Goodyear Marathon Failures

[uwe]

Originally Posted by Gil Reinke

It's funny but my Discount tire store tells me Maxxis does not stand behind there warantee. As Trailer tires are trailer tires I will stick with Goodyear along with metal valve stems They alwas want to sell me 10 ply Greenball (made in China) which are not good for small Airstream trailers

Your trailer is an 07, according to your avatar. Why would you be shopping for tires? Just wondering...

[Boondocker]

I have Goodyear tires on mine, three years old and lots and lots of miles on them. I was just looking at the replacement guidelines as I was starting to wonder about replacement, but it looks like I should be good for another year anyway.
Goodyear RV Tires - Tire Care: Tire Age and Sidewall Weathering

[safari 28]

Just pulled 4 perfect marathons for 4 new marathons only because the date code was 04. I can only hope the new ones are as good as the old. Time will tell. I went with our local A/S dealer and he ordered fresh o8 tires and made hime put in steel valve stems. Fingers crossed. Really sad in the year 2008 we even have to worry about such things. I am like one of the other post, if this becomes a real issue then maybe motorhomes are the way to go.

[boondockdad]

street side, front axle
about 10,000MI on these (OEM 2008)
running 65psi @ 75MPH

[Jaxon]

Originally Posted by finalcutjoe

street side, front axle
about 10,000 miles on these (OEM 2008)
running 65psi @ 75MPH

30 foot, Classic slide-out (10,000# GVWR) at 75mph? Sustained highway speed?

Wow! You've got 'nads made of brass, man... Airstream enduro...

[redeagle313]

Originally Posted by Jaxon

30 foot, Classic slide-out (10,000# GVWR) at 75mph? Sustained highway speed?

Wow! You've got 'nads made of brass, man... Airstream enduro...

Ditto to what he said.....

[safari 28]

Well i will keep all posted. Leaving next week for the west coast. My only advantage is a 28 safari empty is 5700 lbs, I suspect you might do better with e rated tires with the weight and speed of your rig. Really a damn shame we have to worry about this even at 90 mph.

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by safari 28

Well i will keep all posted. Leaving next week for the west coast. My only advantage is a 28 safari empty is 5700 lbs, I suspect you might do better with e rated tires with the weight and speed of your rig. Really a damn shame we have to worry about this even at 90 mph.

Right, as the tires OUGHT to be rated for speeds in excess of 65 mph.

[boondockdad]

Originally Posted by Jaxon

30 foot, Classic slide-out (10,000# GVWR) at 75mph? Sustained highway speed?

Wow! You've got 'nads made of brass, man... Airstream enduro...

don't know about you, but one of the reasons I bought an a/s over an SOB was its superior tow characteristics...

[jcanavera]

Originally Posted by finalcutjoe

don't know about you, but one of the reasons I bought an a/s over an SOB was its superior tow characteristics...

Problem is that you were 10 mph over the rated speed of the tire. At that point the load capacity rating of the tire drops due to heat buildup. Goodyear doesn't publicly publish that information but I have a Michelin table that was given to me during tire safety training. From what we were told, once you exceed the speed rating at the max pressure inflation, load limits go down. The question lies as to the length of time you were at 75 mph, what the road temps were and how much load capacity is lost. A brief run at 75 shouldn't cause instant failure though.

Keep in mind that's why Airstream allows you to tow a tandem axle trailer on three tires at reduced speed. That single tire technically has a higher load rating at 45 mph than at 65.

Jack

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by jcanavera

Problem is that you were 10 mph over the rated speed of the tire. At that point the load capacity rating of the tire drops due to heat buildup. Goodyear doesn't publicly publish that information but I have a Michelin table that was given to me during tire safety training. From what we were told, once you exceed the speed rating at the max pressure inflation, load limits go down. The question lies as to the length of time you were at 75 mph, what the road temps were and how much load capacity is lost. A brief run at 75 shouldn't cause instant failure though.

Keep in mind that's why Airstream allows you to tow a tandem axle trailer on three tires at reduced speed. That single tire technically has a higher load rating at 45 mph than at 65.

Jack

Jack.

Do you have "any" information regarding Marathon tires, or for that matter any other brand, of what haapens to the ratings, "when the air is replaced with Nitrogen?"

We are setting up a "air replacement with nitrogen program" for all of out service customers.

We understand that all race cars now have Nitrogen inflated tires instead of air. The reasoning seems to be that with the Nitrogen, the tires run much cooler.

If that's the case, then the maximum towing speed could be increased, or so we have been told.

Andy

[2airishuman]

Originally Posted by Inland RV Center, In

...We are setting up a "air replacement with nitrogen program" for all of out service customers...

we've covered tire inflation gases a few times, like post 249 in this thread.

also here...

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f438...gas-37684.html

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f438...res-32063.html

http://www.airforums.com/forums/show...6&postcount=23

the primary issue is that DRYER inflation gas (air or nitrogen) results in LESS pressure variations on track tires.

track tires generally run MUCH hotter than trailer tires as a result of braking, cornering and acceleration.

IF there is moisture inside these tires, temps will VARY more which effects pressure changes and HANDLING.

so it really isn't about lowering temps primarily, but reducing pressure variations from those temp changes.

the primary value on the rv side MIGHT BE dry pure nitrogen's less corrosive nature to the wheels and tire insides...

but given how FREQUENTLY most of us need to add air,

a pure nitrogen fill will quickly be diluted back down to ~78%

cheers
2air'

[bhayden]

Originally Posted by 2airishuman

the primary issue is that DRYER inflation gas (air or nitrogen) results in LESS pressure variations on track tires.

2air'

That's it! I'm going to be watching you like a hawk during tech inspection at the next rally

Andy,
Nitrogen fills really don't seem like a good value. Selling folks a good digital pressure gage (and impressing on them how important it is to USE IT) would be number one. It's a delicate balance keeping pressure as low as possible minimize shock and vibration to the trailer; a point you've (pardon the pun) tirelessly championed. Adding (or letting out) air will quickly negate any value of the nitrogen fill. Basicly what you're implying to your customers is that a nitrogen fill is "set and forget" which couldn't be farther from the truth.

-Bernie

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by bhayden

Andy,
Nitrogen fills really don't seem like a good value. Selling folks a good digital pressure gage (and impressing on them how important it is to USE IT) would be number one. It's a delicate balance keeping pressure as low as possible minimize shock and vibration to the trailer; a point you've (pardon the pun) tirelessly championed. Adding (or letting out) air will quickly negate any value of the nitrogen fill. Basicly what you're implying to your customers is that a nitrogen fill is "set and forget" which couldn't be farther from the truth.

-Bernie

Nope.

My intent was to provide a way to keep the trailer tires cooler, period.

If they are cooler, the pressure is less, therefore the ride harshness would not increase.

Somebody must have some data, and not just opinions.

Andy

[jcanavera]

Originally Posted by Inland RV Center, In

Jack.

Do you have "any" information regarding Marathon tires, or for that matter any other brand, of what haapens to the ratings, "when the air is replaced with Nitrogen?"

We understand that all race cars now have Nitrogen inflated tires instead of air. The reasoning seems to be that with the Nitrogen, the tires run much cooler.

If that's the case, then the maximum towing speed could be increased, or so we have been told.

Andy

I can't see nitrogen as having an effect on the load bearing capacity of a tire. It's really pretty simple. Low air pressure causes more flexing of a tire which causes heat build up. Speed causes more revolutions of the wheel, more flexing of the tire thus more heat. So no matter if you have air or nitrogen, tire flex builds heat, and heat buildup beyond the design level of the tire means failure.

We all understand the low air pressure side, but not everyone understands the effect of speed and why high speed travel in excess of the speed rating for a tire can also cause tire failure. It's not just an issue with trailer tires either. Auto tires for example, have speed ratings also.

Jack

[ZoominC6]

For me, once I slowed down below 70MPH to cruise at 65MPH max and after three tire failures, I've had ZERO tire failures. Tire pressure, cold, is set around 63LBS. Am I alone or has anyone else experienced this success?
HAPPY TRAILS

[yakman]

I have to wonder though... If the speed limit across the US was say 80 mph, would Goodyear and other trailer manufacturers have picked the magical number of 65 mph to not exceed? I doubt it.

We all have purchased a high end trailer, high end tow vehicles and the best that Goodyear can give us is a product that cannot exceed the speed limit? Sounds like a corporate attorney talking somewhere to me.

In the lawsuit happy society we live in, what interest would Goodyear or others have in telling you that your travel trailer tires will handle 100 mph all day long? NONE...

Monitor your tire pressure and keep up with traffic. In most cases in Ohio, that is 65-75 mph. Ohio law keeps the semis at 55 mph so it makes for an interesting drive when they clog the right lane and then all the other traffic hits and sticks in the left lane. Anything from 60mph-80mph to pass long lines of trucks in the right lane is not uncommon.

Where can we buy better than a D rated travel trailer tire?

yakman

[Beginner]

The tire manufacturers DID NOT pick the magical speed or 65 MPH, the Federal Government did. ST tires are only required by the FAR (Federal Acquition Regulations).
The only manufacturer to best that MINIMUM requirement was Cooper but due to their marketing stratgy their Custom Trailer Plus is hard to get.
Example of the FAR is simply this, if you have a single mirror on the drivers door of a vehicle it WILL be a flat mirror. The second mirror and all subsequent mirrors can be convex, concave, inverted, it dosent matter. That one mirror must be flat ("unity gain").
NO TIRE MANUFACTURER APPEARANTLY GOING TO TRY TO PRODUCE A BETTER PRODUCT BECAUSE IT WILL BE MORE EXPENSIVE (BETTER MATERIALS, MORE MATERIAL PER TIRE ETC) AND THOSE WHO REFUSE, CAN'T, OR ARE INCAPABLE OF REOGNIZING THE BETTER QUALITY WILL CONTINUE TO BUT THE CHEAPEST TIRE AVAILABLE AND CONTINUE TO GRIPE BECAUSE THEY CONTINUE TO FAIL.
Beginner

[2airishuman]

Originally Posted by jcanavera

...Auto tires for example, have speed ratings also...

yes they do.

and the speed rating system for passenger car tires,

has NO relationship to how ST tires are labeled, tested or rated.

cheers
2air'

[SteveH]

Discount Tire shows the Goodyear Marathon to have an "R" speed rating, which is up to 106 MPH.

Tire Details - Discount Tire Co.

Tirerack says the country of origin for the Marathons is China.