[Jodie]

If the tire casing was available a tire expert likely could do an examination of it and define the circumstance or circumstances that led up to the failure.

The reason I said zipper failure is in that type of catastrophic tire failure the entire sidewall of a tire opens almost instantly as if there were a zipper around the entire sidewall and it opened rapidly.

Think of taking a thin gauge strip of metal, kind of like a tape measure, and bending it back and forth over the same spot rapidly. We’ve all done something like that to break a strip of steel. As we constantly flex it, it gets warm, then hot then it breaks where it got warm and was flexed.

When a tire is under inflated that is what is happening to the steel belts in the sidewall of the tire. They are flexing too much, eventually starting to fail, getting warm, then hot, and then all of a sudden due to the tire pressure the belts start to let go. The ones that didn’t break initially fail because they couldn’t hold the tire together all by themselves.

A low pressure is defined as any pressure 20% or more lower than the pressure required based on the weight the tire carries. If a tire has been run at a low pressure it needs to be taken from service and inspected. If it has been damaged the evidence will be a dark spot around the inside of the sidewall on the inner tire liner. If you can see a dark spot on the outside of the tire you don’t need an inspection. The tire is junk, dangerous, and needs to be removed immediately.

If you find you have driven on low pressure and have to add air to the tire use extreme caution. That tire has the potential to literally explode. If you decide to add air yourself prior to an inspection, attach the tire chuck and stand well to the side while increasing pressure. If you hear any noises or snapping of what sounds like a steel wire breaking stop adding air immediately and get away from the tire.

We have had members describe damage and injuries due to tire failure. Per mentions how it took some of the coach skin off. Others have reported the tire also taking off skins from the coach, coach fenders and even a muffler. One member was airing an inner drive tire and when it exploded it blew the fender off the XLII, knocked him against a garage wall where he sustained serious injuries. Had it been the outside tire he could have been killed.

If you have low pressure on a drive tire, both tires on that side have been underinflated and both require inspection.

From Per’s post it is entirely possible the tire failure could have been the result of tire damage sustained prior to his ownership.

[Jodie]

I saw a tractor trailer tire explode 100 feet ahead of me. It was like a cannon shot generating a huge dust cloud. First I thought a gas or propane cylinder exploded but it was “just” the tire. I can only image what it would be like exploding right under your seat.

[Jodie]

Is the coach in “Park” ?

[Jodie]

Ed,

Thanks for the response. I had had aproblem with one of those fuses in the past.

The little red light indicated which fuse it was then. No red lights now, but I did

pull each fuse and check. All were good. Still looking.

[Jodie]

Al, you are to be congratulated for your posts regarding blowouts. It is and always has been a very valuable post that now is documented to have played a role in keeping a bad situation from becoming a dangerous one.

Thank you.