2013 Heartland Bighorn: tire blowout or tread separation

Filed Jan 8, 2016 · Tires · 15,000 miles · NY

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 heartland bighorn equipped with power king tires, tire line: towmax, tire size: 215/80/r16, and dot number: 83b5gpb. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the rear driver's side tire exploded which caused damage to the propane fuel line and brake line. In addition, as a result the flooring above the defective tire was severely damaged. The vehicle was maneuvered to the side of the road. The damaged tire was replaced with a spare. The contact planned to replace the four tires on the vehicle. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage of the tire and vehicle was 15,000. The VIN was not available.

Filed Aug 2, 2015 · Tires · 2,000 miles · TN

2013 heartland 3610 re 5th wheel rv. Oem tires. Power king tow max st235/80r16 str tires. Checked tire pressures with tire gauge before trip. All at 80 psi cold. Installed tps sensors and checked monitor. Working. 6 miles into trip after pulling out from a red light at around 20 MPH the rear left axle tire blew out throwing plastic trim pieces across the road. Top of thread blew apart. Replaced with spare tire. Went about 23 more mile and right after checking tire pressure monitor, for pressure and temp. Both ok. The right front axle tire blew out while driving 55 MPH, throwing fender trim pieces across the road. Found right side rear axle tire with pieces of the tire belt strains starting to come threw thread part of the tire. Didn't blow out yet. Had all four tires replaced. Kept all tires. Now have replaced the spare. Both sides of camper wheel fender areas damage.

Filed Oct 26, 2014 · Steering, Tires · 2,000 miles · NJ

Traveling approximately 60 MPH on route 78 west just outside of allentown pennsylvania, the left rear tire -power king towmax st 235/80 r 16 load range (e) on our heartland bighorn 3185 (2013) sustained a blowout causing severe damage to the left rear end of our 5th wheel trailer including but not limited to cosmetic damage (fenders etc) rear axl damage, brake damage, hydraulic lines, brake lines, undercarriage damage etc. Thankfully all passengers were unharmed and no other vehicles were involved with this incident. Further inspection of the tire suggests either tread separation or a side wall blowout that lead to the tread separation. The tread did not tear off of the tire allowing the separated tread to cause the extensive damage as previously stated. The trailer was not overloaded and had weight evenly distributed. Tires were meticulously kept, and pressure was at suggested 80 psi.

Filed Jun 15, 2014 · Tires · 2,000 miles · TX

Purchased my heartland bighorn 3670rl 5th wheel new in january 2013. The rv came standard with power king towmax str tires, st235/80r16 lr "e". My first blowout occurred in may 2014 with fewer than 2000 miles on the tires. Luckily no damage to the trailer. Sent the tire to the distributor who claimed that it was a road hazard issue and would not warranty the tire. I know I hadn't hit anything in the road to have caused the problem. Then two weeks ago we were returning from a trip to the texas hill country back to the houston area when the second blowout occurred. Because I was on a major freeway (I-10) I limped along to the next exit where I was able to change the tire. Again, no significant damage to the rv. After stopping for about 45 minutes the next blowout occurred. Again I had to limp off the freeway completely ruining the aluminum rim. Luckily I had carried two spares and was able to change it as well before heading into houston. I stopped at the first tire store I found and replaced all the towmax tires with carlise trailer tires and made it home. The last blowout completely separated the tread and broke several brake wires and slightly damaged the fiberglass fender cover on the rv. No major damage to the rv other than the aluminum rim. All of the towmax tires are dot 83b5 manufactured in (1012) and (1112). I've always been very careful to check the air pressure on all my tires before leaving or returning from the trip. I maintain 80 psi on all tires per the load rating on the tire. I also maintain a speed of 65 MPH or less when pulling the rv.

Filed Dec 22, 2013 · Tires, Wheels · 6,500 miles · NV

We purchased our 5th wheel nov 4, 2012 - experienced our first tire bubble 12/10/2013; second tire bubble 12/19/2013. We had been advised by several bighorn owners that they replaced their "china" tires prior to hitting the road, but casual inspection on my part indicated that the power king tires installed were sufficient for the application - I was incorrect. There are numerous posts online that these tire mfg misrepresent their tire's adequacy. The tire dealer that replaced my tires ( they are a dealer and install power king on smaller rigs ) confirm that these tires are overstating their ability to carry the rated load. Fortunately our bubbles appeared on the exterior walls- we discovered both prior to departures. Apparently other owners have not been so lucky and have suffered major damage to their rigs.