2014 Heartland Big Horn Problems

SAME OLD STORY WITH THESE TIRES, TOWMAX POWER KING ST235/85R16. WE HAD THESE TIRES AS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT FOR OUR 2014 HEARTLAND BIGHORN 5TH WHEEL RV. WE WERE TRAVELING OUTSIDE OF MOAB UTAH WHEN THE LEFT REAR TIRE HAD A CATASTROPHIC BLOWOUT. ONCE WE READ ABOUT THE ISSUES WITH THESE TIRES, WE DECIDED TO REPLACE ALL 5 BEFORE CONTINUING ON OUR TRIP. THAT DECISION WAS PERHAPS ONE OF OUR BEST SINCE THE REMOVED TIRES ALL SHOWED SIGNS OF INTERNAL FAILURE PLY SEPARATION. THE TIRE DISTRIBUTOR (DYNAMIC TIRE CO.) DENIED ANY MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND REFUSED TO PAY FOR THE DAMAGES TO OUR RV. WHAT A JOKE THAT THESE TIRES ARE EVEN CONSIDERED SUITABLE FOR SERVICE ON ANY VEHICLE OR HIGHWAY. THE TIRE COMPANY POINTS THE FINGER AT THE USER SAYING THAT THE TIRES WERE EITHER UNDER-INFLATED OR OVER-LOADED. REALLY!!! I THINK THAT THEY JUST HAVE A STANDARD LIST OF EXCUSES SUCH THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO ACCEPT LIABILITY FOR THEIR PRODUCT.

WE PURCHASED OUR BIG HORN AS A LEFT OVER IN APRIL 2015. WE TOOK SEVERAL SHORT TRIPS TO PREPARE FOR OUR US TOUR TO TO WEST COAST AND BACK. WE PUT LESS THAN 3000 MILES ON THE CAMPER BEFORE THE 1ST POWER KING TOWMAX TIRE BLEW. WHILE WE WERE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY, SPEED LESS THAN 60 MILES PER HOUR ON THE ENTIRE TRIP, CAMPER BELOW THE MANUFACTURER WEIGHT LIMIT, AND TIRE PRESSURE OF 80 PSI COLD. STOPPED IN A SMALL TOWN IN CO TO HAVE THE TIRE FIXED AND THE REPAIR GUY HAD A SIMILAR CUSTOMER A SHORT WHILE BEFORE WITH THE SAME TIRE. HE REPLACED ALL 5 OF HIS TIRES WITH ANOTHER BRAND. WE LEFT THIS TOWN FOR ANOTHER STOP AND ALL WAS OKAY. WHEN LEAVING THE NEXT STOP AGAIN ON THE HIGHWAY WE HAD ANOTHER BLOWOUT ON THE SAME SIDE OF THE TIRE I JUST REPLACED. DAMAGE TO THE CAMPER WHICH NEEDS REPAIR. THIS TIME I REPLACED THE OTHER 2 TIRES AS WELL. HEARTLAND WANTS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS A KEEPS SENDING US TO THE TIRE MANUFACTURER. SEEMS LIKE THE COMPANY I BOUGHT THE CAMPER FROM SHOULD HAVE MORE OWNERSHIP IN THEIR PRODUCT ESPECIALLY SEEING ALL THE OTHER BLOWOUT COMPLAINTS ON THEIR PRODUCT.

SATURDAY, 9/20/14, WE DROVE APPROX 300 MILES FROM FL ON INTERSTATES 95 AND 26, SPEED 65 MPH OR LOWER, TOWING OUR 2014 HEARTLAND BIGHORN 5TH WHEEL TRAILER EQUIPPED WITH POWER KING TOW MAX ST235/80R16 TIRES. TIRE PRESSURE (80 PSI) AND LUG TORQUE (120 FT/LB) CHECKED BEFORE DEPARTURE. EXITED I-26 IN LEXINGTON SC AND HAD DRIVEN 2-3 MILES, SPEEDS 35 AND UNDER, ON SURFACE STREET WHEN LEFT REAR TIRE BLEW, SEPARATING 2/3 OF THE TREAD CIRCUMFERENCE CREATING A 3 1/2 FOOT LONG 8 INCH WIDE STEEL BELTED FLAIL THAT DESTROYED THE LOWER VALANCE AND WHEEL WELL ON LEFT MAIN SLIDE, THROWING DEBRIS ON ADJACENT TRAFFIC. THANKFULLY, DUE TO LOW SPEED AT TIME (20-25), THERE WERE NO INJURIES, DAMAGE TO OTHER VEHICLES OR LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. TRAILER PURCHASED NEW JAN 2014 AND HAD LESS THAN 1500 MILES TOTAL USE. INTERNET SEARCH REVEALED LOTS OF SIMILAR STORIES AND A FULL COMPLAINT LOG (50) SINCE 6/2014 ON NHTSA SITE. NO FAITH IN THESE TIRES; REPLACED TWO (ALL THE LOCAL GOODYEAR TIRE DEALER HAD ON A SUNDAY) BUT WILL REPLACE THEM ALL WHEN AVAILABLE. HEARTLAND AND TBC, THE TIRE MAKER (?) WILL HEAR AS WELL. SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD! *TR