Pressure treated board under tires during storage?

[Bo]

My fiver and wife's motorhome both spend their storage time parked in our pasture. I have been parking the trailer's tires on pine 2x10s but the boards are rotted to the point they need replacement. Is pressure treated wood suitable to protect the tires from sitting in the dirt, to prevent rotting of the tires, or will the chemicals used in the wood be detrimental to the tires? Wife purchased some plastic pads for her MH. Would that be a better choice over wood?

[EngineerMike]

Most preservatively treated wood has chemicals that are caustic, especially if allowed to get wet. The types of chemicals and degree of caustic action vary, but IIWM the replacements would be untreated wood.

[jperry29]

Bo,

Like you, I have been getting my tires up on 2X10's during storage for the entire life of my 5th wheel. Every winter (for me that is mid-November to mid-March) my camper sits, unmoved on those boards and they are the pressure treated variety.

I got seven years out of the factory original tires and I am two years into the replacement tires. I did have a couple of blow-outs with the originals but one was attirbuted to a side-wall puncture from road debri and the other was a side-wall rupture. In both cases the tread (the part in intimate contact with the pressure treated wood) was still intact. There was no evidence that any deterioration had occured anywhere in the tread where there was contact with pressure treated wood.

I don't doubt that there is some chemistry probably going on that would otherwise not be without the pressure treating chemicals being present. But with ten years of imperical data, I can't say that it is a problem.

[Wayne M]

I park on cement so I don't typically raise the tires of the cement. If it were asphalt or dirt, I would. I know that I should raise them off the cement, just in case my neighbor spills something - but I don't. If I were to, and I have them, I would use the pressure treated 2 x 10 (or 12) with a 1/2 to 3/4 piece of plywood, untreated (cause it's cheaper) on one side. That side would be against the tire. The plywood also allows me to use it on the jacks when I'm at a CG for a few nights. Plywood has some give to it and keeps the board from splitting.

[Paul R. Haller]

I have pressure treated 6X8x12 footers anchored to the soil with 24 inch redwood stakes. I put 2 6X8 planks sided by side giving me about 15 inches wide to shoot for while backing in my trailer. I took some heavy Simpson straps and tied the two beams together. They have not rotted or damaged my tires in the 12 years they have been there. I took a saw from either side and created ramp to ease backing up onto them.
-Paul R. Haller-

[Bo]

One thing to note: Today's pressure treatment is not the same as that used only and few years back. Experience with older PT boards may not be the same as with present PT wood. My present plan is to use untreated boards. I just happened to be reminded by my wife that there was a couple of suitable boards at our cabin that I had removed from a deck. Can't beat free boards. They will do my job for a few years and then I'll again be checking on PT vs. not PT. Thanks for relating all the experience and opinions. I will keep it on file for future reference.

[ChiefJohn]

I wish I could get my hands on some of the PSP (perforated steel plate) that we used in 'Nam as that would be ideal for my gravel pad.