Ive had all kinds of problems with the marathons -switched to carlisle and they are much better imo-The main thing on any tire is to not run em low,try to keep 50-55 lbs. in them .

I have had nothing but blowouts with marathons...there isnt really any great choices in 14" trailer tires.

I have had much better luck with carlisle than marathon.

my biggest problem is the boat sits on a single axle trailer and it is intended for a dual. We ordered it single axle and beefed up the axles to hold the weight. The reason for the kumho's is mainly the load range (D). If I could find a high enough load rate for C's, I might stick with them. I try my best to trailer on empty tanks, and as little excess weight as possible. The thought of the belted radials warping makes me a tad nervous, as I only get out about once a month.

Sounds like its a crapshoot! Anybody want to get into the trailer tire business with me? Sounds like a large market just ready to be captured!

I prefer the Pep Boys in house brand....Maypops, pretty good tire for the price.

i've been wondering about this for years. i got radials on my truck and get 40k out of them. why doesn't trailer tires get 20k at least. put the radials on and try them...if you can find 14's.
it's kinda like wheel bearings, i'll go 300k on a truck and never even look at them, but the boat trailer bearings go out after 10k. i don't get it .

i think it has more to do with weight of boat ,air pressure ,and speed the boat pulled down road ,like to keep tires aired at max pressure and not pulled over about 65 mph,then all tires should be fine just my 2 cents

When I first got my boat I had the trailer tires balanced at Discount Tire, they are Firestone radials and I have a bunch of miles on them. They still have a lot of tread on them and they are 8 years old.

Make sure you have the correct air pressure in them and balance them. Mine did not come on the trailer balanced.

Recently, I was faced with replacing my American made Marathon Radials (8yrs old) on my trailer. As we all know they are now made in China, along with just about all other ST tires. So I did some heavy research & I now believe that I have now found the best ST Trailer tire available in the market today. It is called the "Radial 857" and is a commercial tire made by Kumho in Korea. The size is a 194R14 (same height as a 205/75R14) in a load range D rating of 2,094lbs at 65psi. The load rating in itself is impressive, but here is the key to this tire...The speed rating on this tire is "R", or translated that means 106mph!! You will find that every other Trailer tire, in the 14" realm, is rated Load Range C, or 1,760 at 50psi, at 65mph. How many of you never exceed 65mph with your trailers? Probably not many.

Anyway, I purchased a set of these Kumhos for my trailer and will never consider another tire. My initial experience has been that they have reduce the swaying and bounce that I experienced with my Marathons. The tread is a thick block design, that reminds you of a semi-trailer tire. And I believe that the rolling resistance is greatly reduced, as compared to my Marathons, which should equate into fuel savings. Overall, I am very impressed.

I know that the above sounds like a plug for Kumho Tires, but after my purchase, I am a true believer that there is now an alternative solution to the Marathon.

odd..thats the exact tire I found online. Great to hear something positive about them. looks like we have a winner.

I have been in the tire business for 37 years. Radial tires are fine on a trailer. Steel Belted Radial Tires are in use on about 98% of all passenger, trailer and light truck tires in the market today. You will be hard pressed to find any quality non-radial trailer tires anyway. Radial tires are far superior in tread life, traction, ride quality and fuel economy. The only disadvantage I might mention would be that the sidewall flex (bulge) of the radial construction is a little more prone to sidewall damage. Also, boat trailer tires are not subjected to any more water than the average tire that drives in the rain and the only time any water damage could occur would be after a subsequent tire repair. I always recommend a plug patch combo to both repair the inner liner and fill the hole as recommended by the Rubber Mfr Association.

Scott

I agree 100% with mark Wendler. After having many Marathon issues (3 tires in 2 years) without goodyear standing behind the warranty. I switched to the Kumho 857s. Have put 15000 on them and they wear great and tow better than the marathons. Especially liked the D rated and speed rating as every other trailer tire has a max speed of 65 mph. In short, I won't ever go back. I have heard good things about the Maxxis. All of the others Carlisle, goodyear, firestone...it's a [censored] shoot. Just go on to tire rack and see some of the responses on marathons and carlisles. Then go look at the kumhos. Granted not as many reviews for the kumhos, but all positive.

I agree with this.. had several different brands, but have had much better experience since taking this advice from TFF... 55 lbs of air every trip.

I don't think my wife would let me purchase a kumho ....