Trailer Tires for Boston Whaler - Moderated Discussion Areas

  ContinuousWave
  Whaler
  Moderated Discussion Areas
  ContinuousWave: Post-Classic Whalers
  Trailer Tires for Boston Whaler

search | FAQ | profile | register | author help

Author Topic:   Trailer Tires for Boston Whaler

highanddry posted 06-20-2007 01:15 PM ET (US)
Just for those interested, our classic Nantucket came with a trailer outfitted with Load Star tires. We bought two more wheel tire assemblies with Load Star. These tires always wore poorly, terribly and unevenly and in bizzare ways. They were only good for 1,000 miles give or take. I bought Good Year Marathons for one set of wheels. Just completed a 2,000 mile plus tow and virtually no wear, wear is even and not unusual, fuel economy jumped up about 1 MPG and the tow is much smoother. My fuel economy towing between 60 and 70 with the Toyota Tacoma TRD with Yakima case on top was 11.9 to 14.0 with a high of 15.0. Previously on similar trips it was 11.5 to 13.2, without the Yakima case on top of the truck.
Buckda posted 06-20-2007 02:01 PM ET (US)
Agreed. Marathon Radials are the way to go. I have them on my trailer and have about 10,000 miles on them with no signs of wear yet.
The trailer tracks well and rides smoothly. I've been quite pleased.
boatdryver posted 06-22-2007 10:53 PM ET (US)
highand dry, when you mounted the Goodyear Marathons, did you use the same wheels that the Loadstar tires were mounted on? I wondered if those rims might have been warped or out of round
JimL
highanddry posted 06-23-2007 01:38 AM ET (US)
I mounted them to the same wheels. I have four wheels, I carry two spares on long trips. The two new wheels have the bias tires and the old wheels have the Marathons. They make a huge difference to my trailer towing. It is significant. I amsure there are other radials just as good but after this I am done with bias. I will keep the new bias tires on the new wheels for spares but my running wheels will be radial from now on.
Chuck Tribolet posted 06-23-2007 10:54 PM ET (US)
I agree, I've had good luck with the Goodyear Marathons.
Less good luck with my local Goodyear dealer. He just isn't
interested in ordering me in a set. He's three miles away.
I have to go to a dealer a half hour a way.

Chuck
Royboy posted 06-25-2007 11:15 PM ET (US)
Last week I blew a tire on each of two consecutive days. I'm not sure what brand tires they were, but they were most definately not Goodyear Matathons. Anyway, I no longer have to wonder how long they will last; I now know it is something like 8 years to 8 years and a day. This assumes they were original equipment on my 1999 rig.
I had to leave the boat on the side of the road while searching for spares on day two, since I used my GY Marathon spare on day one. The dealer I went to had three choices: "Import radials", "Import Bias Ply", and Goodyear Maratons, all in ST175/80 R13. Unfortunately, my spare Goodyear is a ST185/80 R13, so I had to buy two plus a rim to replace one damaged when the tire blew. Through bad communication, I ended up with the Import radials instead of the Marathons I thought I was getting. Since they were only half the price, and they were already mounted, I drove off with the assurance that they were equivalent load rated tires. When I got around to making sure, I found that they will handle 240 lbs less total weight (a function of their size). Not huge, but since I was already pushing it, I am now pushing it further. I'll be ordering another Goodyear Marathon in the correct size to match my spare and towing with those, with the smaller Import Radials as spares. Live and learn. My old tires looked fine, with no evidence of dry rot, and a good tread. However, they developed a vibration and shortly thereafter "KA-BOOM" at 70 mph.
Roy
Chuck Tribolet posted 10-28-2007 09:06 AM ET (US)
Well, I blew a trailer tire yesterday. Goodyear Marathon
Radial with I'd estimate 21,000 miles on on it. I'll replace
it with another one.

Chuck
Whalerdog posted 10-28-2007 11:15 AM ET (US)
Can you really compare a GY tire with all the junk from China that they usually use?
contender posted 10-28-2007 05:54 PM ET (US)
I thought/and have heard you are not suppose to use radial tires on trailers, do not ride/wear correctly, Are you not to purchase trailer tires for trailers?
Chuck Tribolet posted 10-28-2007 11:53 PM ET (US)
Goodyear Marathon Radials are made for trailers.

Chuck
lakeman posted 10-30-2007 11:03 AM ET (US)
I follow a couple of other boating/fishing forums and as you might suspect, trailer tires are talked about often. Goodyear marathons, before they were a product of China, were good, but lots of problems appeared when the China versions hit the market. I have no idea what to buy, I had to replace mine, this year for side wall crack in my Tow master radials(2 years and about 5K miles, and put Mile star radials on it and yes made in China. Price was right, $150 for 2, only time will tell the quality.
doscaballo posted 10-30-2007 11:06 AM ET (US)
Chuck,
Next time you need Marathons order from tirerack.com and have your local guy install them. You might even save some money. I bought two a couple of months ago and it worked out great. Well the tirerack part. I won't go back to the place I had them mounted...
Mike
L H G posted 10-30-2007 02:04 PM ET (US)
I'll second the tirerack.com recommendation. I use them all the time. $72 for a 14" Load range C Marathon. They also furnish a list of local installers on their website who mount and balance THEIR tire sales for a low rate. Great for car tires too. For tow vehicles, check out their wet and dry traction ratings before you buy. Very interesting and revealing.
Buckda posted 10-30-2007 06:05 PM ET (US)
Larry -
Are you not using Kevin in Grand Rapids anymore?
He cut me a great deal on my tires, and I plan to go back to him when it's time to begin replacing them.
I always recommend a local guy - especially if he will meet or beat online prices. RHD Tire, Inc. in Grand Rapids, Michigan does just that, and owner Kevin Haviland is a Whaler owner to boot!
Great guys, great prices and great service.
Chuck Tribolet posted 11-02-2007 09:48 PM ET (US)
FWIW, I took delivery on a new Goodyear Marathon today. It
was made in New Zealand, not China. It wasn't quite what I
ordered (load range B, I ordered C) but that's the dealer
and/or wholesaler, not Goodyear.

Chuck
btb posted 11-04-2007 11:17 AM ET (US)
I just had 3 new Marathon's mounted on my trailer (2 wheel plus spare). They appear to be made in China. I will let you know if they cause me grief.
Jefecinco posted 11-05-2007 08:22 AM ET (US)
Unless your trailer is stored indoors you should consider replacing the tires at 5 to 6 years of age regardless of mileage.
Seems like a heck of a waste of money for those of us who live near our ramps, but Goodyear recommends such replacement. Supposedly this is due to deterioration due to the environment, mostly UV radiation and ozone in the atmosphere???
I trust (hope?) Goodyear is not using the recommendation in order to sell more tires. I just completed five seasons on our motorhome tires and will replace them in the Spring. Tire failure on a motorhome can be pretty exciting and I'm getting too old for that kind of adrenaline rush.
Butch
btb posted 11-05-2007 10:05 PM ET (US)
I just replaced all 3 tires on my trailer because one of the tires blew on the freeway. At the time, all three tires looked great, almost like new. In searching around on this site and other places, it sure seems tires only last so long, regardless of usage. I learned that tires have a DOT code which shows the week and year of manufacture, a process started around 10 years ago apparently. So check your DOT codes and replace accordingly so your tires don't blow at the wrong time, as happened to me. If you can't find the DOT codes, your tires could be 10 years old, or older.
AND - this boat had been stored inside for the last 6 years, so its not just sunlight that degrades tires.
Bill
Chuck Tribolet posted 11-08-2007 09:31 PM ET (US)
I got the load range C version today. Sez "Made in Canada".
I've got one more load range C coming. BTW, I've had a good
deal of trouble locating these tires. Maybe it's just a.
temporary shortage of my size (175/80-13, Load Range C)
highanddry posted 11-08-2007 10:08 PM ET (US)
My load range C Marathons are made in China and I continue to have good success with them.
Chuck Tribolet posted 11-12-2007 08:41 PM ET (US)
The second tire came today. Its made in China. Its sidewall
lettering was quite different (Canada and New Zealand looked
the same).

Chuck
Bulldog posted 11-12-2007 09:08 PM ET (US)
Chuck, it might be a neat road test to see how the two different tires hold up over time, and also to compare tires in actual dimensions.....Jack
Chuck Tribolet posted 11-13-2007 08:25 PM ET (US)
The Canadian tire is on the trailer and has 100 miles on it.
The Chinese tire is in the back of the truck and will get put
on the trailer this week, so we should get a good comparison.
I figure I had 21,000 miles on the one that blew, and it was
about half worn. The other 21,000 mile tire is going to be
the new spare (replacing the bald tire and rust rim that were
my spare, and did get me home.
And, yes, I'll compare the physical sizes.

Chuck
Chuck Tribolet posted 11-13-2007 08:27 PM ET (US)
One more thing: the latest tire came from the RV dealer a
few miles away. He doesn't come up on Goodyears website if
you use the dealer finder for passenger tires, but does if
you use the one for RV/trailer tires.

Chuck
Chuck Tribolet posted 11-16-2007 06:05 PM ET (US)
I put the made in China tire on the trailer this afternoon.
The tread pattern is very similar to, but quite not the same as
the other two (NZ and Canada) which appear to be the same.
The tread on China may be 1/8" wider than the others, but
there's a touch more clearance in the fender wells with China.
Diameter appears to be the same.
The biggest difference is that China says MARATHON in big
letters worthy of a Macho Honker Raised White Letter Super
Skidmore, while the others have it in a much smaller font.
I wonder if China has lead-based paint?

Chuck
jimh posted 10-20-2009 04:59 PM ET (US)
[Administrative post]
Chuck Tribolet posted 10-20-2009 09:11 PM ET (US)
Thanks, Jim. Dunno what your administrative post was about,
but it got me to go out and compare the made in China tire
with the (I think) made in NZ tire. The tread wear looks to
be just about the same. They are both about half worn.
I tow about 7000 miles a year.

Chuck
Richard Quinlivan posted 10-22-2009 10:02 PM ET (US)
I blew a Marathon on my boat trailer a month ago and found a replacement Marathon at the local Walmart! I think that it was under $100. At the time I was not in a position to shop around.
Dick

Hop to:

Contact Us | RETURN to ContinuousWave Top Page

Powered by: Ultimate Bulletin Board, Freeware Version 2000
Purchase our Licensed Version- which adds many more features!
© Infopop Corporation (formerly Madrona Park, Inc.), 1998 - 2000.

Author	Topic: Trailer Tires for Boston Whaler
highanddry	posted 06-20-2007 01:15 PM ET (US) Just for those interested, our classic Nantucket came with a trailer outfitted with Load Star tires. We bought two more wheel tire assemblies with Load Star. These tires always wore poorly, terribly and unevenly and in bizzare ways. They were only good for 1,000 miles give or take. I bought Good Year Marathons for one set of wheels. Just completed a 2,000 mile plus tow and virtually no wear, wear is even and not unusual, fuel economy jumped up about 1 MPG and the tow is much smoother. My fuel economy towing between 60 and 70 with the Toyota Tacoma TRD with Yakima case on top was 11.9 to 14.0 with a high of 15.0. Previously on similar trips it was 11.5 to 13.2, without the Yakima case on top of the truck.
Buckda	posted 06-20-2007 02:01 PM ET (US) Agreed. Marathon Radials are the way to go. I have them on my trailer and have about 10,000 miles on them with no signs of wear yet. The trailer tracks well and rides smoothly. I've been quite pleased.
boatdryver	posted 06-22-2007 10:53 PM ET (US) highand dry, when you mounted the Goodyear Marathons, did you use the same wheels that the Loadstar tires were mounted on? I wondered if those rims might have been warped or out of round JimL
highanddry	posted 06-23-2007 01:38 AM ET (US) I mounted them to the same wheels. I have four wheels, I carry two spares on long trips. The two new wheels have the bias tires and the old wheels have the Marathons. They make a huge difference to my trailer towing. It is significant. I amsure there are other radials just as good but after this I am done with bias. I will keep the new bias tires on the new wheels for spares but my running wheels will be radial from now on.
Chuck Tribolet	posted 06-23-2007 10:54 PM ET (US) I agree, I've had good luck with the Goodyear Marathons. Less good luck with my local Goodyear dealer. He just isn't interested in ordering me in a set. He's three miles away. I have to go to a dealer a half hour a way. Chuck
Royboy	posted 06-25-2007 11:15 PM ET (US) Last week I blew a tire on each of two consecutive days. I'm not sure what brand tires they were, but they were most definately not Goodyear Matathons. Anyway, I no longer have to wonder how long they will last; I now know it is something like 8 years to 8 years and a day. This assumes they were original equipment on my 1999 rig. I had to leave the boat on the side of the road while searching for spares on day two, since I used my GY Marathon spare on day one. The dealer I went to had three choices: "Import radials", "Import Bias Ply", and Goodyear Maratons, all in ST175/80 R13. Unfortunately, my spare Goodyear is a ST185/80 R13, so I had to buy two plus a rim to replace one damaged when the tire blew. Through bad communication, I ended up with the Import radials instead of the Marathons I thought I was getting. Since they were only half the price, and they were already mounted, I drove off with the assurance that they were equivalent load rated tires. When I got around to making sure, I found that they will handle 240 lbs less total weight (a function of their size). Not huge, but since I was already pushing it, I am now pushing it further. I'll be ordering another Goodyear Marathon in the correct size to match my spare and towing with those, with the smaller Import Radials as spares. Live and learn. My old tires looked fine, with no evidence of dry rot, and a good tread. However, they developed a vibration and shortly thereafter "KA-BOOM" at 70 mph. Roy
Chuck Tribolet	posted 10-28-2007 09:06 AM ET (US) Well, I blew a trailer tire yesterday. Goodyear Marathon Radial with I'd estimate 21,000 miles on on it. I'll replace it with another one. Chuck
Whalerdog	posted 10-28-2007 11:15 AM ET (US) Can you really compare a GY tire with all the junk from China that they usually use?
contender	posted 10-28-2007 05:54 PM ET (US) I thought/and have heard you are not suppose to use radial tires on trailers, do not ride/wear correctly, Are you not to purchase trailer tires for trailers?
Chuck Tribolet	posted 10-28-2007 11:53 PM ET (US) Goodyear Marathon Radials are made for trailers. Chuck
lakeman	posted 10-30-2007 11:03 AM ET (US) I follow a couple of other boating/fishing forums and as you might suspect, trailer tires are talked about often. Goodyear marathons, before they were a product of China, were good, but lots of problems appeared when the China versions hit the market. I have no idea what to buy, I had to replace mine, this year for side wall crack in my Tow master radials(2 years and about 5K miles, and put Mile star radials on it and yes made in China. Price was right, $150 for 2, only time will tell the quality.
doscaballo	posted 10-30-2007 11:06 AM ET (US) Chuck, Next time you need Marathons order from tirerack.com and have your local guy install them. You might even save some money. I bought two a couple of months ago and it worked out great. Well the tirerack part. I won't go back to the place I had them mounted... Mike
L H G	posted 10-30-2007 02:04 PM ET (US) I'll second the tirerack.com recommendation. I use them all the time. $72 for a 14" Load range C Marathon. They also furnish a list of local installers on their website who mount and balance THEIR tire sales for a low rate. Great for car tires too. For tow vehicles, check out their wet and dry traction ratings before you buy. Very interesting and revealing.
Buckda	posted 10-30-2007 06:05 PM ET (US) Larry - Are you not using Kevin in Grand Rapids anymore? He cut me a great deal on my tires, and I plan to go back to him when it's time to begin replacing them. I always recommend a local guy - especially if he will meet or beat online prices. RHD Tire, Inc. in Grand Rapids, Michigan does just that, and owner Kevin Haviland is a Whaler owner to boot! Great guys, great prices and great service.
Chuck Tribolet	posted 11-02-2007 09:48 PM ET (US) FWIW, I took delivery on a new Goodyear Marathon today. It was made in New Zealand, not China. It wasn't quite what I ordered (load range B, I ordered C) but that's the dealer and/or wholesaler, not Goodyear. Chuck
btb	posted 11-04-2007 11:17 AM ET (US) I just had 3 new Marathon's mounted on my trailer (2 wheel plus spare). They appear to be made in China. I will let you know if they cause me grief.
Jefecinco	posted 11-05-2007 08:22 AM ET (US) Unless your trailer is stored indoors you should consider replacing the tires at 5 to 6 years of age regardless of mileage. Seems like a heck of a waste of money for those of us who live near our ramps, but Goodyear recommends such replacement. Supposedly this is due to deterioration due to the environment, mostly UV radiation and ozone in the atmosphere??? I trust (hope?) Goodyear is not using the recommendation in order to sell more tires. I just completed five seasons on our motorhome tires and will replace them in the Spring. Tire failure on a motorhome can be pretty exciting and I'm getting too old for that kind of adrenaline rush. Butch
btb	posted 11-05-2007 10:05 PM ET (US) I just replaced all 3 tires on my trailer because one of the tires blew on the freeway. At the time, all three tires looked great, almost like new. In searching around on this site and other places, it sure seems tires only last so long, regardless of usage. I learned that tires have a DOT code which shows the week and year of manufacture, a process started around 10 years ago apparently. So check your DOT codes and replace accordingly so your tires don't blow at the wrong time, as happened to me. If you can't find the DOT codes, your tires could be 10 years old, or older. AND - this boat had been stored inside for the last 6 years, so its not just sunlight that degrades tires. Bill
Chuck Tribolet	posted 11-08-2007 09:31 PM ET (US) I got the load range C version today. Sez "Made in Canada". I've got one more load range C coming. BTW, I've had a good deal of trouble locating these tires. Maybe it's just a. temporary shortage of my size (175/80-13, Load Range C)
highanddry	posted 11-08-2007 10:08 PM ET (US) My load range C Marathons are made in China and I continue to have good success with them.
Chuck Tribolet	posted 11-12-2007 08:41 PM ET (US) The second tire came today. Its made in China. Its sidewall lettering was quite different (Canada and New Zealand looked the same). Chuck
Bulldog	posted 11-12-2007 09:08 PM ET (US) Chuck, it might be a neat road test to see how the two different tires hold up over time, and also to compare tires in actual dimensions.....Jack
Chuck Tribolet	posted 11-13-2007 08:25 PM ET (US) The Canadian tire is on the trailer and has 100 miles on it. The Chinese tire is in the back of the truck and will get put on the trailer this week, so we should get a good comparison. I figure I had 21,000 miles on the one that blew, and it was about half worn. The other 21,000 mile tire is going to be the new spare (replacing the bald tire and rust rim that were my spare, and did get me home. And, yes, I'll compare the physical sizes. Chuck
Chuck Tribolet	posted 11-13-2007 08:27 PM ET (US) One more thing: the latest tire came from the RV dealer a few miles away. He doesn't come up on Goodyears website if you use the dealer finder for passenger tires, but does if you use the one for RV/trailer tires. Chuck
Chuck Tribolet	posted 11-16-2007 06:05 PM ET (US) I put the made in China tire on the trailer this afternoon. The tread pattern is very similar to, but quite not the same as the other two (NZ and Canada) which appear to be the same. The tread on China may be 1/8" wider than the others, but there's a touch more clearance in the fender wells with China. Diameter appears to be the same. The biggest difference is that China says MARATHON in big letters worthy of a Macho Honker Raised White Letter Super Skidmore, while the others have it in a much smaller font. I wonder if China has lead-based paint? Chuck
jimh	posted 10-20-2009 04:59 PM ET (US) [Administrative post]
Chuck Tribolet	posted 10-20-2009 09:11 PM ET (US) Thanks, Jim. Dunno what your administrative post was about, but it got me to go out and compare the made in China tire with the (I think) made in NZ tire. The tread wear looks to be just about the same. They are both about half worn. I tow about 7000 miles a year. Chuck
Richard Quinlivan	posted 10-22-2009 10:02 PM ET (US) I blew a Marathon on my boat trailer a month ago and found a replacement Marathon at the local Walmart! I think that it was under $100. At the time I was not in a position to shop around. Dick