What is under your tires for outside winter storage?

[go6car]

Hi All -

First winter with the new motorhome. It's currently on gravel at a storage facility outside. (May be in an unheated garage for a few months as well - assuming that floor may be concrete).

Should I use wood planks for underneath the tires? Something else? Nothing?

Just trying to get an idea of what others use. (I'm in the northeast - if that makes a difference).

Thanks!

[trackman]

When on concrete we use nothing. If on gravel or sand we use 2x6 under the tires

[Bigd9]

I never use anything under the tires.

[donhoward49]

Some guys use plastic cutting boards,,some use old mud flaps. anything that you use, be sure all the tire is on it even.. Nothing hanging over. I use rubber anti-fatigue mats, mostly because they were free.

[mavric65]

always parked on plywood when parked for storage you dont want all the concrete to suck all the moisture out of the tires

[BCooke]

Plastic squares my father had gotten for his, the cargo trailer cutting boards (plastic).

[NFlcamper]

What is this "Winter Storage"?
Going this weekend, Thanksgiving weekend, 2nd weekend of December, and President's Day weekend. More probably, but these are planned so far. LOL!

[jzick]

I do not pretend to be expert, but have read from several supposedly in the know on forums that storing tires on wood or concrete is not the best thing to do. I use plastic cutting boards and also use the levelers to reduce the load.

[Clayobx]

I asked the same question last year around this time as we then lived in NC. The consensus was cutting boards etc. however the best information was from a poster with information regarding horse mats sold through tractor supply. They are dense rubber that can be cut and shaped using a utility knife! I called Tractor supply most stock the pads, which insulate, and ran around 40.00 dollars. One should do a six wheeled coach. Never bought one moved to Fl.

[Jobeth66]

Originally Posted by Clayobx

I asked the same question last year around this time as we then lived in NC. The consensus was cutting boards etc. however the best information was from a poster with information regarding horse mats sold through tractor supply. They are dense rubber that can be cut and shaped using a utility knife! I called Tractor supply most stock the pads, which insulate, and ran around 40.00 dollars. One should do a six wheeled coach. Never bought one moved to Fl.

Thank you!! I never would've thought of these. Just called my local Tractor Supply and they have '3000 of them' according to the guy that answered the phone. Our coach is going to be stored on dirt this year - we were planning to put it on 2x12's & visqueen, but I like this idea MUCH better. They're going for $42.99/ea at TSC, and are 4' x 6'. I can probably get by with 2 of them. And they'll store nicely in the pass-through for use under the jack stands while we're camping, or if we're parked somewhere wet/muddy so we don't lose traction.

[coffeeman]

I used one of the 4x6 horse mats from Tractor supply and cut out 4 pads. They are heavy and sure won't blow away. Think I paid $40 last year.

[Bigd9]

Interesting Question.
From Tire Rack:

Don't store a vehicle with weight on its tires for extended periods of time. Long-term inactivity is more harmful to tires than weekly drives that flex the tires and help maintain oil dispersion within the rubber compounds.

Keep the tires out of direct sunlight whenever possible. The sun's ultraviolet rays and radiant heat are detrimental to rubber. We have used a pyrometer to measure tires that were simply sitting in direct sunlight on a parked vehicle. Surprisingly those tires' temperatures measured 135° Fahrenheit on their surface.

Before storing, use a tire brush to clean each tire with soap and water to remove brake dust, dirt and grime. If the tires are still mounted on wheels, use a wheel brush to clean the wheels with an approved cleaner as well. Dry with a towel and let any remaining moisture thoroughly evaporate.

DO NOT APPLY ANY TIRE DRESSINGS. Tire compounds are formulated to resist ozone cracking or weather checking.

Place each clean and dry tire in its own large, opaque, airtight plastic bag (such as lawn and garden bags) for storing. Avoid allowing any moisture to remain and remove as much air as practical (some drivers even use a vacuum cleaner to draw out as much as possible). Close the bag tightly and tape it shut. This places the tire in its own personal mini-atmosphere to help reduce oil evaporation.

From Bridgestone Tire:

A cool, dry, sealed garage is your best condition for storage, however, it is realized that this is not often an available option. Concrete is not the tire enemy some people think it is.
We would recommend the following steps in storing a vehicle:
1. Make sure the floor / ground surface is free of any petroleum product contamination (Oil, grease, fuel, etc.) since petroleum products will attack rubber and can cause significant damage to compound characteristics.
2. Thoroughly clean your tires with soap and water.
3. Place a barrier such as plastic, cardboard, or plywood between the tires and the ground surface.
4. Cover your tires to block out direct sunlight and ultra violet rays.
5. Do not store the vehicle in close proximity to steam pipes, electrical generators or animal manure since these accelerate oxidation of the rubber.
6. Make sure your tires are fully inflated with air.
7. When the vehicle is ready to go back into service, inspect the tires for excessive cracking in both the sidewall and tread area and check all tire air pressures. Tires will normally lose about 2 PSI per month so you should expect to find the pressures lower than when you put the vehicle into storage. Re-inflate the tires to the correct air pressure before operation.

From Yokoham Tires:

TIRES INSTALLED ON VEHICLES
Storage area should be level, well drained. Care should be taken to avoid prolonged contact with petroleum based substances: oils, fuels and asphalt.

Long term storage, or storage of seasonal vehicles; i.e. RV's, boat trailers and show cars requires special preparations. Vehicles should be raised on blocks, so weight is removed from the tires. If blocking is not possible, tire pressure should be increased 25% from inflation required for the loaded vehicle. Vehicles should be moved every three months to prevent flat spotting and ozone cracking at the tire sidewall flex point. Flat spots usually disappear, when the tires warm-up, after a 25+ mile drive. Flat spotting, which occurs on vehicles not moved for six, or more months may not disappear.

Tires on vehicles stored out-of-doors, should be protected by opaque covers to prevent damage from
sunlight.

So, to me it looks like storing on concrete or gravel/crushed rock isn't as much of a problem as storing on asphalt because of the oils. Take the weight off, and cover the tires.

[monkey]

I've used Armorall for years on car tires, but never had a MH that doesn't (in our case) wear out the tires due to mileage. Now I know that's a big NO NO on tires that will go bad with age. So I will be out and wash off the tires , and I'll read these tire threads again to find the proper "dressing" to use so the tires look good.

[vsheetz]

DG surfaced parking area on the back of our property.