marathon tires are junk

[ajranch470]

had 4 tires blow out on trip from dallas to destin fl need a new wheel and fender skirt where can i get good prices on parts

[BB_TX]

Good friend replaced his Missions (no failures but concerned they might) with Marathons. Lost 3 of them in less than a year.

[Overlord]

I got close to 30,000 miles on my original Marathons on my 16,000 pound 5er without a problem. Kept them at 90psi cold since day 1, as per GY's 10psi over the 80psi sidewall max pressure Tech Service Bulletin for the Marathons. (and monitored tire pressures in real time with a TPMS system)

I finally upgaded to GY G614's when the Marathon's "born on date" reached 3 years, even though there was plenty of tread left.

Did you happen to record the production dates on your Marathons? ....if so that would be useful info to share.

I truly think that a lot of these failures of the Marathons are due to RV delivery drivers exceeding the speed rating on under-inflated tires. This might explain them failing before they reach a reasonable age beyond their production date, and one reason that I did my own "delivery" from Indiana to the PNW. I did not trust someone else to haul it that far.

But, also, some owners think that tires can go forever, as long as they have tread on them.

[ajranch470]

It's a model year 2011 Montana 3665RE not sure of production date I ran 65lbs Thsy looked like almost new tires

[WeBeFulltime]

Am not sure how you selected 65 lbs to inflate your tires, but think you were off by 15 lbs. How fast were you driving?

[oldelmer1]

Where are you in Destin? We're at Topsail site 164.

[8.1al]

The 3665RE weighs around 12,000 lbs. empty and has a GVWR over 15,000. At 65 psi the tires are seriously underinflated

[DQDick]

I would talk to Goodyear Customer service and see if they will do anything about your damage and possibly replace a tire or two, but don't mention the 65# pressure. As Charlie said, seriously under inflated.

[steelpony5555]

If you got away with just a skirt and a wheel you done good...... Here's who usually makes our wheels http://www.tredittire.com/Default.aspx And most any RV dealer can order you a skirt, they are not hard to put on....

[Overlord]

2011 3665RE
15,545 lbs gross weight, according to Keystones 2011 specs. Less 2,045 lbs pin weight, equals 13,500 lbs in axle weight, divided by 4, equals 3,375 lbs per tire in theoretical terms. You need actual weights to determine the real load on each tire.

GY's ST235/80R16E Marathon inflation chart shows:

At 65 lbs cold inflation, the max load on each tire is 3,000 lbs, max speed 65 mph.
At 70 lbs cold inflation, the max load on each tire is 3,140 lbs, max speed 65 mph.
At 75 lbs cold inflation, the max load on each tire is 3,260 lbs, max speed 65 mph.
At 80 lbs cold inflation, the max load on each tire is 3,420 lbs, max speed 65 mph.

At 90 lbs cold inflation, the max load on each tire is still 3,420 lbs, but the max speed is raised to 75 mph according to a bulletin they once had, which I can no longer find online. It used to be there, but they have probably withdrawn it for CYA reasons, due to so many marathon failures.


Some folks like to calculate tire pressure with a load/inflation chart, however I elect to run maximum tire pressure on all of my trailers. It makes for a little bumpier ride, but I have never had a blow-out or belt failure.

[Art-n-Marge]

Specs are crap because they are not necessarily real world numbers. The only number you can know is the Gross Vehicle weight rating and the axle ratings. Then the only way to know or calculate pin weight is at the scales and doing some math. Shipping weight, documented pin weight, both are crap and near worthless and barely okay for estimating. Keep in mind everyone is trying to get the trailer's sold. After you buy it, then it's YOUR problem.

As for tire psi, I run the posted max on from the RVIA sticker on the driver's side front corner of the Monty. Says 80 psi and have used 80 psi. I have 6000 lb rated axles (3000 lbs per side). My pin weight is about 2500 lbs (far above the original documented pin weight).

Learned all this from RV forum experienced owners, not just MOC. And all of them are much more accurate sources of information than most Sales brochures.

[DQDick]

Art is right, particularly with Marathons. They have little or no reserve capacity and so they must be run at 80# when under rigs like ours. Even then it's a crap shoot in my opinion.

[1retired06]

Marathon tires are not junk, just not adequate for heavier trailers. Running at 65PSI at highway speeds pretty well pushes those tires to blowout temps.

[bigskyjimmy]

I agree with 1retired06, Marathons are not JUNK just not the right tool for the job, mine have held up great for 3 years now and I am Anal about keeping them at 80 P.S.I and not going over 60 mph I lost count of how many Rver's I've met that have no idea the speed rating of ST tires and said they regularly go 80 mph with them and the complain they had blowouts, but I am getting the right tool for the job( g614's) or equalivent next month for a long trip down south

[bncinwv]

Marathon tires have those infamous words stamped right on the sidewall, "Made in China". That is the only criteria that I need for tires, namely that they not have those words on the side!!
Bingo

[DQDick]

Excellent point! Quality control is not job 1 in China.

[bigskyjimmy]

All of my tires on truck and scooters are Made in China ,I am not saying they are the elite tires but they are not JUNK Anymore IMO, I NEVER have had problems with them on either I am just getting rid of the E rated Marathons because they are the not right tool for the job ,Heck I'm just going to go to Les Scwab tire and get made in China GEOSTAR G574's 14 ply G tires and save some Major Cash and call it Good these tires get good reviews,you do not HAVE to have made in America made G614's to get the job done and some of us do not have 1600+ bucks for them either

[bncinwv]

To clarify my statement about the "Made in China" tires, my preference is based solely on my experience and information gathering over the last few years. I have had three sets of these tires with different names on the sidewall. The first set had chunks fly off and bubbles appear on the sidewalls and went had one go flat in the driveway (which made the bubbles on the inside apparent). The second set only had a blowout (luckily at about 15 mph on an entrance ramp). The third set did not make them off the dealer's lot since the dealer knew beforehand they had to be changed or no deal. I cannot dispute that some have had success with these same brands of China-made tires, but from what I have read on various forums, I can only surmise that the failures are not predictable, many times have had proper inflation, travel was done below maximum speeds, therefore there is only one common denominator which has to be quality control. There may well be other options, but being the hard-headed type, twice bitten, now totally shy is the philosophy that I chose to adopt. There will not be a set of Chinese-made tires entrusted with holding up anything of value of mine, fifth-wheel, boat or jet-ski. A personal choice that I have made.
Bingo

[Irlpguy]

bigskyjimmy and Iretired06 have it right.

It amazes me that so many people on this and other forums call tires made in China and other offshore countries junk. That is just plain garbage. If you run a Marathon at it's max rated cold pressure and do not exceed the max rated speed rating or overload them there is absolutely nothing wrong with the tire.
Most folks when and "if" the truth is told are running well over the rated speed limit and as the OP said, he was running 65 lbs pressure.
The problem isn't the tire, the problem is owners are running at much higher speeds and at load ratings beyond the capacity of the tires, under inflated tires are a major problem as well. Purchase the proper rated tires and you will not have the problems that everyone is quick to blame on the tires and where they are made.

Reserve capacity keeps getting mentioned as the reason LT tires are better than ST tires, that is garbage as well, a tire rated for 3042 lbs is rated for 3042 lbs and that is that. If people are going to continue to promote that garbage to others on the MOC they should point to the proof that supports those comments. they don't do that because it simply is not true.

So if you can get the tire Guru to come on the forum and state unequivocally this is fact and point to proof, then lets have it.

We purchase a mid to high priced Montana or other brand of RV and 90% of the parts used in it are made offshore, most of which is garbage and yet the complaint is normally reserved for the "made in China" tires. Strange....

Like everything else on the internet, don't believe all that is written or posted, that includes my comments, do your research on your own using facts that are accurate and not interpretations of the the real facts.

Now you can jump all over me for my comments or come up with some facts that support claims being made.

[bigskyjimmy]

My point is Gang not all of us make big bucks and can afford the great American made Goodyear G614's and there is some China made G rated options out there that you can afford and will do the job better than E rated Marathons for our big boy Montana's and you should not be afraid to use them and save some cash AND have piece of mind