# Duro Tires Showing Signs Of Sidewall Cracking.



## Herbicidal (Aug 29, 2003)

Hi there folks!









I was checking the tires (Duroâ€™s) on the olâ€™ Outback the other day and noticed that one of them for sure has cracking in the sidewalls. We did not buy our Outback off the lot but ordered one from the dealer and these are the original tires. We have a 2004 26RS, that was delivered in September of 2003. The tread is just fine, but the sidewall has me concerned.

I called the dealer and they gave me the customer service number for Keystone, who in turn transferred me to the Outback specific line â€" Team Challenger. The lady I spoke with consulted with a service advisor and in turn gave me the phone number for the Duro tire company. While Iâ€™m typing this, I have a message into someone in the warranty dept.

In the meantime, I called my local Americaâ€™s Tire Co and they will set me up with a set of 4 (no I have not forgotten about the spare) for $75 per tire. The name of the tire is Transmaster made by Greenball. I have not heard of them before, has anyone else? Hereâ€™s their web site: http://www.greenball.com/tires/lpttrailer.htm

I also found out that I can get the rims that I have on my truck for my trailer!







(My buddy at work says I have "issues".







He just doesn't understand. ) Instead of a 14â€ rim, it would be a 15â€ and the tires sized accordingly (205x75x15). The rims would be $91 each. Out the door including a 4 year warranty on the tires would be $818.46. Americaâ€™s Tire said that if the tires started cracking on the sidewall within those 4 years they would just mount up a brand new replacement tire and send me on my way, no questions asked.

So Iâ€™m debating (while I wait to find out whether I have any warranty left in the Duroâ€™s) to try and get them replaced with another set of Duroâ€™s or spend the extra to get matching rims to my truck and a slightly larger tire from a different manufacturer.

By the way, I searched Outbackers for â€œGreenballâ€ and â€œTransmasterâ€ and returned no results.

Suggestions?


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## RizFam (Feb 25, 2006)

Hi Herbicidal,

I would suggest, forget the matching rims & put your $ into radials. That's what we do would if we have any more tire isssues.

Tami


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## Castle Rock Outbackers (Jan 18, 2004)

Herbicidal said:


> We have a 2004 26RS, that was delivered in September of 2003. The tread is just fine, but the sidewall has me concerned.


Same thing here on the same year and model trailer. I replaced with Goodyear Marathons. The treadwear looked great on mine too until they were dismounted. Underinflation was likely since the edges of the tire had much more wear than the the inside treads. Just didn't notice until the pressure was released from the tire.

Underinflation causes excess heat which probably led to premature sidewall cracking.


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## Herbicidal (Aug 29, 2003)

Castle Rock Outbackers said:


> Same thing here on the same year and model trailer. I replaced with Goodyear Marathons. The treadwear looked great on mine too until they were dismounted. Underinflation was likely since the edges of the tire had much more wear than the the inside treads. Just didn't notice until the pressure was released from the tire.
> 
> Underinflation causes excess heat which probably led to premature sidewall cracking.


Thanks for the info, however, I'm rather anal about tire pressures and I know I have not towed the trailer with them below the recommend 50 psi. Even when parked for an extended period, I don't let them get below 45 psi. I'll have to investigate the radial tire option further.


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

Unfortunately most say the life of a trailer tire is 4 to 5 years. I myself have never met anyone who has had to replace camper tires due to tread wear. I know it is one year sooner at 3 years but a guess is sunlight in Ca did a number on the sidewalls.

I understand your issues with rims







Since you do not have a side slide, the 15's should fit. The only issue on the 28RSDS is the side slide and you do not have that. I vote for the rims. I have read good and bad on radials on camper but have also read good and bad on bias ply so I have no opinion on tires until I have to buy my own.

John


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## hatcityhosehauler (Feb 13, 2004)

I agree with John on this one. If your not towing every day, the tire doesn't heat up, which allows certain compounds in the rubber to flow throughout the tire. On our cars, this happens when ever we drive them, but our trailers sit, sometimes for months at a time, and the sunlight doesn't help either.

I have some minor cracking in my sidewalls too, and will probably replace them before next season.

Tim


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## Castle Rock Outbackers (Jan 18, 2004)

Herbicidal said:


> Thanks for the info, however, I'm rather anal about tire pressures and I know I have not towed the trailer with them below the recommend 50 psi.


Same here, but I was using a tire gauge that read 3-4 pounds low. Didn't know that until I decided to purchase a digital pressure gauge.

Randy


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## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

I finally had to change out one of my DURO'S before my last trip.
I too, noticed one tire sidewall cracked worse than the others.
I changed it with the spare. The spare under the cover was pristine.

I'll be shopping for new tires next season. My unit was built in 2002.


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## Herbicidal (Aug 29, 2003)

tdvffjohn said:


> Unfortunately most say the life of a trailer tire is 4 to 5 years. I myself have never met anyone who has had to replace camper tires due to tread wear. I know it is one year sooner at 3 years but a guess is sunlight in Ca did a number on the sidewalls.
> 
> I understand your issues with rims
> 
> ...


Thanks John and to everyone else that has responded. The way the trailer is parked in our side yard, the sun hits the "drivers side" of the trailer so I bought the white tire covers when we bought the trailer. Just for that side. The other side is within 3 feet of our fence and the way the sun traverses the sky, those tires are 98% of the time in the shade, no covers on those tires and it is one of them that is cracking. Go figure!







I think I'll pick up one more set of tire covers. I checked the spare and it looked fine.

Thanks for the vote on the rims!







My wife gave her approval as well. I love my wife!







Since we tow perhaps 4 times per year, our tires will wear out due to age vs. tread. So, I think I will stay with the bias ply tires as I have not had a problem with them until this one. Since I've weighed the trailer, I know it's not packed too heavy and I tow between 55 and 60 mph. If we put alot more towing miles on the trailer I would be more inclined to get the radials.

It looks like I'm headed up to Mt. Lassen at the end of the month so I'll be getting the tires and rims hopefully this weekend. My father, mother, brother and sister are all planning to go. The last time we all climbed it together was probably 30 years ago. Good times!


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## Herbicidal (Aug 29, 2003)

Well I had the new tires and rims installed this past Saturday. What an improvement! The tires turned out to be radials.  The size is: 205x75x15. I had just figured they would have been bias ply, guess I should have asked.







Anyway, here's an updated picture of my T.V and the Outback.


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## skippershe (May 22, 2006)

Your tires and rims look beeeeuuuteeeefulll








Nice rig altogether








Happy towing!
Dawn


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## Moosegut (Sep 24, 2005)

Mgonzo2u said:


> Well I had the new tires and rims installed this past Saturday. What an improvement! The tires turned out to be radials. The size is: 205x75x15. I had just figured they would have been bias ply, guess I should have asked.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


My eyes aren't so good any more. I can't see the tires and wheels you are trying to show off.
[/quote]
Sweet. The wheels look great.


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## battalionchief3 (Jun 27, 2006)

does any one but me use those slip on tire covers to keep them out of the direct sunlight when parked????


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## Husker92 (Feb 11, 2006)

I cover the tires when not in use. I hope that it will help extend the life of those tires.


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## Herbicidal (Aug 29, 2003)

Thanks for the compliments everyone!

I cover them also. Now I have a 4 year free replacement on the tires, should I leave the covers off and hope they crack within the 4 years and get new tires?


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## Herbicidal (Aug 29, 2003)

Mgonzo2u said:


> My eyes aren't so good any more. I can't see the tires and wheels you are trying to show off.


Hi Mgonzo2u - I'm not sure what happened to your post, I _just_ saw you were quoted by another member. I apologize for the "clarity" of the photo. My digital camera does not do so well with wide angles and I had to reduce the size of the picture to upload it. I just deleted the old picture and uploaded a larger version. I'm not sure if that helped, it doesn't look much different to me.







However, I just uploaded a close up of the old and new rims when I was doing a test fit. I believe this new picture shows the differences better.


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## dmbcfd (Sep 8, 2004)

I just discovered a flat on one of my Duros. The sidewall is cracked quite a bit. This year will be the fourth season, so I guess I didn't do too bad. Duro will replace each tire on a prorated basis. They are covered 100% the first year and 50% for the second and third. The third year for me is up next month.







They don't want the old ones back, but they have to able to see the damage in a digital photo. New tires will be $33 each plus shipping. They don't cover installation. I'll look them over real close in daylight and see how many I can get.

Like everyone else, the TT sits around most of the time. I use 303 on the tires and they are shaded from the sun. I park on concrete patio blocks. All told, it sounds pretty good to me. I suppose I could spend more on a different brand, but, would they last any longer? I'll update when I know more.

Steve


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

They recomend to change TT tires in a 4 or 5 year window regardless of wear. If Duro is helping with the cost of replacing them before the fourth year, I say you came out the winner









John


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## dmbcfd (Sep 8, 2004)

Well, I managed to take digital photos of all 5 tires and they did show signs of dry rot on each tire. Some on the inner sidewall and some on the outer. It was easy enough to remove them, clean them, and get photos in the sunlight. After filling out some paperwork, and emailing the claim form and photos, Duro said they would cover each tire 50% off retail. I mailed them a check for $233 to include shipping, and a week or two later 5 new tires showed up on the doorstep. I should get another 3 years out of them, and for the price I paid, I'm very happy. I talked with 2 different warranty claim people at Duro, and they were both very nice. One even called the other, who was on vacation, to ask about my claim, so I wouldn't have to wait for him to return. They called back when they said would and treated me with respect. Don't you wish that every business relationship was like that?

Duro is #1 on my list for customer service.

In 2 or 3 weeks, after the snow melts, I'll have the local mechanic mount the new tires, adjust the brakes, and service the bearings. This will be our 4th camping season with the Outback, and the tires are really the only thing that has needed work. Now if it would just wash and wax itself..............

Steve


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## Swany (Mar 2, 2006)

Castle Rock Outbackers said:


> We have a 2004 26RS, that was delivered in September of 2003. The tread is just fine, but the sidewall has me concerned.


Same thing here on the same year and model trailer. I replaced with Goodyear Marathons. The treadwear looked great on mine too until they were dismounted. Underinflation was likely since the edges of the tire had much more wear than the the inside treads. Just didn't notice until the pressure was released from the tire.

Underinflation causes excess heat which probably led to premature sidewall cracking.









[/quote]
Shoulder wear that you are describing is commom on tandem axel trailer tires from the scuffing that occures on a turn. May not be under inflation.


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