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2airishuman · 10-20-2007, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ticki2

... So my experience is that tires can take quite a bit of abuse without failing.

agree completely that the ST tire is a different beast....

and that most of us give tires quite a bit of abuse and they take it....

but when one does fail the "who me" response rises to the top...

zep here reported a tread separation on a nearly new bias ply tire last year...

picture and post out there somewhere, tires, tires, tires thread i think...

2 weeks ago, a 90s honda accord passed my at about 80mph in nevada

about 100 ft ahead and still in the left lane his rear left tire tread peeled off..

about 3 big pieces in an instant...

the teen driver coasted across my front to the breakdown lane...

the aluminum rim leaving grooves and glint in the asphalt.

30 minutes later he passed me again (at over 90mph) since i was going 78...

with the spare (clearly another size tire)...

BOUNCING down the road...

no kidding and it wasn't a compact spare...

cheers
2air'

scottanlily · 10-20-2007, 08:39 PM

My reponse was to point out that most often the 2002 and earlier dates
are highlighted as the prevlent tire that fails ,and it is, as has been reported many times and posted on .I read on many posts ,and there are hundreds at this point in time on the subject, and the reports on newer or S series tires
that are failing at high rates .This trouble is spread over all the renditions of the marathon with signifigant posts proving it to be certain .Now ,its because they are chinese ,thats the latest reason ,and if the chinese are building
them poorly or maybe using the marathon design to make them ,its still
having problems .to say that the other brands surley will be failing just as often is a wait and see thing ,and hardly the way to boost marathon loyalty.
I think the fact that some are running 3 axle coaches has a great effect on
the tire life and failures ,6 tires support the weight better than only 4 .
2airs had very good luck ,6 tires ,many other folks just have not ,thats
just the way it is .

Scott of scottanlily

pmclemore · 10-23-2007, 11:30 AM

One thing I have noticed from 2air's posts is that he seems to make his own luck, as we all do. However, in his case, he makes good luck.

Witness the posts on how he manages (and understands) his weights; how he manages wheel balance; tire pressures; hitch setup (and choice of hitch). And the evidence that he monitors everything - all the time.

I believe that if I were as careful as he, then I'd get better results as well.

Despite the news on Marathons, I also wonder whether it is just that there are so many of them out there, as others have said.

Pat

Bob Thompson · 10-23-2007, 12:23 PM

I'm with you, 2air is to be commended on his constant and focused attention to his tires. This constant checking, weighing, balancing, thumping, inspecting, monitoring, and scrutinizing makes him about the safest vehicle going down the road. I tried to do it that way, but realized I was working waaaaay toooooo hardddddd! I was missing too much of the scenery I'd driven so far to see. I guess I'm just lazy, so I bought tires which free up a good amount of time to do other things like take a nap!

**jcanavera** · 10-23-2007, 12:43 PM

Well I managed to go for over 25 years without a failure until 2 weeks ago. I think the question is if you take reasonable care, which means balance, pressure, load, and replacement cycle, should you be able to get away without a belt related failure or tread separation.

While I subscribe to the theory regarding that the number of Marathon's out there will produce more reports, I'm bothered by the kinds of reports we are hearing and the age of the tires failing.

I take reasonable care which includes minimizing UV exposure of the tire and all the items described. Yet I had a tread separation failure with a tire that had 4 years of age and 7,500 miles on it. The question begs as to how I was neglectful of my tires.

There however is one large difference between 2air's tires and many of us. For all intents 2air is always on the move, and that in itself may be a key factor. How much that tire sits vs. how much it rolls. I'd be very curious to look at the kinds of failures we've been seeing and the correlation to how many were on full timer trailers. For example I've been out on 3 trips this year. One to Memphis Tn, Moraine View in Bloomington Il., and Branson. You just wonder if the sitting causes deterioration of the belts and tread bindings.

Jack

wingfoot321 · 10-23-2007, 02:34 PM

Jack,

This is just my opinion but, it is my practice to not park the trailer with the tires on the ground for any extended period of time. If there is any type of penetration thru the tread rubber, then moisture can start to attack the belts and cause rust. I use a piece of pressure treated 2x8, otherwise my tires would be on the ground.

I have an old econoline van which is seldom used. It is very noticeable how much rust forms on the underbody, brake rotors, frame, wheels, etc. when it is not being driven regular.

Also, I never park the trailer where a tire is only partially on a leveling block so that the belts can be stressed.

Just my $.02

Bambi_Bandit · 10-23-2007, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wingfoot321

Jack,

This is just my opinion but, it is my practice to not park the trailer with the tires on the ground for any extended period of time. If there is any type of penetration thru the tread rubber, then moisture can start to attack the belts and cause rust. I use a piece of pressure treated 2x8, otherwise my tires would be on the ground.

I have an old econoline van which is seldom used. It is very noticeable how much rust forms on the underbody, brake rotors, frame, wheels, etc. when it is not being driven regular.

Also, I never park the trailer where a tire is only partially on a leveling block so that the belts can be stressed.

Just my $.02

So what's the defintion of "extended"? 1 week or more, 2 weeks or more? I understand the science of the moisture and need for a moisture barrier between a tire and the ground, but can "extended "be further subjective based on ambient temperature / humidity / ground type (i.e. grass vs. pavement vs. concrete vs. gravel)?

Kevin

**jcanavera** · 10-23-2007, 03:30 PM

Two things I do. First if I'm up on leveling blocks I'm careful to make sure that the full tread of the tire is supported. It is a fact that partial support of a tire (or even one tire in a dually configuration) can lead to belt breakage since too much weight is being supported on a small tire area.

Secondly, since I store my trailer on a concrete floor, I make sure there is a sheet of cardboard under each tire. From a tire saftey class that I attended it was noted that exposure to the lime in concreate, leaches out the compounds from the tire. A good example is just to let a tire sit on concrete for extended periods and you will see a dark footprint. That's the leaching taking place. The suggestion was newspaper or cardboard was sufficient to keep the two surfaces from mingling.

I've not heard anything though about moisture getting through to the belts. I would think that this definately would be a possibility if the tire has some type of cut in it. In my case the belt snapped at the sidewall due to the torque applied to the tire as I was turning and backing into the drive. The lack of the tire tread left that belt unsupported.

Jack

Bing-Bing · 10-23-2007, 03:42 PM

My tire man suggested I switch to LT's on the airstream and they have been fine so far. I run them at full pressure and they are rated for something like 110 mph. However we don't run more then 60...

Bob Thompson · 10-23-2007, 04:45 PM

Oops, I'm having some misgivings about the moisture/rust thing. I grew up around Port Townsend, Washington and that part of the world is "rain country". I personally witnessed continuous rain for 44 days in a row. If wet would cause tire belts to rust, it would sure happen there. I never saw a single failure which could be attributed to belt rust. However........

I have researched the best way to prevent tire problems when letting a vehicle set for extended periods of time. What I read was: If you are going to let the vehicle set for extended periods, then you will want to take as much weight off the tires as possible, because, when a loaded tire sets for extended periods, a flat spot develops where it sets. The longer it sets, the more acute the flat spot becomes. At the edge of the flat spot, a kink develops. When the tire is put back into service (starts to roll with a load on it) this kink can cause the steel belts to bend and break at the kink, unless the tire is gently put back into service. In other words, after a tire has been setting for a while, be gentle in beginning to use it again. Don't load it heavily, and keep your speed way down for the first couple miles, as the tire flexes and regains heat and it's round shape. It's like a stiff sore muscle, go slow and ease it back into use.

When stored, it's best to take as much weight off the tire as is practical to reduce the tendancy to make a flat spot.

**jcanavera** · 10-23-2007, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Thompson

I have researched the best way to prevent tire problems when letting a vehicle set for extended periods of time. What I read was: If you are going to let the vehicle set for extended periods, then you will want to take as much weight off the tires as possible, because, when a loaded tire sets for extended periods, a flat spot develops where it sets. The longer it sets, the more acute the flat spot becomes..

Now the question is what is "extended" defined as, and do folks really raise their Airstreams up off the wheels. I know I did that on an SOB when I replaced tires. It wasn't too bad since the frame of the trailer was exposed and I put the jack stands under the rear of the frame of the trailer with the nose down, then cranked up the hitch jack and added jack stands to the front of the trailer. I cranked the hitch jack back down and effectively the trailer was up on its frame in 4 corners on jack stands.

That trailer weighed 2,000 lbs. You would think that if trailers were subject to the steel belts getting kinks, that the tire manufacturers would give you some type of recommendations.

Jack

Jaxon · 10-23-2007, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2airishuman

2 weeks ago, a 90s honda accord passed my at about 80mph in nevada

about 100 ft ahead and still in the left lane his rear left tire tread peeled off..

about 3 big pieces in an instant...

the teen driver coasted across my front to the breakdown lane...

the aluminum rim leaving grooves and glint in the asphalt.

30 minutes later he passed me again (at over 90mph) since i was going 78...

with the spare (clearly another size tire)...

BOUNCING down the road...

no kidding and it wasn't a compact spare...

cheers
2air'

Darwin was right...

Bob Thompson · 10-23-2007, 08:16 PM

Quote:

You would think that if trailers were subject to the steel belts getting kinks, that the tire manufacturers would give you some type of recommendations.

It's been a couple years since I read it, but I think it was on one of the tire manufacturer's websites.

My own solution is to put as much of the weight on the stabilizer jacks and tongue jack as is practical. I would guess, I support somewhere around 800 lbs. per jack so that leaves about 1600 lbs to be supported by the tires which is roughly 400lbs per tire. That won't make much of a flat spot on each tire.

uwe · 10-23-2007, 08:30 PM

My car gets flat spots when sitting for 2 days. They disappear as soon as the tires warm up. I am not concerned about the flat spots. I am concerned that we're being sold a substandard product. Been reading about these Marathons for a couple years now, and am seriously beginning to worry about mine. I feel stupid for buying them for good money in the first place.

HiHoAgRV · 10-23-2007, 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by uwe

...I am concerned that we're being sold a substandard product...

My guess is we are the oddballs expecting a level of performance from a product sector that considers LT's an upgrade.

ROBERTSUNRUS · 10-23-2007, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jcanavera

Well I managed to go for over 25 years without a failure until 2 weeks ago. I think the question is if you take reasonable care, which means balance, pressure, load, and replacement cycle, should you be able to get away without a belt related failure or tread separation.

While I subscribe to the theory regarding that the number of Marathon's out there will produce more reports, I'm bothered by the kinds of reports we are hearing and the age of the tires failing.

I take reasonable care which includes minimizing UV exposure of the tire and all the items described. Yet I had a tread separation failure with a tire that had 4 years of age and 7,500 miles on it. The question begs as to how I was neglectful of my tires.

Jack

Hi, my trailer has not had any tire failures yet; I probably have at least twice the miles on mine as you do on yours. I park mine on my concrete driveway with out blocking or jacking up my trailer in any way. I do not cover my tires, but being between the houses, my tires never get direct sunlight when not in use. I always keep my tires a 65 lbs and my trailer level. I only get to take my trailer out once or twice a year, but when it does get out, I take it for a long trip, usually a thousand miles or more. Is it just the luck of the draw?

ticki2 · 10-24-2007, 06:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROBERTSUNRUS

Hi, aluminauts. That tire is wasted. At first, I would say don't be so wasteful, just replace the one bad tire. But my second thought was, are those your original 2003 model tires? If so replace all six. [or seven] As for changeing brands, I'm personally not convinced that they are any better. Time and mileage will tell.

Is there anyone on this forum that has, let's say, five years and fifty thousand miles on an Airstream trailer with tires other than Goodyear Marathons? We would like to hear from you. Or is it too soon for anyone to give us a first hand report on your experience with other brand trailer tires?

Not exactly the criterion but here's a start.
12 years old
10,000 miles
never covered
never jacked up
bf goodrich commercial TA
235/75/15 XL

2 tires developed slow leaks because of alum rim corrosion , other than that look to be in exellent condition ,tread and sidewall.

Bob Thompson · 10-24-2007, 06:54 AM

Like tiki2, I have the BF Goodrich Commercial T/A'a. Mine now have about 35,000 miles on them and they are doing fantastic. There is still about 90% of tread depth remaining and the wear is very even. It looks like I should get at least 100,000 miles of use out of them. I have had issues with nails, having picked up 3 so far, but the holes were easily plugged. Great and reliable tires. I give them my full endorsement!

HowieE · 10-24-2007, 07:58 AM

I had contacted Goodyear recentently for comments on our discussion
This is the lastest responce after I had offered him a chance to read this post.

Don't know if this will cause Goodyear to improve thier product but some may get relief.

I bought 4 Michelins the day after this came in.

I kind of got the drift of that.

If anyone you know has issues with tires or not being treated properly by a Goodyear dealer, please have them call our Consumer
Relations Call Center at 1-800-321-2136. They will make sure that the dealer administers the warranty properly or they will find one
that will.

Sorry for any problems you may have experienced. I hope that some day we will regain your confidence.

Rick Read
Goodyear OE Tire Sales
rick_read@goodyear.com
574-583-7000, fax -8010

**jcanavera** · 10-24-2007, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HowieE

I had contacted Goodyear recentently for comments on our discussion
This is the lastest responce after I had offered him a chance to read this post.

Don't know if this will cause Goodyear to improve thier product but some may get relief.

I bought 4 Michelins the day after this came in.

I kind of got the drift of that.

If anyone you know has issues with tires or not being treated properly by a Goodyear dealer, please have them call our Consumer
Relations Call Center at 1-800-321-2136. They will make sure that the dealer administers the warranty properly or they will find one
that will.

Sorry for any problems you may have experienced. I hope that some day we will regain your confidence.

Rick Read
Goodyear OE Tire Sales
rick_read@goodyear.com
574-583-7000, fax -8010

Well, unfortuately it's not a dealer problem or warranty issue. What we are looking for is a product that won't fly apart after a few years or less of use.

I'll get my Maxxis tires delivered on Monday.

Jack