Covering RV Tires while parked?

[Okplowboy]

I know they sell them, I see people using them. Why? I've never seen anyone cover their car/truck tires while parked for several days/weeks/months. Seems like a waste of good money, time, and effort to install and remove. What say you? Convince me I NEED to get on board with this.

[NLOVNIT]

Well, if you need convinced, I think your mind is already made up.

For me, I want to keep UV rays off my $400/ea tires. I can practically get a whole set of tires for my car for what 1 RV tire costs me, so I'm protecting my investment with the tire covers.

Lori-

[-Gramps-]

I had wheel well screens made to shade my tires because the company I bought my 6 tires at 450 each said I should, that they would help make the tires last longer.

[GraySeal65]

22.5s cost around 5k, $60 isn't a waste if you can tap another year or two out of them.

[biggcrisp]

Brake rotor and caliber rust can happen fast. It's not that much of a problem if you drive your coach regularly.

I'm going to say that the covers might help keep some moisture from rusting the brakes. I have no proof to sustain this theory.

I always thought that an rv looked "professional" with the wheels covered. To not cover would indicate to me that the owner no longer cared about the rig. Just my strange way of deducing. Lol

[Waiter21]

I usually wear out a set of car tires every few years, way before UV does its dastardly deed.

On the other hand, my RV tires sit for the most part of the year with only 5 - 10 k miles a year travel. UV usually takes its toll over the years, and after 8 - 10 years of exposure, the tires sidewalls or showing signs of cracking and dryness, enev thou there are 10s of thousands of miles left on the tread.

Tire covers can reduce the UV exposure and extend the life of the tire a few years.

[Spdracr39]

The uv rays will dry rot the tires. Your car typically moves one or more times a day where your rv that is full timing or being stored doesn't. The sun beating down in one spot day after day is creating a hot spot and flooding that same spot over and aver again with uv radiation. Eventually it can make that one spot weak and blow out. A blowout is a much bigger deal on an rv than on a car. I don't use them because I move my camper around every couple of weeks and only camp for a couple of days at a time.

[Polyian]

Tire manufacturers add waxes and chemicals to their rubber compounds to help protect tires against deterioration by UV and heat, but the tire must be flexed frequently to squeeze the wax and some other protectants out onto the surface. If the tire just sits, the wax eventually disappears from the surface. If driven regularly, some protectants will come to the surface and prevent cracking.

Motorhomes tend to sit for long periods so the waxes that help protect against UV don't get worked out to the surface...tire covers help keep the UV off the rubber.

[MSHappyCampers]

It's pretty common knowledge that UV rays will damage and shorten the life of a tire. Yes, it's a little trouble to put on tire covers, but well worth the effort.

If we are parking overnight or for a couple of days I don't bother putting on the covers, but any more than that, yes! The tires for our MH are about $750 each. Anything I can do to extend the life just makes good sense in my book!

[USMCRET]

I have an interesting anecdote to add to this topic. My toad is a 2012 Ford Taurus and it gets a regular workout, getting the normal 12-15K/yr. It sits outside usually and gets direct sunlight about 40% of the day. The Michelins on my MH were mounted in mid-2011 and they roll anywhere from 4-8K/yr. I keep the Michelins under cover, even when parked in my carport with two sides. The only time UV hits them directly is when I'm rolling. My almost 6 yr old Michelins are pristine. The 5 yr old Goodyear Eagles on my toad are cracked badly. In fact, I plan to replace them later this year.

I realize this is a only a single data point, but I think it's undeniable that UV has a deleterious effect on rubber.

[Ted Lambert]

Originally Posted by biggcrisp

Brake rotor and caliber rust can happen fast. It's not that much of a problem if you drive your coach regularly.

I'm going to say that the covers might help keep some moisture from rusting the brakes. I have no proof to sustain this theory.

I always thought that an rv looked "professional" with the wheels covered. To not cover would indicate to me that the owner no longer cared about the rig. Just my strange way of deducing. Lol

Yup very strange!

[Ted Lambert]

Originally Posted by MSHappyCampers

It's pretty common knowledge that UV rays will damage and shorten the life of a tire. Yes, it's a little trouble to put on tire covers, but well worth the effort.

If we are parking overnight or for a couple of days I don't bother putting on the covers, but any more than that, yes! The tires for our MH are about $750 each. Anything I can do to extend the life just makes good sense in my book!

So are you talking about extending the life over 10 years?
Or are you trying to prevent premature failure?
Do you get 10 years out of your tires?
Or are you wearing them out because of mileage before 10 years?

I am really curious about what you would answer to all the questions.

[garbonz]

Need to replace tires after 5 years regardless of wear or use so the covers serve no purpose.

[palehorse89]

There is no need to replace a 22.5 tire in 5 years unless a failure is/has started/happened.........or.........unless one has a lot of money to waste