G 614 Tires

[John317]

For those looking to replace their Marathon tires, I got this quote from TreditTire for G 614's mounted on the 110psi wheel. All in per assembly is $425.59 or $1,702.36 total.
Â*
Assembly = $407.53, one cap=$6.70, 8 stainless capped lug nuts= $11.36
This was via Rick at their Oregon facility.

[par]

Can someone please explain the rather large increase in price when ordering the G rated tires. This option is over $2400. I don't get this, $2400 over the cost of theoriginal tires??? What am I missing?

[Enroute]

The price list shows "retail" pricing. Every option is marked up to include additional profit for the dealer/vendor. Many folks are buying RV's at 35-38% off of "retail msrp" and that is how. Just removing some of the markup and profit margin.

[par]

Thanks Enroute, I understand this is the MSRP... so let's take 33% off $2400 and we end up with $1600, that's still $400 per tire, so my concern still remains, that is $400 per tireover the price of the existing set of tires??? I still don't get it?

[mhs4771]

You have to remember, it's not just the tires, it's also new wheels that can handle the 110 psi. I do agree it seems a little high since the price of the Marathons and wheels is included in the base price. Sort of like you're not getting any credit for them, but I didn't want our unit moved one foot on the Marathons.

[5th_Time]

The price also includes upgrading the wheels to the 110psi capable wheels with the metal stems.

Factory option seems like a fair price when you consider you also get the upgraded spare for a total of 5.

[RollsRoyce]

That also includes the price oft the heavier duty wheels to handle the 110 psi tire....however you find out what the cost of the original tire and wheels and make them an offer that you feel is profotable yet fair to RW even if you have to call Rw and talk to a sales rep...the dealer doesn't do anything to earn this higher profit except put an x on the order form

[par]

Thank you, this is starting to make sense...
First, you're right, I forgot about the spare.
So if I were to purchase the standard tires and decided to change them later, I would need to buy 5 new rims?

[5th_Time]

Yes, only difference is that the spare is a steel wheel with a G614 mounted, not analloy wheel to match the rest.

[par]

I need to take this to next step, and please correct me if I'm wrong here:
1) a single axle is rated at 7000lbs.
2) the standard tire is a Good Year Marathon tire ST235/80R16 rated at 3420lbs @ 80psi.
3) 2 x 3420 lbs = 6840lbs. Once again what am I missing? If I decide to load the RV with 7000lbs per axle I am clearly over the tire's limit?
4) the G tire is rated at 3749 lbs @110psi.
5) 2 x 3749 = 7500lbs, no way to overload the tires if I follow the axle rating.

[mhs4771]

Correct math, now the question? Why on Earth would Thor/Redwood make Marathon the OEM tire?? I guess there thought is that we're all going to just tow an empty trailer.
Now you understand why I didn't want our unit moved one foot on Marathons.Edited by: mhs4771

[TravelinAnderson]

Remember that about 3000lbs of that weight will be carried by the truck. If you load the trailer to 7000lbs per axle your overall weight will about 17,000lbs which is over the trailer rating.
My trailer weighs in at 15,500 with just under 3000 of that weight on the pin. The rest of the weight is spread out over the 4 wheels which comes out to 3125lbs per wheel.

[5th_Time]

Also, we're persnickety here on the forum, and a G614 forum will run for pages, but remember that Redwood now has over 1,000 units produced and I'm sure mostof the units were built for dealer stockand/or sold to non discriminating owners or those who couldn't afford or justifythe $2,400 option. I would love to know how many of these units were built with the G614 option. If I had to guess, I'd guess about 20%. That leaves a lot of owners out there using the Marathon setup.



The point is that we're just not hearing about blowouts, accidents, dangerous situations, strandings, etc. from any Redwood ownershere on the forum. Occasionally, people report finding problems and having them swapped. But with all the Redwoodsbeing used by owners who weren't informed, decided against the option, or purchased their unit before it was available, it seems likespreading paranoia to strike fear into those who are currently using Marathons sucessfully.



Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that I opted forthe tire/wheel upgradefor the extra capacity and peace of mind that it gives me - but I think it's just that.We'resimply overstating the case if tell people to "get your rig off the road immediately!" andthus, ignor all the units that have already been towed thousands of miles without a problem.



Just my opinion.Edited by: 5th_Time

[par]

Originally Posted by TravelinAnderson

Remember that about 3000lbs of that weight will be carried by the truck. If you load the trailer to 7000lbs per axle your overall weight will about 17,000lbs which is over the trailer rating.
My trailer weighs in at 15,500 with just under 3000 of that weight on the pin. The rest of the weight is spread out over the 4 wheels which comes out to 3125lbs per wheel.

You are absolutely right assuming everyone is within limits,all tires are properly inflated and the weight is evenly distributed,but I think we can all agree that just does not happen. Iwas reading a paper by Mark J. Polk that states a quarter of all RVs are overloaded. With this in mind don't you think that RW would err towards safety and provide G rated tires.

[Dan]

One person informed me that the 110psi in the G tires would make the rig ride to rough and they figured it didn'twarrantthe extra cost??

There are a lot of people who only go a short distance totheir"vacation" spot and for them the Marathon OEM tire would do just fine, however there are the remainder of us who plan on putting lots and lots of miles on their units and have opted for the tire AND brake upgrade. Each to their own

[par]

Good point Dan and I'm all for 'each to their own' but unless educated about this issue do you think the average person can make this decision.

[Dan]

Originally Posted by par

Good point Dan and I'm all for 'each to their own' but unless educated about this issue do you think the average person can make this decision.

People need to take ownership of what they do, now a days there is no excuse, just about everyone has the internet you need toresearchwhat ever product you are purchasing joinforumslike this one ask questions those who are impulse purchasersbewareof what you do. Gone are the days when you took for granted what ever the "SALESMAN"triedto feed you. When I started out topurchasea 5th wheel I had no idea that I would end up with a Redwood but here I am waiting fordelivery, and you don't want me to get going on that topic as mine has been sitting at the factory for over a week waiting for a driver and they keep telling me that I am "Top Priority"

Dan

[TravelinAnderson]

We bought our 36FL off the lot and with the 16" Marathons and have traveled about 3500 miles on them so far without incident. I'm not endorsing the Marathon tires but I think the blowout and tread separation issues have been addressed by Good Year. Their biggest mistake, in my opinion, was keeping the Marathon name. But if I were to order a new Redwood, I would probably go with the G614s.
Giving your tires a visual inspection and checking their inflation before leaving on a trip is always a good idea and can save you a lot of problems down the road. This holds true no matter what tire you have on your rig.
When we had our setup weighed at an Escapees rally we learned that about 53% of all RVs on the road are overweight. These stats were produced by SmartWeighafter a decade of weighing RVs and the overweight stat holds true across all RV platforms from pop-ups to Class A.
The biggest and best things you can do is to take to responsibility for knowing the weight of your rig and make sure you're not overloaded. Then to know the condition of your tires including what air pressure you should have in them. There are probably as many over-inflated tires on the road as there are under-inflated ones. All tire manufactures have inflation rating, based on load, for their products. Here's a link to their inflation charts. You have to know your weight before using the chart so either find a SmartWeigh event in your area or at the very least find a certified scale at a truck stop and get weighed.
If your personal safety and the safety of those around aren't enough of an incentive think about this.
Law enforcement and insurance companies are cracking down on overweight RVs. If you are involved in an accident, even if you aren't at fault, you could have shared responsibility if you are overweight. My agent told me some companies are weighing trailers, including the contents, after an accident to determine if it was overweight.
Another thing is your tow vehicle warranty. If you burn out a transmission while towing a vehicle that weighs more than your truck is rated for, you may have to pay for the repair out of pocket to the tune of about $2500.
Long story made longer...... Know your load and know your load limits! Tow vehicle limits, RV limits and tire limits. Then DON'T overload. It's ok to leave some stuff at home when you travel. Remember... in our lifestyle, less is more.
As always... this is just my 2c

[par]

Thank you all for your comments. I would consider this topic to be a success, raise a question and get answers, what a forum should be all about!
Paul