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Old 03-25-2013, 09:14 AM   #1
Festus2
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Question Chinese Tire "Bombs" - Fact or Fiction?

Maxxis trailer tires have been highly recommended on this and other forums and one of the best tires out there. I just recently ordered a set of these and in speaking with the Service Manager at Discount Tire in WA, I found out some rather interesting things about this tire as well as trailer tires in general. According to him -----

Maxxis tires is not an American company and their tires are manufactured in a number of countries including Canada, Japan, Thailand, China and other off shore places. If they are made in China or some other Asian country, would it not be fair to include them in the infamous "China Bombs" category along with the other non-Maxxis China Bombs?

RV units when they come off the assembly line, are equipped with trailer tires that have been purchased in bulk and may be 2, 3 or 4 years old having been sitting in the warehouse for that long. Your unit may have been equipped with tires that were already "old". So when you have a blow out during the first or second year of the tire, that tire may be 4 or 5 years old and suffering from dry rot for a good portion of that time.

All tires, regardless of where they are made have to meet DOT regulations. He said that some "no name" off shore tires, although they meet these regulations, are borderline, while others may have exceeded the requirements and standards set by DOT.

All tires, regardless of wear, should be replaced after 7 years. They can be sitting on the shelf, unused, for 7 years and should be discarded. Anyone who buys tires should check the date of manufacture and the DOT code on the tire to see when and where it was made.

He stated that, just because it is made in China, doesn't necessarily mean that the tire is no good or is one of the dreaded "China Bombs". What was the real cause of your blowout? Old tires? Under inflation? Excessive speed and heat? Or was it those cheap China Bombs?

In my case, I am buying Maxxis based on my own previous positive experience with them as well as the feedback from members on this and other forums. These Maxxis tires I am getting could be made in China and on that basis should I not get them? And what about the trailer tires on your RV? Do you really know for certain where they are made?

Perhaps this "China Bomb" thing is more fiction than fact.
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Old 03-25-2013, 11:19 AM   #2
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Good sensible info.
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Old 03-25-2013, 01:36 PM   #3
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The vast majority of RV trailers are fitted with Special Trailer tires (ST). I would venture to say, maybe even as high as 80-85%.

Here is one of my blog posts on this subject - sort of. What I’m really saying in the blog is the “China Bomb” may have been born after it’s transit to the American distributor.

http://fasteagletiretalk.blogspot.co...ler-tires.html

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Old 03-25-2013, 03:11 PM   #4
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I don't think I've ever heard of anyone reporting a DOT code for the Maxxis M8008 (their ST radial) indicating anything other than a manufacturing country of Thailand (some charts erroneously indicate the country as China but this is an error as the manufacturing location address given in the same chart is clearly in Thailand.) I'm not sure how much this really matters since as CW noted 'China Bombs' can be created in many other ways than being manufactured in China, but just FWIW the Maxxis M8008 ST tires are not manufactured there.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Festus2 View Post
Perhaps this "China Bomb" thing is more fiction than fact.
Some elements of fact but mostly fiction I think. If a tire is properly designed and manufactured then the country of origin in itself isn't an issue.
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Old 03-25-2013, 04:27 PM   #5
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I did a psi check on a trip several years ago. Tires on truck loaded with in bed camper wt of 4400 lbs rear axle somewhere around 7500 lb. Left pdx with 80 psi, outside air temps 40s. In Redding Ca. outside temp 110-115. Driven all day minus acouple short stops. Psi in rear tires was 96. I had no way to check the heat temp. of the tire. That was much more than I thought would happen. I guessed I would see a 8 to 10 psi change not 16. My speeds where 60-65, over big hills 50-55. Tire were carring max load, maybe even alittle more.
I am under the opinion that MOST blow outs are from under inflation and heat built up inside the tire due to under inflation or over loading. My opinion only.
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Old 03-25-2013, 04:55 PM   #6
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Also I have checked the Maxxis against other St tires, They have an extra polyester and an extra nylon cord. All Maxxis I have seen are made in Thialand. I believe pressure and speed are the biggest cause of tire failure.
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Old 03-25-2013, 05:09 PM   #7
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Since the vast majority, if not all, RV tires are made off shore and mainly in China, it would follow that the blowouts and other tire failures would be on tires made in China. If we take this a step further, then Chinese-made tires must be inferior. Look at all the blowouts and failures they have had! Easy to blame it on China Bombs since there is no one else to blame.

I am wondering if there have been any studies or research done on these tires which actually show that they are inferior and deserving of the name "China Bombs". Have tests been conducted to show that they are inferior? Or are we basing our opinions of Chinese tires strictly on anecdotal information?

Situations, for example, reported by someone who had one Chinese tire blow out and came to the conclusion that all Chinese tires are "crap". I realize that this is a "real life" situation but there is no way of knowing the real cause of that blowout.

I am not promoting or condemning Chinese tires but trying to understand whether the big fuss about them is based on fact or fiction.
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Old 03-25-2013, 05:23 PM   #8
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I think the biggest breakdown in logic by the 'China Bomb' crowd is failure to recognize that the vast majority of OEM tires are made in China, so naturally the vast majority of failures are... you guessed it, tires made in China. The failures may be related to underinflation damage (perhaps occurring before delivery and unknown by the new owner), or selection of a marginal tire rating by the RV manufacturer (very common), and on and on. It doesn't take much thought to figure out that if RV manufacturers put marginally-rated, lowest-cost bid US-made tires on RVs then we would be talking about Ameri-bombs instead of China bombs.

That said, regardless of country of manufacture there definitely are differences between brands. I had the opportunity to compare the Towmax tires I took off my rig with a Maxxis replacement while both were off the rim, and the Maxxis was notably heavier in construction, and I mean by a lot.
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Old 03-25-2013, 06:45 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by smiller View Post
I think the biggest breakdown in logic by the 'China Bomb' crowd is failure to recognize that the vast majority of OEM tires are made in China, so naturally the vast majority of failures are... you guessed it, tires made in China. The failures may be related to underinflation damage (perhaps occurring before delivery and unknown by the new owner), or selection of a marginal tire rating by the RV manufacturer (very common), and on and on. It doesn't take much thought to figure out that if RV manufacturers put marginally-rated, lowest-cost bid US-made tires on RVs then we would be talking about Ameri-bombs instead of China bombs.

That said, regardless of country of manufacture there definitely are differences between brands. I had the opportunity to compare the Towmax tires I took off my rig with a Maxxis replacement while both were off the rim, and the Maxxis was notably heavier in construction, and I mean by a lot.
x2. My opinion (and that's all it is , I have no facts) is that the vast majority of "blowouts" of trailer tires start as a slow leak, pick up a nail etc. and over an hour or so, pressure drops, temps go up and BAMM. There isn't the feedback of a low tire when driving like there is on the TV. Pressure drops enough between stops or checks and then overload and failure. I've had two slow leaks that I caught before a blowout and there was really no indication of low pressure, just caught them at a rest stop. Since then I have installed a TPMS to catch slow leaks. the rear TT tires get lots of stuff thrown up from the front tire that could be a puncture, and being wider than the TV I'm always suprised at how many people I see towing where the trailer is wandering on and off the road shoulder with all the crap on the shoulder to cause tire damage.

I've logged close to 40K miles so far no blowouts, part with Towmasters, part with Maxxis.
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Old 03-25-2013, 06:52 PM   #10
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Maxxis has manufacturing facilities all over the Far East and produces many types of tires. Maxxis ST tires are made in the Thailand facility. I agree that it is possible to make a good ST tire in China but unfortunately all of those makers using Chinese facilities have chosen to not ensure they are made in a manner that is required to be dependable. My OEM Chinese made "Duro" tires self destructed in 18 months. My Maxxis ST 8008 radials have served me without issue for 5+ years. Anecdotal evidence? Yes it is but it is my experience nonetheless.
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Old 03-25-2013, 07:51 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by fla-gypsy View Post
Maxxis has manufacturing facilities all over the Far East and produces many types of tires. Maxxis ST tires are made in the Thailand facility. I agree that it is possible to make a good ST tire in China but unfortunately all of those makers using Chinese facilities have chosen to not ensure they are made in a manner that is required to be dependable. My OEM Chinese made "Duro" tires self destructed in 18 months. My Maxxis ST 8008 radials have served me without issue for 5+ years. Anecdotal evidence? Yes it is but it is my experience nonetheless.

Fla-Gypsy -

When you say that "all of those makers using Chinese facilities have chosen to not ensure they are made in a manner that is required to be dependable", what evidence do you have that this is, in fact, correct? What you seem to be saying is that any tire made in a Chinese facility is not dependable. How then, do these tires get approval from the DOT and placed on probably thousands of RV's if they are not dependable and fail to meet minimum safety requirements?

Perhaps your OEM Duro tires were amongst those who had sat in the warehouse for "x" years and were already fairly "old" when they were mounted? I'm sure you maintained the correct pressure and didn't subject them to excess speed, high temperatures or other suspension or alignment issues that might have contributed to their early demise. Do you know why they broke down so quickly? Did all 4 tires self-destruct or just 1 and you decided to replace all 4?

I fully agree with you about Maxxis tires and have not been shown any documented proof or scientific research, other than anecdotes such as yours, why they stand up better than many other off-shore tires.

Until I see something that will convince me that the China Bomb label is authentic and deserving , I remain skeptical and tend to think that it is, to a large degree, a myth.
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Old 03-25-2013, 08:06 PM   #12
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Fla-Gypsy -

When you say that "all of those makers using Chinese facilities have chosen to not ensure they are made in a manner that is required to be dependable", what evidence do you have that this is, in fact, correct? What you seem to be saying is that any tire made in a Chinese facility is not dependable. How then, do these tires get approval from the DOT and placed on probably thousands of RV's if they are not dependable and fail to meet minimum safety requirements?

Perhaps your OEM Duro tires were amongst those who had sat in the warehouse for "x" years and were already fairly "old" when they were mounted? I'm sure you maintained the correct pressure and didn't subject them to excess speed, high temperatures or other suspension or alignment issues that might have contributed to their early demise. Do you know why they broke down so quickly? Did all 4 tires self-destruct or just 1 and you decided to replace all 4?

I fully agree with you about Maxxis tires and have not been shown any documented proof or scientific research, other than anecdotes such as yours, why they stand up better than many other off-shore tires.

Until I see something that will convince me that the China Bomb label is authentic and deserving , I remain skeptical and tend to think that it is a myth.
I have no evidence on Chinese tires other than my own experience and the thousands and thousands of others who have posted their issues and experiences on forums like this one. In fact we would not even be discussing this if it were not for all of the reported problems. My 4 Duro's literally cracked into pieces at 18 months. I have no idea how old they were or for that matter how old my Maxxis tires were when purchased. My Maxxis tires are approaching 6 years old and have been flawless. Think back to your childhood and what your mother told you, "Where there's smoke, there's fire!" Some things do not need proof beyond a shadow of a doubt. Would you in good conscience recommend a Chinese made ST tire to anyone? Bigfoot is a myth, bad Chinese ST tires are a reasonable probability based on the sheer number of problems reported.
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Old 03-25-2013, 09:14 PM   #13
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I don't want to belabor my point that I made earlier but when you consider the extraordinary volume of Chinese-made tires on RVs today, it is no wonder that almost all of the problems reported are about Chinese tires. If, for example, 80% of all RV tires are Chinese and 80% of the problems reported are about these tires, one could easily point to Chinese tires as being bad. Who else, but the Chinese, can we blame?

I'm still going to buy Maxxis tires so its a win-win situation for the both of us. We both like Maxxis.
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Old 03-25-2013, 10:13 PM   #14
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RV trailer manufacturers do not put a lot of engineering thought into tire/rim fitment. The industry does not put any pressure on individual manufacturers to provide any load capacity reserves with their tire/rim choices. Therefore, many trailers reach the dealer location with very little load capacity reserves in the Original Equipment (OE) tires.

Keystone RV trailers are very easy to research because all of the specs are displayed on the internet.

I went and looked at all 19 models in the Cougar Half-Ton series. All travel trailers and fivers in that model grouping from the smallest, 25’9” to the largest, 35’5” are equipped with the same size tires. They are all ST225/75R15D. Some of the owners in that model grouping will report “China Bomb” failures and others will age-out their OE tires and never have a problem.

Maxxis RV trailer tires are seldom found as OE on any RV trailers. So, they are not subjected to manufacturer abuses. Most often, owners increase load capacities with their replacement tires. The Maxxis is a well made tire and proves when the ST tire is used with adequate load capacity reserves it can be very reliable. And, yes they are built in Thailand manufacturing plants.

Mr. Shaun Brennan at 678-407-6772 is an area representative for Maxxis tires here on the east coast. He will provide answers to any of your questions. Very affable fellow to talk with.


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Old 03-26-2013, 02:48 AM   #15
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Fact- Maxxis ST tires are better quality than most if not all ST tires on the market. They also cost more. I made the investment in these on multiple trailers and now don't spend every minute peeking in my mirrors waiting to see tire shreds.
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Old 03-26-2013, 05:04 AM   #16
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What about Goodyear Marathons? Are they still made in China, I have heard both US and China?

Another question, I have D rated tires currently and want to replace them with the Maxxis tires, Do I need to go up to an E rated, or do you think I can stay with the D's, My rims are rated to 80psi.
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Old 03-26-2013, 05:31 AM   #17
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Hum Chins Bomb? very interesting. I have 4 goodyear marathons made in china! i have checked them for fuzes any typ of detonation devices gun powder c/4 etc found nothing. I have tpms on the tires keep them inflated to the proper pressures are balanced. and check the alignment never tow over 60. 6 years no explostions yet! Take car of them they will take care of you
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Old 03-26-2013, 05:39 AM   #18
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Another question, I have D rated tires currently and want to replace them with the Maxxis tires, Do I need to go up to an E rated, or do you think I can stay with the D's, My rims are rated to 80psi.
Just for the simple peace of mind, I would go with the E rated tire. The cost is not much more. Is the tire going to last any longer? Most likely no.


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Old 03-26-2013, 05:40 AM   #19
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Barney, I think you hit on a very important key topic with any RV tire manufactured. Many of us are at the mercy of the dealership when it comes to RV tires. We have no idea what abuse the tires were subjected to before we buy our RV. For all we know, the trailer was towed from the manufacturer to the dealership with 30PSI in the tires and it may have been filled with heavy spare parts for other trailers. It could have been towed over road construction with sharp rocks, asphalt edges that bruised or damaged the tires internally. We just don't know.

So, when we get our RV home from the dealer, air the tires to the proper PSI and head out on our first RV trip and have a blowout, we blame the tire. Maybe it wasn't the tire at all.

With any part of the RV, especially the tires, proper maintenance, monitoring and use are very important if you expect to get good results. Thanks for bringing this up.
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Old 03-26-2013, 05:42 AM   #20
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I agree with the posts from Festus. Also it is my opinion the biggest reason for failure is under inflated. I use a enclosed trailer for my business. I wear out one set every year, some years both sets need replaced. I do so much driving in town and backing that I shread the tread. I have tried cheap to expensive. Looking out the mirrors I think the sidewall flex is about the same and tread wear doesn't seem any differnt either. IMO... When it comes to tires the higher priced tires, both trailer and truck (I've been through a lot of sets of truck tires over the years) are over rated. Keep the pressures checked and run to the max allowable for tire and rim. I think that is more important than brand or cost.
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