Lucy's Balloon Adventure - Page 6

**moosetags** · 10-11-2008, 10:09 PM

Yes, once again Lucy has encountered tire problems.

Tonight when we stopped for gas along I-40 in western Tennessee, SuEllyn noticed that Lucy's right front tire was very low. We put some air in it and didn't hear any leaking. Not to take any chances, we decided to put the spare on. We did the tire change ourselves. We have done this several times before, but this time in the dark. We will check out the deflated tire in the morning.

So, here we are spending the night at the KOA in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, happy that it went well and was not a blow-out.

HiHoAgRV · 10-11-2008, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moosetags

... we decided to put the spare on. We did the tire change ourselves...

That looks like the same spare that I have

...

good news that ya'll caught it prior to chunkin the tread and possibly dentin' some aluminum. Let us know what the failure mode was.

Jaxon · 10-11-2008, 11:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moosetags

Yes, once again Lucy has encountered tire problems.
So, here we are spending the night at the KOA in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, happy that it went well and was not a blow-out.

I'm afraid to ask.... what size/brand of tires are y'all using?

.

**moosetags** · 10-11-2008, 11:50 PM

They're Maxxis 225/75/R15's, load range E, 10 ply. We run them at 70 psi.

The whole set was new in June, 2007, the date of production code is in November, 2006. We have run them 22,000 miles.

This is the first problem with any of these tires. We opted for the Maxxis E's after having had three blow-outs with the OEM Goodyear Marathons after about 1 year and 16,000 miles.

Brian

Jaxon · 10-12-2008, 12:19 AM

Thanks, Brian.

Quote:

Originally Posted by moosetags

They're Maxxis 225/75/R15's, load range E, 10 ply. We run them at 70 psi.

Maxxis... hummm...

Quote:

Originally Posted by moosetags

This is the first problem with any of these tires. We opted for the Maxxis E's after having had three blow-outs with the OEM Goodyear Marathons after about 1 year and 16,000 miles. Brian

That's what I was afraid to ask...

since that's what I have...

Since Marathons are what are 'stock' with Airstreams, the % of problems will be enhanced. I've also read throughout (tire threads), that Maxxis tires have been dependable. Don't want to hijack the thread but just had to ask as the opportunity arose.

Am thinking that perhaps it's not the make of the tire but rather the type of tire. Maybe manufacturers don't think the same quality needs to apply to trailer tires vs. passenger vehicle tires...

.

**azflycaster** · 10-12-2008, 07:42 AM

Sorry to hear about your tire problem. It looks like you were well prepared to replace a tire at night. It's a good thing that you caught it when you did. My routine at every stop is to check all the tires and touch all the wheels (for heat). I have had two flats with my right front, one nail and one screw.

Minnie's Mate · 10-12-2008, 10:33 AM

Glad you caught it before it became a blow out. I guess with the number of miles you put on your trailer each year it is expected that you would go through lots of tires. I always read that 5 years or 15,000 miles was considered the life of trailer tires...whichever comes first. You exceed that every year!

Good luck with the rest of your journey. I guess you are nearing the end by now. I, for one, have enjoyed the photos and captions along the way. Thanks for taking us along.

**moosetags** · 10-12-2008, 02:59 PM

We headed into Nashville this morning using our Marathon spare to keep Lucy propped up on all fours. In Nashville we found a Firestone Store that was open on Sunday morning.

They checked our flat Maxxis and found that the plys had separated and a wire from the steel belt had protruded through to the outside right where the tread meets the sidewall. This situation created the slow leak.

The Maxxis was unrepairable, and we purchased a new Carlisle E 10 ply. We remounted it on Lucy ourselves and put the spare back in the rack. You will note that SuEllyn did most of the remount.

The 4 Maxxis that we put on Lucy last year have 22,000 miles on them. I guess I'm on borrowed time and need to start shopping for new tires. I'm thinking new wheels also. I hate the ones that came on Lucy. The valve stem is hard to get to, and they are difficult to keep clean.

Brian

HankandLois · 10-12-2008, 04:37 PM

it was nice to meet y'all!

/Lois

Minnie's Mate · 10-13-2008, 01:38 PM

SuEllen, you go girl! My wife would have given me one of those "looks" if I had "given her the opportunity" to change the tire on the Airstream! She's not the independent spirit type.

Glad you avoided a major mishap by finding the problem before it became a tragedy. Hope the rest of the trip is safe and hassle free.

Again, thanks for taking us along.