Protecting tires while stationary

[Tanyalin]

Hi everyone I need a little expert advice please!
I live FT in my 2011 Greystone 33QB for almost 3 years now. I travel once a year but am about to buy a 3/4 or 1 ton so that I can travel more or evacuate myself if need be (Galveston County, TX).

I'm about to buy new tires for my camper and so my question is what is the best way to protect those tires while stationary? I've heard everything from chocks to having the camper live on the jacks keep the tires off the ground. To me that just sounds sketchy and dangerous.
I thought I'd give you guys a shout and get some real advice from owners.
Thank you in advance!

Tanya

 

[centerline]

Hi everyone I need a little expert advice please!
I live FT in my 2011 Greystone 33QB for almost 3 years now. I travel once a year but am about to buy a 3/4 or 1 ton so that I can travel more or evacuate myself if need be (Galveston County, TX).

I'm about to buy new tires for my camper and so my question is what is the best way to protect those tires while stationary? I've heard everything from chocks to having the camper live on the jacks keep the tires off the ground. To me that just sounds sketchy and dangerous.
I thought I'd give you guys a shout and get some real advice from owners.
Thank you in advance!

Tanya

its good to have the tires off the ground, but its not as necessary as keeping the uv rays from getting to them.... they make vinyl tire protectors that you can buy at camper world and other places, but plywood cut to fit inside the fenders and just leaning against the tires works well also, but the plywood doesnt fold up very well to stow when you want to travel...

canvas tarps or any other type of uv blocker will work as well... the tires, if not off the ground are best setting on either concrete pads or plastic or rubber pads... and the pads should be about 3/4" or thicker so as to keep it high enough so that rain and dirt doesnt wash under the tire when it rains.... keep the tires clean and out of the uv rays is the most effective way to protect tires...

 

[RickL]

This is strictly my opinion as a 35+ tire industry veteran. If you are parked on gravel, asphalt, or concrete for a limited time - up to 6-9 months I wouldn’t worry about covering the tires. If you are longer on gravel I wouldn’t be concerned about covering. On concrete, not so much asphalt, I would park on wood like a 2X12 or similar. To prove my point, look at any trucking company that has loads of empty trailers sitting around. Some of them have sat for years unmoved.

Tires have improved tremendously over the years with compounds to fight cracking and dry rot. Personally I full time where I will sit for 5-6 months in the AZ heat/sun with no covers and haven’t seen any issue of sun damage in over 3 years.

However, one has to make their own decisions based on their peace of mind.

 

[centerline]

This is strictly my opinion as a 35+ tire industry veteran. If you are parked on gravel, asphalt, or concrete for a limited time - up to 6-9 months I wouldn’t worry about covering the tires. If you are longer on gravel I wouldn’t be concerned about covering. On concrete, not so much asphalt, I would park on wood like a 2X12 or similar. To prove my point, look at any trucking company that has loads of empty trailers sitting around. Some of them have sat for years unmoved.

Tires have improved tremendously over the years with compounds to fight cracking and dry rot. Personally I full time where I will sit for 5-6 months in the AZ heat/sun with no covers and haven’t seen any issue of sun damage in over 3 years.

However, one has to make their own decisions based on their peace of mind.

I agree. you described my method of taking care of tires also, but for some people, "doing nothing" doesnt seem like the best option, and covering the tires and keeping them up out of the wet and dirt is undoubtedly helpful to some degree, and anyone who is really concerned can have some piece of mind by putting forth the effort to do what they can to protect them....

 

[JohnU]

I agree. you described my method of taking care of tires also, but for some people, "doing nothing" doesn't seem like the best option, and covering the tires and keeping them up out of the wet and dirt is undoubtedly helpful to some degree, and anyone who is really concerned can have some piece of mind by putting forth the effort to do what they can to protect them....

My full time residence in the AZ sun (Just south of Tucson, AZ), and I cover EVERYTHING. This sun eats EVERYTHING exposed to it, so I keep tires covered. It takes all of 5 minutes and provides me some peace of mind. I'm squarely in the camp of "it does no harm" to cover them. That said, I don't park them up on anything, they sit directly on the gravel driveway. We still only get 2-3 years out of trailer tires anyway.

 

[Flick]

Hi everyone I need a little expert advice please!
I live FT in my 2011 Greystone 33QB for almost 3 years now. I travel once a year but am about to buy a 3/4 or 1 ton so that I can travel more or evacuate myself if need be (Galveston County, TX).

I'm about to buy new tires for my camper and so my question is what is the best way to protect those tires while stationary? I've heard everything from chocks to having the camper live on the jacks keep the tires off the ground. To me that just sounds sketchy and dangerous.
I thought I'd give you guys a shout and get some real advice from owners.
Thank you in advance!

Tanya

Tires are meant to be tires. If they can stand the rigors of road use, they certainly can withstand holding the weight of your coach or whatever they are on without putting them on special pads or lifting the rig up.

With that being said, we do use on all our trailers and vehicles, including our coach, a water based product called “303 Aerospace Protectant” which supposedly eliminates the harmful effects of uv rays. I’m sure there are many variations of this type of product available.

 

[sengli]

I always store our rig, setting on 2x12's. Mines under a car port, otherwise I would cover them too.