Caring for Your RV Tires

Your travel trailer or motorhome tires are pretty important and should definitely be maintained well. After all, the point of having an RV is having the ability to travel, and doing so is pretty difficult without wheels. Not only that, but well maintained tires will help keep you safe as you drive down the road to your next destination.

Considering we’d all like our travel days to be as uneventful as possible, you’ll probably want to make sure you’re giving your tires the love and care they need to function properly.

Unfortunately, many people don’t have a good understanding of what they need to do to ensure their tires serve them well and last as long as possible. On top of that, many people are also unaware of when they should replace their RV tires.

In this article we will touch on all of these things so you can take good care of your tires and stay safe on the road.

How to Care for Your RV Tires

The first step to tire safety is maintaining the tires you already have. Fortunately, tires don’t really require a whole lot in terms of maintenance, meaning they are pretty easy to keep up with. However, this doesn’t make maintaining them any less important. Therefore, you shouldn’t blow these simple tasks off with the thought that they don’t matter because they are so simple.

Stay on Top of Tire Pressure

Every tire out there has an ideal measurement it should sit at in terms of tire pressure. You can find this measurement on the sidewall of your tire, and while it will be the same for tires of the exact same brand, type, and size, you shouldn’t assume all of your RV tires require the same pressure if you are sporting tires of different brands.

Measure your tire pressure before each trip, and top off as needed. It’s also a good idea to check the pressure if the weather changes drastically, as a cold snap can cause tires to lose pressure.

Keep an Eye Out for Damage

Before each and every trip you take with your RV, do a walk around and look for any visible damage. This might look like cracks, bubbles in the side walls, tread that’s worn unevenly, or very worn tread. It could also be something like a screw or nail stuck in a tire. By identifying these issues before they become a problem, you can help keep your family safe.

Keep Tires Covered

That damage mentioned above? Sometimes this is caused by sun exposure. For this reason, RV tire covers are a must-have, especially if the RV will be sitting in direct sunlight while in storage.

Get Them Off the Ground

The sun isn’t the only thing that can cause tire damage while your RV is in storage. Even the simple act of sitting in one spot for too long can cause flat spots and cracking in the tires. Additionally, parking in wet grass of other wet spots can cause damage due to the moisture. You can avoid these problems by raising the rig off the ground slightly using jacks or blocks under the frame.

Rotate Regularly

Rotating the tires on your motorhome or travel trailer is just as important as rotating the tires on your car. Do this to avoid uneven wear and keep everything balanced nicely. If you have trouble remembering to rotate your tires, consider putting it into your planner as an appointment.

Clean Things Up

Believe it or not, dirt buildup can cause premature aging in tires. Obviously, you don’t want this issue, so make sure to wash your tires every month or so, removing any grime and making your RV prettier to look at to boot.

When to Replace Your RV Tires

There are a lot of things to consider when deciding when to replace RV tires. First, it should be noted that in the vast majority of cases, the tires put on trailers and motorhomes in the factory are very poorly made and should be replaced right away. Because good RV tires are expensive, some people find it beneficial to work a new, higher quality set of tires into their deal with the RV dealership.

Once you get some decent tires on your rig, what you can expect to get out of them will depend on the brand and type of tire, as well as how many miles you drive and how well you care for the tires. 30,000 miles is a nice estimate for those who travel often and keep their tires in good shape. However, those who leave their rig in storage often may not get so many miles because they will need to replace their tires due to age before they reach that 30,000 mile mark.

That’s right, tires can and do die of old age. In fact, all tires should be replaced at or before 5 years of age in order to ensure the safety of your family.

Of course, in order to make sure you replace at or before 5 years, you will need to know the date of manufacture. This can be found on the sidewall of the tire, and appears as a string of four numbers. These numbers tell you what week the tire was made and what year it was made in. As an example, the numbers “4518” would tell you that the tire in question was made in the 45th week of 2018.

Besides age, you will also need to look for signs of damage—as mentioned before—and watch your tread depth to identify when to replace your RV tires. Remember that your tire treads should never be less than 2/32 of an inch deep.

Shopping for the Best RV Tires

No matter how well you care for your tires, the time will come when they need to be replaced. To have your RV tires replaced, you can head to an RV dealership or call around to find a local tire shop that can service your rig.

When choosing tires, look for reputable brands and avoid generic brand tires that may be cheaply made. Michelin RV tires tend to yield good results and are well loved by the RV community. However, any well-known brand should be just fine. If you’re unsure, search the internet for reviews.

Besides brand, you will also want to ensure you get the highest-ply tires available for your rig. The higher the ply, the more durable your tires will be, meaning the chance of a blowout will be much lower.

Lastly, we highly recommend purchasing a warranty for your RV tires. After all, these tires do not come cheap, and needing to pay for a new one out of pocket thanks to a nail in your campsite would be a quick way to ruin a trip.