Flat tire..what about the one that didn't go flat?

[prof_fate]

Got our first flat. No idea where it happened...any way to know? As in how far you went on a flat?

I try to look in the mirror at the tires on every tight turn, we had stopped for gas/lunch and all were round then.

We dropped off a kid that came with us in a housing plan with new homes all over the place...very likely we flattened it there (it's where I noticed it when I got out).

The rim seems fine, the tire hasn't 'come apart' into pieces - so I don't think it was flat long. Won't know till tomorrow why it went flat which may shed some light.

But my real question is what about the 'good tire? TT is ~6200lbs, so 3100 lbs per side, or 1550 per tire. Tire is C range, rated for 1760. Fine if all are doing their part, but with one flat the 'good' tire is carrying well beyond it's rated load.

Do tires show signs of over loading? It's a radial, we replaced all four last year.

Where do you get rims? Considering making this a spare (we have none) and putting 2 new tires on that side.

[DaveSchwartz]

Get it inspected. Its probably lost some life but not enough to replace seeing as you are not too close to the tire's load capacity. If the flat had come apart and started flailing against it, it would be an easier call.

My experience...

Our old TT came with Nanco tires in LRC. I had a flat on the LF on the second trip ever taken (Sunday morning, small-town PA, guy on a lawn tractor basically changed it for me because I was such a noob). It didn't come apart - just flat at the first tight turn where I had an opportunity to see it. Don't know how long it ran that way - could have been all 40 miles down the mountain.

After getting the further 250 miles home, I went to a local shop (coincidentally the dealer where I've now bought my 5er) but they said it was too damaged to say what could have happened.

Anyway, got a Dunlop replacement and kept it in the spare position (the Nanco spare becoming the LF forevermore) and ran with those original tires for 8 years. I always checked that they were at 50PSI cold before starting a trip and never had a further problem until the RR started losing about a pound a week this spring (probably old age).

[Thurman]

Back in the day when I worked at a real service station we also sold tires. When tubeless type tires started showing up we noticed a strange type of problem with the tires "just going flat" with no apparent punctures of the tire and nor damage to the rim. A rep from Atlas tires, which we sold, came in to look at a few tires we had that had gone flat. He told us that they had been finding this problem: IF a customer let a tire get low on air pressure, which most customers did not monitor, the tire could/would possibly separate from the rim when the customer turned a corner a bit fast. This was throwing the weight of the car onto the low tire along with the vertical center line angle of the tire changing which would cause just enough tire/rim separation to allow enough air out causing an almost flat tire. With only 10-15 pounds of air in a car tire back then they would appear to completely flat. The owner of a local tire store I have known for years also told me to watch out for this when I bought my TT two years ago. He stated that he, himself, has had this happen to him. He told me that he carries a small 12vDC air compressor just in case this happens again. I have one in my TT now also. In today's world the tires and rims are much better designed and I doubt this is happening as much as it used to, but it could still be the problem.

[prof_fate]

Where does one get a spare rim? Tractor supply? Online?

[Cajun Po-Boy]

Online...do a search and you'll be able to find exactly what you want in spec.

[f5moab]

Who I got my two aluminum and one steel wheel from. Service was quick and excellent.

Trailer Wheels/Rims, Steel and Aluminum guaranteed lowest prices.

[donanddona]

How much total miles did you travel? I've traveled 30 miles on one, no problem yet with the over weighted on.