cupped tires on dolly towed vehicle

[hickorypop]

I am new to this forum. My problem is, I tow a hyundai behind my motorhome using a tow dolly. The rear tires on the car have developed flat spots (cupping) at 16000 miles. This is the second set of tires that this has happened to. The first set were Michlens and this set were Generals. Both were 75000 mile tires. The question is, does anyone else have this problem or have an idea what would be the cause?

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Cupping indicates the suspension is bouncing a lot, so that the tires hit in one place and not in another (otherwise the wear would be more uniform).  Bouncing is rare on the rear, but it could be a suspension problem or rear shocks.  And since dolly towing places an unusual load on the rear tires, that can exacerbate a problem.

However, I see nothing in your report that implies that the dolly towing is the  exclusive source of the problem. What percentage of the tire use is towing? Have you had the rear suspension checked for problems?  I had a brand new GMC Acadia that came from the factory with misaligned rear suspension.  Ruined several tires before an alert mechanic noticed the problem while the SUV was up on a lift.

 

[SpencerPJ]

X2 on what Gary said.  I'd have a 4 wheel alignment done, by a reputable shop. I'm surprised when you got new tires they didn't offer, recommend that??

 

[hickorypop]

Thank you for the input. I just had the front and rear aligned, the rear was off a little bit. When I put the new generals on last year I had just installed new shocks on a. I'm hoping that the alignment will take care of the problem. We are heading to Florida for the winter and I'm going to put probably five thousand miles on it before we get back so I'll know for sure by then.