Dee - Yes, you are correct. The tread did separate, but didn't detach as it did in the first one. So it wasn't the ultimate test, I agree, but there were lots of pieces of rubber on the cage, and I saw a bunch fly off in the mirror as we pulled over.
Also, I forgot to add -- the dealer where I bought the 15"ers took my 14" Maxxis spare I had just bought and by this time had about 5 miles on it. In exchange, he gave me one of the 15" 225's at no charge.
To answer the other questions:
brulaz - Yes, the axle is not welded to the same point on the left and right sides. They are off by an inch. Check out this thread:
http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...ead.php?t=6078. Given I will be at the factory next week, I may bring this up again in person.
wayne / Francis - The valve stems are not the old 100% rubber ones. There is a rubber seal around the rim, but then there is a metal stem coming out of the seal. They are rated for at least 100 psi, and maybe 125. A closeup view of the stem of here:
http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...stem#post41145
Robert - Yes, my TM is stored outside, but in between 2 houses. Being that we live in SoCal, "in between 2 houses" means there is about 3-4 feet tops between each side of the TM and a house, one of which is 2 story. That means the tires see very little sun, so I don't think the failures were a result of UV damage.
Dave