Avoid a Blowout

By Budd Stanley, photos courtesy of Wikimedia

5 Tips to help save a bad tire from ruining your vacation  

How many times have you seen this situation at the side of the highway? You’re nearly a hundred kilometres from the nearest town centre, you start to see little bits of black debris on the highway, followed by a fellow RV’er pulled to the side of the road, looking at a blowout with a discernable look of anguish on their face. A tire blowout is not just a possible trip wrecking event, it is also something that is easily preventable.

Ensuring your tires are in proper working order before you head out onto the highway takes only a few minutes and can save you hours or cursing at the side of the road. Here are 5 easy tips to make sure you are not that poor soul making a tire change en route this summer. And remember, these apply to your spare as well.

1. Ensure you have the right tires.

Yes, there is a difference between trailer tires and regular vehicle tires. A tow vehicles tires are designed with a soft sidewall for grip and comfort of passengers. These characteristics are a negative for a trailer in tow. Sidewall flexing on trailers, especially those with a high centre of gravity or that carry heavy loads, is a primary cause of trailer sway. The stiffer sidewalls and higher operating pressures common with Special Trailer (ST) designated tires help reduce trailer sway, and therefore the possibility of a blowout.

Also, consider that Special Trailer, as well as Light Truck (LT) tires are fully rated for the weight you intend to put on them. This means ensuring that ST- and LT-sized tires exceed the weight specifications of your trailer or RV. Weight ratings can be found on the sidewalls of the tire.

2. Inspect your tires for damage regularly.

Inspect the sidewalls, tread, valves and caps for nails or any other foreign objects, cuts and bulges, and signs of cracking and weathering. Make sure this is done before the road trip begins, and keep a regular check on tires during the trip. Should you notice any of these signs, be sure to visit a tire expert before heading out on your vacation.

3. Ensure proper inflation.

Next to actual tire damage, inflation is the most important variable to check before leaving on a long trip. Tire pressures should be checked before the vehicle starts operating in order to get an accurate reading as temperature and altitude can affect pressures. Over and under-inflation can compromise handling, traction and braking, and even cause blowouts. Correct tire pressures will also allow your tires to roll easier and make your vehicle more fuel-efficient.

Every vehicle, whether it is a RV or trailer, has a recommended tire pressure specification that is usually listed as PSI (Pounds per Square Inch) or kPa (kilopascals). This information is usually found on a placard found in the door jam of RV’s or in the owner’s manual of a trailer. However, if neither of these list a recommended tire air pressure then refer to the tire sidewall and inflate to the recommended air pressure listed there.

4. Never overload and keep it balanced.

It’s not uncommon to over pack a trailer for an extended trip. However, ensure you never exceed the vehicle or trailers Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), which is listed in your vehicles owners’ manual. An easy way to ensure this is to pack up your RV or trailer early and visit a weigh station so you can get an accurate weight. Overloading your trailer can lead to poor handling, braking, fuel economy and tread wear. But it can also lead to extra heat generation in the tires, which can cause tire failure.

It’s also worth noting where inside your vehicle you pack heavy items. Distributing weight throughout the trailer or RV will also prevent an unbalanced load, which can lead to uneven tire wear and poor handling.

5. Replace worn tires.

It may sound pretty obvious, but replace worn out tires with a fresh set of new rubber. The majority of blowouts on the highway happen simply because the owner tries to get one last trip in on a worn out set of tires. It’s sounds pretty simple and obvious, but once your tread blocks wear down to the tires wear indicators (a rubber bar raised up from the tread gaps base), its time to head into the shop and pick up a set of new tires.

When you get to this point, ensure that you replace all of a vehicle’s tires at the same time. Having the same tread design and tread depth promotes balanced traction and handling. If replacing all the tires is not possible, ensure that each axle has the same set of new tires as a minimum.