2001 COACHMEN SANTARA Complaints

I HAVE A 2000 COACHMEN MOTORHOME WHICH CAME WITH MICHELIN XRV TIRES ON IT. SPECIFICALLY 235/80R 22.5. I HAVE HAD ONE TIRE BLOW OUT WHILE DRIVING AND ANOTHER TIE WAS DISCOVERED TO HAVE WHAT APPEARED TO BE A "WIDE PLY GAP" ON THE SIDEWALL SO I REMOVED IT. ON THE FIRST TIRE, WHICH BLEW OUT, I CALLED MICHELIN AND THEY WERE IMMEDIATELY DEFENSIVE. EVEN THOUGH I WAS NICE THE LADY DIDN'T LIKE MY PERSISTENCE AND HUNG UP ON ME. THE MICHELIN CALL CENTER TOLD ME THAT 70% OF MOTORHOMES ARE OVERLOADED AND THAT MINE WAS PROBABLY OVERLOADED ALSO. SHE REFERRED ME TO A DEALER IN SALT LAKE CITY. I WENT TO A DEALER WHO HAD THE MICHELIN REP LOOK AT IT. HE SAID IT WAS THE RESULT OF AN IMPACT BUT HE GAVE ME A $100 CREDIT. IN AUGUST I FOUND A BUBBLE ON ANOTHER TIRE AND TOOK IT TO A GOODYEAR DEALER WHO SAID IT LOOKED LIKE A WIDE PLY GAP AND REFERRED ME TO A MICHELIN DEALER IN THE AREA. THAT DEALER LOOKED AT IT AND SAID HE SEE THIS FREQUENTLY AND ADVISED ME TO GET THESE TIRE OFF MY RV ASAP. I COULD NOT REPLACE IT AS HE HAD QUIT STOCKING THE TIRES BECAUSE THEY WERE SO BAD. I CALLED MICHELIN AND GOT THE SAME 70% OVERLOADED STORY A FEW MONTHS LATER AND WAS REFERRED TO A LOCAL DEALER. THIS TIRE HAD NOT BLOWN OUT SO I KNEW I WOULD GET THE TIRE REPLACED AS A MANUFACTURE DEFECT. WITH NO INDICATION OF ANY IMPACT ON THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE THE NEW MICHELIN DEALER TOLD ME IT WAS A RESULT OF IMPACT. I OBJECTED AND HE GOT HOSTILE. AS HE HELPED ME PUT THE TIRE BACK IN THE RV HE SMASHED HIS FINGER SEVERELY: ). THAT WHAT HE GETS FOR LYING! I TALKED TO A MOTORHOME DEALER AND HE TOLD ME OF THE PROBLEMS IN THE INDUSTRY WITH MICHELIN XRV TIRES SO, I WANT THEM ALL REPLACED. *JB

WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH CONSUMER HEARD A BUMPING SOUND FROM THE FRONT OF THE MOTOR HOME. CONSUMER THEN PULLED OFF THE ROAD TO INSPECT THE NOISE, AND FOUND THAT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE TREAD SEPARATED. THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE STARTED TO SHOW THE SAME SIGNS OF FAILURE. *AK