OK, Here goes.

First you have to remember there is no such thing as a failure proof tire. Under the right conditions I can make any tire fail in under five miles.

Second – it is the operators responsibility to ensure that no tire is overloaded and that all tires have the proper inflation for the load being applied to that tire and axle.

Third – the operator needs to ensure that there is some margin in both loading and inflation for other conditions such as gauge error, side loading due to wind or cornering or road crown. Many suggest a minimum of 10% on load and at least 5% to 10% on inflation on motorhomes and always setting ST type tires cold inflation at the pressure molded on the sidewall. I suggest ST tires use the published “dual” load because of extreme side loading due to having tandem axles.

Fourth – since you can’t always avoid road hazards the operator needs to take precautions to not drive on a tire that is loosing air any further than needed to come to a safe stop. I don’t know how to do this without having a TPMS and paying attention to the warnings.

Finally, since even doing all of the above will not guarantee 100% fail proof operation and no tire production is 100% perfect, you should select the brand not based on the lowest price but should consider the warranty and ease of making a warranty claim.

I have four posts on my blog on Quality that expand on this answer. You will also find here at iRV2 a thread with links to various tire company web sites and I would suggest you confirm warranty terms and length and look for the number of outlets that can provide warranty service. If there is only one location for “Billy-Jo-Bob’s Cheap Tire and Bait Shop” I don’t think you can count on getting good warranty service.

Companies cannot afford to pay out warranty claims so they work hard to make good tires, or have very short warranty time so the opportunity for an owner to make a claim is limited. This is much like the auto and RV industry in general with some companies having a focus on good quality and offering long term warranty like 5 years while other companies only offer 1 year. Do you think the company with the 5 year time needs to ensure better quality than the one with only 12 month warranty?

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