Tire demolition - R-pod Owners Forum

Originally posted by GlueGuy

That spare is almost certainly past its "use by date" if it is 8 years old. Granted it was protected from UV, but it was still exposed to atmosphere for that time. Be sure to check the date on the sidewall.

No doubt you're right. I don't have a way to do 3 tires at once today. I have an appointment later today though for 2 new Goodyear D rated tires that will go on the road, of course. I guess I'll have to do the spare as soon as I can.

TT

2010 176
FJ Cruiser

[QUOTE=furpod] Sudden tire destruction can happen for many reasons.

Hmmmmm, I have heard it's possible to get an STD for only one reason, perhaps I was wrong lol

2017.5 Rp-172
2020 R-pod 195
2015 Frontier sv 4.0L 6cyl
I'll be rpodding

Originally posted by mjlrpod

Tars

Can I ask you a question? I have feared a blowout/tire loss of some type while driving. I wonder if you coold explain what happened when the tire went. I fear the trailer will sway violently out of control, or possibly tip over in the direction of the blown tire. Is it not a big deal? Is it just that you know something went wrong, and stop, and realize after stopping what happened? Thanks in advance

It was one of those times when I guess instinct kicks in. Best I can recall, there was a loud boom from behind me and pretty violent shaking. I think I remember a quick glance in the rear-view mirror and realizing the tire had blown out. Like I said earlier, I have a faint snapshot in my mind of rubber and my fender in the air. But then my eyes were in front of me looking for a way out.

By that time my brain was on to seemingly subconsciously worrying about how much shaking (fishtailing) was going on and wondering how bad it was going to get. I let up on the gas and maybe I hit the brake and realized that I was probably going to be able to avoid a serious problem as long as nothing else happened. I remember turning the emergency flashers on and in one of those thoughts that happens in a millisecond, I wondered a) how I was calm enough to do that, and b) how I had the time to do it. By then I was slowing down and getting to the side of the road and realizing that I wasn't going to die.

The whole thing had to take at least 5 seconds, right? I don't know exactly how fast I was going, but I was aiming for about 65 most of the trip. Without running into a big tree, it takes a few seconds to go from 65 to zero. It seems like it happened faster!

I do remember thinking too, while this was going on, that I wasn't panicked. It was certainly very attention-getting, but I don't remember a lot of conscious decision making. Maybe I just knew what I needed to do, but I think a bigger part of it was that it just really wasn't that big a deal. (Other than the cost of new tires and a fender.)

The road was clear and dry too. Slightly different weather or road conditions might have made things a lot worse, as might different traffic around me. And I had wide shoulders on both sides. More than any skill on my part, I was very fortunate....

TT

2010 176
FJ Cruiser

Originally posted by mjlrpod

I wonder if you coold explain what happened when the tire went. I fear the trailer will sway violently out of control, or possibly tip over in the direction of the blown tire. Is it not a big deal?

We had a blowout on our 4th trip with our Rpod (2016 we bought this year). I was towing with a 2015 Nissan Xterra with friction sway control - not a very big vehicle.

We were doing 65 mph on US-93 west of Great Basin Nat'l Park. Air temps prob about 25C or 80F - not too hot. Tires were the Ridgway Sport 14-inch stock tires, load range C, speed rating L (75 mph), 50 psi. Our 180 was lightly loaded, nothing in the tanks.

Suddenly there was an explosion and debris flying in front of us. The left trailer tire had exploded. I felt a slight pull to the left and I counter-steered to the right. It was a two-lane hwy and a minivan was headed toward me, but I didn't have any problem staying in my lane. I gradually slowed down and pulled on to the shoulder.

The tire was destroyed, the fender and marker lights blown off, and my brake line was taken out.

I thought it would be a lot more violent, but it just felt like a wind shake. Maybe it was because of the anti-sway, but it was very controllable. My tow vehicle isn't big enough to resist a lot of side-to-wide sway by itself.

Not a huge deal, but not to say I want to experience another, though. Ouch

--
Jim
Virginia City, Nevada
2016 R-pod 180
2015 Nissan Xterra Pro-4X

Wow! Makes me glad I traded out for load range D tires, including the spare.

StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,...

ouR escaPOD mods
Former RPod 179
Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS