tire crisis anybody have an opinion about gladiator 10 ply?

[anami]

So i ordered the maaxis m8008 tires from a local tire place and went to pick them up as scheduled, they were unexpectedly closed So today i call to make sure they are going to actually be opened this saterday as i leave for a trip on the 28th and still have a fridge install to finish up and a new ac unit going on, plus a new waterpump for my truck, no time for repeated jaunts to closed tire shops! SO when i called today i was informed that Maaxix is out of tires and will not make any more until enough are ordered They say this could take up to 45 days! after some moments of being stunned that they didnt call to tell my the tires were not here two tuesdays ago as planned i have decided to go somewhere where they have enough concideration to tell a customer that their special order is on back order.

So my options are to wait for the other tire company to get likely the same response from maaxis or go with what they reccommend and have in stock, which are Gladiator 10ply special trailer tires.

Anyone have these? love these hate these have love stories have horror stories? if so please let me know, i am almost out of time!


Thanks in advance

[overlander63]

10 ply tires are a bit much for your trailer. Is there any reason you don't want Marathons? At least you can get them.

[wingfoot321]

I would guess that your 31footer is around 6500-7000lbs. You don't need that much tire.

The new rating system is load range C or D or E. I have lost touch with where the 10 ply falls into the new scheme. A load range D is more than enough tire for your trailer.

2540# x 4 tires - tongue weight = 10,160 - 750-1000lbs or 7500# (with gear) / 9160lbs = 82% of maximum load.

I wonder who is out of tires? Maxxis or the dealer ? Never heard of such a thing.

[silverback]

But I did buy a set of M8008 STs for our trailer. Believe they were the 8 ply version. I would try another dealer.

[rustyrivet]

This is a very interesting post. I just ordered a set of Maxxis 8008's two day ago through a local tire shop. He called the warehouse while I was in the shop, and they verified they had them in inventory and gave him a price on them. He indicated that I should have them by friday...tomorrow. It will be interesting to see if they arrive. Mine were smaller tires: 215/75/14's but still Maxxis. As far as the question about Marathons, I have spent a considerable amount of time on the internet the last few months researching tires and read just too many bad reports of blowouts and separations with Marathons. The tires that I am replacing are Marathons. I have had no blowouts or separations on them but the sidewalls have some hairline cracks in them. They (all 4) were made in the 3rd week of 04. I had already decided to replace them due to age, when I discovered the cracks. I know there are a lot of satisfied Marathon users and I know Airstream puts them on their trailers; mine are the originals. But I simply cannot ignore all the postings( Just Google "Goodyear Marathons") and you can read for hours) I have read over the past few months. I would not feel safe on the Marathons at this point and that is the bottom line. Hope my Maxxis come in. jc

[anami]

ok, so no marathons for me because noone in my area carrys them, heard mixed reponses about them and they cost a lot. As for maaxix being out of tires, i dont think they are completely out of tires just the m8008 in size 225 r15.

yes 10ply is more than i need but it is what the only tire dealer in town who hasnt done me wrong (after that one incident 15 years ago) has on the shelf and i am quickly running out of time for special orders.

Also if every place has to order the m8008 or marathons if i have a warrenty issue on the road, i cant get the same tire to replace the fail.

So basically since the last place didnt tell me my tire of choice was back ordered i am now having to pick between what the folks in my town have on the shelf. towmaster and dyna trail which i have heard bad things about both or these gladiators. Never have heard of gladiators but guy at the shop says hes sold hundreds without a single one coming back on warranty. Checked out the site and the tires are specially designed to ride nice with reduced tire wear and designed to run cooler than other tires, which as i am heading out into one of the harshest desert enviroments in 15 days appeals to me greatly

i am pretty sure they are D rated tires but i forgot to ask and will call to do so in the morning...

[unclemax]

Hey guys,
man, we must be brain faxing or something, i just called discount tire this morning to order a set of Maxxis 8008ST ST215/75R-14" for my 07 CCD 16' Bambi, replacing a set of Marathons that were original. Just like jc I too have been webcrawling non stop and have found nothing but bad news on the marathons, but I know some folks swear by them. I had one die on me last week on the way home from camping in the high mountains of CO, three years old but they were ready to go, so im replacing them. All the tire guys in town tried to talk me into another set of Marathons, but admitted that they didnt know much about towing, let alone Airstreams. The discount guy i ordered from tried to sell me carlyles, but when i ordered the Maxxis he said no problem, they should be here in 5 days or so and he said the tires should have a manufacture date of 2009. So lets see if they show up!
Bob at RDM16CCD has been helping educate me and has me thinking about a tire pressure monitoring system like the PressurePro. Expensive, but it might help with the Idiot-Factor (I get so excited towing the Bambi that I drive like an idiot and forget to check the tire pressure!) I'd be interested to hear how other Streamers do with the Maxxis tires, so keep posting.
thanks,
Max

[Not Done]

The dealer recommending 10-ply may not intend to steer you wrongly but 10 ply is too stiff for something (i.e. your AS) made with aluminum rivets. If the choice this dealer offers is between the wrong tire and no tire I'd go elsewhere. This is my second trailer with les schwab Towmax, never had a problem other than to insist I want them balanced.

[jcanavera]

I would echo the comment that the E rated tires might be a case of over kill. The M8008 also comes in a D rated version, same size, that is 8 ply rated. You might check back with your dealer to see if these are in stock.

I'm using the E rated 8008 only because of the weight penalty that my slide out carries. It's the heaviest trailer that Airstream makes on a tandem axle. I'm typically carrying a load in excess of 8,200 lbs. While the D rated tire can handle that load, I like having the extra margin of capacity. Especially on those outings when I'm carrying 60 gallons of fresh water.

As far as finding Maxxis when on the road, that's probably the biggest challenge we all will have to deal with. I couldn't find anyone in the St. Louis area carrying them (other than the motorcycle line of tires). We ended up getting them from a dealer about 150 miles southwest of here. Luckily my neighbor's headquarters office is there and he picked them up for me. If the tires perform, then service on the road won't be an issue since in 2 years I will have hit the 5 year mark and it will be time for replacement.

Jack

[SilverRanger]

I get excited while towing my Bambi, too. The PressurePro sure makes it easy to check your tire pressure. Just a touch of a button.

[silverback]

I got our Maxxis M8008s through Discount tire (here in AZ) too. And I also just bought a Pressure Pro. Got a great deal on that from Costco online.
-KL

[sempi2]

Originally Posted by silverback

I got our Maxxis M8008s through Discount tire (here in AZ) too. And I also just bought a Pressure Pro. Got a great deal on that from Costco online.
-KL

On the tires and/or the Pressure Pro?

[silverback]

Discount Tire for the Maxxis and Costco for the Pressure Pro. Sorry for any confusion.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, I'm still running Marathons, only because I thought I could get two of them warranteed. [want to keep all tires the same] Wrong, but deep down in, I knew that trying to get a warranty on tires is like pulling hen's teeth; Vertually non existant in the tire business. [I bought two new tires, Marathons] My belief and opinion, at this time, is that Marathon failures are in line with shear numbers of them on the road. I also believe that if I need a new trailer tire while on the road that a matching Marathon will be easier to find. My two tires were starting to get a small bubble on the sidewall and were removed before actual failure. Goodyear's excuse for not honoring the warranty was that they said I ran over something. I, now laugh, when I hear that a tire dealer said they never warranteed a certain tire. That doesn't mean that there were no problems with these tires, it just means what they told you, "We haven't warranteed any of these." Therefore they are not lying.

[anami]

So with the maaxis i'm not saying all dealers in the us that carry maaxix tires are out. im saying the factory where they are made are out but probably only in the 225 r15 size, while luckily for some of you they are not seemingly out of other sizes

What i am saying is that in my town the dealers have to order them Another tire dealer is going to call maaxis in the morning to double check the othr dealers story that they are out. If i can get the maaxis, that is what i will do. Going out of town is out of the question for a couple reasons,
1. i work full time and im leaving in 15 days. The ac unit is on the grass with the credenza and the fridge side wall. The fridge is in but not hooked up electrically. i fixed all of the leaks in the precision temp 500 that the last P.O. sadly let get taken by a freeze, on a hope and a prayer that when i try it it will work then ill probably have to order and install a new one with a silly ol' tank and various additional small projects plus packing.

2. i feel lucky i got this thing here without killing myself on these old cracked PASSENGER tires. im nervouse to go the mile to a local shop, im not towing it to another town

So i have availiable locally towmaster and gladiator. The gladiators talk a good game as far as features. i like that they are designed to run cooler and resist wear therefore last longer, but i do wish they came in an 8 ply and if they are E as opposed to D im not going to buy them. Who knows maybe the last dealer didnt follow up and when the new place im using calls in the morning they will have more of the m8008, that so many reccommend, in my size

[AirHeadsRus]

If Towmaster's are available, put them on, go camping and have fun.
Just MHO,
Joe

[Beginner]

If Pmetric and LT tires had the same failure rate that the ST has you wouldn't be able to pull over to the sholder when yours failed for the others sitting there that have already failed.
ST tires are 65 MPH tires and those of us with the larger tandem axle trailers (30 and 31 ft) that load the D rated ST tires close to 1/2 their rated capacity have the lions share of the problems.
We don't need tires with more capacity (the E rated ST tires have extra plys but are made of the same sorry rubber compounds as the LRDs and C are) we need better tires. The only overall indication of a tires ability to withstand heat build up is the Speed Rating. With our driving habits today a 65 MPH tire is inadequate. Wuld I put a ST tire on a utility trailer that goes around town or a boat trailer that goes from the yard to the ramp (mayabe 5 miles one way at best and never over 45 mph) of course I would, their inexpensive by comparison, but for a trailer that goes down the interstate at 60 MPH plus on 95 degree days for hours on end you need a tire built with rubber compounds designed to withstand heat.
By comparison of avaliability, you can get either BF Goodrich or Michelin XPS Ribs (16 inch wheel required) just about anywhere, and they carry a Speed Rating of 99 MPH.
Beginner

[Foiled Again]

I fulltime. My personal story is that I save so much by fulltiming that (within reason) I'm willing to pay premium prices for higher quality goods and services. Therefore to me Michelins aren't out of the question as trailer tires... and I'm due for new tires. 15K miles per year on the trailer = need good tires. I can't expect the highest quality for $50 per tire.

If you use your Airstream 3 to 8 times a season and put 1000-2000 miles on your trailer every year, get cheap Chinese tires or Marathons, or whatever. You're never going to wear them out... they'll dry rot first. DO allow an extra hour for travel and DO keep your speed below 65 mph. Just consider your slower drive and extra time as "the cost of doing business".

Tis foolish to put $700 worth of tires on a rig that will never get any substantial mileage, or see an interstate.

Just my 2 cents.

Paula

[HiHoAgRV]

Originally Posted by overlander63

...Marathons? At least you can get them.

Humm, A pal of mine is a non-stocking distributor for GoodYear and offered this week to get Marathons for my 34' at his cost.

He can't get them for the next 4 weeks because "they" are out of them .

[Ins. Man]

I'm not sure just how old my Marathons are. Where on the tire do I find the manufactured date? I only tow the trailer 2000 to 3000 miles per year but I bought it 3 summers ago with these tires on it and am concerned.
Thanks