2012 Heartland Cyclone Problems

9/21 WHILE HEADING HOME FROM A WEEKEND OUTING I GOT TO EXPERIENCE NOT ONE, BUT TWO OCCURRENCES OF POWERKING TOWMAX TIRE FAILURES. FIRST SETTING THE SCENE: TIRES AT PROPER PRESSURE (80LB), SPEED UNDER 65MPH, TRAILER WEIGHT BELOW 14,000LBS, MILES ON TIRES TOTAL LESS THAN 1,000, ROAD CONDITION DRY AND SMOOTH. TIRE #1: BLEW OUT THE CENTER OF THE TREAD, NO COACH DAMAGE AFTER ~70 MILES OF TRAVEL; TIRE #2: FAILED SPECTACULARLY WHERE THE TREAD CAP CAME COMPLETELY OFF THE TIRE CARCASS (AFTER ONLY 30 MILES) TAKING OUT THE FENDER SKIRT, THE HEATER COVER, REAR STEP PLASTIC FRAME, AND LOTS OF SIDE PANEL. *TR

WHILE TRAVELING ON I-5 THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE BLEW ON MY FIFTH WHEEL TRAILER. AMBIENT TEMP WAS ABOUT 102 WE WARE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 58 M.P.H. THE TIRES HAVE LESS THAN 3000 MILES ON THEM. THE FAILURE CAUSED APPROXIMATELY $2800 DAMAGE TO THE TRAILER. THE TIRE WAS A 235X80X16 POWER KING TOW MAX TIRE. THE DOT # 83B54111 DY. DUE TO THE UNRELIABLE CHARACTERISTICS OF THESE TIRES ALL ARE BEING REPLACED. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT THE TRAILER WAS EMPTY,ALL HOLDING TANKS AND FUEL TANKS. THE TRAILER IS A 2012 HEARTLAND CYCLONE 300C. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET DURAMAX HAULING A 2012 HEARTLAND CYCLONE. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE FRAME FRACTURED. WHILE FUELING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT LOCATED A CRACK ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE RV. THE CONTACT CALLED AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT FRAME NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND VIN WERE UNKNOWN.*DT*JB

ON A RECENT TRIP TO BIG BEND TEXAS WE EXPERIENCED 3 BLOWOUTS ON OUR HEARTLAND TOYHAULER. WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF NO WHERE AND DID NOT HAVE CELL SERVICE. FORTUNATELY WE WERE TRAVELING WITH CLOSE FRIENDS THAT HAD THEIR 5TH WHEEL. WITH NO HELP IN SIGHT THE MEN CHANGED THE TIRES THEMSELVES TWICE WITHIN 100 MILES. WE HAD TO USE OUR SPARE AND OUR FRIENDS SPARE TO MAKE IT TO A TOWN WHERE WE COULD GET BOTH BLOWOUTS REPLACED. LET ME ADD THAT BEFORE WE LEFT TOWN WE HAD TO REPLACE A TIRE BECAUSE OF A BLOWOUT FROM ANOTHER TRIP. SO WE'RE HEADED HOME WITH 2NEW TIRES AND A RECENTLY REPLACED TIRE. SON OF A GUN IF WE DIDN'T HAVE ANOTHER BLOWOUT ON THE NEXT DAY. SO NOW ALL 4 TOW MAX P230 85R16 TIRES HAVE BEEN REPLACED. WE CHECKED THE TIRE PRESSURE EACH DAY AND WE'RE EMPTY IN THE TOY HAULER AREA. ALL THREE BLOWOUTS OCCURRED ON A PAVED ROAD WITH NO POT HOLES OR OTHER OBSTACLES IN SIGHT. OUR SPEED NEVER EXCEED 60. NEEDLESS TO SAY OUR RV IS STILL IN THE SHOP GETTING THE DAMAGE REPAIRED. WE ARE NOW IN THE MARKET FOR 4 NEW AMERICAN MADE TIRES AND WILL GO TO A LARGER 14PLY TIRE. *TR

ON AUGUST 30 2013 WHILE MERGING WESTBOUND ONTO INTERSTATE 40 FROM EXIT 196 IN MORIARTY NM AT 7:35 PM I SAW (FROM MY RIGHT SIDE MIRROR) A HUGE PIECE OF TREAD FLYING OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE CAMPER. SINCE I WAS ONLY MERGING ONTO I40, MY SPEED NEVER EXCEEDED 45 MPH. WHEN THE TREAD FLEW OUT FROM THE WHEEL, IT JETTISONED APPROXIMATELY 6 FEET INTO THE AIR. A TRACTOR-TRAILER WAS IN THE LEFT LANE AND MADE A HARD LEFT ONTO THE ROAD?S SHOULDER TO AVOID THE FLYING TREAD. HAD THIS BEEN A CAR AND THE DRIVER NOT NOTICED THE TIRE COMING APART, IT COULD HAVE HIT THE CAR?S SIDE OR WINDSHIELD. AFTER THE ROADSIDE SERVICE CHANGED THE TIRE OUT BY PUTTING ON THE SPARE, WE DID AN INSPECTION ON THE REMAINING FOUR OEM TIRES STILL IN SERVICE. WE DISCOVERED ONE TIRE THAT WAS EXCESSIVELY OVERSIZED AND ROUNDED OUT, INDICATING IT TOO WAS ABOUT TO GIVE WAY, (MOUNTED ON THE RIGHT, REAR AXLE). LUCKILY, THE ROADSIDE SERVICE HAD A TRAILER TIRE (SAME TIRE TYPE THAT I PURCHASED AT DISCOUNT TIRE AFTER THE FIRST TIRE FAILURE) AND A TIRE CHANGER IN HIS VEHICLE. I PURCHASED IT FOR $172.15, THE ROADSIDE SERVICE TOOK THE SECOND FAILED TIRE OFF THE RIM AND REPLACED IT WITH THE NEW TIRE. THE TOY HAULER HAS A18,000-POUND GVW AND AT NO TIME WAS THE WEIGHT ANYWHERE NEAR THIS MARK. I DID NOT HAVE A ?TOY? OR SMALL CAR IN THE GARAGE AREA. ADDITIONALLY, PRIOR TO PULLING THE TOY HAULER, I EMPTIED BOTH GRAY TANKS, BLACK TANK, AND KEEP ONLY A FEW GALLONS OF FRESH WATER ON-BOARD. HEARTLAND AND TBC?S ENGINEERS SHOULD WORK TOGETHER TO SEE IF THESE 10 PLY TIRES ARE ADEQUATE FOR THE TOY HAULER?S DESIGN. SHANDONG HENGDENG RUBBER AND PLASTIC CO. LTD LOCATED IN CHINA MANUFACTURED THE TIRES BETWEEN MARCH ? APRIL 2011. THE TIRE SEPARATED AND A HUGE PIECE OF TREAD JETTISONED FROM UNDER MY TOY HAULER COULD HAVE CAUSED A GRAVE BODILY INJURY/DEATH ACCIDENT MUCH LESS INVOLVING YEARS OF COST AND LITIGATION TO ALL PARTIES INVOLVED. *TR

TOWMAX 235/80/R16 TIRE HAD TREAD COMPLETELY SEPARATE CAUSING BLOWOUT. TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM INSTALLED. NO PRESSURE LOSS PRIOR TO BLOWOUT. DID SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO TRAILER AND LEFT TREAD AND PARTS ON HIGHWAY. *TR