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Old 07-23-2012, 01:42 PM   #1
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Tires Again (recommendations?)

We need to get some new tires for our 25' 2005 CCD. I have read the many posts on issues with Good Year Marathon tires and a common suggestion to go to 15" Michelin LTX or to change the wheels and go to the 16" choices.

Our trailer was new to us in December. Prior to our ownership the PO did have some kind of tire failure as he replaced one of the GYM tires with Thunderer (any one ever heard of that brand?). We haven't had any trouble with it.

I have a couple of questions and hope someone can give me some insight:

1. Are people still seeing catastrophic failure in new GYM tires? Do owners of 2010 to current trailers, or anyone that recently replaced their GYM tires with new GYM tires still show those failures? Has quality improved? Stuff from China is much better that is used to be, but I haven't heard about recent tires.

2. For those who have switched to the LT or LTX tires Michelin (or other brands), have there been any failures? I have read many comments about how much they are liked. And comments on how Discount Tire and other main stream tire stores won't put them on a trailer. But nothing about a failure. Is the success using those non TL tires perfect?

Thanks again,
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Old 07-23-2012, 01:51 PM   #2
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Good questions.

Many old posts being quoted on GYM's failure rate to justify replacing them. Meantime they have been made in China, Canada, USA, and then China again.

We need to know if the new ones are failing at the same rate as old before ditching what may or may not be a perfectly good tire.

doug k

FWIW we had no GYM problems and no routine air loss on our 2007 and 2012 Airstreams.
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Old 07-23-2012, 02:13 PM   #3
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Switching to 16" Michelins was one of the best things I've ever done.
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Old 07-23-2012, 02:14 PM   #4
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I am not a popular voice on this subject but I will let you know my opinion...
I believe that Goodyear has corrected whatever issues plagued their Chinese manufactured Marathons. I have had conversations with people within the industry who's opinion I trust. Goodyear was aware of the issue and has acted to fix it! Airstreams largest US dealers service manager agrees with me and he sees more of these tires than any of us!
I believe that any tire can fail and in fact our trailer was delivered with a faulty Marathon that I discovered and had replaced.
I do this (auto repair) for a living and believe me it happens.....
I am leaving our Marathons on the trailer!
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Old 07-23-2012, 02:19 PM   #5
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My 2 cents - we have a 2011 23" int'l. with GYMs and have had no issues of any kind. They were made in China and maybe, as others have suggested, problems have been addressed.

John S.
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Old 07-23-2012, 02:21 PM   #6
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Bruce you are a brave man. Jim
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Old 07-23-2012, 02:27 PM   #7
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We went full circle with this issue when we replaced out GYM's last year. My Wife and I felt that if Goodyears were a bad thing, Airstream would have changed to something else. We decided to stick with the Marathons and only time will tell if it was a good decision or not.
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Old 07-23-2012, 02:28 PM   #8
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I put 15" Michlen LT tires on my trailer 4 years and about 40,000 miles ago. They have been perfect. No wear, no monthly air loss, no worries. Been to Alaska and back once and to the west coast and back once. I have a 25' that puts 5800 lbs on the axle hitched. The tires are rated for 1950 or so lbs each at 50 psi. I thought that was a nice safety margin. I live very near a Sears store. I had Sears mount and balance the tires 1 at a time and I installed them on the trailer. Sears could not get the trailer in their shop.

But, when a bought a 32' trailer 3 years ago I had to get tires to move it and I had a local guy come put 4 GYM on it and pack the bearings in place before I moved it. The trailer was rated at about 8000 lbs, and it sits and only gets towed a couple of hunderd miles a year, so I thought the GYM would be better for that. Have had no trouble with them either. The do lose air faster than the Michlens. One lost a lot of air early on, but it turned out to be corrosion on the rim. At 65 psi these are rated at 2400, but the problem is the risk of failure due to a bad tire. I do not know if there is any way of knowing if the problems are fixed. I would almost think so. GYmust be aware of the situation and they are a big company. On the other hand if the LT tires will carry the weight they are very good.
I know one guy that was a tire designer for GY and did some work for them in China. I noticed he was running American made GY LT tires on his trailer.
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Old 07-23-2012, 02:53 PM   #9
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Bruce you are a brave man. Jim
Not brave just informed!

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Old 07-23-2012, 03:24 PM   #10
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Run a google search on "Goodyear Marathon problems" and you will see the phrase catastrophic failure over and over.Hmmmmm
I paid way to much for a Airstream travel trailer vs the other brands.And I like it enough to put 16 inch wheels and Michelin tires and have never looked back. I have been in the automobile business for 37 years and I have learned that when you see a repeated failure on tires you run away.
Tires are kind of important.
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Old 07-23-2012, 03:38 PM   #11
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Run a google search on "Goodyear Marathon problems" and you will see the phrase catastrophic failure over and over.Hmmmmm
I paid way to much for a Airstream travel trailer vs the other brands.And I like it enough to put 16 inch wheels and Michelin tires and have never looked back. I have been in the automobile business for 37 years and I have learned that when you see a repeated failure on tires you run away.
Tires are kind of important.
I have said it before.... No tire is made like a Michelin. It is the safe choice! As long as the tire was designed for the actual use and it is maintained properly you are good.
I also have noted that there certainly were issues with the Marathons and I'd bet that 2007 was ground zero for the problem. I also know that the "issue" has been addressed and that no manufacturer has a 100% success record. I believe that an informed careful owner is the best preventative of failure.
The internet says lots of things! Some are true even....
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Old 07-23-2012, 03:44 PM   #12
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At this point after belt separations on 2 of my 4 E rated Maxxis tires, I'm not convinced that many of the issues we are dealing with aren't related to ST tires regardless of manufacturer rather than any of the current specific brands. In both my failure situations, the tires failed at the end of year 3 or within year 3. Pressures are maintained and the trailer is stored indoors. It's not used frequently so maybe lack of use also caused premature failure. Whatever it is, I'm one who made the jump to 16" LT tires and wheels. Just got the wheels and tires on over the weekend and hoping that this is the answer. I have to consider myself fortunate in in both cases I caught the failures while in the driveway at home and not on the road.

Attached is an example of my current failure. Note the taller tire which is next to a tire that hasn't failed.

Jack
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Old 07-23-2012, 04:10 PM   #13
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I ran a set of GYM for 10 years and thousands of miles. I never had a problem but I was vigilant in checking tire pressure, inspecting tires, etc. I just replaced them with 15" Michelin's this summer. I saw no reason to go to 16". Only have a few hundred miles on the Michelin's but I feel much more secure with them. I have used Michelin's on all my vehicles for the past 40 years and have never had a problem. Even though my GYM were great I am not going to take the chance anymore. I tend to agree with Jack about ST tires as a whole.
Tom
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Old 07-23-2012, 04:19 PM   #14
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The Goodyear tire failure problem was allowed to exist far too long for anyone to ever trust Goodyear again. This is much like the Firestone 741s back in the 70s. When that problem showed up I went out and drill a 1/4 in. hole in the side of every one on our salesman's cars leaving no chance they would be repaired or sold used.

After my first Goodyear failed over 10 years ago I switched to Towmaster and when they went to China I switched to 16 and Michelin.

Some may be informed until they have their first failure at 65 mph then they are reborn.

One factor that most over look is the fact that LT tires are are not rated for the speeds that most of us drive on the open road.
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Old 07-23-2012, 04:29 PM   #15
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I took our new 2012 wheels/tires to Costco and had them put new Michelin LTX M/S2 235/75R15 on filled with nitrogen per forum recommendations, my preference as well. I also bought all new solid chrome lugs ($14 for all 24) to replace the cheap/defective ones from the factory.
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Old 07-23-2012, 04:56 PM   #16
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I have never heard of a Michelin tire failure on a trailer...has anyone else? In my 40 years of running Michelin's on a variety of vehicles I have never had a failure. One or two flats from a nail but no failures.
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Old 07-23-2012, 05:10 PM   #17
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Goodyear = Bad

Why Risk It ?

Goodyear made and sold a bunch of tires that blew out and caused lots of $$ in Damage.

Did Goodyear reimburse anyone for damages occured ?

Why buy anything from them,ever ?
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Old 07-23-2012, 05:17 PM   #18
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I have never heard of a Michelin tire failure on a trailer...has anyone else? In my 40 years of running Michelin's on a variety of vehicles I have never had a failure. One or two flats from a nail but no failures.
I install tires as a part of my business. I have seen new Michelin tires that do not pass a road force balance test (basically a bad new tire). It is pretty unusual but it happens.
Remember we see many hundreds of tires in the course of a year so even though my slice of the pie is tiny compared to a large tire dealer, or a manufacturer I see way more than someone who only has their personal vehicle tire experience to view.
No tire company is perfect, I still believe Michelin is one of the (if not the) best!
That is what I choose for my road vehicles.

I would be more concerned about the tire design being appropriate for the use.
I have not studied the trailer tire vs LT tire issue but before I switched I would want to understand the differences in the design. I am not certain how I'd go about that.....
Bruce
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Old 07-23-2012, 06:41 PM   #19
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I just replaced the GYM's after a damage causing blowout. I have this thing against replacing a manufacturer's product that failed with the same thing.
We looked at going to 15" tires (we have a 23' Safari) but it was too much moolah.
We ended up with Kumho radial 857's which are 14" and are rated for higher speeds and loads. I think they are a much higher quality tire but I am no expert. The look great, hopefully they will hold up. I would never trust GYM on a single axle.
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Old 07-23-2012, 07:07 PM   #20
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Bruce, I am no tire expert by any means and just go by experience. My understanding in the differences of a ST trailer tire and a LT tire is that the ST tire has a stiffer sidewall for pivoting a tire, as in while you are backing the trailer into a spot. I know that puts a lot of pressure on the bead at the rim. Don't know if that is true or not but that is my understanding.
Tom
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