Visit our Popular Forums

farrel509 · 09-17-2013, 02:23 PM

Y'all,

My cousin and I both have 28ft Internationals. Last year, I blew up two Marathons. This year, I blew up four! My cousin blew two brand new ones a couple of weeks ago.

ALL of our failures were the same - tread separation from the carcass! But by now, you all are certainly aware of the crap these tires represent.

My point is, we both purchased simple TPMS systems for our trailers this year and, with every blow out, our trailers were spared damage with these monitors!

TPMS systems are the only way to go!

I found a $300 system on EBay to monitor all eight tires on truck and trailer. This system saved me THOUSANDS in trailer damage!

streamintrip · 09-21-2013, 08:41 PM

We have a 2005 Classic 30, which we tow about 7,500 miles, 40 nights\yr. It HAD 4 Marathons mfd 14th week, 2009 and we use a TST TPMS, which monitors temp in addition to pressure, on the trailer and both tow vehicle and trailer spares. Our tow vehicle has its own TPMS.

I am anal about tow vehicle, trailer and Gross Combined Weights and am always running thru scales with the 'big boys' to be informed about vehicle weights so I am ALWAYS underweight. Recently, I developed a slow leak in a trailer tire and when I had it checked I found out that that tire had serious tread separation, two others had moderate separation and the 4th was just beginning to evidence same.
Our tire dealer has had many such issues with Marathons so, after some research, I switched to Commodore Load Range E 225/75's.

I am convinced that had I not been closely monitoring tire pressures and went in for repairs after 2 or 3 'pump ups', I would have had serious trailer damage.

I drive a 'big truck' for a living and it has the same TST TPMS system which I highly recommend.

ROBERT CROSS · 09-21-2013, 09:10 PM

Works for me....

Bob

farrel509 · 09-21-2013, 11:18 PM

Definitely use every tool! My last Marathon flat deflated 10psi every 30 seconds. Without the TPMS, I would have been driving on an exploded carcass in no time. My TPMS measures pressure remotely but also alarms when the rate of pressure drop is fast.

Wayne&Sam · 09-22-2013, 05:06 AM

With new tow vehicles all having TPMS for their four wheels, it sure would be nice for them to include four extra channels with tow packages so you could easily include your trailer.

SteveSueMac · 09-22-2013, 05:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wayne&Sam

With new tow vehicles all having TPMS for their four wheels, it sure would be nice for them to include four extra channels with tow packages so you could easily include your trailer.

Don't be so logical ;-)

The TPMS in my Silverado tells me the PSI after pressing buttons to get there and never tells me the temp - though I believe if either go out of range I'll get a warning indicator. My TST TPMS gives me a constant current view of temp and PSI on the trailer tires cycling through all 4 of them in about 20 seconds. Even better would be having all 4 reporting all the time but the. I guess you'd need a bigger screen.

With the TST, I could just buy 4 more sensors and use the TST for truck and trailer but I'm too cheap and lazy for that. :-)

ROBERT CROSS · 09-22-2013, 06:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wayne&Sam

With new tow vehicles all having TPMS for their four wheels, it sure would be nice for them to include four extra channels with tow packages so you could easily include your trailer.

.....You could try getting four senders from the TV dealer and program them whenever your towing....switching back & forth a PITA though, range is a ? mark also.

I got 4 for the Burb but never got around to trying it.....

Remember.. most factory TP sensors don't monitor, they just give a pressure readout when you scroll thru the program, and a DIC warning of low TP.

Bob

Tireman9 · 09-27-2013, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by farrel509

Y'all,

My cousin and I both have 28ft Internationals. Last year, I blew up two Marathons. This year, I blew up four! My cousin blew two brand new ones a couple of weeks ago.

ALL of our failures were the same - tread separation from the carcass! But by now, you all are certainly aware of the crap these tires represent.

My point is, we both purchased simple TPMS systems for our trailers this year and, with every blow out, our trailers were spared damage with these monitors!

TPMS systems are the only way to go!

I found a $300 system on EBay to monitor all eight tires on truck and trailer. This system saved me THOUSANDS in trailer damage!

Confusion
You say you had "Tread Separations" which implies the carcass retained air and only the tread & belts separated from the carcass, but you say your TPMS gave warning which means you lost air as the tire came apart in what many people call a "Blowout". Posting pictures would help us diagnose the actual condition of the failed tires.
I know that photography is not a high priority but if you want to know how to solve a tire problem you really need to know the real reason for the failure.
The reality is that a vanishingly small % of users have the knowledge and experience needed to properly diagnose and categorize their tire failure condition.

dznf0g · 09-28-2013, 05:47 AM

Another vote for TPMS. I have Michelins on the AS, but this summer I had 3 valve stems fail during a 2 week period. Set aside potential AS damage, the TPMS saved 3 Michelin LTX M/S from being ruined by run flat. That's about $600 - $650 saved......more than double the cost of TPMS.

dkottum · 09-28-2013, 06:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dznf0g

Another vote for TPMS. I have Michelins on the AS, but this summer I had 3 valve stems fail during a 2 week period. Set aside potential AS damage, the TPMS saved 3 Michelin LTX M/S from being ruined by run flat. That's about $600 - $650 saved......more than double the cost of TPMS.

Rich were those valve stems rubber or metal? That's a really high failure rate I would think. Would the TPMS sensors themselves be the cause of the failure (one of my concerns of using them)?

dznf0g · 09-28-2013, 06:18 AM

They were the combo metal with rubber bottoms. 2 of the three shops said the sensors were not to blame, the third said "what's them thangs?"......but I am suspicious, so I finally found bolt ins which will fit the recesses of the Sendel T02s and will be installing them at winterizing time.

There seems to be a feeling that there are some really cheap stems and inner tubes being imported. The shops had seen a rash of incidents, with some of their truck tubes not lasting even a day before the stem area failed.

ROBERT CROSS · 09-28-2013, 06:46 AM

IMHO....a "proper" sensor is metal and will have the gizmo's inside the tire, not stuck on the end of the stem....

But I don't use them on the AS and know nothing.

Bob

dkottum · 09-28-2013, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

IMHO....a "proper" sensor is metal and will have the gizmo's inside the tire, not stuck on the end of the stem....

But I don't use them on the AS and know nothing.

Bob

Me too.

I put the external gizmos on my stock Airstream rubber stems four years ago and could see from marks on the wheels they were flopping all over the place. Looked like a problem and took them off.

Got new 16" Michelins with metal valve stems, thought the floppy TPMS sensors were the weak spot of the highly reliable assembly, so haven't used them again.

SteveSueMac · 09-28-2013, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

IMHO....a "proper" sensor is metal and will have the gizmo's inside the tire, not stuck on the end of the stem....

But I don't use them on the AS and know nothing.

Bob

I went with internal (TST TPMS system) mostly because I thought it was too easy to steal the sensors but hasn't thought about the stems. The stems on the TST are metal.

I know less than you do :-)

rodsterinfl · 09-28-2013, 07:14 AM

Quote:

We have a 2005 Classic 30, which we tow about 7,500 miles, 40 nights\yr. It HAD 4 Marathons mfd 14th week, 2009 and we use a TST TPMS, which monitors temp in addition to pressure, on the trailer and both tow vehicle and trailer spares.

So,how many 7500 mile trips before the failures?

dznf0g · 09-28-2013, 07:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

IMHO....a "proper" sensor is metal and will have the gizmo's inside the tire, not stuck on the end of the stem....

But I don't use them on the AS and know nothing.

Bob

No, you're right. At the time of my purchase (3 years ago) the system I wound up getting had (IMO) the best reviews for signal reception....etc., but is not available with internal sensors. It is always a compromise, I guess.

BUT, external sensors have been around for a long time, and I haven't heard of any "rash" of stem failures due to them. Have any of you?

I'm still suspicious though.

kmaggard · 09-28-2013, 08:40 AM

Any brand names recommended? Where is a good place to buy? You would need to have the tires rebalanced after install?

rodsterinfl · 09-28-2013, 08:44 AM

Good question. kmaggard. I noted pass-thru air models and different ones looking around with no reviews.

SteveSueMac · 09-28-2013, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kmaggard

Any brand names recommended? Where is a good place to buy? You would need to have the tires rebalanced after install?

I'm very happy with the TST TPMS I bought. The link below is for a kit with 6 sensors - I got 4. You can get up to 22...

Purchased direct through TST and found them very responsive to calls.

http://www.tpms.com/TST_507_TPMS_INT...07tpmsint6.htm

dznf0g · 09-28-2013, 09:17 AM

I have the Doran RV model and have been very happy with it for 3 years. It has correctly indicated a problem 3 times with plenty of time to pull over before 20% of air loss. Minimal signal loss and always finds it again within minutes.
They say no rebalance needed, but it is 1/3 oz sensor. I have Centramatics....so no worries anyway.