Life is short

[dmccarty]

RD,

I can't believe that you don't think South Florida has considerate drivers. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Years ago, in South Florida ironically, a semi hauling cars was passing me. I was driving a Camaro Z28 that was nice and low. My head/ear was pretty close to the same level as his tires. One of his trailer tires blew out right beside me. I dang near flew out of that car like an unwanted passenger in James Bonds car! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Scared the scat out of me to be sure. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Later,
Dan

 

[wushaw]

Glad your OK.
Trailer tire age is something we tend to forget since we don't use them like our daily driver. Five years is a decent time frame for trailer tires.
I've had dry rot on my Jeep tires in as little as four years, so sometimes tire life has no magic number but is the most overlooked and important part of a trailer.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Glad your OK.
Trailer tire age is something we tend to forget since we don't use them like our daily driver. Five years is a decent time frame for trailer tires.
I've had dry rot on my Jeep tires in as little as four years, so sometimes tire life has no magic number but is the most overlooked and important part of a trailer.
)</font>

These tires were less than 2-1/2 years old, had about 8000 miles on them, and LOOKED OK.

The trailer in question is a 20'+5' gooseneck, 14,000 GVWR. It goes behind a 3500 Dodge Ram. I NORMALLY haul about 7500 lbs worth of tractor, but on occasion, it'll see a 10,000 0r 11,000 lb load. And on occasion, like one of my earlier post's mentioned, it'll get turned around in tight places. That causes the trailer tires to get dragged side-ways, putting un-due torture on the sidewalls.

The long and short of it? Trailer tires get hammered. They don't hold up like the truck tires on the tow vehicle. Gotta keep that in mind from now on.

(In the past, I've always ran used truck tires on my trailers. They were half wornout when they went ON the trailer. They got replaced because of lack of tread before they were too battered and bruised to go on. The trailer is just over 2 years old, and had new tires on it when I got it. The plan is to keep GOOD tires on it from now on. It sees a LOT of highway miles nowdays.)

 

[JimMorrissey]

Scary....Good thing you made the grassy part of the road. Certainly could have been uglier. Don't be too hard on yourself, there's no telling you would have noticed anything was wrong with the tires with a road side inspection. Also, good thing you had the machine bound well to the trailer. Can you imagine if it left the trailer and was boucning down the Interstate at 65mph!

An in-law of mine was hauling drywall with a goose neck trailer and he had a similar situation except he crashed and almost burned. His truck and trailer were totaled and he had two teenagers with him. He and kids made the wreck out with their lives. An on-coming tractor-trailer saw it about to happen and slowed down before they crossed the median into his lane.

Heavy loads on non-commercial trucks at Interstate speeds are questionable in my mind. I guess the maintenance is key, but if I guy sees nothing wrong with his tires as far as surface wear goes, then why is he going to change them out, unless they're really old and the rubber is rotting....which I hope wasn't the case /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif The key is to buy the best rubber you can find when you buy tires. Saving $100 could cost your or another persons life.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

For whatever it's worth, this IS a commercial vehicle. DOT #, recent inspection, and all that goes with it.

And I do tend to go over-board when chaining down a load. This experience made me glad I do that. Tractor never budged.

Tires were top-of-the-line Michelins.

.....and sometimes the bear gets you........ /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[ejtaylor822]

Junk,
Glad you are alright. I remember bringing my tractor home and the trailer went sideways on me the first time, yanking the backend all over the road - One the scariest things I have experienced in a long time.

Your experience made me go check my tires on both trailers. I never look that close at them or pay that much attention as they are used maybe couple of times a month. My oldest, a 10' trailer has some wear, but, a closer look and I am starting to see some cracks forming on the sidewalls. They are now about 5 yrs old. Probably need to go get them looked at.

DMCCARTY,
Had an experience like yours once. Was going down the highway and on the verge of passing a tractor-trailer in my T-bird. I was right at the back of the trailer when the outside back axle tire blew apart. It was like sticks of dynamite going off in front of the right fender. Fortunately two things happened: No one was around us and I was able to stop quicky and do some swirving to avoid the "road gators" and (2) leather seats are easy to wipe off and clean /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif That was over 6 years ago and still do not like passing trucks.

-Eddie

 

[wushaw]

Farmwithjunk, have you thought about upgrading to commercial 17.5 tires? I have these on my 24,000GVW fifthwheel.
They have a great weight rating, you will overload an axle before overloading these and granted they are a little overkill but safety is the name of the game.


Goodyear tire

 

[JimMorrissey]

Humm. Nice job with the chains. If nothing else, it may have saved you a big insurance nightmare if the machine left the trailer. Good to hear you and your vehicles are OK.

 

[Av8r3400]

Glad you and the rig survived okay from your ordeal.

I'm sure you are happy you had FOUR tires on the trailer rather than two. People that haul equipment like this on two tire trailers should read this string and take it to heart!

EJ: you probably shouldn't refer to Farmwithjunk as "Junk" though, it could cause a problem. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[Taylortractornut]

I ve had that happen in a big truck not a peice of the tire be over 3 inches. I had a flat in transit and it rubbed the dual next to it. Made the group of crotch rockets that were on my tail drop way back to a safer distance. Had 120 psi per tire that morning when i left out. I think i might have lost a plug or patch. You could save the other 2 tires for a farm trailer or spares, we reuse all our old tires one way or another. I had a tire blow out on a scraper one tim at about 30 mph loaded in a tun made me bite a hole in the seat. plus the sudden stop wanst fun either.