Cover Up My Tires?

[Luv2RV]

Some RVers cover their tires with opaque insulated covers by ADCO sold in Camper World.  Do these covers really benefit the tires more than the potential for condensation damage to the brakes and bearings caused by cool night air becoming warm in daytime?

Others use the material often used on winshields that has air holes, and though it breathes does it protect against the sun?

Whats the best way to protect RV tires from the sun?

 

[Carl L]

Whats the best way to protect RV tires from the sun?

How do you protect the tires on your automobile from the sun?  Same way. 

In storage some folks just slip some cardboard or a sheet of cheap plywood in the tire well.  That allows evaporation to occur and shade the the tire 

Frankly, on my trailer, I do not even bother with that.  One should replace trailer tires ever 5-7 years anyway irrespective of the lack tread wear.  I have found that the tires will run that with no fussing over sun exposure.  BTW I live and store my trailer in the Los Angeles area at 34?N latitude.

 

[Ron]

I agree with Carl on this one.  You are wasting time to cover the tires.  The tires are only good for 5 to 7 years anyway and covering them up won't extend that period at all.

 

[Carl L]

I agree with Carl on this one.

Hot dawg!  I figgered I would collect a whole load of brickbats on this one. ;D

 

[Ron]

I have a Nephew that was in the tire business for several years including 18 wheeler size tires.  He use to say that those vinyl tire covers sure helped his tires sales on RV's. ;D ;D  If one feels they just want to waste time and insist on covering the tires it is best to use something that allows the air to freely ciculate around the tire.

 

[blueblood]

Some RVers cover their tires with opaque insulated covers by ADCO sold in Camper World.  Do these covers really benefit the tires more than the potential for condensation damage to the brakes and bearings caused by cool night air becoming warm in daytime?

Others use the material often used on winshields that has air holes, and though it breathes does it protect against the sun?

Whats the best way to protect RV tires from the sun?

I don't understand the concern on condensation. This warming/cooling cycle will occur with or without covers and in any case the entire assembly is open on inside i.e. the covers do not cover the inside of the tire. The short answer is that these covers or any opaque material will reduce the effects of UV. They certainly will not do any damage but it is arguable as to whether there is a payback since the tires may have same life whether covered or not.

I was president of Teledyne Monarch Tire Company and we produced solid tires so my experience is not totally relevant. However, some aspects are the same. Ozone and UV are the two natural elements affecting tire life. Carbon black is added to all tires (which is why all tires are black) and protects against UV. Waxes are added to protect against ozone.  RV's are adversely affected most by ozone simply because the tires are not used enough. Waxes are moved to the surface of the tire by a process called "blooming" and  this process is activated by tire movement. Sitting in storage for a long time with no movement means the wax at surface dissipates and leaves tires vulnerable to ozone. Additionally, the carbon black is being used up by the impact of the UV. Loss of these two protectants thus causes tires to deteriorate at the surface and eventually fail. It's one reason why one may see comments in forums from one high mileage person about how they have never had a problem with brand X but another person will complain that they only have very low mileage and had a failure/s with same brand. Not running was worse then using heavily.  Some folks use 303 Protectorant to offset these affects. Again, one can argue about whether there is really a payback in terms of life improvement.  I personally use both the covers and 303; I sleep better  ;D

I think the more important issue in terms of tire failure/life is inflation. Tires not properly inflated will eventually produce a sidewall failure.
Most experts suggest 10 lb cushion over the calculated pressure. This is to provide a cushion for a slow leak and most importantly for rear dual axles to allow for the impact of road crowning that exists in so much of the highways today and often shifts excess load to one of the duals i.e. it is not evenly spread as is assumed in the calculation.   

 

[caltex]

Blueblood, that's interesting about the wax.  I had heard the story about the unused tire failing earlier that the used one, but could never figure a logical reason, so dismissed it. Thanks for the information.

 

[Carl L]

Blueblood, that's interesting about the wax.? I had heard the story about the unused tire failing earlier that the used one, but could never figure a logical reason, so dismissed it. Thanks for the information.

That is why tire mfrs issue a Trailer Service tire for use on towed RVs.  Supposedly they are formulated to withstand exposed-to-the-weather disuse.    In any case, all one seems to get out of a set of tires is 5-7 years.  After that, cracks or no cracks, you are pushing your luck.

 

[Bob Zambenini]

I store for long periods of time and I use the covers.

Benefit I see is that the wheel area stays clean. I can pull the covers off and the chrome wheel area is very clean and saves me a lot of elbow grease cleaning them, if I wash the coach myself, which I do sometimes. I don't use them on the trips even though I am places a couple of weeks. I do use the UV dressing also.

Also, even though I am in a very secure storage area, I have the Pressure Pro sensors on  and I feel better that they are not in plain sight. But I leave them on my toad and have not had a problem of losing any when its at a lot of different places.

 

[jhinson]

I know age seems to have a play on tire failure but will ask any way. I have a fiend that has 2 19.5 michellins that were taken off of his coach and stored "off wheel" they have only a few undred miles and of course no cracks because they have been stored. They are 10 years old but again they have not been on the wheel. Does this matter?

Thanks

 

[Jammer]

I believe that keeping my trailer inside saves enough money on maintenance to pay for the building.

Keeping the tires out of the sun is but one of the many benefits.

 

[Carl L]

Consumer Reports states that:

Some auto manufacturers like Audi, BMW, Ford, and Volkswagen recommend replacing tires after six years, and most tire manufacturers agree that any tire ten years or older should be replaced regardless of tread wear.

The bottom line. Buy the newest tires possible, no older than one or two years old. Replace a tire following the auto manufacturer age recommendation if there is one and do not use any tire that is ten years or older. [underscore mine]

RV service, trailer, camper or motorhome is severe tire service and tire failure at the very least is very inconvenient and is likely to be dangerous.  We have taken the position that the replacement age for an RV tire is 7 years.  10 year old tires regardless of condition should be resigned to backyard swings or planters.

 

[Clay L]

FWIW this is what Michelin says:

"Unless you?re a full-time RV-er, your vehicle probably spends some time in long-term
storage. But what you probably didn?t know is that rubber tires age faster when not being
used. So, if you must store your RV, a cool, dry, sealed garage is your best bet. Also, some
storage surfaces cause tires to age faster. That?s why Michelin recommends placing a barrier (cardboard, plastic or plywood) between your tire and the storage surface.

Here are some other steps you can take to help reduce the aging effects
from long-term storage:
1) Thoroughly clean tires before placing into storage.
2) Cover tires to block direct sunlight and ultraviolet rays.
3) Store out of a high ozone area. "

 

[Tireman9]

I know age seems to have a play on tire failure but will ask any way. I have a fiend that has 2 19.5 michellins that were taken off of his coach and stored "off wheel" they have only a few undred miles and of course no cracks because they have been stored. They are 10 years old but again they have not been on the wheel. Does this matter?

Thanks

Rubber is an organic material and a chemical compound. The rate of reaction (aging) never completely stops it just gets slower or faster based on temperature. Basically the rate doubles with each increase in temperature of 18F.

More info can be found here:

http://www.rvtiresafety.com/2012/02/why-do-tires-fail.html

Edit: Fixed link.