Tire Covers... - RV-Dreams Community Forum

LDM · RV-Dreams Community Member

Tire Covers...

Racerguy · RV-Dreams Family Member

In my Opinion any thing you can do to keep uv rays off the tires the better.On my old rig I always had the tire covers on when parked for any length of time. I'm sure you will get varying opinions on this.

thebearII · RV-Dreams Family Member

Here's the reason I use tire covers:

I bought 4 brand new tires for our 5th wheel, they were top of the line Goodyears....

Unfortunately, at the time we were only able to use the 5th wheel once or twice a year, the rest of the time it was in storage on asphalt in an rv storage lot and the tires would get about 4 hours direct sunlight each day.

I didn't use covers, nor any conditioning product and within two years the sidewalls began to crack. The cracks got bigger and bigger, a couple were approaching 1/4 inch wide. At 4 years old I replaced the tires...they still had plenty of tread but the cracks in the sidewall were a blowout waiting to happen.

With this new set of tires, I use covers. It's only been about a year but the tires still look brand new.

Howard · Host

I think the key is how long the RV will sit in one place. Most tires these days have a great deal of built-in UV protection and those protectants tend to rise to the surface of the tire the more the vehicle is driven. The best thing you can do to protect against UV damage is use the RV. smile

If you will full-time and move every week or two, I don't think tire covers are necessary. If the RV will sit for months at a time, they certainly would help.

We don't use them and we know several full-timers that don't use them unless they sit in snowbird parks for several months.

All the full-timers we know recommend changing tires every four to five years regardless of mileage or wear. The sun damage shouldn't be great enough in that period, with consistent use, to warrant tire covers.

Just a matter of how much the RV will be used, your tolerance for putting them on and taking them off, and whether it gives you peace of mind.

Just my two cents. smile

pierreandcolleen · RV-Dreams Family Member

I don't think that tire covers offer much benefit. I think it is more important to move your rig now and then....letting the tires sit for an extended period is the worst thing you can do for them. However, if you are going to be staying in one spot for a period of time it wouldn't hurt to get the tire covers. It may extend the life of your tires and some people think it looks nice.

-Colleen

mcw50 · RV-Dreams Family Member

One of our best friends is a Goodyear truck and RV tire sales rep. His advice to us was to never use anything other than soap and water to clean the tires and that there was no need to cover the tires if they were being driven regularly. As stated above, driving on the tires brings the oils to the surface. We cover ours only when we are parked longer than a month in a place with lots of sun.

Mary