[A/S] (unknown)

["sailwest98" <cwest@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

We just got back from taking our 25 foot Safari and leaving it down
in South Carolina 
at the Florence KOA.  I thought I'd pass my experience to others,
maybe you can learn 
from my experiences.  We were on I-81 being passed by a tractor
trailer truck.  We 
heard a "bang".  Looked at the trailer and didn't see anything wrong.
She seemed to 
be level and riding as always.  I thought that the bang might have
been from the truck 
using his engine brakes.  About 20 miles down the road two very good
college age  
girls passes us pointing wildly to the trailer.   An exit ramp was
only a mile away, we 
slowed and pulled off the exit to find the front curb side tire in
shreds.  No damage to 
the wheel well.   

I was fortunate to be at a place were there was a tire store.  He
said he couldn't get 
his jack between the my tires and onto the frame of the trailer.  I
was fortunate in that 
I had just purchased an 8 ton hydraulic jack at K-mart the week
prior.  I had to have 
the mechanic change the tire as the trailer had come from the
previous owner with 
chrome nut caps and chrome caps over the wheel bearing axles.  That
prevented my 
spinner wrench (again a good tool to have) from having enough space
between the 
nut and the chrome axle cap to be able to use it.  He had a regular
tire ratchet wrench  
that fit.  

This trailer uses a 14 inch rim.  (ST205/75 R-14) The tire store sold
me another tire.  
(a "Superstone Tire"  made in China!) He also noted that a second
tire had what  
appeared to have tire separation taking place.  It showed one flat
warn spot on the 
outside edge of the tire for only about 18 inches in length.  He
thought that tire 
would blow shortly.  I put the new tire in that location.  (behind
the one that blew)  
and put my spare tire on the one that blew out; front curb side.
(From now on I'll  
always travel with a spare in the pickup bed).

At the time of the blow out we were in southern VA.  We drove the
trailer down to 
Florence SC. and dropped it off there continuing our trip to Florida.
Since I'd heard so 
much about Walt's Repair in Ocola FL from members of this list I
decided I go there 
and get a good tire from him.  He doesn't sell tires so he sent me up
the way to a 
place that does his tire work.  There they sold me two new tires
called Tow Master 
that are made in Canada.  it has the same tread (2 polyester and 2
steel cords on tire 
and 2 polyester on the side wall) as the other tires that I ride on. 
All are rated for 
1760 pounds.  These tires cost $91.92 which includes tax, mounting
and balancing.  
This tire store does a lot of work with horse trailers and so I
figured that they had  
experience with trailer tries that other places might not have...
plus they were  
recommended by Walt. 

I believe the tire that blew was a Good Year Marathon Radial; same as
the one that  
looked like it had tread separation. 

In summary:
Have a jack to jack up trailer, make sure that the tire wrench will
fit the tires 
and can take off the lug nuts, in the future I'll keep a written
inventory of my tires 
noting where I bought them with dates and tire specifications for
each tire and the 
tire's location on the trailer.  When I hear a "bang" again I'll slow
down and stop and 
check  my tires as soon as possible. 

Chuck West
in Northern NY
25' Safari 1999
Dodge Ram 1500 
WBCCI 6513