# Anybody Have Some Krazy Glue Or Duct Tape?



## Insomniak (Jul 7, 2006)

I'm not sure, but I don't think this can be repaired. And I thought Duro's were the BEST !!!


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## BeachHut (Aug 1, 2007)

Hey! Those look like my old Milestars







! Maybe duct tape and gorilla glue together


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Yikes...how fast were you going when that happened


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## MJRey (Jan 21, 2005)

Sorry to say, but join the club. Thankfully it doesn't appear to have caused any damage. Just out of curiosity how old is the tire? The manufacturing date is the last four digits of the DOT serial number.


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## Insomniak (Jul 7, 2006)

We weren't going very fast, as we had been stuck in a sig-alert in Costa Mesa on the always wonderful 405 freeway. We got back up to speed, then stopped again for another jam and people started coming up on our side gesturing, pointing, etc.

Don't know how old the tires are, but the trailer was manufactured in June of 2007. I can't see much on the carcass of the tire, because when it blew out, the tread portion wrapped itself around the axle and things got scuffed up. I'll have to check the other tires when I go to the storage lot. Fortunately, the only damage was to an aluminum strut that holds the lower skirting. It could have been much worse if that tread had whipped around....

I've always kept the pressure at 50psi, but I had started to notice some scalloping/cupping/whatever on the inside tread on a couple of the tires. They're also showing a bit of dry-rot. I figured I'd be in the market for some new ones, but not after just a few thousand miles!

In searching the site, it looks like the Maxxis tires would be a decent choice for a replacement? I was also thinking of going with a 15" rim and larger tires, to get just a teeeeeny bit more height. I don't know how many camp sites we've had where the sewer connection is almost as high as the discharge pipe on the Outback! Glug, glug, glug









Any advice from those who have gone with a larger rim? California Jim? Airboss?


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## Sluggo54 (Jun 15, 2005)

If there is an appropriate size/load range truck tire, and your wheels will take the pressure - well, my views on ST tires are no secret. Nothing wrong with them a good replacing with LT's won't fix.

Sluggo


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## mikenkristipa (May 11, 2008)

Looks a lot like mine when it blew. Same tire, same spot, back right.


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

Yep, good thing the tread didn't split. When it whips around it takes out the gas lines, the steel outrigger for the wall, the wheel well, etc.








Heck, we lost a container of Clorox wipes out of our under sink cabinet since it was open to the road by the time I got it stopped.


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

My Duro Blew last Sunday on the way back from Niagara falls. Looks just like yours. I was looking in to the BF Goodrich Commercial LTs on 16" aluminum rims similar to JPDM's. But the pending upgrade may lead me to only replace the one duro for now.


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## Herbicidal (Aug 29, 2003)

*Insomniak* - glad to hear there was basically no damage other than to the tire. I'm running 15" rims now (that match my Tundra







) on my 26RS with trailer specific radial tires from America's Tire Co. I don't recall the brand, but it may be in one of my postings from about 2 years ago. Or, if you are interested, I can look at the Outback tonight and get you the info. I'm very happy with these tires and they seem to be wearing well. Since they've been on the trailer we've traveled up into Oregon and last year was our trip to Yellowstone. Not even a nail in them. Yeah, now I've done it.









Also, seems like a good time to mention looking into a tire pressure monitoring system like the one from Doran Mfg. Clicky here. You can check your tire pressure on the trailer while driving down the road, anytime you like! As some of you may recall, I purchased one of these units after I lost 2 wheels on the passenger side of our trailer. Not the tires fault by the way.

*HUGE* peace of mind I tell you!







.


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

Nice looking wheels Herb !! What are they?
**EDIT** Just read your sig. Blitz rims....they look nice!


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## OutbackPM (Sep 14, 2005)

Insomniak said:


> I'm not sure, but I don't think this can be repaired. And I thought Duro's were the BEST !!!


Looks just like my 26RS Duro when I had a blow out. I did loose all the tread and had some minor damage to the fender but mostly survived.

If you change your tires its my opnion to get at least radial tires. They are superior for the most part e.g.heat build up and reduced rolling resistenace but if you plan on keeping for a long time then going up in size would also give you greater weight margin on the tire. Increasing the size with the side slide will reduce the clearance but others have done it successfully so it can be done.

I am still amazed at the frequency of tire blow outs with trailers compared to cars. I can only assume that the load rating is much closer to the actual load than on cars and cars use radial tires as well. The speed rating is also relativley low too so evrything is up at its limits so there will be variation on capability.


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## Herbicidal (Aug 29, 2003)

Sayonara said:


> Nice looking wheels Herb !! What are they?
> **EDIT** Just read your sig. Blitz rims....they look nice!


Thank you!


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## Insomniak (Jul 7, 2006)

I'm going to check out the trailer today and measure the clearance with stock 14" rims and tires. Just from memory, it seems like there shouldn't be a problem with 15" wheels, but 16" probably wouldn't work on a non-Sydney model (unless I did the axle flip thingy).

A pressure monitoring system sounds like a good idea - I'll have to look into that one. Any recommendations on tire brand would be appreciated. Mbakers is also looking to replace his Duro's with maybe the Maxxis flavor.

Off to the storage lot. Hopefully I won't find the same thing our neighbor did a couple weeks ago - a broken-into trailer (2nd time) and a missing Honda 3000 watt generator....ugh.....


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## Herbicidal (Aug 29, 2003)

I'll check the brand when I get home this evening and post with the specs. At least this will give you something to compare with. I'm confident 15's will fit fine.

That's a major bummer to hear about the break-ins at your storage facility.







I'm so lucky I can keep my trailer at home on the side of the house and the generator safely locked away.


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## wtscl (May 22, 2007)

You seem pretty lucky with your lack of damage. I have had a couple of friends have tires blow on their SOB, and they had major damage. One blew under the kitchen sink and ripped out the water lines and wiring. The other one blew by their dinnette and they have been cleaning pieces of tire out of their camper for months. They think they have it all, and more appears.


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## Airboss (Jul 14, 2007)

Insomniak said:


> Any advice from those who have gone with a larger rim? California Jim? Airboss?


Sorry to hear about your tire woes. I'm sure it's not much comfort, but welcome to the club.

I kept the 14" wheels on my OB for a couple of reasons. First, the TT was still under warranty and I figured that if there was a wheel-related failure they wouldn't be able to deny the claim "due to an aftermarket wheel." I know it sounds silly, but I just didn't want to take a chance. Second, it was cheaper to keep them.

However, I think that upgrading to 15" wheels/tires is a good idea. If you have another blow-out, the higher load capacity of the remaining tire will make it a lot safer to keep driving until you find a safe place to put the spare on. If I actually had the money at the time I think that this argument would have won out over the warranty fears.

If you do upgrade to 15", don't forget to get 5! Your 14" spare will be useless otherwise.

As far as the Maxxis tires go, you'll feel an immediate improvement in the way the TT tows!


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

Airboss said:


> As far as the Maxxis tires go, you'll feel an immediate improvement in the way the TT tows!


Can you explain with more detail?


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## Insomniak (Jul 7, 2006)

Ok, back from the storage lot and the trailer's still there!

Looking at the clearance between the top of the tires and the underside, I think we may have a problem. The passenger side has more than 5 inches of clearance, but under the dinette slide there's maybe 2-1/4" before the tire will hit. It's not parked perfectly level, but I'm not sure if we could fit a 15" tire/rim combo without having a bit more room. Both sides have about 6 1/4" between the tires. I believe a 15" tire/rim will add about 1-1/2" to the overall diameter, and make the top of the tire 3/4" closer to the wheel well?

The DOT codes on the tires read something like 6WL7 and then 3606DA, 3606JA, 3606H6 and 3606FA for the four tires...whatever that means. All three of the remaining original tires have pretty severe wear on the inside edge of the tread. The spare is still ok since it only has maybe 50 miles on it, lol.

Stopped at America / Discount Tire on the way home and they were fairly useless. "Uhh, we only have a Carlisle Radial Trail in stock for $86.00 each - I think they're pretty good..." The Maxxis was $98.00, Marathon was $105.00 and the Tow Master was $96.00. All are "special order" for the 14" size. In the 15" size, they showed a Yokohama something or other, and a BF Goodrich LT for $123.00 each.

Looks like I'll be ordering 14" replacement tires on-line and keeping the same rims. Unless that axle flip really isn't a big expensive deal. Hmmmm


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## skippershe (May 22, 2006)

Those DOT codes tell you when your tires were manufactured. The first two numbers indicate the week (out of 52) and the last two indicate the year...therefore, your tires stamped 3606 means the 36th week of 2006...

Here's a good article on RV tires.

You have a 2008 Outback and tires that were made in 2006?


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## Airboss (Jul 14, 2007)

Sayonara said:


> Stopped at America / Discount Tire on the way home and they were fairly useless. "Uhh, we only have a Carlisle Radial Trail in stock for $86.00 each - I think they're pretty good..." The Maxxis was $98.00, Marathon was $105.00 and the Tow Master was $96.00. All are "special order" for the 14" size. In the 15" size, they showed a Yokohama something or other, and a BF Goodrich LT for $123.00 each.
> 
> Looks like I'll be ordering 14" replacement tires on-line and keeping the same rims. Unless that axle flip really isn't a big expensive deal. Hmmmm


Here's where I got mine: Tires-Easy.com
I paid $455 for 5 tires delivered to the house. Not too bad, IMO! But if you local guy will mount and balance them for the price you mentioned ($98) then I'd go for it.


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

Airboss said:


> As far as the Maxxis tires go, you'll feel an immediate improvement in the way the TT tows!


Can you explain with more detail?
[/quote]

I'll try...

Some of it may be psychological, but the TT just seemed to track better. Passing tractor trailers affected it less (I still am using a basic WD hitch with friction SC) and there was nothing out of place upon arriving at my destination. Subjective? Yes. But I also balanced these tires and I can't help but think that the balancing had a positive effect on the ride.

I hope this helps a little. Bottom line - I needed new tires to replace the failing Duro's and I wanted to get the best radials I could. I think that the Maxxis tires were worth every penny.
[/quote]
I hear ya. im in need now too.....


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## Insomniak (Jul 7, 2006)

Airboss,

I actually don't know if the $98.00 includes mounting and balancing. I would hope so, but it seemed I was inconveniencing the Discount Tire worker by asking him to "work" and look stuff up on the computer. I'm lucky I got the info that I did. Two out of three retail stores I just walked out of today because there was one disinterested person behind the counter and 20 people waiting for "service"









You said you kept the 14" rims, but in one of your posts from August it looked like you ordered the 215 75R15's? Or was that just a goof?

Looks like Tires-easy.com has the 205 75R14 for $77.80 each and the 215 75R14 for $88.10 each. Shipping would be about $12.00 per tire. Which size did you get? I wonder if the wider tire would give a bit more stability?


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Insomniak said:


> Looks like I'll be ordering 14" replacement tires on-line and keeping the same rims. Unless that axle flip really isn't a big expensive deal.


Think it cost me about $200-$225 to have my axle flip done. Well worth every penny. I then replaced rims/tires with 15".


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

Those look nice Jim !!


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Sayonara said:


> Those look nice Jim !!


thanks...


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## Insomniak (Jul 7, 2006)

!!! Only a couple hundred bucks for the axle flip?
















OHHH WIFEYYYYY...... !!!!


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Insomniak said:


> !!! Only a couple hundred bucks for the axle flip?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


yep...and while they were doing that...I had them add the scissor jacks. The old stabilizers won't reach once the flip is done. Besides...the scissor jacks are 100x better.


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## Insomniak (Jul 7, 2006)

Aw, heck - I added scissor jacks before the maiden voyage to Zion last summer!!


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## Airboss (Jul 14, 2007)

Insomniak said:


> Airboss,
> 
> You said you kept the 14" rims, but in one of your posts from August it looked like you ordered the 215 75R15's? Or was that just a goof?


Definately a goof. Sorry. The size tires I ended up with were 215/75R14s. The OE size is 205 and after installing them I think 225s would have fit.

If you were closer I'd mount and balance them for you. It only costs $4/tire to use the equipment in our Auto Craft center here on post.


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## Herbicidal (Aug 29, 2003)

Sorry for the somewhat late reply. The tires are 205/75/15 Transmaster trailer specific radial. 1820 lbs is the max load per tire at 50 psi cold. I really don't know anything about the brand or even who makes them (made in Taiwan), but they've been fine for us in our travels.


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Insomniak said:


> Aw, heck - I added scissor jacks before the maiden voyage to Zion last summer!!


Ah...great decision for sure.


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## Insomniak (Jul 7, 2006)

Airboss,

Thanks for the offer and the clarification on the size! I'll just get them mounted and balanced somewhere around here. Plenty of tire shops in the area.

Herbicidal,

How much clearance do you have above the top of the tire and the wheel well? It's probably still decent as the 26RS doesn't have a side slideout. That slide takes up about 3" from the wheel well and is probably what will prevent us from going with a 15" rim and tire. Unless, of course we do the axle flip.....


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## Sluggo54 (Jun 15, 2005)

From the article skippershe clicky'd for us:

" Trailer tires, on the other hand, are designed to give a soft ride and to slide sideways or scrub the road while cornering. Because of these differences, never put light truck tires on a trailer. Some people think that if the tire is good enough for a truck it must be good enough for a trailer, but this is a fallacy."

Yeah, I know, I'm another self-appointed expert, but please tell me why consruction, equipment, and large RV trailers all come with LT tires?

"Light truck tires are not engineered for the unique stresses of trailering."

From the looks of what's happening with trailer tires on a regular basis, so often as to be downright scary - they aren't engineered for the stresses of trailering, either!

Sluggo, who's SOB wears LT235/85R16E Kumho Road Venture HT's


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## Herbicidal (Aug 29, 2003)

Insomniak said:


> Herbicidal,
> 
> How much clearance do you have above the top of the tire and the wheel well? It's probably still decent as the 26RS doesn't have a side slideout. That slide takes up about 3" from the wheel well and is probably what will prevent us from going with a 15" rim and tire. Unless, of course we do the axle flip.....


It's a little tighter than I thought. Approx. 1 3/4 inches.


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