2000 Georgie Boy Georgie Boy

I WAS TRAVELING E/B ON I 40 WEST OF THE ARIZONA STATE LINE IN MY 2000, 30' MAVERICK MOTORHOME. I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 60 MPH, WITH FACTORY INSTALLED FIRESTONE STEELTEX R4S LT 225/75R16 TIRES, WHEN THE RIGHT REAR INSIDE TIRE BLEW WITH TOTAL TREAD SEPARATION. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND OBSERVED A LARGE HOLE IN THE STORAGE COMPARTMENT TO THE REAR OF THE TIRE, A BENT TAIL PIPE, AND DAMAGE TO THE OUTSIDE COMPARTMENT DOOR. ALL TIRES APPEARED TO BE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION PRIOR TO THE BLOWOUT. ALSO, TIRES WERE REGULARLY CHECKED FOR RECOMMENDED TIRE PRESSURE, AND ONLY HAD 16,000 MILES ON THEM. I CONTACTED FIRESTONE TIRE COMPANY ON MARCH 27TH, 2003. I SENT THE DAMAGED TIRE, WHICH COST $68 TO NASHVILLE, TN. AT THEIR REQUEST I RECEIVED A LETTER STATING THAT THE CLAIM HAD BEEN DENIED BECAUSE THE DAMAGE WAS CAUSED BY EITHER A " POTHOLE, OBJECT, CURB, OR SOMETHING ELSE," NONE OF WHICH OCCURRED. I CALLED NORMA DAVIS AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY WOULD NOT PAY THE $68 FOR SHIPPING TO THEM, BUT IF I WANTED THE TIRE BACK, I WOULD HAVE TO PAY THE SHIPPING COSTS. I WAS TRAVELING WITH MY GRANDCHILDREN AND FELT THAT THESE TIRES WERE UNSAFE AND DECIDED TO REPLACE ALL SEVEN TIRES WITH DUNLOP TIRES. *AK

WAS HAVING THE TIRES REPLACED AFTER TWO PREVIOUS BLOWOUTS WITH FIRESTONE STEELTEX RADIALS LT225 75 R16 AND WAS SHOWN A THIRD TIRE THAT HAD SIDEWALL SEPERATION AND WOULD HAVE BLOWN OUT ALSO IF I HAD CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE MOTORHOME. THIS IS THREE TIRES OF SEVEN THAT WERE DEFECTIVE AND ALL SEVEN WERE MADE IN THE DECATUR PLANT. *AK (DOT NUMBER: VD1L1XD TIRESIZE: LT22575R16)