Replace My Goodyear Marathons?

[SmokerBill]

I bought a brand new set of Marathons 2 years ago for my TT when I was in Kansas. I put about 5000 miles on them, then parked it at the RV park I'm at now. They've been sitting on asphalt, unmoved, for 16 months now. Tread looks good, and visually I see no bubbles or bumps on the inner or outer sidewalls.

I'm going to drive from NW Washington state to southern AZ in October, and have been wondering if the fact that the tires have sat in one position for so long could have compromised their integrity.

I'm tempted to buy a new set of Maxxis load range D tires and replace the marathons just for peace of mind.

So what do you think? Should I just go ahead and replace the Marathons, or do you think they will be OK and not separate or blow out on my trip. The original set served me well. I got 30K miles out of them with no problems.

If I decided to keep using the Marathons, I'd get a TPMS system so I could monitor them on the trip.

What should I do?

[Crabman]

Your trailer is similar to mine in length and weight, here`s what happened to one of my China Marathons but it was 5 years old at the time. Was not going fast or overloaded. I`ve got a set of the New Zealand Marathons on my boat trailer and they are 10 years old and still going......

http://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f1...out-23566.html

[SmokerBill]

Holy crap, Crabman! That's frightening! I know that the original Marathons were US made, and the new ones are China sourced.

[Crabman]

It aint pretty. Only thing saved my wheel well etc was it happened just before I made a turn and when I made the turn I was looking in the tow mirror and saw something was wrong. I had also just left the CG so speed/load/overheating were not to blame for sure.

[Ela1948]

I've had 2 sets of Marathons. One built in the USA and the last built in China. Both sets lost a tire at the 5 year mark. One to a blow out (USA), the other had steel showing, do to tread separation (china). I just bought the 3rd set of Marathons while on a trip to N. Carolina. I'm convinced that you are asking for trouble after 5 years if you don't change them out. All three of the undamaged tires on both sets looked fine but I've had enough body damage when I had a blow out to make me gun shy of stretching it any further.

[Ela1948]

Originally Posted by Crabman

Your trailer is similar to mine in length and weight, here`s what happened to one of my China Marathons but it was 5 years old at the time. Was not going fast or overloaded. I`ve got a set of the New Zealand Marathons on my boat trailer and they are 10 years old and still going......

http://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f1...out-23566.html

I replaced a set of off brand Chinese tires on my boat trailer last year that were 10 years old. I'm convinced the weight is the big difference and I do tow the FW a lot farther distances!! But the weight is the big killer!!

[Paintinfool3]

i went with maxxi e range on mine 10 ply... the d range always looked half flat to me even at full pressure

[clubhouse]

Originally Posted by SmokerBill

I bought a brand new set of Marathons 2 years ago for my TT when I was in Kansas. I put about 5000 miles on them, then parked it at the RV park I'm at now. They've been sitting on asphalt, unmoved, for 16 months now. Tread looks good, and visually I see no bubbles or bumps on the inner or outer sidewalls.

I'm going to drive from NW Washington state to southern AZ in October, and have been wondering if the fact that the tires have sat in one position for so long could have compromised their integrity.

I'm tempted to buy a new set of Maxxis load range D tires and replace the marathons just for peace of mind.

So what do you think? Should I just go ahead and replace the Marathons, or do you think they will be OK and not separate or blow out on my trip. The original set served me well. I got 30K miles out of them with no problems.

If I decided to keep using the Marathons, I'd get a TPMS system so I could monitor them on the trip.

What should I do?

Do you plan to stay put in AZ for a while? If you are looking at staying parked the majority of the year with only a trip or two to get from WA to AZ I would probably take my chances on 2 y/o marathons. Mainly because if you buy new Maxis, they might be a better time, but they too will be compromised if the essentially sit for 350 out of 365 days each year.

[us71na]

With that low mileage and age I would think they would be okay. My Marathons are 4 years old and have a;most twice that mileage and still look good. When the trailer was inspected this month, the mechanic said the tires look good, but have some uneven wear so I should consider replacing them next year.

[max2bob]

if you do decide to replace them discount tire has a 100 dollar mail in rebate on the maxxis tires 225/75/16 10 ply on their e bay store through august 31st. I have bought tires from discount tire a few times and have always been very please and I get them in 3 days or so. a set would be 464 dollars with shipping.

[Jack 56]

I went through two sets of marathons on my old travel trailer due to tread separation and one blowout. I asked a local tire dealer what to do. He told me that he has seen a lot of marathon tread separation problems and recommended an off brand chinese tire. I put those on and did not have any more issues. Now I have a pinnacle fifth wheel with Blowmax (Towmax) tires. I upgraded the fifth wheel tires and wheels to load range H. My fifth wheel gross vehicle weight is 15,950 pounds.

[norty1]

Originally Posted by Jack 56

I went through two sets of marathons on my old travel trailer due to tread separation and one blowout. I asked a local tire dealer what to do. He told me that he has seen a lot of marathon tread separation problems and recommended an off brand chinese tire. I put those on and did not have any more issues.

Which brand did he recommend?

[SmokerBill]

Thanks everyone for your insights. I made my decision.

Extra thanks to max2bob about the Discount Tire Direct rebate. I checked there, found my size and ordered. I ended up getting 5 new Maxxis 205-75-15 8 ply tires -- $112 each, minus $100 Maxxis Rebate, minus $60 for using a new Direct Tire Credit Card -----*** $400 total***

Great Deal! Thanks again everyone.

Originally Posted by max2bob

if you do decide to replace them discount tire has a 100 dollar mail in rebate on the maxxis tires 225/75/16 10 ply on their e bay store through august 31st. I have bought tires from discount tire a few times and have always been very please and I get them in 3 days or so. a set would be 464 dollars with shipping.

[Crabman]

That was a great deal!

[Dirkdaddy]

OK, this maybe dumb question or FAQ, but I also have marathons and have been happy so far (knock on wood) with my short hauls, but I read these topics with interest to try to gain knowledge....and since most TT tires seem to be total crud, would it make sense to look for a Light Truck tire instead? LT tires seem like they'd be a better choice just a bit more $ up front.

[need-a-vacation]

Dirk,

The trouble is finding LT tires in the correct size. Few yrs back they were more available, but as stock rims have grown, the smaller LT offerings has just about disappeared.

Bill,

Great price on those tires!

[max2bob]

I am glad that worked out for you. they run that deal now and again and it sure helps. they do ship them real fast and I have never been disappointed.

[SmokerBill]

Yep, I'm excited. New tires will be here next week, along with 4 new complete brake assemblies and all new wheel bearings. I'll be ready for a looonnnnnggggg road trip!

[TCNashville]

Originally Posted by SmokerBill

Yep, I'm excited. New tires will be here next week

Bill, good luck with the Maxxis. My D rated Marathons are 3 years old and my trailer sits a lot. I'll probably upgrade next year with an E rated tire. Maxxis, Gladiators, or Carlisle.

[SmokerBill]

I know I'll feel a lot more secure with the D range tires under my TT. The Marathon C range tires are right at the edge of full capacity.