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I noticed in your reply that you had a few blowouts on your TM. I have not had any problems as yet and don't want to in the future. Have you found one brand/model of tire to be better than another?
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I've had 3 brands of tires -- Goodyear Marathons, Kumho Radial 857s, and now the Carlise. Kumho's were supposed to be the answer because of their increased load rating, but as you know, they still failed. I'm hoping the Carlise's do better because of the even high load rating margin. I've come to the conclusion that I think brand, for the most part, is not the critical factor. Tire wear is mostly irrelevant because you will rarely ever even come close to wearing out a trailer tire. The tread on my Kumhos looked nearly new.
I think the key factors are: 1) Tire age; 2) load; 3) ambient air temperature. If you are towing with an overloaded or heavily loaded old (3+ years) tire in 100 F weather, you are asking for a blowout. The younger the tire, the higher the load capacity margin, and the cooler the ambient temp, the better your chances for a blowout-free trip.
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How many miles did you have on the tires when you had the blowouts?
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Probably 5,000-10,000 miles, tops.
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What failed on the tires on which you had a blowout - did the tread separate from the tire body - did the side wall fail - was the tire cut through by some road debris?
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I don't know what happened on the Goodyear blowout, except that the tread separated, but you can read all about the Kumho failure here:
http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...ad.php?t=10265
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Did you increase the the tire size to 15" wheels or did the TM come from the factory with 15" wheels - I am not at home and forget if 15" wheels are standard or if they are optional/or 17" wheels are optional.
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My TM came with 14" wheels. 14" wheels were standard on the 2619 and 2700 series models. The larger models came with 15" wheels. Starting last year or so, all models now come with 15" wheels.
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Was the TM damaged with any of the blowouts?
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Yes, with the Goodyear blowout. It tore apart the wheel well, which had to be replaced, and made a mess of everything in the cabinet above. But I didn't sustain nearly as much damage as some other folks. Others have lost their drain plumbing, which is a costly repair. Due to my heavy duty wheel well replacement on one side and the "wheel well retrofit" on the other, I sustained virtually no damage from the Kumho blowouts.
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I presently have Goodyear Marathon tires on standard wheels. Do you have any opinions about these tires? Is it just a matter of buying new wheels to change the tire size should I want to or do I also have to make changes to the TM suspension/wheel wells?
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If your tires are 14", I personally would get rid of them as soon as you can, regardless of their age or wear. With those enormous batteries, and the fact that you very likely carry full water tanks and a charged toilet because you dry camp, you undoubtedly are running heavy. You are in prime blowout territory. And if you are camping out in the boonies, that means getting back on the road or getting a replacement tire could be a challenging task, particularly on a Sunday afternoon. Several other folks here have weighed their TMs when ready to camp, and come in at 4,000-4,100 lbs, which puts the TM slightly over the weight limit of 14" Goodyear Marathons (assuming a 500-600 lb tongue weight).
If you have 14" wheels and an older TM (maybe pre-2003?), you'll need a lift kit to upgrade to 15" wheels. Other clearances might be tight, but I think most folks find that they work. TM construction can vary a little bit, so you just need to verify clearances before you leave the tire dealer's lot.
Dave
Blowouts
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