Stock tires (made in China)

[Tanman]

Originally Posted by sbaribeau

My mastertrack...made in chna...low end tires...are starting to wear abnormally on outside edge on both tires on passenger side of my Komfort 2410RK. Have probably 5000 miles on the units. Air is correct (at least by the book) and are checked often. Can see nothing unusual reference axle, etc. Guess next step is to rotate to try and get as much wear out of them as possible. Any ideas?

I am not a tire expert by any means however outside wear might be contributable to misaligned axles. that issue seems to float around forums quite often and the axles are indeed misaligned.

I know when you also run tandem tires and back up you will leave a streak of rubber on the road because the tires work against each other. That alone will eat up the outside edges of the tires. I see my tires wearing on the edges like a car out of alignment. Could this be your issue? Its something to look at. I dont think the tire made in china is the cause of your woe although I still believe they are for the most part junk.

[sbaribeau]

Tanman,

You have made my day. I am an RV newbie and did not know what options I had. This forum was at least "talkin tires". I was hoping that there were options to prevent future unusual wear and was not necessarily assumning the tires were "defective". I will now pursue axle alignment with my local servicecenter. Thank you for your quick answer. I do wish the tires that Dutchman puts on a high end unit were a brand recognized as also top end by the average consumer.

[Infinityrver]

Tires are one of those things that if you're not having an issue then it's not an issue.

I, like alot of Dutchmen owners have the Chinese tires on my 5er. I have traveled approximately 1100 miles from Elkhart, Indiana to my home. I traveled another 1200 miles (back and forth) to up State New York. Also, traveled through different parts of Maine and New Hampshire. I have traveled to Florida from Maine for the winter 2000 miles. This was done in 2012.

To date I have no tire wear. The tires do not appear to have any physical issues. I like everyone else, If I'm having problems with a particular part or, in this case tires, I'm mad as heck and want to get the problem resolved. And do not want to spend alot of money in doing so.

I believe that like everything, there are quality control issues. Someone drops the ball and a tire or several tires make there way through to the end user.

Tanman has certainly made a good case for looking at axle alignment issues for tire wear.

Good luck all with our Chinese tires.

[aapcon131]

My 2012 Komfort 3650 FFL with 5300 miles has worn the outside of the right rear tire almost to the cords, all the other tires are wearing normal with no abnormal wear. Has been to Camping World twice and they say its within Dutchmans tolerance and adjustments. I have sent e-mail to Dutchman and awaiting their reply, not happy so far

[sbaribeau]

I have looked closely at my tire wear issue on my 2012 2410RK Komfort and know the following:
1) Have about 6000 miles on the unit
2) Both right side (looking toward hitch) tires are wearing on the outside edge {I initially thought only the right front was wearing...both are wearing!}
3) Cannot see any physical damage to axle, etc (Had a master mechanic inspect)
4) Do not remember any unusual bumps
5) Tire Pressure within 1/2 on both tires @ 65PSI
6) Initial measurement do not shown any variation in distance between tires on both axles
7) Will next move to a flat area and use a level to determine if camber is an issue...although I don't think it is adjustable

Anyone see any correlation to anything you has seen?

sbaribeau

[Denali2012]

I am only saying this so that others here know what they maybe should expect....We have over 15,000 miles on our original tires on our 2012 Denali 289RK and the tires still look like new.
Those who are having their tires wear down to the cords within 5,000 miles must have a misaligned axle or camber issue....that is NOT normal wear.
This may be a brand of tire issue, or towing too fast or in extremely high heat -- but I really doubt it.
It is disappointing to hear that any dealer is willing to tell you that this is "normal wear."
I have heard of those who use the X chocks brand of wheel immobilizers and have over tightened them and have actually moved the axles out of alignment. This would also cause the tires to wear this way.
If my tires were wearing like this, the first thing that I would do is to take a VERY accurate measurement of the distance between the tires on both sides of the TT.

[aapcon131]

On my Komfort 3650 FFL, I had one right rear tire wearing the outside edge only and was told the same thing after a lot of phone calls and trips to camping World, Lippert(axle supplier for Dutchman) finally authorized the replacement of the rear axle

[GOLDENYEARS]

Originally Posted by aapcon131

On my Komfort 3650 FFL, I had one right rear tire wearing the outside edge only and was told the same thing after a lot of phone calls and trips to camping World, Lippert(axle supplier for Dutchman) finally authorized the replacement of the rear axle

Just signed my life away on an Infinity 3750FL. It too has the Akurate tires on it. Yup, made in China. For the life of me I can not figure out why they just dont put some really good tires on these 85K plus homes away from home. Instead you can order them for an up charge of 1000. bucks or so.

On my SOB I also had the china bomb tires, but replaced them with G614's at a cost of about 1400 bucks. I just hope these hold up better.

Could you tell me a little about your rear axel problem. Give me something to worry about and look out for.

BTW did you hppen to have your tires balanced? Thank you in advance.

[aapcon131]

Yes I had all the tires balanced, the axle that was replaced was wearing the outside edge of the right hand rear tire only, I have the spare on now and it seems Ok so far only have a few hundred miles on it. I have never used those chocks that go between the tires because of the mechanics involved it seems they would push the axles out of alignment.

[Infinityrver]

Originally Posted by aapcon131

Yes I had all the tires balanced, the axle that was replaced was wearing the outside edge of the right hand rear tire only, I have the spare on now and it seems Ok so far only have a few hundred miles on it. I have never used those chocks that go between the tires because of the mechanics involved it seems they would push the axles out of alignment.

I'm with you......I can't see using the spreader chocks for the same reason. I keep chock blocks with me. I only use them if I have to set the rig on some sort of a grade.

[FatFiat]

In regard to axle alignment.....I think I can accurately check the center to center distance on the left and right sides to see if they are the same. Does anyone know what an acceptable tolerance would be........ie......if they are within 1/8" is that close enough?
What about making sure that the axles are perpendicular to the center line (long axis) of the trailer? I don't think I would be able to check that with any degree of accuracy.
Our trailer is currently out of state...but we will be re-united soon, this is something I'd like to check before we have a problem.

[mhbell]

Originally Posted by rudder

I want to start a thread that focuses on stock (Made in China) tires supplied from the manufacturer-

lets do some math- My tires have a load LIMIT of 3417lbs X 4tires = 13668lbs
the side of my Infinity has a sticker with the actual curb weight of the trailer as delivered 12,626lbs and cargo capacity of about 3000lbs

Bottom line.....The problem is not that the tires are made in China... but the tires chosen by the manufacturers that are making there way onto the rigs that we are paying top dollar for are sub standard and should not be on these rigs...

I have been RVing for 50 plus years and everything you say is correct. It is also owner maintenance. Every tire failure I have ever had was my fault. The biggest reasons are.
1. ST type tires are made for trailers only and have a maximun speed of 65 MPH. Drive faster than that is just asking for problem.
2. Under inflation. Unit sits on dealers lot maybe for months Sure it is new but 10 Lbs underinflated and drive 15 miles tire is already ruined. The dealer in most cases never checks the tire pressure before you leave the lot.
3. Trailer overloaded or under rated tires on trailer. sure the tires might be OK for the trailer at dry weight, but when loaded most are marginal at best.
4. age of tires. They may look good and have plenty of tread on them but they should be changed when 4 or 5 years old. and check the date code when you buy new tires. you don't know how long the tire dealer has had them in stock.
Mel

[travelseekers2]

We had the same tires unfortunately we had several blows outs with major damage to 5th wheel. Just sent in claim form to Lions Head tire. Does anyone know of a class action suit on the tires?

[Cooper]

I just replaced all 4 of the original tires with Carlisle Tires...they are called....RADIAL TRAIL RH. They are new from Carlisle and they say they are the newest and best performing radial trailer tire...here is the pitch,,,
"A best-in-class trailer tire, radial construction and variable pitch design promotes tire stablility and reduces excessive heat build-up, increasing tire life. Tire profile and tread compound formulation create lower rolling resistance and increased fuel mileage. Equipped with the DuraTrail high strength belt package and HeatShield heat resistant compounding technologies. A proven leader both in field tests and by independent laboratory testing. "
I dealt with a major company ( Kal Tire) a very reputable company in BC..
The old tires were checking with weather cuts, and wearing out with only about 20k on them.
I was very concerned by the small weathering cuts..so bit the bullet. They say the tires and wheels did not need to be balanced..we will see!

Coops

[LaurieMI]

Originally Posted by travelseekers2

We had the same tires unfortunately we had several blows outs with major damage to 5th wheel. Just sent in claim form to Lions Head tire. Does anyone know of a class action suit on the tires?

Hi. Wondering how far you got with contacting Lions Head for the tires? I have a 2012 Komfort 3650ffl that came with Akuret tires. We have had issues with two tires so far. The first time the tire blew up while driving out of state and the second time it happen... my husband actually caught it before getting back on the road from a rest stop on our way to the campground. The tire had a huge bubble on it and I know for sure that if he did not see it, we would of had a blow out on the highway. At first, I thought that maybe we ran over something the first time, but now I have a strong feeling that the tire also had the bubble and then blew up.

We just purchased 4 new Carlisle tires too to replace the Akuret bombs. It is very frustrating and makes me so angry to think of how much money our camper was and less than a year later in order to feel safe and a stress free drive every time we go somewhere, that we had to purchase new tires. Shame on them for putting these cheap tires on these expensive and heavy 5th wheels!

[gscudder]

I too have the Akuret tires on my 2013 Voltage 3905, It's hard to believe that an Rv with over a 100k MSRP would have anything but the best tires on it, so It's gonna take me buying 7 new quality tires to have a piece of mind. Awesome job Dutchmen!!

[Tanman]

I also have akuret tires on my 5er. Dutchmen must have bought a boat load of them for a low price. So far (knock on wood) none have failed. I am probably in the 7 to 8 thousand miles on them so far without incident. God I must be lucky compared to the rest of you guys. I do carry toys in the rear and I think the DW has everything from our home also inside. I had actually considered purchasing more in a year or so but after listening to others maybe I need to move on to Maxxis.
What is others replacing their Akurets with??

[Cooper]

Hello LaurieMI....never contacted Lions Head..called the dealer who we ought the TT rom he told me to contact the tire manufacture but didn't give me contact number...bit the bullet and replaced the tires. Bought the tires based on my great experience and service with the tire dealer..KAL tire.heard very good things about The new Carlisle tires as well as Maxxis.

Take care

Coops

[hddecker]

Originally Posted by mhbell

I have been RVing for 50 plus years and everything you say is correct. It is also owner maintenance. Every tire failure I have ever had was my fault. The biggest reasons are.
1. ST type tires are made for trailers only and have a maximun speed of 65 MPH. Drive faster than that is just asking for problem.
2. Under inflation. Unit sits on dealers lot maybe for months Sure it is new but 10 Lbs underinflated and drive 15 miles tire is already ruined. The dealer in most cases never checks the tire pressure before you leave the lot.
3. Trailer overloaded or under rated tires on trailer. sure the tires might be OK for the trailer at dry weight, but when loaded most are marginal at best.
4. age of tires. They may look good and have plenty of tread on them but they should be changed when 4 or 5 years old. and check the date code when you buy new tires. you don't know how long the tire dealer has had them in stock.
Mel

Mel sums it up nicely. MOST tire problems occur as a result of poor maintenance. The age of tires can have a big impact on servicability.

Here is a link that will explain the date code.
How to Find the Manufacturing Date on Tires | eHow

I personnally buy only "Made in North America" whenever possible. The problem is more a quality control issue, than where something is made. I still remember the time when "Made in Japan" meant the say thing as Made in China does today.

It's a sad fact of life that corporate profits are measured in the few cents or dollars that is saved by using off shore products. And the manufacturer finds short cuts to improve his bottom line. The list is endless on those short cuts, from melamine in pet food, to bugs trap medical gloves, to etc, etc, etc.

[BigBoyjack b]

Maxxis tires are manufactured in Thailand fyi. Is that better than China? So far, I have not located a single trailer tire made in North America.