Never again buying single axle camper

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vito55

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Mar 24, 2013
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My 19 foot camper has a single axle, and I assumed that it was adequate when I bought this travel trailer. For a few years I had no problems, but two years ago I suffered a tire blowout that did a moderate amount of additional body damage to the camper. We had the repairs done, and replaced all three of the tires including the spare thinking that the original tires may have contributed to the problem. All was well until our most recent trip. This was only the second trip since getting the new tires two years ago and I never expected tire problems. But on a totally rural Colorado road, with no cell service, we suffered a blowout. Thankfully two good Samaritans stopped to help, and had the tools and know-how to help me. The blown tire had ripped much of the undercarriage wiring out as well as damaged outside body panels and other parts of the bottom on the camper. After putting the spare on for us, we were able to limp to the campground where we had a reservation. There a very helpful mobile RV repairman helped us out, replacing the tire and rim that had blown, and checking the opposite tire as well. The camper was no longer functional without the wiring needed for things like the refrigerator, hot water heater, most of the interior lights and the a/c but at least we had tail lights working as well as the electric brakes. We started home with the idea of staying in motels and keeping our speed down to 55, hoping just to get home in one piece. And of course that was not to happen.

Partly home, with about 400 miles to go, the opposite side tire blew out. Fortunately this involved just the tire itself and a bit of body paneling on that side of the camper, and with the help of a local tow service the tire was changed. We made it home without a spare tire, fearing yet another blowout along the way. All of the tires involved in this nightmare were apparently in good shape, properly inflated and mounted. I can't help but feel that part of the issue at least is the design of the camper with a single axle supporting all of the weight and stress. My plan is to have all of the repairs done, and then to try to sell this camper and move on. Anything I buy in the future will either be a motor home of some type or a travel trailer with at least a double axle.
 
The most common reason for tire problems are under inflation and overweight vehicles. Getting a TPMS will help the first, and getting a CAT scale weight will help the second. Small trailers frequently have ridiculously low carrying capacities and are easy to overload.
 
Is your insurance stepping in to help you, I hope?

Thank goodness the tire remnants and parts off your TT did not injure anyone else on the road.
 
Having towed many miles with both single axle and tandem axel trailers, I do prefer the tandem but not because of the sort of problems that you experienced. It seems that you are probably overloaded and that can happen just as easily with 2 axles as with only 1. The reason that I prefer tandem is in stability of the trailer and for handling while towing but it also adds 2 more tires that must be maintained and replaced every 5 to 7 years. I would have to think that either your trailer is overloaded, or the tires are too old. Treadwear is not the bases for time to replace RV tires as most age out long before the tread is worn out.
 
I was blowing tires on our 5th wheel traveling out west. I was getting gas and a guy pulled up towing a car hauler. We started to chat and I mentioned the tires. He asked how fast I was driving. I said about 75. He said slow down to 60-65 and you will stop blowing tires. It worked.
 
To add a point to the previous comments, I've seen just as much damage from blowouts with double and even triple axle TT's, as I have on single axle TT's. And below is a photo of the relatively minor wiring damage on a dual wheel Class A after a blow out. I took about three hours to do twenty-three splices, bundle the wires, and add a sheet metal guard for future protection to get this family back on the road. As said, most blowouts are caused by under inflation and/or overloading, and that can happen on any vehicle.
 

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I appreciate the advise offered. I am quite sure that the trailer was not overloaded. There was minimal water in the fresh water tank, and a modest amount of other items including clothing, food and wires/hoses/sewer hoses in the bottom compartment. The tires were the same size as the OEM tires, and were only two years old. The label on the side of the camper calls for 65 psi in the tires, and when I checked them just a day prior to the first blowout they showed right around 62 psi so I left them as is. As to speed, despite being on roads with speed limits of 70, 75 or 80 mph I almost never exceeded 65 and most of the time kept it to about 60 mph.

Fortunately my insurance will cover the damage that the blowouts caused, but not the cost of the new tires. The tire cost is the least of it. Between the body panels ripped off and the wiring ripped out underneath the camper I am sure that the total damage will be several thousand dollars worth of repairs. Other than my $250 deductible I should be covered for all of the cost.

FWIW, both when I had a mobile RV repairman help me in CO, and a local towing company help me in IA with the blowouts, the individuals commented that they see this type problem a lot more commonly on single axle trailers than on double axle trailers. The mobile repairman stated that in his experience when a blowout occurs with a double axle trailer the subsequent damage is far less since the remaining tire on that side of the camper is still supporting the weight.

Right now, to be honest, this recent trip experience, combined with my aging and unfortunate contracting of Covid while on the trip (at my son's wedding) is telling me that maybe the effort of traveling by camping trailer is just getting to be too much. The nightly set up and then disconnecting the next morning, including having to reach under the side of the camper to release the black and gray water tank valves seems harder than it used to be. I'm thinking that maybe a modest motor home would be more manageable for a senior citizen like myself, or even just traveling the old way of driving and using motels each night. In truth my wife and I do not go camping. We have used our camper as a mobile motel room and place for our dogs, as well as not having to eat three meals a day in restaurants. And I must admit, traveling at 55 or 60 mph because of towing a camper is less appealing than if I could be driving at 75 or 80 and thus spend fewer days getting to and from my ultimate destination.
 
I feel your pain. Camping was beginning to feel like work for me. I can’t do anything that requires bending, squatting, getting in the prone position, kneeling; in other words if I can’t do it sitting or standing then I can’t do it.
 
Congratulations on your Sons wedding, and hope your Covid case is mild. As far as trailer, sounds like you might enjoy a Driver a bit more, but keep in mind, you give up the easy driver at your destinations, and no matter how you slice it, dumping tanks is a crappy job. Everything has it's trade offs.
 
Sorry to hear about the trouble. That's definitely not normal....you've been through at least 3 tires blown now?

What make/model and rating are the tires that are on it when you were having blowouts?

I've seen a lot of....unknown tire brands...used on new TT's. While I want to believe the manufacturers think the tires they buy on the cheap are adequate, there's been a lot of hiccuping in manufacturing in general over the last couple of years and I wonder if some of those smaller, lesser-known companies have struggled harder than the Goodyears, Hankooks, Toyos, BF Goodriches of the world...
 
I can see that a single axle trailer might get more body damage in the event of a blowout, but I cannot conceive of any reason why a single axle trailer would be more prone to tires failure. I'll agree, though, that a single axle on a 19 ft travel trailer is skimping a bit, but that shouldn't lead to multiple blowouts on multiple trips in a relatively short timeframe.

Despite Vito55's assurances, it seems obvious that something is very wrong with his trailer. If we accept that his tires are properly inflated and the trailer not overloaded (despite lack of a true weight), then it has to be something else. It's rather common that the axle & tires provided by the manufacturer are barely adequate for the GVWR rating, so likely to be running at 100% of max load every mile of every day. That's really pushing your luck!
 
If you should decide to keep the trailer please go and have it weighed. At least you’ll have piece of mind knowing you are not overloaded. Also I know you’ve been a member here for some time so you probably know that we really appreciate it when members we try to help get back to us with the final results. Thanks beforehand.
 
Just a thought...the unit might not be overloaded based upon its list GVW, but the tires could be under-rated. Different cause, same effect
 
Ya would be good to know the exact tire rating speed and load, also trailer model
 
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