Idok

[Idok]

On a recent trip from Florida to Tennessee with our 5 yr old grandson in our 2019 Thor Synergy, our rear, outside, passenger side tire shredded @ 60 mph.
The Synergy is built on a Mercedes chassis, so we called Mercedes road service,
gave them the Vin # for our 2019 grey Synergy.
They informed us that the Vin # matched a white 2017 vehicle!
So the dealership sold us a 2017, repainted, vehicle as a 2019, but what’s worse they sold it with 2 yr old tires, now starting breakdown from dry rot. Not safe.
What would you do?
Thanks,
Idok

[Judge]

So first....... the chassis year of manufacturing almost never matches the model year of the motorhome.

I have a 2020 Magnitude SV34. The Ford F-550 Chassis is a 2019 (that Thor liekly bought from Ford in late 2018) but the actual motorhome model year is labeled as a 2020.... and Thor actually built the coach in April 2019.

It is very plausible that Thor purchased the Mercedes chassis during the Mercedes 2017 model year. Then Thor built the motorhome in 2018 for their 2019 Thor model year. There is nothing devious going on with your dealer or Thor.

Thor also buys a vanilla chassis from the manufacturer (Mercedes, Ford, etc.).... usually painted white. Then Thor paints them based on the color scheme of the motorhome they are building. Thor never uses the chassis factory color for the motorhome color scheme.

Next..... if the chassis was built in 2017 by Mercedes, your tires will be 2 or 3 years old. However, my guess is that is not the root cause for your tire fire.

Do you have tire pressure monitoring on your coach? What was your tire pressure vs the recommended tire pressure on your door plate?

The number one reason for tire failures is low pressure.... leading to excessive heat build up.... and eventual failure. Also, if the coach was pushing the max GVWR rating, that can also be a factor in tire failure; especially when coupled with incorrect tire pressure.

[fchabotski]

I agree with the judge. Those tires should not be to old. But you can check the manufacture date on the others. Should be the same. Hard to find but there is a stamp on the sidewall.

[EA37TS]

First, if the model does not call for full body paint the chassis will remain white with the addition of decals to match the overall scheme. If the model calls for full body paint it means just that full body.

2 year old tires are not old. Tires are expected to live 5 to 7 years. You could have verified the tire age when you purchased the motorhome by checking the DOT numbers. Tires are often a year old when the chassis manufacturer installs them on a chassis. Very rarely will the tires be manufactured the same year as the coach.

I didn't see where you checked the pressure before starting your journey or where you had the coach weighted and set the pressure based on the tire manufacturer's weight to pressure tables. Was this done? Do you have a TPMS that monitors tire pressure and temperature? Too many variables.

[Idok]

Hey Judge, thanks for the reply and info.
I understand that they make them, store them and sell them when orders come in.
I have a problem buying a new vehicle with 2yr old tires. The inflation is checked before every trip.
Idok.

[Judge]

Originally Posted by Idok

Hey Judge, thanks for the reply and info.
I understand that they make them, store them and sell them when orders come in.
I have a problem buying a new vehicle with 2yr old tires. The inflation is checked before every trip.
Idok.

Unfortunately, that is the way it works in terms of tires. If you purchase a "new" left-over 2019 automobile today that was manufactured in 2018, those tires are already two years old... or even older.

I still doubt age had anything to do with your tire failure. Assuming your PSI was at the recommended pressure for your load, it could have been a defect in the tire, it hd some damage from a previous event (pot hole) or you ran over something in the road.

Also.... if you don't have a TPMS, it would be a good investment. They also report tire temperature so it can warn you if there is a dangerous heat build up before a blow out happens.

[Bob Denman]

Welcome to the forum!
Oh... My 2019 RV was built on a 2018 chassis; so it's almost always a huge roll of the dice.

[Idok]

Thanks guys. 🥴
Idok

[paulwadley]

My 2018 Siesta is built on a 2017 MB Chassis. I also check my tires on every trip to be sure they are inflated properly. I have had 2 rims lose air as a result of a bad weld in the rims. I had to replace two rims. I was lucky to catch it before I lost a tire. I also have the Tyron Tire Bands installed on the 4 outside tires in the event I have a tire blow out/go flat that way the rubber will remain on the rim and not "walk" off leaving me with just a metal rim on the road.

Paul