2010 survey to provide insight into RV tire safety, care, maintenance
VENTURA, CALIF. (July 12, 2010) – The Good Sam Club, the world’s largest RV owners’ organization with nearly one million member families, announced today that the Good Sam Club RV Owners’ Advisory Council (RVOAC) has just deployed its annual survey. This year, the Council hopes to gather empirical data concerning RV tire safety.
The survey was sent to approximately 250,000 randomly selected Good Sam Club members and will seek to determine the frequency of RV tire failure and RV owners’ knowledge about RV tire selection, care and maintenance.
“We’ve had quite a number of members write to us to express their concern about RV tires. The failure rate of RV tires is simply not known at this point, because there is no data available to confirm or refute those concerns,” said Tom Gonser, RVOAC Chair. “Our survey will involve an extremely large sample size, and should begin to provide answers as to whether a problem with RV tires exists; and, if so, what types, sizes, and brands of RV types might be most involved. Separately, we’ll be collecting significant information pertaining to RV owners’ understanding of issues pertaining to tire safety, and to the need for owner diligence in tire care and maintenance.”
In preparing the survey, the Good Sam Club Council consulted with other interested parties such as the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) and the RV Safety and Education Foundation. The survey results will be published in the Good Sam Club’s Highways Magazine. According to Sue Bray, director of member benefits for the Good Sam Club, information collected concerning the state of RV owner knowledge about tire safety issues can also be used by the club to help design future education programs for its members.
To learn more about the Good Sam Club, log on to www.goodsamclub.com or call 800-234-3450.
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About The Good Sam Club
The Good Sam Club, www.goodsamclub.com, is the world’s largest RV owner’s organization with nearly one million member families. Founded in 1966, the club offers its members a wide variety of services, including the Good Sam Extended Service Plan, Emergency Road Service, RV Financing, Good Sam Credit Card and Life & Health Insurance, as well as member discounts at parks, campgrounds, and RV events. Good Sam Club members also receive a subscription to Highways, the club’s popular RV travel magazine. Additionally, the club represents more than 1,500 local RV chapters designed to bring RVers together from similar geographic regions for group camping excursions. Extremely committed to its RV members as well as to the environment, the club is a founder of the annual National Cleanup Day program and an advocate of public land access, Adopt-A-Highway programs and Adopt-A-Park programs, to name a few. The Good Sam Club is headquartered in Ventura, California, and is a subsidiary of Affinity.
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Tod Carney
This is a great article on RV tire failure, titled RV Tire Failure 101 to read click –
http://www.explorerrv.com/Resources.aspx/Article/12/rv-tire-failure-101
K Hart
When we purchased our new double axle 5th wheel, we experienced no less than 13 tire failures within 5 years. Some of these failures placed us in dangerous positions at which to perform a tire change such as steep mountainsides, freeway rush-hour traffic, etc. Of the 13 replacements, we only had to paid for 3 or 4 of the tires. The RV manufacturer and tire company were shipping us replacement tires left and right at no charge.
Not all the problems are due to tire failure per se. Once we threatened legal action, the RV manufacturer upgrade the wheels and tires. After that, we had no more problems. Haven’t had a tire failure since. The weight of this trailer required larger wheel/tires from the get-go.
We shudder to this how many injuries may have been caused over the years due to the manufacturers of these units cutting corners in the assembly process.
Ron Thill
We had a blow out and two tread separations one day last summer with Mission tires from China on our 2007 5th wheel. These tires were less than 2 years old, were properly aired up, and our rig wasn’t over loaded. I’m told there are no “ST” (special trailer) tires made in the U.S. any longer. What a sad state of affairs!!! Because of this I’m finding folks using regular truck tires with heavy load ratings to replace their 5th wheel tires. However, the service manager where we bought our 5th wheel said the side walls of these truck tires aren’ constructed to withstand the severe stress resulting from extreme sharp turns. He stressed that we needed to stick w/ ST tires. If anyone knows where to find American made ST tires, please post source.
Eddy Avila
RV tires made in CHINA are junk!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is a huge fraud going on with this junk and I’m really glad to see Goodsam step up to the plate and help expose this ripoff.
Thank you Goodsam
Yvonne Franchett
We had new tires put on our TT. 1500 miles later the tread came off of one of the tires causing much damage. These were Carisle tires. We found that the new tires were 3 years old. You should always make sure you are getting brand new tires and by that I mean that they were made in the year you purchase. We had Good Sam travel insurance and they had someone out to help us in 30 minutes.
Donnie Smith
I have a 07 5ver and had 2 blow outs on a recent return from Vegas. I should say explosion because it was such a violent event, causing plenty of damage. These were G rated tires with 10 ply 110 psi Badyears, and after the first one blew crossing the desert in the Spring time I thought it might be a fluke. It destroyed 3 shock mounts, steel supports, flooring and fiberglass. It is not a simple tire change, but major repair reqiured. It took 6 hours for GS to get someone out to help us and two days for welding and enough repairs to continue.I bought a cheap spare and thinking it was a fluke, kept going and had planned to replace all tires when I reached home in Oregon. In the center of Sacramento the other side blew with enough force that I thought the 5ver came off the hitch. I figured I would change it myself since I don’t like waiting on the side of Interstates for 6 hours. $1400 for new tires, I now have 14 ply Goodyear and the in both cases I was driving less than 60 mph, not overloaded and mild temps. I have yet had time to repair all the cosmetic damage , structure and flooring.
Dean Peeples
When we bought our 07 Toyhauler, we had tire issues almost right away. All 6 tires were made in China, and as we investigated more, found out all the DOT stuff on the sidewalls were counterfeit. I realize the manufactures have to make a profit, but at the expense of safety? Looking for info on these tires, we found they retail for a whopping $35. each. I have always recommended anyone who asks about my toyhauler, to look at another brand.
truman
We have had 2 tires fail on a 07 fifth wheel!!! One was a blow out on the side wall and the other failed valve!!!! Tires came from CHINA !!!!! I replaced all tires & valve stems!!!! No quality in Chinese TIRES ……….
Geoffrey Pruett
On our fourth unit, 3 C’s and our current A. Had one valve fail on the road, was after a repair by an auto tire store, they used a push in valve on a truck rim! Every other on road tire failure has been due to age. Most of us do not put a lot of miles on our rigs but the sun never misses a chance while they are parked. I am now up to replacing at 5 years on the rims, cheap insurance.