years old (put on by the prior owner). I had it in for some service the year prior and the tire dealer said the tires looked good - and they had lots of tread. But since it sits for long periods between use they can develop weak spots and fail. Both the tire dealer and the RV dealer (who does not sell tires) recommended replacing the tires every 5 year regardless of use.
Some photos-the Styrofoam you see is the insulation around the hot water heater - fortunately no damage there.