Goodyear Marathon Failures

[pmclemore]

On our way West in Sept we stopped at JC for minor stuff and I decided then to buy 4 new Marathons. We returned home Monday after almost 10,000 miles (9700 and change) and had no problems whatsoever. From what I can tell, the tires wore evenly (axles in alignment, wheels balanced, etc.)

We share a big and beautiful country.

Pat

[Jaxon]

Originally Posted by safari 28

All went perfect, but due to this thread my wife thinks I have some sort of psychological problem. I inspect the tires every time I pee. She is really worried about me. HELP???

Quit drinkin' so much beer?

[Gene]

Originally Posted by safari 28

All went perfect, but due to this thread my wife thinks I have some sort of psychological problem. I inspect the tires every time I pee. She is really worried about me. HELP???

Your cry for "HELP" has not gone unnoticed.

Are you peeing on the tires? Do you run after cats? Do you howl at the full moon? Are you chewing the sofa?

You may have a psychological problem and it's good you have a supportive wife who is trying to guide you to get help. It's important you see a therapist immediately before the acid in the pee ruins your tires.

When you get well we can play Fetch the Tire.

Gene

[pmclemore]

Can you back, stand and retrieve? Your price would be above rubies. Wait, that's something else.

Pat

[safari 28]

Thanks so much for all the advice, I think anyway, as now new information has really manifested this issue for me. Some has been excellent. Stop drinking beer and more crown royal. Great! Listening to wife more, well we stopped listening to each other the day after we got married. 29 years later we barely know who we are. Marital bliss, and and it seems like an eternal first date. Work for us !!

Now for the pee. Not me, but any male k9 that has raised his leg on my new marathons. I have not slept for 2 days trying to recall if that felony of a crime has been done. I mean this is bad, I am leaving for California in 3 weeks and do I cover them at rest stops and parking lots? And when in rv parks, do I shoot on the spot a fellow rver's loving faithful traveling companion for such an act? And if the mutt is leashed, now we are talking serious jail time. This is not good.

In the end, IT is all Goodyears fault. They need to make tires that can stand up to all this stuff, including dog piss. I am drafting a letter to the CEO as we speak. Maybe I should move on to a motorhome. I have a new meaning for ST TIRES. %#@* TIRES! Thanks anyway for the help.

[Steamy1]

Many in the AS Community have addressed this problem by switching to 16" rims and installing tires that have a solid reputation. This is what I did. I cannot tell you how much more confidence I have in traveling with Michelin LT load range E tires. It has been the best upgrade to my 19' Bambi I could have done. It pulls better and does not have the odd bulges that the original Marathons had. I will never go back to Goodyear.

Note that the Airstream supplement manual on tires states that the LT tires can be used for trailers.

[henw]

Seems your tires can be outdated before you even buy them.

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4826897&affil=wfaa

Tom

[Larry in MO]

Originally Posted by henw

Seems your tires can be outdated before you even buy them.

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4826897&affil=wfaa

Tom

It makes me wonder if this information, although not too new, is the culprit in the alleged high rate of Marathon failures. As I remember, everyone w/ a horror story about Marathons included something about "new" or "nearly new" or "only 5,000 miles" in the story.

My old Flying Cloud has new Towmasters-dated 0308. I replaced the car trailer tires at the same time. I guess I need to crawl under the m/c trailer. I know they've been mounted 4 years. Heck- what else do I have to spend money on this time of year?

[henw]

I'll be checking the dates on my Marathons tonight.

Tom

[thecatsandi]

When I had my trailer inspect at AS of Spokane before my trek east we found one tire that had a bubble forming on the inside of the tire. The Canadian spare was swapped in for the China made failing tire. If the swap had not happened I can only imagine what would have happened if the China made tire had failed during the emergency moving of my accident. Things would have turned out much worse.

[Toasty's Dad]

50 MPH, 70 degree day, tires inspected (by me) and inflated to manual-recommended 55 lbs before the trip...

2004 Bambi Intl, Goodyear Marathon, tires covered about half of their lives.

This was not fun.... lucky no damage. Thanks to Advance Auto Parts guy Miguel, who appeared almost magically alongside me on the freeway berm, with a floor jack from the back of his car!

That guy gets a case of beer from me next week. Goodyear gets a rasberry.

Jon

[jcanavera]

Originally Posted by Toasty's Dad

50 MPH, 70 degree day, tires inspected (by me) and inflated to manual-recommended 55 lbs before the trip...

2004 Bambi Intl, Goodyear Marathon, tires covered about half of their lives.

This was not fun.... lucky no damage. Thanks to Advance Auto Parts guy Miguel, who appeared almost magically alongside me on the freeway berm, with a floor jack from the back of his car!

That guy gets a case of beer from me next week. Goodyear gets a rasberry.

Jon

2004 tires....you were at replacement time. Between 4-5 years.

Jack

[ticki2]

Wonder if they put a timer in there in case you don't follow their guide line.

[overlander63]

I heard a rumor (may or may not be true, I'm going to try to verify) that Goodyear has, at least temporarily, halted production of Marathons. If true, whether they stopped because of sale in general, or maybe some retooling or tweaking of the product, is a good question at this time. I really don't think Marathons are that much more prone to failure than other tire brands, but there are so many more of them than other brands, it seems like a lot.

[utee94]

Originally Posted by overlander63

I heard a rumor (may or may not be true, I'm going to try to verify) that Goodyear has, at least temporarily, halted production of Marathons. If true, whether they stopped because of sale in general, or maybe some retooling or tweaking of the product, is a good question at this time. I really don't think Marathons are that much more prone to failure than other tire brands, but there are so many more of them than other brands, it seems like a lot.

Terry, the Marathons you put on the Overlander several years ago are still in great shape. They are possibly nearing the end of their useable life due to age alone, but there is no evidence of separation or any other dreaded malady.

I've used Marathons on my boat trailers and utility trailers for many many years with no issues.

[3Ms75Argosy]

I'd say there's probably a glut now that the RV industry is falling, people are trying to save money, and tire replacement is on the backburner...
Marc

[tkowalyk]

We have a 2006 Safari 22SS and had our Marathon Tires Replaced under Warranty shortly after we bought the unit due to what I thought where large ridges in the sidewall. Goodyear replaced the tires without an argument. The ridges are still present on the new tires (although not as pronounced) and the dealer who did the replacement told me that it is normal.

The new tires are manufactured in China - the old tires were USA or Mexico -- I don't remember.

We have put several thousand miles on the tires without issue - I would recommend inflating the tires to the maximum amount allowed on the sidewall - without issue. As always keep the speed below 65 - below 60 if it is hot.

From Goodyear:

http://goodyear.com/rv/pdf/marathon_gen_info_032806.pdf


This information is designed to help you obtain the best performance from tires with the ST (Special Trailer) designation. Please review the following important points with your Goodyear Marathon customers.

Industry standards dictate that tires with the ST designation are speed restricted to 65 MPH under normal inflation and load conditions unless a different speed restriction is indicated on the sidewall of the the tire.

Based on industry standards, if tires with the ST designation are used at speeds between 66 and 75 mph, it is necessary to increase the cold inflation pressures by 10 psi above the recommended pressure for the load.

o Do not exceed the maximum pressure for the wheel.
o If the maximum pressure for the wheel prohibits the increase of air pressure, then the maximum speed must be restricted to 65 mph.
o The cold inflation pressure must not exceed 10 psi beyond the inflation specified for the maximum load of the tire.

[Gene]

This thread is full of conflicting information of max inflation pressure and it seems Goodyear is responsible for the confusion. I am ok with 65 lbs. and 65 mph if only because it's easy to remember, but also because I feel comfortable towing at that speed. Gas mileage starts its significant drop before 65 and I would think it would be even more abominable above 65. The only problem I have with 65 is on busy interstates where the right lane is going slower than 65 and the left is well above—passing is difficult and tedious. I feel safer in the left lane—usually better visibility—but don't want to test the tires.

Gene

[Otters]

We have original Marathons on our 25' International and they are ready for change now at about 20kmi. One has a worn spot where the brakes froze up at 55mph when the electrical dongle disconnected from the truck (it was not locked in the fixture). I have driven all those miles myself and my rule is 55-60mph and 65psi. High speed, heat, and low pressure are tire killers. Since we are retired, driving below 60mph is actually very enjoyable since we have plenty of time to get wherever. Make the right lane your friend!

Looks like we may try Maxxis ST 225/75 R15 LR-E for the next round, as they are favored by some who've had Marathon problems. I need to know whether a load rating of E gives a much stiffer ride than D. Someone at Airstream warned me about overly stiff tires and how it can affect everything inside the trailer.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by Otters

We have original Marathons on our 25' International and they are ready for change now at about 20kmi. One has a worn spot where the brakes froze up at 55mph when the electrical dongle disconnected from the truck (it was not locked in the fixture). I have driven all those miles myself and my rule is 55-60mph and 65psi. High speed, heat, and low pressure are tire killers. Since we are retired, driving below 60mph is actually very enjoyable since we have plenty of time to get wherever. Make the right lane your friend!

Looks like we may try Maxxis ST 225/75 R15 LR-E for the next round, as they are favored by some who've had Marathon problems. I need to know whether a load rating of E gives a much stiffer ride than D. Someone at Airstream warned me about overly stiff tires and how it can affect everything inside the trailer.

Load range "E" tires are for trucks, not an Airstream that "MUST" have a soft ride.

Andy