# soft floor camper is cursed!



## Bob2010 (Dec 23, 2014)

Remember my thread about the soft floor? I sold the camper but showed the buyer every little problem including the floor. He got on 75 and one of the dry rotted tires blew out. The damage was unbelievable!  The rotten floor just flew away like wet card board.  Rubber shrapnel took out furnace, broke off sewer hook up and valves, broke plastic wheel well, removed metal trim holding floor, and shower plumbing.  Then the electrical harness that ran through there wrapped around the axle and pulled all the wiring out of the walls. After the rescue mission they had a 2 hour drive in the rain with water from tire going directly inside the camper.  I feel awful but it was not in that condition when it left my house.


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## Swamperdog (Dec 23, 2014)

Too bad they didn't get it all on video and post it to Youtube.  They'd have over a million views and could afford a new camper.

That's so crazy it has to be true.  No one could make that up!


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## 7Mag Hunter (Dec 23, 2014)

WOW !!!!!

We sold 2 old campers when we left our club, and warned 
the new owners about the tires.....They replaced 2 on one 
camper, (has 4) and had a flat on the smaller camper that only had 2 tires...

Risky to get on an expressway with bad tires......
Just hope he don't hold you liable....


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## fish hawk (Dec 23, 2014)

He shouldn't have been pulling a camper with dry rotted tires in the first place,bet the bearings were in bad shape also.


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## Bob2010 (Dec 23, 2014)

It was pretty bad. Shot a quick photo as they tried to get road worthy again.  There is a bunch of parts gone in this photo.  Didn't want to stick my camera inside wheel well.  But it was bad.


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## T-N-T (Dec 24, 2014)

And this is why you all should buy brand new tires ever 5 years OR LESS.   Even if the tread is still deep.  Tires are the weak link in the chain.

That is a terrible story for the guys who shucked over a pile of cash and tore up their new investment within 30 minutes.


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## Greene728 (Dec 28, 2014)

He shouldn't have got on the interstate with tires in that condition. I hate it for him and don't like to arm chair quarterback, but its true. He also had to be toting the mail to do that kind of damage. Lots of folks don't even realize that ST tires, which most campers have, carry a max speed rating of 65mph.


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## NE GA Pappy (Dec 28, 2014)

my dad had one blow that was only 3 years old.  And he was running only 30mph.  Luckily it didn't mess up his camper as he stopped right off.


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## Milkman (Dec 29, 2014)

TopherAndTick said:


> And this is why you all should buy brand new tires ever 5 years OR LESS.   Even if the tread is still deep.  Tires are the weak link in the chain.
> 
> That is a terrible story for the guys who shucked over a pile of cash and tore up their new investment within 30 minutes.



TT,
Is this an industry standard or an opinion ?


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## Milkman (Dec 29, 2014)

Greene728 said:


> He shouldn't have got on the interstate with tires in that condition. I hate it for him and don't like to arm chair quarterback, but its true. He also had to be toting the mail to do that kind of damage. Lots of folks don't even realize that ST tires, which most campers have, carry a max speed rating of 65mph.



Anyone who would pull a camper with a pickup truck at speeds over 65 has a death wish anyway IMO.


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## T-N-T (Dec 29, 2014)

Milkman said:


> TT,
> Is this an industry standard or an opinion ?



I read it someplace.  NOW,  it coulda been more of a sales pitch,  but it is advisable.

Ill say this,  My dad has a 2011 camper.  Likely rolling on tires from 2010 as the camper was likely built at the end of 2010.
This year, he had one tire blow a bubble out the side the size of a softball.  No blow out,  but me was minutes from it.  The next trip,  a different tire did blow.  At low speed luckily.
I will buy tire every 4 years.


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## Milkman (Dec 29, 2014)

TopherAndTick said:


> I read it someplace.  NOW,  it coulda been more of a sales pitch,  but it is advisable.
> 
> Ill say this,  My dad has a 2011 camper.  Likely rolling on tires from 2010 as the camper was likely built at the end of 2010.
> This year, he had one tire blow a bubble out the side the size of a softball.  No blow out,  but me was minutes from it.  The next trip,  a different tire did blow.  At low speed luckily.
> I will buy tire every 4 years.



Did he drive lots of miles or did the camper sit mostly like many (my) camper does ?


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## T-N-T (Dec 29, 2014)

Milkman said:


> Did he drive lots of miles or did the camper sit mostly like many (my) camper does ?



He has had the camper for about a year or so.  Regular use in that time.  Unknown about the last guy.  But I think it was parked a lot.

On that subject, I also read someplace....  ( I usually only retain the high points)  that a tire that doesnt roll with weight on it will build up some kinda gas inside the rubber that weakens it.  When you roll a tire, it off-gasses and keeps the tire good.  This info is blurring together now but seems like sunlight helps build this gas.  So this is part of the reason to use tire covers?  
But maybe just the sun is causing its own dry rot situation?  Now I am not 100%?

On a side note,  I saw a guy driving a Class A big, boy toy towing a saturn once.  The driver front tire blew on the saturn.  Driver didnt know,  and kept on truckin.  The tire came apart and beat the fender off.  (plastic)  Also it damaged the hood bumper, and door/mirror.  
When I saw it, he was standing on the side of I77 in SC just looking.  I know he had a certain few words he was mumbling.


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## The Longhunter (Dec 30, 2014)

TopherAndTick said:


> On a side note,  I saw a guy driving a Class A big, boy toy towing a saturn once.  The driver front tire blew on the saturn.  Driver didnt know,  and kept on truckin.  The tire came apart and beat the fender off.  (plastic)  Also it damaged the hood bumper, and door/mirror.
> When I saw it, he was standing on the side of I77 in SC just looking.  I know he had a certain few words he was mumbling.




Is it safe to tow a front wheel drive without a dolly?


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## Milkman (Dec 30, 2014)

I have lost tires due to both flats and blowouts while hauling farm equipment, atv, etc. on open flatbed trailers. I have even had a couple of tires to come apart and the tread do the slinging thing like described in the OP.

 In each of my cases it was a non-event other than the bother of getting off the roadway to make repairs. 

I would hope if a camper tire came apart and started the slapping of the tread I would hear it in time to stop or slow down.............. but maybe not. 

 I agree....Changing camper tires occasionally would be good practice.

 Between mine and my sons other trailers we could use the takeoff camper tires on them.


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## T-N-T (Dec 30, 2014)

The Longhunter said:


> Is it safe to tow a front wheel drive without a dolly?



I dunno.  Is it bad?


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## The Longhunter (Dec 30, 2014)

TopherAndTick said:


> I dunno.  Is it bad?



I dunno?

On conventional drive, you're supposed to disconnect the driveshaft (as I understand it).


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## Gaducker (Dec 30, 2014)

Radials...


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