Tire Shopping

[JohnnyB]

One of my spring maintenance items is to put new tires on my trailer. The trailer came with Goodyear Marathon Radials (ST215/75R14). My current thought is to buy 1 new tire and run that as a pair with the spare (never used) and move the best of the worn tires to the spare.

Anyone find a good place to buy these Goodyear trailer tires?

Anyone find a trailer tire they are happier with than these stock tires?

[Professor]

You may find what you are looking for at this company. They have given me great customer service: http://www.tirerack.com

[pdoppenheim]

Goodyear Marathons are the best tires for trailers in my and M/C's opinion. Tires are part of a trailer's active suspension and should be of the best quality. The price difference between Goodyear and the off brands is pretty nominal.

More important is to make sure that the outside diameter of the tire is no less than what is on your trailer now. Sidewall flex in a trailer tire is a part of the suspension system and a design component of the trailer.

You need to check the date on your spare. Tires age from exposure to sunlight and chemicals in the air. Look for age checks (cracking) in the tire, especially in the side wall. If you see any, or if the tire is over five years old or has spent a couple of full years in direct sunlight, keep it for a spare but do not use it for an everyday tire. Two new good tires are cheaper in the long run.

My M/C dealer, Watersports in Waterford, MI prices their tires so slose to the discount dealers that it's just easier and more plesant to give them the business.

If you're not in an area where your dealer can help you, Overton's, West Marine and BOAT/US all carry the tire you need at discount prices. They all have web sites from which you can order. Overton's is particularly nice to do business with. They give a 10% discount to AWSA members. A trailer supply store will also have what you need. A $15.00 tire cover (or a $40.00) one with a MasterCraft logo on it) will go a long way toward preserving your spare.

Tire people will tell you that you don't need to balance a trailer tire. This is technically true. You don't need to balance the tires on you car, either. But the ride improvement justifies the extra few bucks. Same with the trailer tires.

Lastly, resist the urge to treat the sidewalls with any one of the dozen or so tire sidewall shine products. They are for show only, and do not help preserve your tires. They actually cause the rubber to break down more quickly.

Good luck and good skiing.

[ski_king]

I went tire shopping this last spring looking for Goodyear Marathon Radials 205/75R14. After a day of phone calls and visiting tire shops I setteled on TowMaster 205/75R14's for around $100 per pair mounted. Nobody had the Goodyears in stock. While the TowMasters have served me well so far, I wish I would have gotten the Goodyears.

Can somebody who has a newer set of the Goodyear Marathon check the tire and see where they were made? Most of the shops I checked with told me they were imported from China or some other 3rd world country.
The TowMasters I got were made in New Zealand, at least it is a English speaking country.

[BriEOD]

4 or 5 of us bought the marathon's from tirerack.com last spring. They give good service and ship the tires right to your door.

[east tx skier]

Second tirerack.com. Saved a bunch of money over buying it locally. They have lots of distribution points, so shipping is kept to a minimum.

[sfitzgerald351]

Tirerack.com is nice, but if you get a good Goodyear dealer you can get the road hazard warranty on the trailer tires. Cost me $8 per tire, and seeing as how these tires never really wear out, just fail from sunlight or hitting junk or sharp stones on the ramp it was worth it. By the time I had the mount / balance done it was within $20 of the tirerack price once you figured in the shipping and mounting.

[east tx skier]

I didn't do the road hazard part, but I ended up $50 cheaper through tirerack than my local dealer. Just depends what they're willing to do locally I suppose.