How to Prevent a Tire Blowout Like the One That Nearly Destroyed Our RV Camper Popup Trailer

bit.ly/osetj-54
Our Three Tips Include One You May Not Have Heard Before
When you purchase an item after clicking a link from this post, we may earn a commission.
Recently, we had an experience that will serve as a powerful object lesson for you. While traveling to southwestern Florida to help with recovery efforts following Hurricane Ian, a tire on our Aliner Scout blew out. We’ll not only share the surprisingly bad story but also some tips for avoiding this fate.
The Devastating Blowout
Devin made the trip alone to join a group of volunteers from our church helping people recover after the storm. About halfway, while passing through suburban Orlando, a passenger in a passing car signaled to Devin that something was wrong.
He pulled over to discover the driver’s side trailer had blown. There were few real challenges changing the tire and getting underway. Within an hour, Devin was back on the road.
He called Gail to report the problem noting, “It could have been much worse.”
Upon arriving in Port Charlotte where he “camped” in a church parking lot, he set up the trailer and discovered it was much worse.
It was a rainy day and there was water inside the trailer. The electrical system wouldn’t work at all to power anything. A quick investigation yielded the truth: The blowout did serious damage to the trailer, including large holes in the floor of the cabinet with almost all the electronics.
Everything inside the cabinet was wet; there was debris from the road and from the tire inside. It was a mess.
“I was despondent,” Devin said afterward.
The following day was dry. While Devin worked with the volunteers, the trailer sat in the warm sun drying out. That evening, Devin tried the electrical system and found it operational.
Looking back, Devin admits the first sign of trouble came an hour before the blowout. He picked up a vibration coming from the trailer that he correctly judged to be a problem with a tire. He stopped to check it out at a rest stop but couldn’t see a problem. Nervously, he proceeded-a choice he now regrets.
The trailer is currently out of service and awaiting repairs. It is difficult to get the necessary parts, like the replacement wheel well destroyed by the blowout. While insurance will cover some costs, new tires would have been much cheaper than our deductible.
How You Can Avoid the Same Fate
While there are no absolute guarantees you can avoid a blowout, there are three keys to avoiding one. Two are common knowledge but one we believe is important is rarely considered.
Tire Pressure. Always check the air pressure in the tires before every trip. We are diligent about this and confident that this wasn’t a factor in our little disaster. Improper air pressure is, however, the leading cause of blowouts-especially under inflation, which increases stress on the tire causing failure at freeway speeds.
Tread. When a tire is worn out from too many miles, easily seen in the tread, it is more vulnerable to blowing out. Our trailer is fairly old but had seen little use. The tread on the tires appeared virtually new. The tread itself was not the cause of our blowout.
Age. Our tires weren’t worn out, but they were old. For nearly a decade, they lived outside holding a trailer. They didn’t have many miles, but they’d lived too long in service. We considered replacing them but put it off, another decision we regret.
So keep in mind these three simple tips:
Always check the tire pressure.
Check the tread wear before every trip.
Replace the tires every 4 or 5 years even if treadwear doesn’t require it.
By following these simple steps you like (likely) avoid the sort of disaster we experienced.
oursolartrailer...

[@christianthorpe935]

So glad you're ok! It's great that you're using this as a teaching moment for others. Wouldn't expect anything less from DDT.

[@oursolartrailer]

Thanks! 🙏🙏🙏 It has been a great learning experience! Merry Christmas, bro! Hugs to you both!

[@wallywal6139]

I'm so sorry to hear of your troubles with the blowout. You are 100% correct about the tire age issue and no one brings it up relative to towable campers. I bought my a-frame when it was 5 years old and it had original tires plus it had seen some road time. The tires were all terrain and looked really good so I initially decided to keep them. Days before my first long camping trip with it, I had a mobile service come out and change the tires. It was bothering me that I didn't know the history of the tires plus being in a desert climate our tires can break down faster. After watching your video I feel like I dodged a bullet. I hope that all gets reparied soon and you are back on the road. Also...never buy cheap tires, your life is riding on your tires. Camper tires run at significantly higher pressure than your tow vehicle tires. Buy the best you can find. Best wishes!

[@oursolartrailer]

Great feedback. You are smart! You likely dodged a bullet!

[@EVRider]

Oh man, I'm so sorry to hear about your blowout but glad you weren't hurt. Thanks for sharing the tips. Happy holidays Gail and Devin. Here's hoping you're able to get the Aliner back on the road soon.

[@oursolartrailer]

Thanks, Bill! We're going to have to make a point to join you for Friday pizza night sometime soon!

[@EVRider]

@@oursolartrailer Absolutely. I'll reach out soon via email.

[@mannys4036]

Something to add is that tires on any trailer from the factory are ticking time bombs; they are referred to as "China bombs" and this topic comes up frequently on the KZbin channels that I've seen. I'm surprised your tires lasted that long. The first thing I did was replace the tires no matter how good they looked or how much tread remained or the date the tire was manufactured (there are 4 digits on the tires of which the first 2 numbers show the month and the last 2 numbers show the year). When it comes to smaller tires is that they rotate faster than larger tires and thereby accumulate a lot of friction and heat the longer they are on the road. I recommend the largest size off road all terrain truck tread that covers the sidewalls. In your case having the correct pressure meant nothing as the tires were dry rotted.

[@oursolartrailer]

Great addition to the conversation. Thank you so much! 🙏

[@dnodoz1753]

One other tip is get a decent brand of tire. The typical cheap tires many trailers are given by the manufacturer are what you call “China bomb”. Our brand new Aliner’s tires had uneven bulges on the sidewalks after the 200 mile drive home. Immediately invested in good US made tires. 35,000 miles later we have had no issues. Still plan on putting some reinforcement in the thin wheel wells but haven’t gotten around to it yet. Your video just might get me moving on that project.

[@oursolartrailer]

Great insights. Tires are so much important than we had appreciated. Thank you for sharing!

[@martineastman9855]

I don't know if trailer tires are the same, but at least with bigger car/truck tires, they have a date codes. It's a four-digit number; first two digits are the week made, the last two numbers are the year made. If your trailer tires are 5 years or older, it's time to retire those puppies.