Anyone have a tire on their trailer blow out? (pics)

[CATiger]

First a little background... I have never owned a boat or a trailer of my own. I have, however been around boats and trailers most of my life and feel very comfortable driving and manuevering with a trailer behind me.

I borrowed my brother's fishing boat (small 16' seaswirl or similar tri-hull) for a weekend trip to the mountains. It was about a 200 mile trip and some mountain roads and a mild climb to 5000 feet. This was my first time towing with my tun (see sig for info).

It was HOT! The trip there and the return saw temps over 100 and probably close to 110 + at the pavement. I did not push it and drove safely within posted speed limits, with the exception of the haul up 99, where I topped out between 60 & 65.

On the return trip, coming down Highway 70 from Qincy to Oroville, the driver's side tire on the trailer obliterated. I have seen others with flats but never a tire explode like this one did. Luckily it happened in an area where there was a safe place to pull over and replace the blow-out with the spare.

Pictures in my gallery. Anyone have theories about what could have caused this type of blow out? The damage to the tire was excessive.

[barng]

What probably caused the tire to blow up was excessive heat. Hot air expands. The combination of air temp, road temp and air temp in the tire was too much. If you ever see tournament bass fishermen towing their rigs in the heat, you will notice that the tires on the trailer look somewhat flat. They let air out before they tow just because of what you experienced. Glad to hear everything turned out ok.

[tomhole]

These weren't by chance Carlisle (spelling might be off) brand tires were they? Lots of blow outs on travel trailers with those brand tires.

It sure looks like it literally exploded. Any idea what the pressure was cold?

Tom

[RockyMtnRay]

Originally Posted by CATiger

Anyone have theories about what could have caused this type of blow out? The damage to the tire was excessive.

The consensus among most tire experts is that about 90% of trailer tire blowouts are due to underinflation, not overinflation. A substantially underinflated tire gradually gets very, very hot (well over 600 degrees) and when it does, the rubber softens (technically it "reverts"). Eventually the bond between the rubber and tire structure (cord belts) fails, then it blows. Towing on a hot day makes the situation worse. If the tire is sufficiently underflated to get that hot, the heating does indeed somewhat increase the tire pressure but not enough to compensate for the original underflation. Hence, beginning a trip with underflated tires is a very poor idea! However even if you're meticulous about checking tire pressure before the start of every trip, it's all too easy to pickup a nail or run over a sharp piece of debris that starts a leak that will lower the pressure to dangerous levels in just a few miles (see below about constant tire pressure monitoring for trailer tires).

Most of the remaining 10% of trailer blowouts are due to sidewall failure, usually due to oxidation (weathering) of rubber, which allows microscopic cracks to form in the rubber structure. If those cracks get large enough, the tire eventually will rip open. If the tire is slightly underinflated and running hot...or the towing is done on a very hot day, this failure mechanism becomes more likely. It should be noted that regions that have high ozone levels (e.g. SoCal) will also have greatly increased oxidation of the tire rubber. It also should be noted that this oxidation can readily occur on the inside of the tire, partly because the air pressure inside the tire is much higher and thus there is more oxygen (or ozone) to cause the oxidation.

Tires are constructed with anti-oxidation agents in the rubber and regular flexing (from driving) causes those anti-oxidants to migrate to the surface of the tire. If a tire is not regularly used (e.g. most trailer tires), the anti-oxidants on the surface (inner and outer surface) get used up and the tire experiences greatly increased oxidation. Tires that are made especially for trailers (those coded as "ST" (specialty trailer)) have much higher levels of anti-oxidants in their rubber compounds and thus are far less susceptible to oxidation (weathering). ST tires also have stronger sidewalls. The tires on your brother's trailer do not appear to have the typical tread pattern of an ST type tire...they look to be regular P or perhaps LT series tires which would definitely have oxidation damage.

As a point of reference, my travel trailer is single axle and each tire is rated to carry 1870 lbs at a max inflation pressure of 50 psi. I've had the trailer weighed twice (on a per tire basis) and the weight on each tire is about 1750-1780 lbs. According to the Goodyear Load/Inflation pressure chart, I absolutely must have about 45 psi in each tire for the load they're carrying. To have a bit of a margin of capacity, I always depart on a trip with both trailer tires at exactly 50 psi. I also recently bought a Doran Pressure Pro system so that I could have real time, continuous monitoring of the tire pressure in my trailer's tires. Like all quality real time pressure monitoring systems, it sounds an alarm in the cab anytime the tire pressure drops by just 12.5%. With this system, I always know exactly what the pressure is my trailer's tires and am no longer worried about a blowout caused by overheating/loss of pressure (e.g. loss of pressure caused by a road hazard or nail).

Hope this helps

[HotRod8]

Although it didn't blow out; I have an interesting picture of a trailer tire as well.....
http://www.tundrasolutions.com/photo...0/ppuser/11636

[CATiger]

Originally Posted by RockyMtnRay

The consensus among most tire experts is that about 90% of trailer tire blowouts are due to underinflation, not overinflation. A substantially underinflated tire gradually gets very, very hot (well over 600 degrees) and when it does, the rubber softens (technically it "reverts"). Eventually the bond between the rubber and tire structure (cord belts) fails, then it blows. Towing on a hot day makes the situation worse. If the tire is sufficiently underflated to get that hot, the heating does indeed somewhat increase the tire pressure but not enough to compensate for the original underflation. Hence, beginning a trip with underflated tires is a very poor idea! However even if you're meticulous about checking tire pressure before the start of every trip, it's all too easy to pickup a nail or run over a sharp piece of debris that starts a leak that will lower the pressure to dangerous levels in just a few miles (see below about constant tire pressure monitoring for trailer tires).

Most of the remaining 10% of trailer blowouts are due to sidewall failure, usually due to oxidation (weathering) of rubber, which allows microscopic cracks to form in the rubber structure. If those cracks get large enough, the tire eventually will rip open. If the tire is slightly underinflated and running hot...or the towing is done on a very hot day, this failure mechanism becomes more likely. It should be noted that regions that have high ozone levels (e.g. SoCal) will also have greatly increased oxidation of the tire rubber. It also should be noted that this oxidation can readily occur on the inside of the tire, partly because the air pressure inside the tire is much higher and thus there is more oxygen (or ozone) to cause the oxidation.

Tires are constructed with anti-oxidation agents in the rubber and regular flexing (from driving) causes those anti-oxidants to migrate to the surface of the tire. If a tire is not regularly used (e.g. most trailer tires), the anti-oxidants on the surface (inner and outer surface) get used up and the tire experiences greatly increased oxidation. Tires that are made especially for trailers (those coded as "ST" (specialty trailer)) have much higher levels of anti-oxidants in their rubber compounds and thus are far less susceptible to oxidation (weathering). ST tires also have stronger sidewalls. The tires on your brother's trailer do not appear to have the typical tread pattern of an ST type tire...they look to be regular P or perhaps LT series tires which would definitely have oxidation damage.

As a point of reference, my travel trailer is single axle and each tire is rated to carry 1870 lbs at a max inflation pressure of 50 psi. I've had the trailer weighed twice (on a per tire basis) and the weight on each tire is about 1750-1780 lbs. According to the Goodyear Load/Inflation pressure chart, I absolutely must have about 45 psi in each tire for the load they're carrying. To have a bit of a margin of capacity, I always depart on a trip with both trailer tires at exactly 50 psi. I also recently bought a Doran Pressure Pro system so that I could have real time, continuous monitoring of the tire pressure in my trailer's tires. Like all quality real time pressure monitoring systems, it sounds an alarm in the cab anytime the tire pressure drops by just 12.5%. With this system, I always know exactly what the pressure is my trailer's tires and am no longer worried about a blowout caused by overheating/loss of pressure (e.g. loss of pressure caused by a road hazard or nail).

Hope this helps

Ray -

As always, very insightful and useful information. Thank you very much.

[Eddie]

Originally Posted by tomhole

These weren't by chance Carlisle (spelling might be off) brand tires were they? Lots of blow outs on travel trailers with those brand tires.

Great,my 2-axle open trailer (for towing cars) has Carlisles.

Hey guys,are there any advantages to using radial-ply trailer tires instead of bias-ply? I know the radial tire advantages for cars but would it also apply to trailers.

[cupidstoy]

as usual, i agree with ray. however, i would ad that my experience with trailer tires has been that they do tend to sit around a lot and most of mine will leak down over a month or two. i almost always have to air them back up to 50 psi from 15 - 30 or whatever they've dropped down to. i check them before every trip. a small boat trailer that doesn't see a lot of long trips could easily have the tires done in by a 200 mile trip up into the mountains if it had the type of oxidation ray mentioned or slight bead or valve stem leakage that would cause them to loose air. also, you're high up so doesn't that make a difference? less outside pressure and all that.

i've never noticed carlisle to be a particular bad tire. that's about all you can get around here without mail ordering. i think the most important thing is to get a proper load rated tire (class) for the axle your trailer has and keep them aired up and use them regularly. also, fwiw, i have my trailer tires balanced at least once. trailer tires are notorious for having poor quality control on rubber distribution to keep the cost down and because a lot of folks won't notice one that's out by an ounce here or there, but i find on my tundra, i can definitely notice on certain types of trailers if the tires aren't balanced.

[cupidstoy]

eddie,

Bias or Radial?
There seems to be two schools of thought on this. One groups prefers bias tires for trailers because they believe they have better resistance to side wall rollover than radials. Ability to withstand side wall rollover is important in trailering because in an emergency or out-of-control manuever the trailer may experience swaying from side to side to a much greater degree than the tow vehicle. While conceding this advantage to the bias tire, another group prefers radial tires for improved traction (which may reduce swaying tendencies), better wear, better mileage, better (softer) ride for the boat on the trailer, and better load ratings at lower inflation pressure (for better riding quality). Radials generally cost more than bias-ply tires.

and... (forgive their grammar)

Performance and Purpose of a Bias Ply
Bias ply tires have a limited purpose in life and are only used for specific purposes or jobs. The reason for this is because of its performance characteristics. However for some jobs the bias ply tire is an idea tire for the purpose such as for the tires of a towed trailer, farm equipment tires, some purpose built tires like extreme terrain tires and some forms of racing still use bias ply tires. The reasons for this limited use are:

The bias-ply tire casing is constructed to form one working unit. When the sidewalls deflect or bend under load, the tread squeezes in and distorts. The distortion affects the tires footprint and can decrease traction and increases wear depending on the terrain. The tread distortion also causes abrasion from the ground surface, which reduces the life of the tire. These factors are why bias ply tires are not idea for passenger car tires or as tires that my see highway use unless used as tires for a towed trailer.
Bias Ply Strength - The way to increase the strength of bias-ply tires is by increasing the number of plies and bead wires. More plies means more mass which, increasing heat retention and reducing tire life.
Because of the bias ply inherent construction, sidewall strength is less than that of a radial tire's construction and cornering is significantly less effective. This is probably one of the main reasons bias ply tires are not used for passenger cars and trucks.
However because of the bias ply construction and inherent strength of a properly inflated tire, the bias ply is idea for straight line towing.

RADIAL
The simple definition of a Radial type tire: The radial is a type of tire that is constructed with rubber coated, reinforcing steel cable belts that are assembled parallel and run from side to side, bead to bead at an angle of 90 degrees to the circumferential centerline of the tire. (As opposed to the 30 degree alternating application lengthwise as in bias ply tires). This makes the tire more flexible which reduces rolling resistance to improve fuel economy. Then numerous rubber coated steel belts are then constructed into the "crown" of the tire under the tread to form a strong stable two-stage unit.

Performance and purpose of Radial tires
Radial tires are the preferred tire of choice in most applications for several key reasons.

The combination of steel stabilizing belts in the single-layer radial casing allows the tread and sidewall to act independently. The sidewall flexes more easily under the weight of the vehicle and its cargo, while the tank-track type tread provides even contact with the ground. Greater vertical deflection is achieved with radial tires. This is desirable because extreme flexing greatly increases resistance to punctures.
To increase a radial tire's strength, larger diameter steel cables are used. Larger steel cables can help reduce punctures, tears and flats. Larger steel cables also help distribute heat, resulting in a cooler running tire and improving fuel economy. Unlike bias ply tires larger steel cables have little negative affect on performance.
The parallel stabilizing steel belts of the radial minimize tread distortion. As the sidewalls flexes under load, the belts hold the tread firmly and evenly on the ground or object and thus minimizing tread scrub and greatly increasing tread life.
When cornering the independent action of the tread and sidewalls keeps the tread flat on the road. This allows the tire to hold to its path.
When offroad, the radial tire's stabilizing steel belt design aids in greater traction by holding the tread evenly over obstacles allowing the tread of the tire to have a better chance of finding traction.

[jasbus]

I've used Carslisle tires for a couple of trailers, they are generally good tires if you get the proper load rating. I have had a couple of blowouts, but not as bad as the one you posted. It looks to me like what has already been stated: Low pressure and dryrotted tires... Trailer sits around for 300+ days a year, not a good thing for the tires, or the bearings for that matter...

[J-man]

when i store a trailer for a long period of time, i like to put it up on jack stands so the weight dosent sit on one side of the bearings, or the tires dont devolop flat spots. Also put some type of cover on the tires as the sun wreaks havoc on rubber thats sitting for while.