Visit our Popular Forums

Triple M · 09-26-2010, 04:42 PM

We've had a very enjoyable cross-country trip- going to Banff and Jasper Nat'l Parks and Whistler Mountain in Canada. Then on to the Olympic Peninsula, Washington and have been meandering our way back to Massachusetts from there. Last night we stopped for dinner in Sandusky, Ohio and then got back on the turnpike. After a few minutes on the highway we heard a loud noise, and it felt like the Airstream had come unhitched. Pulled over, and the tired was shredded. Changed it (breaking the jack in the process) and made it to the next rest area where we discovered that the other tire had been slashed, and we think that the tire that blew out also had been slashed, as we'd been checking the tires regularly for air pressure.

The good news is, we were near a tire place, so got 2 fresh tires, which we were planning to get anyway after the trip, and are now continuing on our way. Also, we were very happy with how the Airstream handled during the crisis- no fishtailing, and it was good just to experience it at highway speed, as it's been one of my concerns. Am posting a few pics of the tire and slash.

Just wanted to post this so that if you're in that area, you might want to be careful. It's been fun to see lots of fellow Airstreamers on the road as we've traveled. Happy trails to you all!

Triple M

DaveFL · 09-26-2010, 05:05 PM

Wow that is total disintegration, how did the trailer underside and wheel well do? Timing of stopping and restart, was the trailer out of sight and in somebodies way?
Looks like dry rot to me, but maybe only the way the picture looks. How old were the tires, more important than wear.

Triple M · 09-26-2010, 05:23 PM

The tires were in good shape and not too old. The trailer was out of the way, in the parking lot of a closed store. There was some minor damage to the wheel well, that I can probably fix myself. Thanks for your post!

Smartstream · 09-26-2010, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Triple M

The tires were in good shape and not too old. The trailer was out of the way, in the parking lot of a closed store. There was some minor damage to the wheel well, that I can probably fix myself. Thanks for your post!

It would seem to me to be very difficult to slash a tire like that with a knife without going all the way through the sidewall, especially doing it twice on two tires. Could it have been pinched against a curb or rock or some kind of trash on the highway?

Dan

Mikethefixit · 09-26-2010, 06:24 PM

I dont think Sandusky Had anything to do with it. Kinda looks like DryRot crack to me. If ya have the old carcasses left, read the DOT numbers on the sidewall and find out just how old those tires were. I know that someone here that can cypher those code numbers for you.
HOPE everything comes out ok for you.

Dave Park · 09-26-2010, 10:15 PM

That cut could have happened when the first tire came apart, and wire from a belt was flailing around, then cut the next tire. Remember, as the back of one tire goes down the front of the next tire goes up, so the speed the tires pass each other is 2x the speed you're traveling.

A 120-140mph piece of wire could easily have done that.

2airishuman · 09-26-2010, 10:38 PM

it's a single axle trailer,

so it would take one hellaciously long wire to reach across and cut the opposite OUTER sidewall.

maybe he was chariot racin' and get cut with one of those knifey wheel hubs...
_________

the tires at the very MOST are 5-6 years old.

the OP thinks they've been cut and posted a fuzzy pic...

it is what it is...vandals exist.

it is sorta FUN 2 second guess photos sometimes,

especially if the 2nd guessin is FUNNY.

but here's a guy just posting a 'head up, stuff can happen' note, and without anger.

i found a wood finish nail driven into the sidewall of a brand new tire,

in about the same location (idaho) during a routine inspection.

tire had full pressure till i pulled the nail out.

it had been finely SHARPENED by someone and simply stuck into the tire.

and i'm pretty sure the maniac who did it was from sandusky...
_______

THANKS for the report triple' and taking the time to post pics...

very nice to read YOU and the trailer handled this so well,

and so near the end of an epic adventure.

cheers
2air'

Dave Park · 09-26-2010, 10:53 PM

Hmm, yep, single axle. My bad - my thought does not apply to this...

Minno · 09-27-2010, 05:55 AM

2air - Idaho and Ohio are about the same location??

Tripple M - yah, vandals are all over the place. I had a tire slashed on my week old 05 Mustang. Jealously I guess. Glad you were close to a tire place and it all worked out ok. Did insurance cover the tires at all?

Chris

Wabbiteer · 09-27-2010, 07:18 AM

Triple M - I am glad you didn't surprise the nutcase when he had his box cutter out!

One Friday evening walked into a Goodyear dealer to ask some questions and ended up purchased a Road Hazard policy for my five-week old Z-28's 155mph rated tires... The following Monday I walked out to my works parking lot during morning break and found a three-inch sheetrock screw drilled in the sidewall nearer the rim than the tread - and quietly visited a Goodyear dealer at lunch and had the $170 tire replaced effectively for $17.

There are bent people everywhere.

DaveFL · 09-27-2010, 07:25 AM

If you do find you can't do the repair to the wheel well it would be time to call your insurance agent, with good pictures and available tire it should pay more than your deductible. Trailer damage would be covered either way.

arcamedies · 09-27-2010, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smartstream

It would seem to me to be very difficult to slash a tire like that with a knife without going all the way through the sidewall, especially doing it twice on two tires. Could it have been pinched against a curb or rock or some kind of trash on the highway?

Dan

One rainey night coming home from work I heard a clink and immediately my right rear tire went flat (2 year old car). When I stopped a couple hundred feet on a side street I found the same size slit you had in my sidewall so I walked back with a flashlight and found a sharp piece of metal (4") was the perpatrator. I had the same thing happen on a Goldwing I was riding and the front wheel set up the metal scrap just right to skewer the rear tire neatly with a 3" cut shooshhhh and my heart stopped for a couple beats.

3 tire plugs later and I rode back home.

Dry rot is rarely the culprit.

JBinKC · 09-27-2010, 06:32 PM

Friends: Some tire-changing facts learned the hard way this weekend: 1.) Get rid of 12-point sockets in favor of six-point sockets so you don't round over the lug nuts. 2.) Before your next trip, loosen each lug and re-tighten to the correct torque. 3.) A breaker bar doesn't give you much more torque than a spanner wrench. So try to put the breaker bar handle in the spanner wrench for more torque. (Shouldn't be necessary if your lugs are correctly torqued.) 4.) Make sure you have high-pressure valve stems. Best wishes, John

richinny · 09-27-2010, 06:54 PM

get an impact socket. i've split a few chrome ones.

streamair · 09-28-2010, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JBinKC

Friends: Some tire-changing facts learned the hard way this weekend: 1.) Get rid of 12-point sockets in favor of six-point sockets so you don't round over the lug nuts. 2.) Before your next trip, loosen each lug and re-tighten to the correct torque. 3.) A breaker bar doesn't give you much more torque than a spanner wrench. So try to put the breaker bar handle in the spanner wrench for more torque. (Shouldn't be necessary if your lugs are correctly torqued.) 4.) Make sure you have high-pressure valve stems. Best wishes, John

Good advice. Don't only make sure you have high pressure valve stems, check the joints/edges of the valve stems to make sure they are healthy. The valve stem is often the culprit to a leaky tire.

streamair · 09-28-2010, 09:08 AM

That certainly is not a dry-rot crack. If it were, it would be accompanied by other dry-rot cracks around it.

tkasten · 09-28-2010, 11:09 AM

Destroyed tire looks a lot like my GYM tread separation - Hmm?

boondockdad · 09-28-2010, 11:56 AM

Seeing that shredded tire pic gave me the heebie-jeebies... bad memories... good reason to have a TPMS

Ditto on the trailer performance... almost didn't even realize there was a problem... 'cept when I glanced in the mirror, and saw nuggets flinging off from the side of the trailer...