CanuckMariner/Nomad
Love having fun 😊 in the 🌞 by the ⛵ and the ⏳
When I first got into 4-wheeling around the early '80s, scouting out near 100 year old oil well sites in the jungles of Borneo, I drove a late '70s 40 series with BFGs and never had problems. Probably cause there wasn't much for rocks around, only the reddish, sandy, dirt jungle floor mat. Hence never had any problems with the tires other than we got stuck plenty in the monsoon muds, kinda like the Camel Trophy in 1985 also located there and I participate in as a volunteer in logistics/formalities coordination.
Since then, my off-roading adventures has taken me to numerous other crannies of the world (Oman, Tunisia, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Thailand, China, et al.) and found BFGs on most 4x4 vehicles. Again, no problems other than what was expected - the obligatory traditional flats.
However, when I came back from N. Africa in 2000 and got back into the foray of 4x4s here in Kanukistan, I eventually got NOMAD in December 2005 and she came with Japanese shoes. I quickly up graded her to a well used but greater than 50% left, 4 BFG ATs size 32x11.5x15 shoes. With no spare, except an old JDM, I thought I would buy a new equal whilst in Bakersfield (Oxy) visiting a chum from Kuwait. The shoe was cheaper there and I was soon off for my solo circumnavigation of Baja in 6 weeks. Not one flat or puncture the entire 6800 kms!
Next trip with the same shoes, was on my annual father/son trip to DV Nov 07. Before we left, we rotated the tires so the new shoe was now the rear right. On our trip south a mere 5 hours and about 500 kliks into it, we had a flat. When inspected, the tire had a 12" slash/gash on the inside sidewall on the right rear - the new shoe! Bless Allāh, I kept the receipt from CA. We lashed it to the the triple jerry can fuel carrier and off we went in search for a replacement. Next stop was a Wal-Mart in Pocatello, ID, but no BFG close to the size I had, so we got a cheapy spare Uniroyal Liberator AT 31x10.5x15 and off we went. With the fluff/pimples still on this one, it is now for sale!
Glad I got the spare replaced, cause upon our exist of dirt/gravel roads at Ubehebe Crater, we heard the hissing as soon as we hit blacktop and had to change the left rear shoe. Got that flat fixed on the way home in Twin Falls, ID - still carrying the slashed BFG.
When I got home I contacted BFG USA and they said they didn't need to see the tire or a photo (we trust you) of the gash and they said email the old and new receipts and we'll pay for 75%. Good deal and I was back to square one - 4 old 32x11.5x15 and a new spare to match.
FF to next trip south, my marathon multi-trail, Indian sites, friend visiting, Barrancas Del Cobre, south side of Laguna Chapala - MX, El Camino, SnT08 and DV (annual father/son trip) over 2.5 months trip. Again, before I left, the tires where rotated with the new shoe on the right rear. Again, less than 5000 kliks, the new shoe went flat. This time, I didn't carry it back and took photos of it. It had a flap the size of your hand in the tread! Wires hangin out and a hole you could fit a tennis ball through.
Upon getting home, I again called BGF USA and got the run-around as they need to see the entire itself; unlike last time (what - you don't trust me anymore?). I called customer service and gave them the run-around about my run-around and a kool guy said OK one last time but no more! and paid 100% this time!
So what's the point of this marathon story you may well ask? I have been a Diehard© (no, not a Sear's poncho) of BGF tires for close to 30 years.
On that same marathon trip, I did the Kokopelli Trail with Greg (Fruita, CO) and he got a 2" gash in his outside left rear sidewall BFG AT going down Rose Garden Hill, a portion of the trail known to eat shoes. I get a recent email from him and he again had a flat in his new BFG by a gash.
Hmmmm wondering if there is a trend, a pattern developing here. Is the factory having problems with quality control or what?
Has anyone else had an inordinate amount of shoe problems with BFGs, unlike the normal flat which a patch or plug can fix. I am wondering if my next set of shoes will be BFGs or some one else's? Your thoughts/comments/stories much appreciated.
Oh...BTW...I recently replaced the still good, old 32x11.5s with 4 33x10.5 near new ones with rims for $240 Kanuk buks and bought a new spare to match from the buks BFG sent. Hope they do better this time, cause if not, I am done with BFGs...hmmmmm what's next?
Since then, my off-roading adventures has taken me to numerous other crannies of the world (Oman, Tunisia, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Thailand, China, et al.) and found BFGs on most 4x4 vehicles. Again, no problems other than what was expected - the obligatory traditional flats.
However, when I came back from N. Africa in 2000 and got back into the foray of 4x4s here in Kanukistan, I eventually got NOMAD in December 2005 and she came with Japanese shoes. I quickly up graded her to a well used but greater than 50% left, 4 BFG ATs size 32x11.5x15 shoes. With no spare, except an old JDM, I thought I would buy a new equal whilst in Bakersfield (Oxy) visiting a chum from Kuwait. The shoe was cheaper there and I was soon off for my solo circumnavigation of Baja in 6 weeks. Not one flat or puncture the entire 6800 kms!
Next trip with the same shoes, was on my annual father/son trip to DV Nov 07. Before we left, we rotated the tires so the new shoe was now the rear right. On our trip south a mere 5 hours and about 500 kliks into it, we had a flat. When inspected, the tire had a 12" slash/gash on the inside sidewall on the right rear - the new shoe! Bless Allāh, I kept the receipt from CA. We lashed it to the the triple jerry can fuel carrier and off we went in search for a replacement. Next stop was a Wal-Mart in Pocatello, ID, but no BFG close to the size I had, so we got a cheapy spare Uniroyal Liberator AT 31x10.5x15 and off we went. With the fluff/pimples still on this one, it is now for sale!
Glad I got the spare replaced, cause upon our exist of dirt/gravel roads at Ubehebe Crater, we heard the hissing as soon as we hit blacktop and had to change the left rear shoe. Got that flat fixed on the way home in Twin Falls, ID - still carrying the slashed BFG.
When I got home I contacted BFG USA and they said they didn't need to see the tire or a photo (we trust you) of the gash and they said email the old and new receipts and we'll pay for 75%. Good deal and I was back to square one - 4 old 32x11.5x15 and a new spare to match.
FF to next trip south, my marathon multi-trail, Indian sites, friend visiting, Barrancas Del Cobre, south side of Laguna Chapala - MX, El Camino, SnT08 and DV (annual father/son trip) over 2.5 months trip. Again, before I left, the tires where rotated with the new shoe on the right rear. Again, less than 5000 kliks, the new shoe went flat. This time, I didn't carry it back and took photos of it. It had a flap the size of your hand in the tread! Wires hangin out and a hole you could fit a tennis ball through.
Upon getting home, I again called BGF USA and got the run-around as they need to see the entire itself; unlike last time (what - you don't trust me anymore?). I called customer service and gave them the run-around about my run-around and a kool guy said OK one last time but no more! and paid 100% this time!
So what's the point of this marathon story you may well ask? I have been a Diehard© (no, not a Sear's poncho) of BGF tires for close to 30 years.
On that same marathon trip, I did the Kokopelli Trail with Greg (Fruita, CO) and he got a 2" gash in his outside left rear sidewall BFG AT going down Rose Garden Hill, a portion of the trail known to eat shoes. I get a recent email from him and he again had a flat in his new BFG by a gash.
Hmmmm wondering if there is a trend, a pattern developing here. Is the factory having problems with quality control or what?
Has anyone else had an inordinate amount of shoe problems with BFGs, unlike the normal flat which a patch or plug can fix. I am wondering if my next set of shoes will be BFGs or some one else's? Your thoughts/comments/stories much appreciated.
Oh...BTW...I recently replaced the still good, old 32x11.5s with 4 33x10.5 near new ones with rims for $240 Kanuk buks and bought a new spare to match from the buks BFG sent. Hope they do better this time, cause if not, I am done with BFGs...hmmmmm what's next?
