PatrickGSR94

So today I had my first flat out on the road, but it was on my trailer, not on one of my bikes. I use my son's Instep trailer in the folded-down position, with 1/2" plywood and plastic box attached for grocery trips. The trailer has a 100 lb. limit and I only bought $55 worth of stuff including 2 gallons of milk, but I wouldn't think that would have exceeded the limit.

I bought this trailer used 2 years ago, and I have no idea how old it actually is. The tires and tubes I'm almost certain were original. I had just left the store and was heading home when all of a sudden I started feeling a weird drag on the trailer and within a second *POW* tube blew out. Had to call my wife to come get the groceries, and fold up the trailer into her car. I rode my bike home. Couldn't fit the box in the car so I had to stash it behind a bush and come back afterwards in my car.

After I got home I pulled the tire off the rim and found a long, straight tear in the tube almost directly across from the valve stem. There is no tire puncture. I was riding about 12-13 MPH. Could it just be the age of the tube? As I said I'm sure it wasn't overloaded. I used the trailer yesterday on a ride with my son, and aired the tires up to the recommended 40 PSI shown on the side of the tires.

Any thoughts?

Wanderer

Inspect that tire closely, for any defects, especially along the bead.

JoeyBike

Your issue could be under-inflation causing the bead of the tire to roll in on the tube. At any rate, trailers can sometimes sit for a while between uses. Tire pressure needs to be checked before every haul.

I run Maxxis Hookworm tires on my trailer. Just noting that in case you need new tires. They are much beefier than stock tires. They also take eons to break down from lack of use. They still need proper pressure though.

Thulsadoom

I'm trying to make sure I understand correctly, you're saying that the tube audibly blew out inside the tire and that, upon inspection, there is no hole whatsoever in the tire? Was the tire still firmly seated on the rimwalls? If so, then where did the sudden explosion of air expel from?

Wanderer

The tire prob came off the rim, for whatever reason, then the tube squeezed out, and blew.... usually operator error, or a bad bead or side or rim.

PatrickGSR94

No telling, I made a grocery run with the trailer on Sunday, 8 June, and then didn't use it again until yesterday the 21st. When I put the pump on the tires it had below 20 PSI, and I filled them to 40. Maybe the dragging feeling before the blowout was the edge of the tire coming off the rim.

These are plastic rims and I can actually fit both beads of the tire over the rim edge at the same time with no tire levers. Not the best rims I'm sure.

PatrickGSR94

Great now one of my new tubes just blew out, sitting in the living room. Same rim and same tire. Not sure if the tires are crap or the rims themselves.

Thulsadoom

Voodoo.

prathmann

Make sure that when you install the tire the bead is evenly seated all the way around with no particularly high or low spots - and be sure that no portion of the tube is trapped between the tire bead and the rim. It's also very possible that 40 psi is too much pressure for those plastic trailer rims. The max. tire pressure on the sidewall is presumably based on using a regular metal rim with a bit of a hook, or lip, at the edge to retain the tire bead. If your rims lack that feature you might try running the tires with less pressure - I'd expect 30 psi to be sufficient for the load you'd have in the trailer.

PatrickGSR94

Yeah the plastic rims have no hooked edge for the tire to seat against.

When I first inflated this new tube I noticed a bit of the tire bead on both sides hanging over the rim. So I deflated the tube, reseat the tire, and inflated it again, and it seemed fine. Then it just suddenly burst about 2 hours later.

I've been running 40 PSI in these ever since I got it 2 years ago, odd that it would start giving me problems now.

This rim is shaped slightly different on the spokes but the tire bead seat and tube area look the same. It doesn't give any sort of tire pressure recommendation:

https://www.bikesatwork.com/store/pro...y-tuffwheel-16

PatrickGSR94

So I just took the original tube from the right wheel that didn't blow out, and put it onto the left wheel that blew out twice today. I carefully made sure that the tube was straight and the tire looked even all the way around the rim. Then I filled it to only 30 PSI. We'll see how it holds up.

fietsbob

All remote speculation aside, .. Bring it by and I'll have a look-see..

It may be a opportunity to buy Schwalbe tires for your trailer wheels.

PatrickGSR94

If it happens again I'll be looking for new tires for sure.

wahoonc

I would wager old tires that aren't staying seated on the rims. I also agree that those rims are not the best.

Aaron

osco53

I just got the Dual kid hauler version of that trailer, Except with spoke wheels. Master cycle was the name on the covers.
I have stripped it down to the bottom frame, will look just like yours when finished.

$15 at a flea mkt btw,

Mine had a lot more wear and tear than this one but was complete and serviceable.

Unknown age,
It will get new tires, n tubes n rim tape.....

The rims are steel, the tires weigh a lot..
I may stitch up some aluminum rims..
The hubs roll nice but got some play, I'll pop the jesus clips and see if I can adjust the bearings.

fietsbob

And inspect the Tubes .. a poor installation and inflating the tube pushes the tire off the rim ..

I use thorn resistant tubes in my 2 trailers 2 203 and 2 406.. still the original Kenda Tres ..

PatrickGSR94

Yeah my trailer can carry 2 kids also. I still have the fabric attached for now, and just place the board and cargo box on top with the trailer folded flat. My son is riding his bike more now, so hopefully soon I can just get rid of the fabric altogether.

iseemoneey

Had the same issue on my instsep trailer with plastic wheels. I filled the tires with 45 psi, left it in the sun and the tube ended up coming out between the tire and rim and ended up popping leaving green slime everywhere. I checked for any pinches and have had this happen to me 3 times. I concur with keeping tire pressure at 30psi.

PatrickGSR94

dang 45 PSI? My tires say 40 max. I've been doing 30-35 here recently with no problems at all.

matimeo

I have the same trailer. Look it up on Amazon.com and check out the one star reviews. Nearly every single one complains of the tube blowing out. Same thing happened on mine repeatedly, usually an hour after a ride. I think I've blown four tubes the last four times I've used it. Cheap plastic wheels are what causes the problem it appears.

As a side note, I have a nice trailer I'm willing to sell real cheap.