Tire Replacement/Up grade...

[carlose]

Have a 30', 2010 Flying Cloud. Need advise on replacing tires, have 7000 miles on current tires, hit some serious potholes and ruts on last trip. Concerned with durability and safety with stock tires.
Thanks, Happy so far with Flying Cloud...

[moosetags]

Welcome! there are quite a few threads here on replacement tires for the Goodyear Marathons.

I will share my story with. We bought a 2005 Safari 25FB new in 2006. Her name is Lucy, and we use her a lot (990 nights/90,000 miles).

The original Marathons lasted about 10,000 miles before we experienced three separate catastrophic failures at highway speeds. There was no damage to Lucy, fortunately.

We then went through two sets of Maxxis E's. The were no catastrophic failures, but tread separation at 27K on the first set and 14K on the second set.

At that point, we bit the bullet and and took Lucy to Jackson Center and got her a set of new 16" wheels and Michelin LT's. That was 25,00o miles ago with no problems.

Brian

[casa3805]

For the most comprehensive info you will ever get, read thru this thread.
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f438...res-16506.html
It started 5 years ago and is still ongoing. You need some time to get thru it all but it will be well worth the visit. I just finished installing my new 16 inch BF Goodrich Commercial TA 225/75R/16's and new rims as a result of reading it. Everything you will ever want to learn about your tires is in this one thread.

Happy hunting!

[Jammer]

Chuck,

I reread through the entire thread you linked and found few facts other than some success stories from people who have switched to 16" rims and LT tires.

After reading many tire threads here and on other broader forums, I have drawn three conclusions:

1. The anecdotal reports of multiple tire failures come almost exclusively from people living and driving in Florida, Texas, Arizona, Mexico, and a few other places where ambient temperatures are high.

2. Trailer manufacturers install more Goodyear Marathons on new trailers than any other tire. Consequently, people who experience tire failures on a trailer are prone to blame Goodyear. Human nature when the failure involves a product they didn't choose. There is no statistically valid evidence to suggest that Goodyear Marathons fail more often than other brands, or that they fail more often that LT type tires, given similar use cases. Trailer and marine dealers do not report any more problems with Marathons than any other brand.

3. People who have switched to 16" rims and LT type tires have had good results and generally speak well of the modification they have made. On the other hand, people who stay with 15" rims, who install new ST type radial tires, from Goodyear or a competitor, also speak well of their experience, though they are less inclined to post about it.

I am happy with my stock Goodyear Marathons and plan to replace them with more Goodyear Marathons when they reach the end of their service life. Given that I drive around 2,000 miles a year, store my trailer indoors, and we have cold winters here, I do not expect that replacement will be necessary until the tires are 10 years old.

[casa3805]

Originally Posted by Jammer

Chuck,

I reread through the entire thread you linked and found few facts other than some success stories from people who have switched to 16" rims and LT tires.
...
I am happy with my stock Goodyear Marathons and plan to replace them with more Goodyear Marathons when they reach the end of their service life. Given that I drive around 2,000 miles a year, store my trailer indoors, and we have cold winters here, I do not expect that replacement will be necessary until the tires are 10 years old.

Freedom of choice is a wonderful thing.
And I sure wish I could store mine indoors, I'm jealous.