Rick March, General Manager
Customer Relations Group

Greetings! Well they tell me it is Spring, but as I write this Article in April it sure doesn’t feel like it.
Temperature in the 30’s, and snow flurries! I know it’s just a matter of time before warmer weather arrives
though so let’s discuss one of the items we should inspect before we start traveling for the season. We always
seem to get a lot of questions this time of year concerning tires so that is what I am going to cover this month.
As many of you know we used Goodyear Marathon tires for 20 plus years on the trailers. With this tire ending
its production run in 2016, I am hoping they have all been replaced on your trailers. If not, due to age, they
should be replaced as soon as possible. In January of 2017 Goodyear started producing Endurance tires here in
the United States. With this move came some changes on the air pressure or PSI rating, as well as the load
rating of the new tires. I will try to cover this and some maintenance tips as well.

Question: My tires have good tread left. Do I need to replace them?

There are many factors that determine whether or not your tires need to be replaced. The first and most obvious
is what year the tire was produced. If a tire is five years old then it should be replaced. This is recommended by
Airstream as well as Goodyear. We can’t rely on tire performance just by the tread thickness.
Another factor is an overall visual inspection of the tire to check it for cracking, bumps, inflation check, etc.
Below I will show how to read the numbers on the side of the tire so you can make an educated decision. As
well as explain what the other information represents.

This 4 digit code printed on the side of the tire represents the date the tire was produced. The first two numbers
represent the week it was produced and the last two numbers represent the year.

The load range of a tire represents the amount of plies used in producing the tire. Each letter of the alphabet
equals 2 plies so in this case being a load range E it is a 10 ply tire.

The max load for the 15 inch Endurance tire is 2830 lbs. and the max tire pressure is 80 psi cold.
Keep in mind that if you have been traveling for a while and then check your tire pressure it will read higher as
the tire heats up and thus builds up higher pressures. This is normal and is taken into consideration when the
manufacture sets the rating. This is the reason you always set your tire pressure when the tire is cold.

ST – Stands for special trailer tire. This tire should only be used on trailers.
225 – This is the width measurement from sidewall to sidewall in millimeters.
75 – This is the height measurement of the sidewall in millimeters.
R – This stands for radial tire construction.
15 – This stands for the wheel diameter in inches.

Most Common Tire Sizes on Airstream Trailers
Goodyear Marathon 15” tires ST 225/75R 15 load range D 65 PSI
Goodyear Marathon 14” tires ST 215/75R 14 load range C 50 PSI
Michelin 16” tires LTX M/S LT 225/75R 16 load range E
80 PSI
Goodyear Endurance 14” ST 215/75R 14 Load range D
65 PSI
Goodyear Endurance 15” ST 225/75R 15 load range E
80 PSI

Maintenance and Care
It is very important to inspect your tires before every trip to check for proper wear patterns on the tread of the
tires, air pressure, and any signs of dry rot or deterioration of the tires.

There are many different tire gauges available for checking your tire pressure at regular intervals. Airstream
recommends your tire pressure to be at the maximum inflatable amount of the tire. You can find this
information as well on your serial number plate usually located on the front roadside area of the trailer.
There are even wireless sensors that can be mounted on the valve stem of each tire for continuous monitoring of
your tires when traveling. The two most common brands are Pressure Pro and Tire Minder. They are a great
addition to your travel experience and add piece of mind that you will be alerted if a tire loses inflation. You can
google these on-line for more information.

Tire Wear
Uneven wear patterns on your tires can point to inflation or axle alignment issues on your trailer. Use the below
guide for reference if you notice the wear patterns are not even on your tires.

Airstream has used rubber torsion axles since 1961 on all travel trailers produced. If you notice a wear pattern
consistent with an alignment issue the axle can be realigned or it will need replaced. There are still a few centers
that perform realignment of the axles including our factory service center. For information or to see if there is a
service center near you to perform an alignment please contact our Owner Relations Dept. at 937-596-6111.

Dry Rot Inspection

Dry rot happens to a tire when the suns ultra violet rays dry out the rubber of the tire. The tire will start to show
cracks in the sidewall area and should be replaced as soon as this condition is noticed. Tire care products can be
used to help guard against this process. You can also purchase tire covers to help protect them from the UV
rays.

Don’t Forget To Inspect Your Spare Tire

Clean the rubber and rim to remove road chemicals and dirt.
Check tire and rim for damage.
Check valve stem and make sure it is inflated to proper air pressure. Install tire in the carrier with the valve stem
toward the ground so you can check air pressure regularly without having to remove it from the carrier.
Check date on tire for age.
Do you have a jack and lug wrench stored for travel?

I would love to hear from you and if you have a suggestion or topic you would like to see covered in a future
article, or have a question just drop me a line at rmarch@airstream.com .

Have a great month!

Rick March