WE SUFFERED A SUDDEN TIRE FAILURE ON THE LEFT REAR WHEEL WHILE TRAVELING NORTHBOUND ON I10 BETWEEN TUCSON AND PHOENIX AND TOWING A 1970 VW BEETLE. JUST PRIOR TO THE TIRE FAILURE, I FELT SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT, SO I STOPPED THE VEHICLE ON THE SHOULDER OF THE INTERSTATE AND INSPECTED THE HITCH, THE VW BEETLE AND THE REAR TIRES ON MY EXPLORER AND FOUND NOTHING OF CONCERN. AS I WAS GETTING BACK UP TO SPEED, THE TIRE TREAD ON THE REAR LEFT TIRE CAME TOTALLY OFF AND THE EXPLORER FELT LIKE I WAS DRIVING ON ICE, ESSENTIALLY NO STEERING WITHOUT DANGER OF LOSING CONTROL. I STABILIZED THE VEHILCLE BUT IT GRADUALLY SLIDE TO THE LEFT AND I SENSED THAT IF I TRIED TO CORRECT THE CAR WOULD GO OUT OF CONTROL. FORTUNATELY, I WAS IN THE RIGHT LANE ON A TWO LANE HIGHWAY WITH NO ONE AROUND BUT I THE CAR GRADUALLY MOVE TO THE LEFT SLOWING SLOWLY; WHEN THE BEETLE CAUGHT THE SHOULDER GRAVEL WE LAUNCHED INTO TO A ROLL OVER. WE ROLLED TWICE AND LANDED UPRIGHT AND THE TREADLESS TIRE WAS STILL INFLATED. TOWING THE BEETLE PROVIDED A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF DRAG SLOWING BOTH VEHICLES LESSENING THE SEVERITY OF THE EXPLORER'S ROLL. WHEN THE BEETLE BROKE LOOSE DURING THE ROLL IT TOOK A LOT OF MOMENTUM WITH IT AS IT ROLLED MUCH FURTHER THAN THE EXPLORER CAUSING THE EXPLORER TO HIT ON BOTH ROOF EDGES ON SUBSEQUENT ROLLS AND LANDING ON THE TIRES WITHOUT THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYING; BOTH PASSENGER WERE WEARING SEATBELTS AND DESPITE SPRAINS, BRUISES AND SCRATCHES WE WALKED AWAY FROM THE ACCIDENT. HOWEVER, BOTH CAR