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bladesmith2 · 06-26-2015, 06:09 AM

The last original Goodyear tire on the trailer has now failed. The same defect as the other three. Goodyear is now 4 for 4 on my trailer after 17 months of use. This is on top of the $8,000.00 in damages to the trailer when the third tire blew out. The Goodyear store gave the same song and dance as the other three tires.

No more Goodyear products for me. The pictures below show the tire failure on the 4th tire, the same thing happened on the other three.

Silverflames · 06-26-2015, 06:24 AM

Are these LTs or ST tires?

xrvr · 06-26-2015, 06:26 AM

Marathons are original equipment ST tires.

AWCHIEF · 06-26-2015, 06:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bladesmith2

The last original Goodyear tire on the trailer has now failed. The same defect as the other three. Goodyear is now 4 for 4 on my trailer after 17 months of use. This is on top of the $8,000.00 in damages to the trailer when the third tire blew out. The Goodyear store gave the same song and dance as the other three tires.

No more Goodyear products for me. The pictures below show the tire failure on the 4th tire, the same thing happened on the other three.

Maybe it is just me or the lighting or something but what are we looking at with theses pictures? What are your inflation pressures and driving speed?

gmw photos · 06-26-2015, 08:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bladesmith2

The last original Goodyear tire on the trailer has now failed. The same defect as the other three. Goodyear is now 4 for 4 on my trailer after 17 months of use. This is on top of the $8,000.00 in damages to the trailer when the third tire blew out. The Goodyear store gave the same song and dance as the other three tires.

No more Goodyear products for me. The pictures below show the tire failure on the 4th tire, the same thing happened on the other three.

So the question is, what size are they ( 14" ? 15" ? ) and what are you going to replace them with ?
Not pointing any fingers, but often what we hear is folks taking one junky tire off, and simply replacing with a different brand of junky tire. One has to wonder how much of an improvement that may be ?

Tireman9 · 06-27-2015, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bladesmith2

The last original Goodyear tire on the trailer has now failed. The same defect as the other three. Goodyear is now 4 for 4 on my trailer after 17 months of use. This is on top of the $8,000.00 in damages to the trailer when the third tire blew out. The Goodyear store gave the same song and dance as the other three tires.

No more Goodyear products for me. The pictures below show the tire failure on the 4th tire, the same thing happened on the other three.

The pictures seem to indicate a tread and/or belt separation. Have you recorded the full DOT serial and filed a complaint for each tire with NHTSA?

I have a post on my blog Dec 24 2012 with a similar example along with the results of an autopsy. The post includes two links of actions taken by the owner.

Complaints on RV forums might make some feel better but they will not help improve the quality of the tires the RV industry buys or forces TT to use.

NHTSA needs facts and full DOT serial in quantity before they can consider taking action.

bladesmith2 · 06-27-2015, 10:35 PM

The tires were on a 2014 Classic Limited, they were 15" Goodyear Marathon trailer tires. I check the pressure each morning before I pull out, I also look the tires over closely at the beginning of each day on the road. That is how I caught 3 of the failed Goodyear tires before they caused damage to the Airstream. The one that actually Blew-out looked fine that morning, air pressure was fine at 65psi. Looked fine three hours later when I stopped for Fuel, felt of all 4 tires temperature felt ok no obvious problems were visible. 60 or so more miles on down the road the tire blew-out while crossing a narrow bridge in Louisiana. I was driving 70MPH. It sounded like a shotgun going off then I saw the tread fly up in the air after it caused $8,000 in damages to the trailer. I have my tire gauge marked at 65psi so it is easy to check the pressure. Yes I drive fast I have pulled my trailer at up to 85MPH it pulls great. Airstream customer service told me they do not have a speed limit on the trailer. Yes it does burn more fuel at that speed 9.8 MPG. Yes the speed limit on some roads in Texas is 85mph. I think Goodyear should not make or sell any tires they are not going to stand behind. I now have Carlisle load range E trailer tires (also made in China), just drove from Kerrville Tx to ElPaso Tx at 80 to 85 mph both ways with no problems. I felt of the tires several times they were fine. I just purchased 16" wheels and going to change over to Michelin LT225/75R16/E tires as soon as I get the trailer out of the shop. I am concerned when it comes to the 15" trailer tires, at this point I do not trust any of them. I told the last Goodyear person I will never buy another Goodyear product and will work on others to do likewise. The Goodyear person did not care about the 4th tire I showed him, he said it was made in USA but was surprised when I pointed out the made in China label. Next he told me that the factory in China makes excellent tires. This tire is the same one that I posted a picture of previously. In my opinion that is a defective tire, it is coming apart just like the other three did. 100% failure rate in less than 2 years. My Airstream is in the shop at this time getting the damage repaired that was caused by the defective Goodyear tire.

SteveSueMac · 06-28-2015, 05:19 AM

Isn't a Classic very heavy? The GYMs I had on my Flying Cloud were in theory capable of 10,000# capacity on a 6000# trailer so tons of headroom. I'm not one of the tire experts here but i would think if your trailer pushes at the weight capacity boundaries, driving over Goodyear's stated 65 mph limit compounds the likelihood of a failure. The 16" Michelins you're looking at should have enough weight capacity and a higher speed limit to accommodate your style of driving. But I'd also recommend staying under 65 even with the new sneakers 😃

Good luck!

**jcanavera** · 06-28-2015, 05:26 AM

Any ST tire built today has a 65 mpg speed rating. That rating is based on the tires ability to dissipate heat while rolling. So while you can keep pressures up to properly carry your trailer's load, speeds over may cause excessive heat which can will ultimately lead to failure. Keep in mind the heat build up is naturally caused by the flexing of a tire while it rolls plus air and road surface temperatures. The faster the tire rolls the more heat is generated. If you notice Airstream notes that you can tow with a tandem axle trailer on three wheels if you lose a tire, but keeping the speed down to 45 mph. One of the reasons is because a that speed rating has another component which is the load factor. According to a tire safety class that I attended, a slower turning tire can actually carry a load that is higher than its max capacity, if the speed is reduced. Less flexing means less heat. Towing with a missing tire means that the single tire is most likely carrying more that it's max capacity. If one would plot a tires capacity on a graph, you would see a downward slope as tire speeds increase. That's why if you drive fast, the LT tire is a better choice. Heat is your major issue. You generate it by speed based on flexing of the tire. You also affect the amount of flex based on inflation pressure.

Jack

CapriRacer · 06-28-2015, 06:24 AM

OK, so now we have an explanation for the failures - too fast.

2 thoughts: It appears there are lots of folks you are not getting the word about the speed limitation on ST tires. It ought to come from a) the trailer manufacturer (unless they have done something to make it a moot point, like over-size the tires), and from b) the tire manufacturer, who ought to put the info in large letters on the sidewall - and perhaps a sticker that should be handed to the purchaser.

Also, we are talking about a fatigue type failure. These types of failures occur as a result of many miles worth of travel, followed by a sequence of events that leads to a catastrophic failure - ergo, you can years of good service, then what appears to be a sudden failure.

ROBERT CROSS · 06-28-2015, 07:13 AM

"My Airstream is in the shop at this time getting the damage repaired that was caused by the defective Goodyear tire."

I would agree with CR that speed was a important factor.
Un-related defects not withstanding.

"Airstream customer service told me they do not have a speed limit on the trailer."

The speed of the trailer is limited by the rating of the tire, a constant, and common sense....a variable.

...GYM, 12 yrs, 2 sets, one nail.

AWCHIEF · 06-28-2015, 07:40 AM

Observation
Some seem proud of driving to fast for the GYMs and can not understand why they fail. Instead of blaming the product or the country of origin how about taking personal responsibility.

PaulnGina · 06-28-2015, 07:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

"My Airstream is in the shop at this time getting the damage repaired that was caused by the defective Goodyear tire."

"Airstream customer service told me they do not have a speed limit on the trailer."

The speed of the trailer is limited by the rating of the tire, a constant, and common sense....a variable.

...GYM, 12 yrs, 2 sets, one nail.

I would say that speed, over time, was THE cause, not a "defective Goodyear Marathon".

If Airstream is telling their customers that they do not have a speed limit for their trailers, I hope they retrain those folks. Just like any vehicle with tires on it, the upper speed limit IS affected by the tire's capability. Thus, the speed ratings on tires. Put S-rated tires on your super-duper sports car, drive 130 mph, and I would expect you'll have tire problems, but not because the tires are "defective". The tires were used past their design limits.

Common sense is a huge variable.

kscherzi · 06-28-2015, 09:08 AM

Imagine dealing with a blowout and sway at 85 mph.

paiceman · 06-28-2015, 09:53 AM

We switched on trailer to Michelin 16" and when we ordered this new one we ordered from the factory with Michelin 16" because I like to usually drive the speed limit or close to it. If it's 70 I most often go 70, if above that I generally stay around 70. I know the ST tire limits and know they eventually will fail. We have had Goodyear STs, and adhered to speed restrictions with no issues.

Good luck

Jaxon · 06-28-2015, 10:03 AM

You're towing a 30' Classic at 80-85mph and then wonder why all 4 of your tires had failed?!!

I was just in Ft. Davis a couple weeks ago and on the way there on I-10, was passes by a guy towing his behemoth 5th wheel doing 80-85 (I was racing along at 60). I mean, this guy flew by me... This was outside Ft. Stockton. Anyway... as I was turning into the state park in Ft. Davis, the guy in the 5'ver had just pulled into the park ahead of me.

You're lucky nothing bad happened other than blown tires because towing a heavy Classic at those speeds doesn't give you much reaction time to compensate...

...

Ag&Au · 06-28-2015, 10:41 AM

I am a firm believer in operating with a safety buffer in most things I do. I also believe there is adequate documentation here and elsewhere in the RV world, that GYMs and, to varying degrees, all ST tires are closer to failure than a properly loaded LT tire at any speed. I have had two GYM's fail. both on other travel trailers, and road hazards were the cause. I attribute my good fortune of not having more ST failures to adhering to the speed limit published for them and using a TPMS after the first two.

However common sense, research, and observation tells me that trailer tires are designed with a much smaller safety margin, because they are not going to be hauling humans. The fallacy in this reasoning by the agencies that regulate tires is failing to acknowledge that humans are in the vehicle that is pulling the trailer. A trailer tire failure can and at times does draw the tow vehicle into an unexpected uncontrollable maneuver that results in human injury or death.

I prefer to drive over 65MPH without worrying all the time about the tires. Therefore I opted to use Michelin LT tires. In practice when speed limits and road/traffic conditions allow, we drive between 70 and 75. Safety and controllability are the limiting factors not tires, However I like knowing that I can exceed that speed for short periods if necessary. (for instance to complete the passing of another vehicle in an more expeditious manner).

Ken

dwlee6 · 06-28-2015, 05:56 PM

I have a 1985 34' triple axle. Will 16" LT tires fit in the wheel wells and not interfere between the axles? I presume the 225/75R16? I have 245/75R16 Michelin LTX on my tow vehicle (diesel E350 Ford) and have been very happy with their performance.

Have had the Goodyear Marathon ST's for years and never had a problem other than they eventually wore out the tread. Trailer weighs in about 9400 most of the time.

See my previous post for some pictures http://www.airforums.com/forums/f448...ccd-34487.html

Bill M. · 06-28-2015, 06:19 PM

I think we can all agree that you need to update to the 16" wheels and better tires.

SteveSueMac · 06-28-2015, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill M.

I think we can all agree that you need to update to the 16" wheels and better tires.

Not necessarily 😃

6 Marathons will support 15,000# and at 9400 - that's a lot of capacity. The experience reported on the trailer has been fine.

It seems like the 2 top things popping GYMs are tight loading (near, at or over capacity) and over-speeding given their 65 mph limit.

It's possible that used with a lot of headroom and in speed limits imposed on the ST tire, they could be very serviceable.

Plus - the tire experts on this forum have often talked about the complex things that happen with tires in a tri-axle - that ST construction might be best suited for a triple.

(Yes, I swapped my GYMs for the p-rated Michelins - but I wouldn't recommend that for everyone...).