2014 3850FL stock tires expected life?

[napria]

I've been reading here and there on this forum that the stock tires are prone to blowouts, but my dear husband doesn't believe Keystone would put tires on a new unit that aren't appropriate. So how long can we expect to drive safely with these tires? And is there a discussion thread that has information on all the problems with the stock tires that I can show him? I can't seem to find one single thread on this topic. (i.e. all info on Marathon problems & solutions in one single thread)

[JandC]

I would venture a guess, depending on how fast you pull your Montana and what roads you are driving on, that you will possibly have your first tire failure within the first 1,000 miles and possibly with body damage to the trailer. I am basing that on what I have read on this and other forums plus my friend who purchased a new SOB. His came with E rated tires and he was blowing out tires every 800 - 1200 miles consistently. Our used 3400 already had the G614's on it and when we recently purchased the new Montana it did not leave the dealer's lot until the new G614's were installed.

[richfaa]

Check the tire load ratings on the E rated tire then the the axle rating. IMO if you do a lot of miles you will have problems with the OEM tires. If you drive fast and do a lot of miles you are sure to have problems with the OEM tires. We drove the infamous Mission tires 10K miles without a problem before we figured we had tempted fate to long and replaced them

[rohrmann]

I just typed 'marathon' into the search window and came up with 54 pages of results. The threads listed cover more than just marathons, so you will have plenty of reading.

[sambam]

If your talking about GY Marathons, DO look into this topic. Your dear husband has too much faith in Keystone, I fear. By now, they are aware of the issues, but haven't done anything to address them. At the very least, invest in a tire monitoring system and keep the pressure up and the speed down. Doing everything right doesn't guarantee anything with these tires, however.

[bncinwv]

On our previous 3750FL, the expected life was one day. After hearing war stories on this forum, the dealer was informed that when the rig arrived at the lot, it would not leave the lot unless the Marathons were removed. There is a valid reason they are not so fondly called "mara-bombs" here. Some have used them for many miles with no problem, others have reported complete failures. I liken it to a game of russian roulette, and I was not comfortable playing the game at all. The 3850FL is one of the larger heavier Montana rigs, the choice is yours!
Bingo

[Captain Joe]

Replace immediately. You may be able to get some trade in value at a Goodyear dealer on a set of G614s. I had two blowouts within 30 minutes of each other after a year.

[1retired06]

Agree, get rid of them immediately. Unfortunately Keystone has continued their tire policy with full understanding of the problems experienced by their customers.

[steelpony5555]

Dump them now while GY might still give you credit for them. Just do search's on here or one of the other RV forums and you'll get tons of threads about Chinese ST tires. Then do search's of LT or G rated tires and see how many threads you get, you'll have to search hard.....

[napria]

Is it a direct replacement to put the G614s on?

[DebbieM]

That's a scary thought! We will be picking up our new 3582 in a couple weeks and driving it 2000 miles back home. Guess I'd better call the dealer and see exactly what tires are on our rig!

--Debbie

quote:Originally posted by JandC

I would venture a guess, depending on how fast you pull your Montana and what roads you are driving on, that you will possibly have your first tire failure within the first 1,000 miles and possibly with body damage to the trailer. I am basing that on what I have read on this and other forums plus my friend who purchased a new SOB. His came with E rated tires and he was blowing out tires every 800 - 1200 miles consistently. Our used 3400 already had the G614's on it and when we recently purchased the new Montana it did not leave the dealer's lot until the new G614's were installed.

[jars]

I changed to Michelin xps all steel radials 7 yrs ago had a bulge
on first trip in 2007 700 miles. Still have Michelin tires on our
3475.
Richard E Smith
Jars #1529

[Chip]

Also be sure to put a TPM (tire pressure monitoring) system on either tires you end up with. I would not take my trailer on the road without one. Do a search on the forum on this subject also.

[sambam]

quote:Originally posted by napria

Is it a direct replacement to put the G614s on?

The G614's are compatible if you have the 110PSI rims, which I think you do since you have a new Monty. Max pressure is stamped on the back of the rim. The G614's are size 23585R16, where the Marathons are 23580R16, which means the G614's are slightly taller, but will fit your rig. Others have mentioned GY customer service working with you for trade-in value. Give them a call @ 800 321-2136. I called and they softened the blow substantially.

[sambam]

[quote]Originally posted by DebbieM

That's a scary thought! We will be picking up our new 3582 in a couple weeks and driving it 2000 miles back home. Guess I'd better call the dealer and see exactly what tires are on our rig!

--Debbie

Chances are, you are getting Marathons or another tire of the same quality. I've read where there are other cheapo tires being substituted these days. You have leverage if you refuse to pick up the camper with those tires. Work a deal, pay the extra, and don't leave until the switch is made. I don't mean to get all armageddon here, but now is the time to get better tires for the best price. I wish I had known then what I know now. Heed the warnings of the MOC.

[DQDick]

If you'd like a copy of an article that went around the net a while back that will explain why the cheap tires Keystone, and others, spec on their heavy units are rated to handle the weight but don't (and for the most part can't), email me at dqdick10432@yahoo.com and I'll send you a copy.

[jimandlaurie]

When we got our 3750FL, the first thing We did was work out a deal to get 614's on . We got a good trade in on the marabombs from Wingfoot Goodyear in Fife , Wa., and been very happy with the piece of mind of having the I 614's, and the good service we got from Wingfoot. The rims were compatible with the 614's also.

[jcurtis934]

napria, it all comes down to what risks you wish to take. I did not know of the Goodyear Marathon history prior to buying my 3800RE, but I did have one person tell me to beware when they saw what tires my unit came with. I only drive at 60 mph and had kept the air up to what the sidewalls stated. When I bought my unit new, the tire pressure was 65 psi in all 4 tires which I increased to the max using my compressor that I carry with me. On a trip North from Florida to Maine with less than 10,000 miles of towing and less than a year of service, I had my first blowout just North of Atlanta and another a couple of days later on the Mass Pike. Both times, there was a cloud of smoke and I was off the side of the freeway in very short order. I continually scan my mirrors so I know I caught both of the blowouts in process. Both of the tires exhibited massive failure around at least half of the diameter at the sidewall top/tread junction. Here is a pic of one of the tires.

[rohrmann]

In addition, when upgrading to the 14 ply tire, make very sure the dealer also upgrades to the high pressure valve stems, capable of handling 110 psi. The stems on your wheels can only handle 80 psi, and not all tire dealers carry the higher pressure all metal stems. They will also need to be almost 2 inches long with these aluminum wheels so you can use the stem mounted TPMS sensors.

[Sierra 117]

Marathons are designed to get you from the dealer to home. Some don't make it that far. G614s are an expensive but superior alternative.