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Old 02-09-2013, 11:16 AM   #361
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We are now nearing 40,000 miles on Lucy's 16" Michelins, which were installed at Jackson Center in 2010. They show almost no wear and rarely need any pressure adjustment. This has been the best upgrade that Lucy has ever received. Lucy's ST tires used to be a major concern. Now they are almost a non issue.

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Old 02-09-2013, 12:47 PM   #362
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I think people have had trouble with Marathons no matter where they were made. I think it is sometimes fair to assume Chinese made anything is not made well, but that is not always true—iPads are made in China and they are pretty problem free.

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I would venture a guess that a tire that is more expensive in general will be better built no matter where it is built. The more expensive tire (and one could insert anything here) will allow for less user upkeep and lack of general care. A rolling tire that sits for very long periods of time and then is subjected to nearly max load condition under hot temps isn't like your daily driver that gets used every day under far less than max load.

Vehicle manufactures are in business to sell vehicles. Tires are just a piece of that total package. And vehicle manufactures are really looking for something round, black and cheap that is rated for the job. BTW the first two features could be optional. The issue with a less expensive tire that is rated to do the max load is no room for less than ideal conditions.

Let the tire sit for 3 years of non-use
Operate the tire at less than full pressure
Kiss a curb or other road hazard
Over load the RV
Or load the RV unevenly
Drive faster than the speed rating of the tire

And now the tire combination that had a small to no load margin is preforming a job that it was not rated for and fails. Tires are not a set it and forget it item. I have had cheap tires and expensive ones. In my opinon the expensive ones allow the user to get away with neglect.

I have a 16 year old boat trailer that I bought new with 14" rims and the largest tire with the max load for that size only allows for a very small margin of loading error. Came that way from the dealership. Understanding this has been my biggest tool as to keeping these tires from failing. I could go to 15" rim and move to a higher load rated tire. This would give more margin and I could neglect the tire care more. I have elected not to do so and have not had any tire failures like I did in the first 5 years of use.

Just my experience.

Action
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Old 02-09-2013, 05:59 PM   #363
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Vehicle manufacturers want round black and cheap? You must be kidding. If that were true, Cooper tires would be on many if not most vehicles. And i wouldn't be on 60,000 plus miles on my original set of Continentials.
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Old 02-09-2013, 07:22 PM   #364
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Is anyone selling their 15" Alcoa wheels?
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Old 02-10-2013, 02:19 AM   #365
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My tires are an inch more in diameter, raising the trailer 1/2". We use the spare to rotate with the other tires. Thus the set of 5 should last 20% longer than a set of 4. I don't know what happens when you have smaller tire on—does it change how the axle works, carry less weight thus putting more on the other tire on the same side? When you have only one tire on one side, the remaining one is carrying twice the weight, so you can't go very far that way.

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I certainly hope they last 20% longer...you paid 20% more!
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Old 02-10-2013, 08:19 AM   #366
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I certainly hope they last 20% longer...you paid 20% more!
If you want to talk about the math, when buying 5 tires instead of 4 you are paying 25% more. However when you buy 4 tires instead of 5, you are paying 20% less.

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Old 02-10-2013, 08:24 AM   #367
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Is anyone selling their 15" Alcoa wheels?

Yes, I am, PM me as I am in Pleasanton, Tx right now.

Pap
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Old 02-10-2013, 08:41 AM   #368
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If you want to talk about the math, when buying 5 tires instead of 4 you are paying 25% more. However when you buy 4 tires instead of 5, you are paying 20% less.

Ken
I bought 4 new 16" wheels/tires and kept the 15" spare, after talking to Airstream Service Center. They install four new 16" tires or all five if the customer prefers.

doug k
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Old 02-10-2013, 08:57 AM   #369
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I bought 4 new 16" wheels/tires and kept the 15" spare, after talking to Airstream Service Center. They install four new 16" tires or all five if the customer prefers.

doug k
I bought 5 tires and wheels. Now the question is: How conscientious will I be about rotating them. I can't figure out why I am always the weak link in the equation. It must to have something to do with this new fuzzy math. Since I bought them at the local Discount Tire (about a mile away from here), they will do it for free. I just need to remember to take it to them.

Ken
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Old 02-10-2013, 09:19 AM   #370
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I just bought a 2006 Safari SE (25-footer), which comes with 14" tires. I'd rather have 16" rims and have more tire selections to choose from. I didn't think it was possible to convert to 16" rims/tires ... please advise. Thanks.
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Old 02-10-2013, 09:22 AM   #371
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I bought 4 new 16" wheels/tires and kept the 15" spare, after talking to Airstream Service Center. They install four new 16" tires or all five if the customer prefers.

doug k
Doug, what did the service center tell you that made you decide to stay with the 15" spare?
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Old 02-10-2013, 09:28 AM   #372
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You have to do a lot of traveling to wear out 5 Michelins because the tread lasts so long, but eventually they age out. But the alternative is either to keep a 15" for a spare (not a good idea) or get a steel 16" wheel and a cheap tire for a spare. I do rotate them, but since they wear so evenly, it is hard to pick the wheel to change. I live 75 miles from Discount, so it is too far to pop over.

As for percentages, in 3 years with Michelins we have travelled somewhere between 25,000 and 30,000 miles and the tires are doing well. It looks like we'll get 60,000 out of them, about the same as Michelins on motor vehicles. We might get more because there are no drive wheels on a trailer and those are the ones that wear the most. This could bring us up against the 5 year rule—conventional wisdom says don't keep a tire after 5 years, but Michelin says 7 (I believe). Conventional wisdom is that conventional wisdom may be a myth.

Gene
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Old 02-10-2013, 09:32 AM   #373
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I just bought a 2006 Safari SE (25-footer), which comes with 14" tires. I'd rather have 16" rims and have more tire selections to choose from. I didn't think it was possible to convert to 16" rims/tires ... please advise. Thanks.
I thought the newer model Safari 25's all came with 15" wheels. There is a nameplate somewhere on the trailer that tells the OEM tire size. Your 14" wheels may not be what the trailer was first sold with. I believe there are a number of Safari 25's owners on the Airforum that have upgraded to 16" wheels and tires (look through this thread). I plan to go with the 16" wheels when it is time to change tires on my AS.
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Old 02-10-2013, 11:38 AM   #374
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Borealis, that is unusual. I think you should look up the tires on the manufacturer's website and see what weight they will support. They may not be good enough for your trailer. The rear bed and front bed 25's in '08 were pretty much the same, though the rear bed GVWR was 300 lbs. less. That doesn't seem like enough difference to justify 14" wheels.

Gene
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Old 02-10-2013, 11:42 AM   #375
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I just bought a 2006 Safari SE (25-footer), which comes with 14" tires. I'd rather have 16" rims and have more tire selections to choose from. I didn't think it was possible to convert to 16" rims/tires ... please advise. Thanks.
Do your 14" wheels have 5 or 6 lug bolts?

Ken
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Old 02-10-2013, 01:37 PM   #376
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Doug, what did the service center tell you that made you decide to stay with the 15" spare?
Bud, as I said they would install four or five wheels as preferred by the customer, and have done it both ways with no objections. I don't want to say they approve or disapprove it.

Personally, as a spare I do not see the need for another new wheel/tire in the rare event the Michelin goes flat (I'm still waiting to read of a Michelin failure in this application). If it does, the spare will get us to tire service and then some I'm sure. (Didn't I read somewhere three tires on a tandem axle Airstream will suffice if needed to get help, slowly I suppose.)

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Old 02-10-2013, 01:55 PM   #377
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(Didn't I read somewhere three tires on a tandem axle Airstream will suffice if needed to get help, slowly I suppose.)

doug k
Very slowly. You are overloading the other tire on that side by a lot. I did have to drive on 3 wheels for a mile when a wheel bearing failed.

With a 15" spare, I suppose the wheel would drop down to the ground, but wouldn't carry much weight.

Gene
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Old 02-10-2013, 02:06 PM   #378
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Hi, I was shocked, but I believe that 25' Safaris made in 2003 and earlier had 14" wheels, 5 lug nuts, and 10" drum brakes. As for where the Marathons are made, I had two Canadian Marathons develop sidewall bubbles after about three years of use. And I had the other two Canadian Marathons start to separate after about seven years use. So far, My Chinese Marathons have had no problems.
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Old 02-10-2013, 02:06 PM   #379
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Hi Dwight, I just took 6 15" Wheels off my 97 34' classic. They are the exact same wheel that came on the Classic limited. They have brand new Marathons on them only 500 miles on the tires. I'm in Arlington, TX if you would like to see them. The reason for the change is that I too went with 16" wheels and Michelins.
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Old 02-10-2013, 02:40 PM   #380
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Hi, I was shocked, but I believe that 25' Safaris made in 2003 and earlier had 14" wheels, 5 lug nuts, and 10" drum brakes.
Robert, my 02 Safari 25 came with 6 lug, 15" wheels. It must have been before 02 when the Safari 25 came with 14" wheels. I don't know.
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