Community Forums

rbell-irving · 02-24-2011, 10:24 PM

As I travel around the country in my 5th wheel and stay in many RV parks I notice some RV's parked with wheel covers on the tires and many without. Could somebody please enlighten me as to why one would put a cover on tires, even when parked for short periods? Thanks!

**NLOVNIT** · 02-24-2011, 10:35 PM

To keep them clean & also protect them from UV rays.

Oh &

Lori-

Pairajays · 02-24-2011, 11:49 PM

Personally, I think wheel covers are for show. I've never used them and my tires have never shown damage from the sun.

Jim E

Route 66 · 02-25-2011, 04:46 AM

Some folks believe the covers protect the tires from sun damage.

Some of us do not.

safari1 · 02-25-2011, 04:57 AM

Believe me, in the Arizona sun you will have sun damaged tires if they are left uncovered for long periods. Look very close at the tire edge (where the tread meets the sidewall) and you will see cracks. The covers are cheap only $25 per pair. I only use mine in storage, not in RV parks.

kevin

Pairajays · 02-25-2011, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by safari1

Believe me, in the Arizona sun you will have sun damaged tires if they are left uncovered for long periods. Look very close at the tire edge (where the tread meets the sidewall) and you will see cracks. The covers are cheap only $25 per pair. I only use mine in storage, not in RV parks.

kevin

I don't know what "long periods" mean. I'm in Yuma now and stay here 3 or 4 months per year. Also travel the rest of the time in warm sunny areas. I'm just not sold on the need for tire covers for sun protection. BTW, I don't stay in Yuma during the summer months because of the heat, but we are not talking about heat. Could it be the 115/120 degrees temperatures are what causes the problem?

Jim E

Jim E

pkmesser · 02-25-2011, 10:25 AM

My MH is parked outside w/o wheel covers. It is faceing due east and is partially under trees. The right rear outside tire is showing slight cracking after 6 1/2 years. None of the other tires show any sign of weathering. (The tires are Mich. XRV's.) That tire is not in the shade in the afternoon, and is the only tire that gets significant sun. Normal daytime high here is less than 90 degrees. My conclusion is that there is deteriation due to UV. (we are at latitude 35.14 N. & 4000ft el.)

az bound · 02-25-2011, 02:20 PM

I don't use covers but I do use 303 protectant, SPF 40. I feel anything that helps block UV is a plus.

Gary RVRoamer · 02-25-2011, 03:03 PM

PKMesser ably illustrates my feelings on the subject, with his evidence that one tire shows minor deterioration after 6.5 years. Yes, ultra-violet (and maybe infrared too) can cause deterioration in rubber, including tires. But RV tires have pretty well served out their useful lfe in 7 years, whether covered or not. Covering them seems to me to have little value, since they are going to need to be replaced in about 7 years anyway. Probably sooner on a trailer.

The best thing you can do to preserve a tire is to drive on it - rolling around is good for a tire.

safari1 · 02-26-2011, 06:01 AM

All I can say is the sun must be different in Yuma than Chandler, Ha, Ha! My experience with boat trailers, and my motorhome is after 2-3 years in the sun you will have damage. My MH was only 2 years old last summer and there was already cracking on tires. I figure for only $50 to cover all 4 tires, why not.

If you are only here for the winter, might not be a problem. Even in the Rv parks in CA the long term Rvers had covers on their tires even though the sun is not so intense there.

Good Luck

Dadeaux · 02-26-2011, 06:36 AM

I recently changed out the tires on my rig and the four on the outside were cracked in numerous places but the inside duals were clear of cracks.

denochs · 02-26-2011, 06:43 AM

If you pay attention to the weather, especially in the summer months, they often speak of the UV index. It is higher then and more protection is needed for your skin as well as your tires. The reason most tire mfg do not have a lot in print about the bad effects of the sun's uv effects on tires is most wear out the tread before they deteriorate. The RV industry is a small portion of their business.

I look at it this way, if I can preserve my tires another year or two (we have 8 on our MH) that's the cost of one tire per year.

Dave

ksg5000 · 02-26-2011, 07:01 AM

The adverse impact of UV rays isn't much of a debate - when in doubt check out the Michelin website which clearly indicates that during storage you should protect your tires from UV.

hooverbill · 02-26-2011, 07:12 AM

I have Goodyear RV tires. The tire manual says covering or putting some type protection on them is not necessary. However, common sense tells me eventually the sun's rays will do some damage.