New camper, Bad start

comfun1 · 04-08-2012, 08:09 AM

We picked up our new Grey Wolf 21rr and left the dealer in a rainstorm. Thirty miles down the road a school bus driver pulls up beside us honking and waving his arm. I tell my DW somethings wrong and I pull over. I walk around and on the passenger side of the trailer the rear tire is in three pieces! I jack it up, take off the tire and look under the bed for the spare only to find the dealer didn't give me one. We looked at our paperwork and sure enough it was supposed to be included. After half a dozen calls to the dealer the manager brought out two tire and wheel assemblies for us, one a replacement and the other the spare they shorted us.

Now the manager tells me that the tires are cheap and I may want to buy another set of higher quality. This after thirty miles on my new trailer. If this isn't enough he tells me I should take the trailer to a frame and axle alignment shop because the axles on most new trailers are out of alignment. I said well this sounds like a warranty issue. "No," he says, "sounds like it would be but it's not."

**Herk7769** · 04-08-2012, 08:15 AM

Good Lord!

What a load of hooie!

TURBS · 04-08-2012, 08:17 AM

sorry for your troubles !
true tires are cheap on trailers but I have to wonder if you hit something in the road or ran it flat for awhile . altho it could have blown for no reason .
I wouldn't worry about the axles until you have a problem .
I hope the rest of your pdi didn't involve things you didn't see or things they didn't show you.

BicycleMark · 04-08-2012, 09:13 AM

you can do a quick check on your axles on your own. Use a straight edge long enough to span both tires on a side. Place it next to the tires at axle height. you will see the misalignment by the gaps between the tires and straight edge. Now this does not take into account deformity in the tires. But, It should give you a good idea.

ont990 · 04-08-2012, 07:54 PM

I have a V Cross and the axle alignment problem rose its ugly head o9n ours last year. The bushings in the shackles were as good as a piece of garden hose. The aligment was so bad our first long distance tour scrubbed a tire bald. It was repaired by the dealer under warranty to updated heavy duty greasable shackles. Very happy once it was all over. I put 4 new tires on and warranty paid for 75 percent of them.

Bttravel · 04-08-2012, 08:38 PM

comfun1, Did you personally check the tire pressure before you took off? I picked up my Grey Wolf 3 weeks ago and "assumed" the dealer in prep had checked them. They delivered it from Indiana, remember. I took mine home, about a 30 to 40 minute drive and the next morning as I was going thru things I checked the tire pressure. Left front was 70psi, left rear was 60 and both right were 52, all cold. I'm surprised the one held together. It's obvious the dealer didn't check them. I think most of them figure if it made it from Indiana all's well. I hate having cheap ass Chinese tires on my brand new $20+ TT. They just made it to southern Missouri and back. We'll see. I may get too nervous about them and get them replaced.

comfun1 · 04-09-2012, 08:57 AM

I live about 60 miles from the dealer and didn't take any tools with me. I just thought everything would be OK for the trip home. Also they talked about the tires being filled with nitrogen and not needing much checking.

rawlus · 04-09-2012, 09:27 AM

The benefits of nitrogen filled tires is marginal if there are any. Regular air is 78% nitrogen. It can reduce overall humidity inside the tire and there are claims it holds pressure for longer and doesn't temp swing as much, but you're talking about very very small amounts of improvement extremely difficult to quantify. If you get nitrogen for free that's one thing, but I wouldn't pay $10 a tire for a special nitro fill up...

B47 · 04-09-2012, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rawlus

The benefits of nitrogen filled tires is marginal if there are any. Regular air is 78% nitrogen. It can reduce overall humidity inside the tire and there are claims it holds pressure for longer and doesn't temp swing as much, but you're talking about very very small amounts of improvement extremely difficult to quantify. If you get nitrogen for free that's one thing, but I wouldn't pay $10 a tire for a special nitro fill up...

Here we go again with the pros and cons of Nitrogen filled RV tires

rawlus · 04-09-2012, 10:29 AM

Has it already been discussed before? I wasn't aware, sorry.

B47 · 04-09-2012, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rawlus

Has it already been discussed before? I wasn't aware, sorry.

rawlus - certainly no problem. you might want to search back though the General Tech sub forum concerning running gear and tires. A lot of good info there both pro and con of Nitrogen filled RV tires.

**Herk7769** · 04-09-2012, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rawlus

Has it already been discussed before? I wasn't aware, sorry.

Pretty much "ad nauseum"

Easy to find the 4 or 5 hundred threads and posts here

**Herk7769** · 04-09-2012, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by comfun1

Also they talked about the tires being filled with nitrogen and not needing much checking.

Load of Hooie number two.

B47 · 04-09-2012, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by comfun1

I live about 60 miles from the dealer and didn't take any tools with me. I just thought everything would be OK for the trip home. Also they talked about the tires being filled with nitrogen and not needing much checking.

comfun 1 - my 29rk came with a decal on the right side just aft of the entry door with wording to the effect that the tires were filled with with Nitrogen.

As I said earlier - there are many posters here talking about the pros and cons of Nitrogen filled RV tires.

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