Questions about TT when not in use

If I had 5 acres, and no zoning restrictions, I'd add a trailer port (think car port, but bigger). You can have a ready made metal one put up, or have similar built on site. Protecting your TT from the sun, during non-use, is about the best thing you can do to keep it looking new.

I have a concrete pad, use tire covers, and have RV electric hookup next to pad. Nope, FW port not allowed. :(

Jerry

It doesn't matter where you park the camper, or what surface. The harder the surface, the better it is though for the tires. If parked on dirt, the tires could sink when the ground gets wet and soft, making it very difficult to pull the wheels out of the hole they sink into. Where as, concrete will never do that.

If you are parking long term on a soft surface, lay some wood under the tires to keep them from sinking. Same is true on asphalt, especially in extremely hot weather. Asphalt will get soft and tires will cause it the asphalt to dimple. So, regardless of surface (maybe other than concrete), lay some lumber under the wheels and you will never go wrong.

One thing to consider (you said you live on 5 acres), is wind. You need to park the camper, as much as possible, in the direction the wind blows mostly at your property. In my case, almost all the time, the wind comes out of the West to East. I keep my camper (trailer tongue end), facing West. If a camper is designed to take a head-on wind at 80 mph on the interstate, it can also take a 40 mph wind sitting still if it hit head on. However, if the wind blows against the side of the camper, even small wind, under all the right conditions, could blow the camper over. It doesn't happen very much, but it's possible. Facing directly into the wind helps eliminate any possibility of flipping over. For me, this is more important than the surface the tires rest on.

About dry rot.... try as you may, if the tires are not actually rolling, they will dry rot over time. I keep tire covers on mine all the time, but I really don't know if it actually helps. I think an over-inflated or under-inflated tire is more of a threat to the tire life than sitting in the sun though. Still, covering, or blocking direct sun exposure does not hurt anything.

FYI, we park our camper facing East - West, parked on Asphalt and I keep block under the stablizer jacks, but not under the tires. We use our camper all winter long, sleeping in it, and using it for extra bed room space, so we have it parked conveniently to get into the house and still in such a way it's protected as much as possible.

We also never unplug it. And the refrigerator is turned off, only during the coldest of the winter months or if we are not actually using it (like January and February when it's often below zero degrees... too costly to heat it in those temperatures).

Hope this helps.

Good luck in your research and don't be shy asking questions.

No need for a concrete pad. I use a couple of pieces of plywood to put the tires on. Tire covers may extend the life of your tires some if they are subjected to long periods of direct sunlight. You should replace your tires every 5 to 7 years regardless of visual appearance.