[AL]

Thanks Jon. The tires are manufactured by Dunlap and we are the original purchaser. I am very attentive to the tires air pressure and check them at the start of every day and frequently through out the day. None of our tires have EVER been run low. Of that I am sure.

[glen]

I have watched the video numerous times, repeatedly tell myself hit the gas not the brake while driving. BUT question if my foot will do the right thing if it ever happens.

scary, glad your safe

Chuck

[Bill]

Thanks for searching for this complete thread / video and the many messages.

I don’t have any problem with this having a permanent place on PC to help new and old members do the right thing if a blow out happens.

I was sort of the gate keeper in posting this video with the many stories each month for many years.

Again, from the most recent post, the right front tire!

Thanks in advance, PC team.

AL

---

2005 XL Thompson Coach

Rarely tow anything behind us.

Sold: 1993 Liberty that we loved for 12 years.

[Ed]

Just curious what the axle load is on your steer axle? It appears that the Dunlop tire rating fitted to the wheel has an ISO rating of 150 L, which is 7,390 lbs at 75 mph, at 120 psi (cold).

The shininess of the metallic cables indicates that the tire was slowly fatiguing, over time. That is to say, the rubber that had once encased the cables had worn away. It wasn’t a, “I ran over a railroad tie” moment, but a “I am tired and I’m going to fall apart” one…. the tread probably came off as one big alligator.

I’m glad that you were able to control your rig and you stayed on the road.

I don’t sell TPMS, so I have no skin in this game, but the advantage to having a TPMS system that also tells you pressure and temperature is that the temperature can be a pre-indicator that something is going on, at the wheel end. The increase in temperature should be, at normal operations, about ambient plus 60 degrees F.

Indicators like outside climate (Phoenix), types of pavement can change the rule of thumb, but it’s a good starting point. If temperatures are running hotter than that, then it’s a good time to double check other factors (i.e. Are you speeding? Is your cold pressure enough for the actual load?, How are your brake systems and/or wheel bearings?). While you are running, if there is a rapid increase in pressure or tire temperature , there IS a reason why, and you should slow down immediately. As soon as feasible, get off the highway and give the tires a chance to cool. And with that being said, it is important that you don’t immediately approach the tire and start poking around…. when you stop, the tire needs to naturally cool before you check pressures (we say 3 hours).

Tires are like elephants; they remember what happened to them from day 1. If there was a time when the tires was overloaded (or underinflated), or when it ran beyond it’s speed rating, the damage will stay hidden in the casing. You can’t reverse the damage.

[Archived]

I am not saying this is the case with the 1990 Marathon with the tire failure, but around that vintage and some later years Marathon exceeded the steer axle weight ratings. When I posted originally I had forgotten that. We have stressed often that tire pressures have to be based on the loads imposed and the only way to do that is to weight each axle at the least and at best each tire when the coach is fully loaded and has full fuel and water and an empty holding tank.

Proper tire pressures are extremely important and in the absence of a TPMS at every stop immediately check tire temps with an infrared temperature gun. If the pressures are correct for the weights they will be very close to one another. Shoot the hub temps also because a bad bearing or dragging brake can and will create serious problems.

[Rudy]

Thanks fellas, I believe that you are both spot on. We had also concluded that our steer axle is likely overweight. In March 2016, each of our axles were weighed by Jeff at ETLC. At that time, the steers came in at 7413 lbs and 7362 lbs. We have always maintained them at 110 psi (cold) and believed that we were safe, and within limits. Overtime we have inadvertently added “stuff” which has likely put us over our limit. I haven’t weighed the coach since the blowout. Regardless, its going on a diet and being stripped of anything not essential. We’ll start with several of the 8 house batteries and perhaps even the marble floors.

[Art]

Do a weigh in before the diet.

Those floors are probably awfully heavy. Be interested to see how effective the diet is.

[DON]

A little late posting this about the 2 March 2022 tire blowout that MorPrevost90 had. But I have a hypothesis on the cause of the incident. If you enlarge and look closely at the first of the two pictures you see the valve stem has a fill through valve cap. Owner says he checked tire pressure that AM and was it good.

One possible (and a simple explanation for the situation – Occam’s razor and all that) is that during the morning pressure check, the cap/valve seat either got some foreign matter blown into it from the tire or the movable part of the cap stuck in and kept pressure on the valve core in the stem and caused loss of air> overheat > blow out.

I have equal in my tires (with filters in the stems) and am especially wary of leaks. I have Pressure Pro TPMS so the sensors make a positive seal, as the valve core is depressed and open by design during their installation and use. If I did not have that type of TPMS, I would definitely use metal valve caps with O rings or neoprene seals to ensure positive sealing.

I know there are bezillions of tires running down the road with valve cores as all that is holding in the air, but it gives me the heeebie jeeebies. This especially since a bad experience I had with a leaking valve extension on an inner dual that surfaced only when I added the TPMS. The valve extension was made in two swaged together parts and it leaked at the joint in the middle of the extension. It had not caused tire pressure loss before I added the TPMS because the extension only had pressure in it during filling or pressure checking of the tire. At all other times, the valve stem core was closed and the extension was not pressurized. With the TPMS sensor on, the core remains unseated, thus constantly pressurizing the valve extension = pressure loss. Fortunately the TPMS warned me of the slowly declining pressure and disaster was averted.

[Dick]

Switching from Lifeline agm to Lithium chemisty batteries will save you 100 Lbs per battery.

Also, with lithium batts, you can run fewer batteries, thus saving even more weight.

Our bus came from Liberty w/only 3 house batts. Switching from Lifelines to Lithiums saved us 300 Lbs.

We’re gonna redo our floors and would love marble, but the weight kills that choice for us.