Limping with a blown tire

[dufferDave]

Is it safe?
The last time I drove, we had one of the four rear tires blow on the outbound leg, which we replaced with new. We also had one of the rear tires blow on the return leg, just as we got back into town (same side as the new tire). I parked this mess in my barn and now I have to get it fixed.
Yes, the tires are all old, and I need to replace all of 'em (minus the one I just bought). I know that much. Besides, two more of the old tires are showing suspicious bulges that look like tread separation.
Is it going to be "safe" for me to limp my poor old RV about 15 miles to my favorite tire store? I can do it on frontage roads and stay down at 20-30 mph, no need to do interstate-type-speeds.
What do you guys think?

 

[DonTom]

Is it going to be "safe" for me to limp my poor old RV about 15 miles to my favorite tire store?

Yes, but go slow. I have driven 25 miles with a rear blowout to get to a tire store. But drive as slowly as possible.

-Don- Flagstaff, AZ

 

[Rene T]

No one can tell if you’ll get another blowout. I would go for it like Don said. Do not over inflate the tires for this short trip.

 

[Isaac-1]

Keep in mind doing so is doubling the weight load on the remaining tire on that side and likely doing damage to it, so it will also need to be replaced. 15 miles might be a bit far, I can see doing it maybe 1-2 miles at 20 mph, not sure about 15.

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

At his public execution, the murderer William Palmer is said to have looked at the trapdoor on the gallows and asked the hangman, "Are you sure it's safe?

All depends on your definition of "safe". Technically it's probably no more risky than the trips you've already undertaken with the same tires. You experienced 2 blowouts and lived - so apparently *you* were safe. If you're asking whether you can make it 15 more miles without incident there's absolutely no way anyone can assure that. If you're OK with another blowout and having to manage that at the side of the road then you have a plan. If it were my plan it would include having someone follow me over, even better with a spare, a jack and tools. Odds are at moderate speeds you'll be OK. My plan would be to jack the thing up, put the wheels in my pickup and drop them off at the tire place. I don't trust them to torque them right in the first place so I save a step by doing the R&R myself.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[Ex-Calif]

"Safety" invokes whether or not someone or something suffers injury or damage.

As far as human safety, it's hard to get hurt towing a trailer at 30 mph so in that regard I think it is "safe" for you.

It is also hard to damage the trailer if a tire blows.

So you are left with risk/reward. There is a risk, moderate I would say, that a tire blows and you have to do a roadside recovery, which isn't fatal but can be a PITA.

Balance that against dismounting the tires in your barn and getting them replaced off trailer.

 

[SMR]

Could the tire shop send out a mobile tech to replace the tires?

I would not feel comfortable driving that far with the tires in the condition as you described.

 

[Skookum]

I use a tiny bit of sarcasm in good humor, but if you were willing to drive the rig with old tires and already suffered one blowout and the accompanying misery, what's really keeping you from doing it again? At least this time you'll actually be headed to the tire store to get all of them replaced.

 

[Tulecreeper]

"Safety" invokes whether or not someone or something suffers injury or damage.

As far as human safety, it's hard to get hurt towing a trailer at 30 mph so in that regard I think it is "safe" for you.

It is also hard to damage the trailer if a tire blows.

So you are left with risk/reward. There is a risk, moderate I would say, that a tire blows and you have to do a roadside recovery, which isn't fatal but can be a PITA.

Balance that against dismounting the tires in your barn and getting them replaced off trailer.

I think it's a MH, not a TT.

 

[Domo]

Seems it would be easier on the tire company to change your's out on your property rather than the side of the road, don'tcha think?

 

[Mountain high]

Here's our TT wheel after our tire blew out on a dirt road at under 30 MPH in Eastern Utah. I stopped as soon as I noticed it. Purchased a new wheel and tire some 100 miles of nothing further to the east.

 

[LarsMac]

Is it safe?
The last time I drove, we had one of the four rear tires blow on the outbound leg, which we replaced with new. We also had one of the rear tires blow on the return leg, just as we got back into town (same side as the new tire). I parked this mess in my barn and now I have to get it fixed.
Yes, the tires are all old, and I need to replace all of 'em (minus the one I just bought). I know that much. Besides, two more of the old tires are showing suspicious bulges that look like tread separation.
Is it going to be "safe" for me to limp my poor old RV about 15 miles to my favorite tire store? I can do it on frontage roads and stay down at 20-30 mph, no need to do interstate-type-speeds.
What do you guys think?

Well, were I in your shoes, I'd probably go for it.
Though, I'd keep the phone number of my emergency road service provider handy, though.
The Mrs would now ask me, "Why don't you just call AAA or Good Sam, and have them take to the tire service place?"


So, I pass that question on to you.

 

[Kirk]

Is it going to be "safe" for me to limp my poor old RV about 15 miles to my favorite tire store?

If you do this you will probably need to replace the new tire as well since driving it single means you run it way overloaded for however far you go with it. You have been lucky twice now so maybe you can be a third time. You might be surprised to know how common it is to have major RV damage from the rotating parts of a blown tire.

 

[Rene T]

"Safety" invokes whether or not someone or something suffers injury or damage.

As far as human safety, it's hard to get hurt towing a trailer at 30 mph so in that regard I think it is "safe" for you.

It is also hard to damage the trailer if a tire blows.

So you are left with risk/reward. There is a risk, moderate I would say, that a tire blows and you have to do a roadside recovery, which isn't fatal but can be a PITA.

Balance that against dismounting the tires in your barn and getting them replaced off trailer.

Not that it will make much difference but this is a MH.

 

[Ex-Calif]

Not that it will make much difference but this is a MH.

Ahh... Didn't catch that for sure.

Like you say the answer doesn't change much. Drive slow, nobody dies and you might get stuck on the side of the road - LOL...

 

[garyb1st]

After watching a police chase of a stolen motorhome, I've almost changed my thinking about tire age. This RV was driving at speed for miles on a rim. The tire had long disintegrated. Tells me that accidents caused by blown tires are more an operator error issue. Learn to control an RV when a tire blows. Could save your life.

 

[Lou Schneider]

When I drove the tomato harvest in CA (80,000 lbs divided between two hopper trailers) the procedure if a loaded trailer had a flat tire on one of it's duallies was to drive at speeds not to exceed 30 MPH back to the terminal where the tire would be repaired or replaced. Obviously this was using back roads, not the Interstate.

Tires can safely carry much more than their rated weights at low speeds vs. highway speeds. The only question is if the flat tire has enough dimensional integrity to roll while flat or is it distorted enough that trying to continue down the road will make it wrap around other stuff and cause further damage.

 

[DonTom]

Keep in mind doing so is doubling the weight load on the remaining tire on that side and likely doing damage to it

That is why I said drive as slowly as possible. The load max capacity is for higher speeds. Slower can mean you're not overloaded at all on a single tire on the rear. Besides, the load capacity for dual wheels is less than double of a single wheel.

-Don- Flagstaff, AZ

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

The better question is "how risky is the gamble?". And the answer is the same as it was when you were driving home last time. There is a fair likelihood of still another blowout, but you and the coach will probably be "safe" if you are cautious. The coach body is more at risk than you personally - a tire that tears apart (not just goes flat) can cause a lot of body damage, even at 25-30 mph.

I'd probably risk it, but take a route that maximized my chances of being able to pull off the highway if a failure does occur, and of course drive slowly. And have a recovery plan if the worst occurs, starting with a mobile phone and some way to get a tire replaced if you are stranded somewhere.

 

[RRR]

I probably would limp it. But it might be worth a service call. No one can see what you got or knows the condition of the remaining tires.