Scary Tire Advice from Another Forum

[seahunter]

Just thought this was interesting/scary what you see out on the forums:

"My last trailer had GY Marathons. The tire pressure on the sidewalls was max. 60 psi. I always inflated to 70 psi and never had a problem. I always replaced them every 4 years. Also, on long hauls, I always tow 70-75mph."

This type of towing might account for some of the Marathon failures??

[KathyandDave]

His trailer might have weighed a lot less than a Monty?

[1retired06]

Excellent point. Marathon is not a bad tire necessarily, just the wrong tire for the weight class of heavy fifth wheels or trailers.

[dieselguy]

After a trip to Table Rock this past week, I can see why there are always tire issue posts on about any RV forum ... I guess I just never paid that much attention before. While pulling my Monte on I-44 and later the KTA around 63 - 65 mph, I saw about a couple of dozen fivers and TT blasting by me from time to time ... they had to be doing 75+. What intellectual giants piloting their tow vehicles we have on the roadways!

[stiles watson]

Yep, I see those guys too and some of them are towing Montanas. My formula is: age >50 = speed

[mlh]

What is the speed limit on I 44?
I'm headed to Wyoming in August. It's a 5000 mile trip. At 63 MPH that is 79 hours, at 70 its 71 hours and at 75 its 66 hours. You pull your camper 63 I'll pull mine at 75.
Lynwood

[seahunter]

I'm still trying to learn, but aren't all ST tires rated for 65 mph? That was my main concern. Lynwood, you run LT tires don't you?

[DQDick]

All of our Montana's have probably been pulled at 80mph. When we left the rally last fall we were passed by many Montana's being delivered to dealers. All of them that passed us were going close to 80. That being said I don't pull mine over 60mph even with G614's on it. My truck will save me several hundred dollars on a 5,000 mile trip towing at 60 rather than 75. I don't care to push myself that hard anymore because I don't have to and found I enjoy it (used to drive from Kansas to Florida in one day). And if you blow a tire in the rural plains half way to your destination you can count on losing a full day trying to find a replacement tire, unless it happens on a Sunday and then you can plan on at least two days. All said, I'm glad you're happy with how you tow because I'm pleased with how my habits work for me.

[mlh]

LTs And never over 4 years old and always inflated to 80 PSI. I'm sorry but I don't see any problem running the speed limit, that's what we have speed limits for.
Lynwood

[Chasnracin]

You obviously have never left a NASCAR race. I drive a respectable speed for the vehicle and trailer I am navigating, but some of the other folks think they are racing Jimmy Johnson.

[HOOK]

Any of these RVs will last you a lifetime, if you tow them fast enough . LOL !

[1retired06]

I would think 70+ mph speed adds wear and tear on the trailer and tow vehicle as well as more fuel and it certainly does not decrease accident exposure.

[dieselguy]

Lynwood ... 70 mph on the Missouri portion of 44. With your reasoning ... what if the speed limit was 85mph??? HA! My point was most RV's still sport the original trailer tires (ST)on them which are rated to 65 mph and they're usually several years old. Some tow at 75+ and can't figure it out why the tire came apart on them. I get my best fuel milage at 63 - 65 ... usually have no checkered flag to win and hang out the drivers window ... and no I'm not retired ... yet. Push that gas pedal down as far as you want ... we all have our preferences.

[Sky]

I prefer 60-65 mph, but never over 65 if at all possible. I think a lot of drivers forget that it takes a lot longer to stop a vehicle (especially a towed vehicle)
at 75+ mph then it does at 63 mph. And lets not forget the distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you (which always seems to change suddenly).
OK, so I drive slower and it takes longer to get there. But I get there and get there safely. Good tires are important but getting there safely is more important and it doesn't wear out your tires as much as speed does.

[bighornram]

http://www.towingworld.com/articles/TowingLaws.htm

Some states can give you a ticket for > 55 mph while pulling a trailer. Check out the speed limit while pulling column....

I think I saw somewhere that the speed rating for the G614 is 70 or 75. I still don't stay around 65 for my comfort. I have run into some frost heaves that jump out of nowhere. Saving a few hours over several thousand mile trip is not worth breaking things or crashing.

[fauch]

The feller who wrote the post in SOF is lining up several points of failure:
we do not know what trailer his Marathons were on, but 60psi max does not show up on Marathon's chart
There are C rated Marathons that are 50 PSI maximum, and there are Ds that are 65 psi max
max load on the D is 2540lbs, so depending on trailer weight, they could also be overloaded.
and he is over-pressuring his tires and pushing the speed rating (Goodyear Marathons are trailer tires and 65mph is the speed rating)
i say he is dancing on the flap of the safety factor envelope
as mentioned in the thread about overloaded trucks, even though an accident may not ever go to court, do you want to push the envelope with tires?
if you destroy your trailer, truck, and life or limb of others on the road, going to court might not be the worst consequence of your actions.
i have experienced events in my life that have changed life after the event such that court is not my biggest fear!

[CamillaMichael]

quote:Originally posted by Sky

I prefer 60-65 mph, but never over 65 if at all possible. I think a lot of drivers forget that it takes a lot longer to stop a vehicle (especially a towed vehicle)
at 75+ mph then it does at 63 mph. And lets not forget the distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you (which always seems to change suddenly).
OK, so I drive slower and it takes longer to get there. But I get there and get there safely. Good tires are important but getting there safely is more important and it doesn't wear out your tires as much as speed does.

Agree, safety is the issue. Tires rated at 65 mph should not be driven above that limit...in my opinion...if for no other reason than I would rather you not run into me because you were going so fast you couldn't stop in time to avoid hitting me.

[mlh]

If the speed limit was 85 I would think state and federal highway departments know what the safe limit for a road is. They certainly know more about that than I do. If your tires are rated for 65 that should be your limit. I would rather use a more fuel and save 13 hours traveling time. I don't see anything unsafe about obeying the law. I not saying you should go barreling down a crowded highway at any speed faster than is safe or faster than the flow of traffic. You need to use a little common sense but I don't see why 63 is safe and 75 isn't.
Lynwood

[Hooker]

quote:Originally posted by DQDick

...All of our Montana's have probably been pulled at 80mph. When we left the rally last fall we were passed by many Montana's being delivered to dealers. All of them that passed us were going close to 80...

True. The folks hauling those trailers could care less, it's not their Montana so they don't care about wear and tear, and the faster they get there and back, the more money they make.

[fauch]

Here are the towing laws by state. Please do not take the life of one of my loved ones in an accident driving 85 mph pulling a 14000 lb. trailer with an 8000 lb. truck! ... or at any speed deemed unsafe by law! If someone protects you from me at the scene, at least i'll have the law on my side in court!

http://www.towingworld.com/articles/TowingLaws.htm