RE: [VAL] Goodyear Marathons ect.

["Forrest McClure" <forrest@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Well, BLAST! Now what should we think or do? I bought Greenball bias belted
tires for my Globe Trotter early last year. I didn't know until after I'd
made the purchase that they were made in India. They were load range D which
should have been very adequate for the weight of my trailer. I monitored the
air pressure & kept the tires at 50 psi. The original owners manual stated
tires should be kept at 45 psi, but with the load we keep I felt the
pressure was best at 50, judging from heat build up at 45. At any rate, I
didn't trust them, being made in India (I supposed that sounds prejudiced),
and frequently inspected them. They rode well, but with only about a 1,000
miles on them I noticed the tread pattern all the way around the tire was
cracking through to the belting. In other words, the tires were starting to
have tread separation! I returned them to the dealership, and they replaced
them (no charge) with another Greeenball bias belted tire with a different
tread pattern, and made in China. These have held up quite well, so far. The
only reason I am buying these 'foreign' made tires is that it is nearly
impossible to get a bias belted trailer, load range D, tire that is made in
the U.S. I also wanted to stick with bias belted versus radial belted due to
the tight clearance in the wheel well. I don't know what conclusions to draw
from all of this, other than to monitor the tires closely.

Forrest