Community Forums

Rich & Zara · 01-17-2009, 10:37 PM

Just the SPARE TIRE ...not the ones on the ground.

My spare is ten years old, has never been used, no visable cracking and has never been exposed to sunlight. I realize that tires, especially those being used, should not be taken out of service after a period of about seven years, but what about a spare that has NEVER touched the ground?

What is your say on this matter?

Rich

RV Wizard · 01-18-2009, 12:13 AM

From what I know about tires, which is only a fair amount, I would think that a spare tire not being used would not last any longer than a tire that is. Even if you have been able to keep it out of the sun and UV rays, the ozone will deteriorate them too. I would not expect to put a ten year old tire into full service and it perform very long at all. It might be ok as a spare, limping in, to where you can repair or replace the original.

Ray,IN · 01-18-2009, 09:46 AM

That's a tough call. For instance, I have a 1984 24' flatbed trailer w/ original whitewall tires (W/tubes) still carrying 5 2,000# hay bales per load each summer. Would I trust those tires on my RV, of course not. There is a huge difference between hauling a heavy load at 50mph for 15 miles and hours of highway travel at 50mph.
Keep in mind most tire failures begin inside (usually delamination caused by running under-inflated), demounting, and close visual inspection by an expert is the only way to determine a tire's "health".

tmar10 · 01-18-2009, 10:22 AM

Replace the spare. My brother grabbed the spare off of one of my farm trailers without my knowledge and was on the phone within 75 miles crying the blues about my spare.

If you need it, you want a functional tire.

Gary RVRoamer · 01-18-2009, 04:41 PM

That spare is a goner. If you ever have to put it on, odds are it will blow within 10-20 miles if used at highway speeds.

The only way to get your moneys worth from a spare is to rotate it into regular use, so it gets a share of the wear before it dies of old age. And that only works if you drive enough miles to need to spread the wear around.

Johnny · 01-25-2009, 03:30 PM

If it's TOTALLY protected from UV light, it's probably fine in an emergency.

I'd either grab a good used tire or use the best of the old ones (what I did) when getting new tires for a replacement spare.

rjf7g · 01-25-2009, 04:01 PM

It's a tire - everything else rides on it. Rotate it and replace it just like you do your other tires.

TXiceman · 01-26-2009, 03:19 AM

While the tire may not be exposed to UV, it is still exposed to Ozone damage. Nothing can be done about the ozone exposure.

I really would not trust a spare over 10 years old for more than a few miles.

Ken

RedGuy · 01-26-2009, 05:50 PM

I would use the best of the main tires as a spare when I buy new tires. However I would only trust that tire at a lower speed just to get me somewhere where I can get the main tire fixed.