Tire Covers - Unnecessary?

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This is referring back to the OP, the assumption that you will get 7 years may not be true. It probably depends on usage, geographic area and others. A couple months back I bought a used RV in Florida which had been stored outdoors. It had Michelin tires with date code of 07 (can't remember the week) the tread was like new but the tires were dry and cracked. I knew  would replace them and figured that into the price. I would have to say that covers would have extended the life of these tires at least to some extent.

I have a lot more experience with boats than RVs and when it comes to UV damage covers are very helpful. A 10 year old boat in FL can look like a 25 year old boat from "up north", same with RVs. 
 
Hi again,

Just to muddy the water a little more; there is one way to check for aging of a synthetic rubber tire (all except lawn mower tires these days) and that is to check the hardness of the rubber. That is because all common synthetic elastomers have a marching modulus - they get harder as they age.

One way to check that is to look for cracking; that establishes they have aged out completely. Unfortunately, they could age out (or just get flexed so they crack) a month after being checked and you wouldn't see it.

The other way is to actually measure hardness. Unfortunately:
    * We don't have a baseline hardness to compare with.
    * I've never had (while in the tire business) a gauge with which to measure hardness, nor have I seen one at a tire store.
    * Ir requires about 0.25-inches of elastomer to get a reliable measurement; probably available only in the tread area, which is usually a different compound.

After all of that, the really critical elastomer is that calendared (coated) onto the fabric which is also different from the cover elastomer.

I've run the test sequence that is required to establish the aging characteristics of a given compound under a given set of conditions and the results are very accurate. Unfortunately, if any variable is changed, the results change, often dramatically.

Long story shortened; keep em COOL, and avoid UV/ozone and they'll last longer! How much? Your guess is as good as anyone's.

Ernie
 
Seems like everyone has a slightly different opinion concerning tires. Here in the desert, I think NOTHING is immune to the ozone deterioration, so cover my tires when sitting for over a few days. My normal routine is to do a tire check after parking, wash the wheels and tires, and cover until we go again. We do around 10,000 miles per year, so when we're "on the road" seldom stay in one place longer than 3 days, and so not cover them. Every 4th or 5th washing, I spray with 303 protectorant - don't know if it helps with the ozone, but it does help with the looks.  ;)

I agree with the 7-year thinking on replacement.
 
My experience has been that old tires crack on the inside edges where you can't see them. This is true weather its a car, truck or MH!

Scott  :)
 
Here's something to think about. In the two photos below right front blew out, and look at the left front in photo 2. Six year old tires with low milage. To help answer the OP both of these bulges were on the INSIDE of the tire where tire covers would have done no good at shielding UV. I sure would have seen those bulges if they were on the outside. It is even harder to inspect the rear duels in their center as my hand can't get in there.  Art
 

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Art - Thanks for the photos, I will be more diligent checking my tires prior heading down the road, what I can see and what I can only feel.
 
Art In Mobile said:
Here's something to think about. In the two photos below right front blew out, and look at the left front in photo 2. Six year old tires with low milage. To help answer the OP both of these bulges were on the INSIDE of the tire where tire covers would have done no good at shielding UV. I sure would have seen those bulges if they were on the outside. It is even harder to inspect the rear duels in their center as my hand can't get in there.  Art
Click to expand...

Art, you brought up something I didn't realize..I just had a trip w/2 blow-outs due to age....right front blew, inside of the casing, and later the right rear inside tire blew, again in the sidewall, and both looked pretty good...well where they weren't blown out...I'm sure it was coincidental and just age.
 
We used to cover the tires on our TT's, however don't anymore... Had the heck scared out of me with a little black widow nest experience under one of them... Now just use tire spray stuff after washing that states UV protection.
 
I only got 5 1/2 years from my Michelin tires when cracks started appearing and growing in 4 of them.  The coach was driven 10,000 miles per year on average, kept outside, fulltiming last two years, uncovered. I am now covering the tires when we stay in one place a week or more.
 
I see various attempts to make cause & effect relationships from isolated facts that may or may not be related. There are numerous factors in tire life and ultraviolet exposure is just one of them. It is just plain impossible to draw meaningful conclusions from statements such as "I did/didn't cover my tires and they lasted x years". We don't have data on how much of their total life the tires were covered, how much ultraviolet they were actually exposed to, what road conditions the tires were driven on, what type of surfaces they were parked on and how much time for each, exposure to chemicals in the air, tire temperature when standing or in use, eventual cause of failure (if any), etc. etc.

This sort of logical fallacy is called "post hoc, ergo propter hoc", meaning that the argument assumes that events that occurred in sequence must have a cause & effect relationship. Unless there is further supporting evidence, that is an invalid assumption.
 
Wow, all very scientific and applicable... Being a simple kind of guy... I just think that UV and elements could be  damaging to tires, so since I don't cover them anymore, went to a spray that 'says' it helps... Hopefully it does! :)
 
  :eek: Now the "OMG - don't ever put any coatings on the tire" discussion can begin, with equally fallacious arguments pro and con.    I think I'll just sit back and watch...  ;)
 
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