2011 HEARTLAND BIG COUNTRY Complaints

WITHIN ONE HOUR OF LEAVING HOME HAD THREE SEPARATE TIRE BLOWOUTS ON RV. TIRES DID NOT APPEAR WORN, INFLATED PROPERLY, LOAD APPROPRIATE, AND STORED UNDER COVER. LESS THAN 6000 MILES ON THESE 2 YEAR OLD ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON HEARTLAND BIG COUNTRY RV. OCCURRED ON I-35 DALLAS CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO RV, AND RESULTING IN PURCHASE ON THE SPOT OF 4 NEW TIRES. TIRES APPEARED TOTALLY SEPERATED. *TR

THE AFFECTED PARTS SECTION ABOVE WOULD NOT KEEP MY AFFECTED PARTS LISTED, SO THEY WERE THE DELAMINATED TIRE, FENDER SKIRTING AND SOME WIRING. WHILE TOWING MY 2011 3250 TS BIG COUNTRY FIFTH WHEEL AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH MY DRIVERS SIDE FRONT TIRE TREAD ON THE CAMPER DELAMINATED. THE CAMPER WAS PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND UPON INSPECTION I FOUND THE TREAD OF THE TOWMAX STR ST235/80R16 HAD DELAMINATED HALFWAY OFF OF THE TIRE CORE. AFTER CALMING DOWN AND GETTING ROADSIDE SERVICE TO PLACE THE SPARE ON THE CAMPER I CONTINUED SLOWLY TO THE NEARBY CAMPSITE. NOTE: WHILE I WAS WAITING FOR THE ROADSIDE SERVICE TO ARRIVE, ANOTHER FELLOW CAMPER STOPPED BY TO ASSIST IF HE COULD. WHILE THERE HE TOLD ME THAT THIS DELAMINATION PROBLEM WITH THESE TOWMAX TIRES HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME. I FOUND HIS STATEMENT THIS TO BE VERY TRUE AND DISTURBING. AFTER COMPLETING RESEARCH ON VARIOUS/MANY RV FORUMS WHERE I READ SIMILAR STORIES AND SAW PICTURES OF SIMILAR/WORSE DAMAGES AS MY OWN I AM AMAZED AND SHOCKED THAT THESE TIRES ARE ALLOWED TO BE USED ON RV'S. AND THIS DELAMINATION PROBLEM HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS, AS NOTED BY THE RV FORUM REPORT DATES. AT A MINIMUM, THERE HAS BEEN PROPERTY DAMAGED. THANK GOODNESS IN OUR CASE WE HAD JUST LEFT A RED LIGHT AND WERE ONLY GOING 35-40 MPH. THIS IS A POTENTIAL LIFE THREATENING ISSUE THAT NEEDS IMMEDIATE ACTION TAKEN BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED!!! I AM NOW SEARCHING FOR 4 NEW TIRES TO REPLACE THESE DEFECTIVE TIRES AND GET SOME PEACE OF MIND BACK BEFORE CONTINUING ON TO FL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN THIS MATTER AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING SOME POSITIVE RESULTS IN THE CASE. *TR

TREAD CAME OFF TIRE WILL TRAVELING ON I-515 IN HENDERSON NV. TIRE WAS PROPERLY INFLATED AS WE HAD LEFT THE SERVICING DEALERSHIP JUST 30 MINUTES PRIOR. THIS BRAND OF TIRE SEEMS TO HAVE A HIGH FAILURE RATE IF THE COMPLAINTS ON THE HEARTLAND OWNERS FORUM ARE ANY INDICATION. *TR