Community Forums

Mark and Cathy · 08-26-2008, 07:26 PM

Hi, we are new owners of Diplomat 40SKQ and love it. We have a question about Tire covers, and preventing mice or ants from coming in. We live in sunny California and heard that we can spray the tire covers? Not sure about the details. Any thoughts about the benefit of tire covers?

Mark and Cathy · 08-26-2008, 07:26 PM

Hi, we are new owners of Diplomat 40SKQ and love it. We have a question about Tire covers, and preventing mice or ants from coming in. We live in sunny California and heard that we can spray the tire covers? Not sure about the details. Any thoughts about the benefit of tire covers?

Lukeaa · 08-26-2008, 08:24 PM

Mice and ants like food. Keep all of the food in your coach in air tight containers when the coach is in storage. We use a cat, also.

Tire covers are up to the individual. I bought some once, but soon got tired of putting them on and taking them off. I did not notice any difference in any of my tires in the last 20 years.

Bobby C · 08-27-2008, 02:57 AM

Mark and Cathy,

Congrats on your new coach. We have a new Monarch with bunks. We love ours too. While the MH is new, we've have TT's and 5th Wheels for a while. I have used tire covers on each of the coaches to keep the sun off the tires. Sun or UV rays will damage the rubber quickly. I was told that this process is accelerated because the RV doesn't get used as often. Your car tires are used daily and the sidewall is flexing and staying pliable unlike the RV tires. The lack of use (or flexing) and UV rays will cause cracks in the sidewalls to occur faster.

dmason · 08-27-2008, 03:35 AM

Congrats on new coach. Got a fulltimer friend with same make/model and they love it. I use my tire covers whenever we stop for more than 2-3 days. Easy on and off about 15 seconds per tire. I think they're a good investment. Enjoy.

Richard
07 HR Specter

nutensteve · 08-27-2008, 06:26 AM

Congrats on the new coach !! We spend a lot of time parked in Long Beach close to the water and use wheel covers to keep the corosive air off the wheels. It does seem to help. I just slip them over the tire and don't bother with the tie downs, seems to work fine.

Meandering Retiree · 08-27-2008, 07:11 AM

I use tire covers when we are stopped for two days or more. My brother never used them and had to buy four new tires for his fifth wheeler because of the sun's rays. I have always used them on the TT and now the motor home. It seems as if it is a cheap investment to protect expensive tires. I put the covers on before DW levels the coach and it only takes a few minutes.

Route 66 · 08-27-2008, 08:10 AM

I talked to several vendors at a couple of RV shows, and one gal who makes sunshades and wheel covers, doesn't use wheel covers on her Prevost, as she doesn't think they help.

Unfortunately, all of the evidence is anecdotal.

Les Stallings · 08-27-2008, 09:08 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Route 66:
and one gal who makes sunshades and wheel covers, doesn't use wheel covers on her Prevost, as she doesn't think they help.
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Gee, maybe I should go into the sunshade and wheel cover business. Could I get a Prevost too??

Route 66 · 08-27-2008, 09:12 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Gee, maybe I should go into the sunshade and wheel cover business. Could I get a Prevost too?? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

That was my thought too!

danes-on-tour · 08-27-2008, 09:23 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Gee, maybe I should go into the sunshade and wheel cover business. Could I get a Prevost too?? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I also want one.

So Les want's one - Route 66 want's one, and I want one. With the discount when buying 3 we should only be paying "only" around $950,000 each.

Guy's - send me the money and I will start negotiating.

Robin_M · 08-28-2008, 05:20 AM

I'm with Luke and Dirk on this. I've been told by tire venders at RV seminars that it's the lack of flexing and the natural drying of rubber that causes sidewalls to become unsafe after about 7 years or so. The general opinion among these guys is that tire covers do little to prevent it. IOW, the effect of UV rays is "over-rated". That's been my experience as well.

Mice are another problem. We do keep our food covered up and they still get in. What a pain cleaning up after them.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Mice and ants like food. Keep all of the food in your coach in air tight containers when the coach is in storage. We use a cat, also.
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>Luke, I was wondering... Did you teach the cat to open and reseal the air tight containers, or does the cat just eat the mice for food.

jokers99 · 08-31-2008, 12:57 PM

We are fulltimers and use the tire covers, even if they don't protect the rubber they look nice and keep the chrome clean. They are easy to slip of and off, we don't tie them on. Ants are a problem, some folks here in NC swear by putting comet around the tires and jacks. We just keep food put away and have raid on hand. Nice rig you got enjoy it.

GaryKD · 08-31-2008, 02:23 PM

Tire covers - I've been using them for 30 years (not the same ones) and will continue to do so. Anything to help keep the direct sunlight off the tires and eliminate the splash from rain on my nice clean wheels is, for me, a good product.

On varmints and insects, like previously posted, clean, clean and clean. I use Raid for the stubborn ones that try coach entry. Spraying around the wheels and any hoses/cords that touch the ground will provide the barrier needed.

Lastly, when making a reservation for more than an overnight stop, I make sure the CG knows my site should have no trees. Trees, insects and varmints all go together.