Community Forums

speed racer · 10-18-2013, 07:14 AM

At the place I store my MH the surface is 1"rock. I move my MH every time I go to check on it.This not only puts the tires in a differant position but keeps the engine lubricated and charges the batt. My original tires lasted nine years and I changed then because of sidewall cracking on three of them and I thought one may have a belt comming loose.

Butte64 · 10-18-2013, 07:24 AM

My guess is plywood would seem to be non offensive to tire materials. But I am also sure an opinion will be delivered saying plywood is some how bad for tires.

But if I were worried about this (which I am not because of my personal experience of putting nothing under my tires in storage) I would use plywood.[/QUOTE]

Plywood is bad! Plywood is bad! The sky is falling!

Sorry, just couldn't help myself.

My opinion is that plywood would be fine if it is inside and dry. Outside where plywood soaks up water and disintegrates, I don't see much value. I understand the potential chemical interaction between tires and asphalt but I don't understand why concrete would be so bad.

jroethke · 10-18-2013, 07:24 AM

I park my rig on Plywood as it helps distribute the weight somewhat on to my asphalt driveway. JR

KJINTF · 10-18-2013, 07:38 AM

Any thoughts on Steel?

csrrsr · 10-19-2013, 12:29 PM

All our toys sit on concrete all winter. I use the jacks to take the weight off the tires of the motorhome. I don't lift it off the ground but just enough to take a lot of the weight off. If I could do the same with the boat trailers I would. I lube the jacks to keep any surface rust off and they always work fine in the spring when it's time to hit the road. The difference here is that everything is stored inside not outside.

jbowen · 11-01-2013, 01:12 PM

There are lots better things to worry about than what your tires on sitting on. Just park the darn thing and get back in it when you want to go again.

Cat320 · 11-02-2013, 06:27 PM

I put mine on plywood...but it's inside...also, put the jacks down, that will take some weight off the tires.

StevieG · 11-02-2013, 06:47 PM

I park a scooter, quad, zero turn lawn mower, my tow dolly, and bikes on my concrete floor in my garage. Been doing so for years and years. They sit for months at a time. Some people even park their cars in their garage. Never had any tire problems attributed to parking on concrete.

I park my mh in my driveway and put plywood under my tires not because I'm concerned about chemical reactions. I do it to spread the weight out and keep the tires from creating a sag spot in the asphalt.

mojoracing · 11-03-2013, 01:18 AM

In my opinion, the sun and air are the greatest contributors to deterioration. I had michelins on our last MH and the two that were directly exposed to the east developed sidewall cracking while the other side was fine. I think covers are the best investment. If you think about it, all cars are stored permanently on either asphalt or concrete. They are driven and parked on both every day of their lives so I see no harm. I also run a car dealer and we have inventory that ages on occasion and is parked on an asphalt lot for up to a year with no detrimental effects. Get some covers.

jenandjon · 11-03-2013, 05:55 AM

Michelin tires are expensive and overrated. I have run them long with good year and Firestone on semi trucks. Really not much difference. But we park on dirt so no asphalt contamination. If there is such a thing.

tedgard01 · 11-03-2013, 07:24 AM

This topic comes up about once a week. It is like RV'ers have a tire fetish.....

(LOL, funny, kidding, laugh... Disclaimer)

One answer does not fit all situations. One person lives on the coast in FL with salt water exposure, another lives in AZ with exposure to the blasted heat, another lives in NC in the piedmont with moderate weather, another lives in Canada with exposure to extreme cold.....

I think that there may be less relevance to the surface you park the RV on than there is to the other environmental elements that they are exposed to.

I have always parked my car in the garage. It has a concert floor. I don't think I will change that, nor will I change parking my RV on the concert driveway or on a gravel pad at the side of my garage.

Strange as it may seam, one of the best things you can do to extend your RV tire life is to use them. Don't leave it sitting for months at a time. Take it out for a spin every month or so. Use the generator as well to extend its life. Of course, that is easy for me to say since I live in NC and can drive it all year long almost any time, versus someone that lives up north and may be snowed on for several months at a time.

Just saying, one persons answer may not be another persons answer.