2004 Tahoe 36WTB

WE SUFFERED THREE SIDEWALL BLOWOUTS ON OUR FIFTH-WHEEL TRAVEL TRAILER IN ONE TRIP. THE TRAILER WAS WEIGHT WITH ONLY CLOTHES FOR A FOUR-DAY TRIP AND 50 GALLONS OF FRESHWATER. THE WEATHER WAS IN THE 80'S AND WE WERE TRAVELING ON THE PROPER TIRE PRESSURE AT ONLY 55 MPH AND HAD BEEN ON THE ROAD FOR ONLY 2 HOURS WHEN THE RIGHT REAR TRAILER TIRE BLEW W/O WARNING. THE TIRE QUICKLY BEGAN TO SHREAD ITS SELF AND DID OVER $800 DOLLARS IN DAMAGER TO THE SIDE AND UNDERNEATH OF THE TRAILER. FOUR DAYS LATER ON OUR RETURN TRIP HOME, WE SUFFERED TWO MORE BLOWOUTS. UNDER THE SAME CONDITIONS, THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE BLEWOUT THE SIDEWALL. AFTER CHANGING IT, WE GOT JUST TEN MINUTES DOWN THE ROAD AND A LEFT SIDE TIRE BEGAN TO DEVELOP A SOCCERBALL SIZE BULDGE AND BLEW BEFORE I COULD EVEN GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.

THE TIRES ON 2004 TAHOE FIFTH WHEEL MADE CONTACT WITH THE FRAME STRUCTURE. ON THE FIRST TRIP, WE SMELLED BURNING RUBBER AND DISCOVERED THE DECKING WAS 2 INCHES LOWER ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE 5TH WHEEL. TOOK RV TO DEALER WHO CALLED THOR CALIFORNIA. WE HAVE CONTACTED A JERRY PALLARUS AND SENT DIGITAL PICTURES TO THOR. THEY HAVE SAID AN ENGINEER MUST BE CONSULTED AND WILL BE IN CONTACT WITH US WHEN THE ENGINEER RETURNS FROM VACATION. WE HAVE PARKED OUR RV IN STORAGE AND WILL NOT HAUL IT DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS AND POSSIBLE LIABILITY. WE PURCHASED THE TAHOE 27WTB FW ON APRIL 28, 2004. *AK *MR E PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY THE COMPRESSED GUSSETS UNDER THE FRAME OF THE DECK. *SC *JB

I JUST PURCHASED A GMC 2004 YUKON XL 4 BY 4 SUV MADE BY GENERAL MOTORS. MSRP $48,485. IT WAS EQUIPED WITH STABILITRAK REAR DIFFERENTIAL, HEAVY DUTY TRAILERING EQUIPMENT, 17 INCH POLISHED CAST ALUMINUM WHEELS, P265/70R17 ALS WOL BRIDGESTONE TIRES. THE GVW RATING IS 7,200 LBS AND A REAR AXLE RATIO OF 3.73. THE MAX TRAILER WEIGHT IS 7200 LBS.STABILTRAK USES SENSORS TO READ SPEED, BRAKE PRESSURE,ACCELERATION, STEERING WHEEL POSITION, TURNING RATE, AND HAS THE COMPUTER ADJUST ENGINE SPEED AND BRAKE PRESSURE TO ANY INIVIDUAL WHEEL. MY PROBLEM IS THIS. THE SPARE TIRE IS A FIRESTONE 16 INCH TIRE [DIFFERENT RIM SIZE, DIFFERENCE TIRE PATTERN]. SINCE THE 4 BY 4 GOES AUTOMATICALLY INTO 4 WHEEL DRIVE DEPENDING ON ROAD CONDITIONS, A SMALLER TIRE IS EXREMELY DANGEROUS WITH POSSIBLE INJURY OR DEATH. THIS IS A HEAVY SUV WITH A HIGH TRAILERING CAPACITY AND SHOULD NEVER HAVE DIFFERENT SIZE, DIFFERENT MAKE, AND DIFFERENT THREAD DESIGNS FOR THE TIRES. THE OWNERS MANUAL WARNS AGAIST USING DIFFERENT TIRE SIZES WHEN IN 4 WHEEL DRIVE CLAIMING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WILL DEVELOP WITH POSSIBLE INJURY OR DEATH. SINCE THE OPTIONS ON THIS GMC SUV HAVE THE COMPUTER DECIDE TO GO FROM 2 WHEEL DRIVE TO 4 WHEEL DRIVE, I REQUEST A RECALL FOR THE GMC SUV YUKON XL WITH THESE OPTIONS. THE RECALL SHOULD HAVE THE DEALER REPLACE THE 16 INCH FIRESTONE SPARE TIRE WITH A 17 INCH BRIDGESTONE TIRE THAT IS THE SAME MODEL AS THE 4 DRIVE WHEELS. A STEEL 17 INCH RIM IS ALSO REQUIRED. SINCE THE SPARE TIRE IS MOUNTED UNDER THE CAR FRAME, IT WAS NOT NOTICED ON DELIVERY OF THIS NEW 2004 GMC YUKON XL SUV.