Should I cover my tires?

Don't forget to change the air in your tires every month. Old air is the silent killer. :R

Good point.
Every tire mfg recommendation on the subject I've read say about the same thing as Goodyear Tire.

Our trucks don't sit for 5-7 months a year with max loads on them like our RV trailers and expect them to last 6-7 years.

My rv trailer sits in a shed with 1" crusher run with the tires on 2"X 8" wood from around OCT 1st to around some time in mid April. I use 16" LT E tires and get 50k-55k miles and around 7+ years of service.

There is nothing wrong with following tire mfg recommendations on tire storage. If you don't feel the need for following them or don't want the added complexity of doing so, no one is going to think badly of you for your decision not to use those recommendations.

Look at all the people saying yes. Without exception from lower latitudes with higher temperatures and more direct prolonged sun.
Those in more moderate climate are ambivalent at best.
I have a '39 Ford 9N. Has Firestone tires that were mounted in 1939. One of the front single rib tires may also be original.
They are weather checked, have cracks,but still function as designed.
Tires on Rv's trailers and motorhomes have a recommended drop dead life of five years.
I can't imagine that modern tires would self destruct from sun rays in five yearswhen 80 year old rubber formula has kept my tractor tires in shape for 82.

Now if you have parked your trailer on a permanent site covering may have some slight advantage. Non use is as big a killer of a tire as any other abuse.

Gdetrailor, we’ll I for one DO have lots of free time (isn’t that the idea behind retiring?), didn't mention blow outs, didn’t state or imply the Goodyear provided procedures were to be done every night, did not imply that all the steps were essential. If someone wants to extend the life of the tires on on their RV, following the advice of the manufacturer makes sense to me, especially considering the cost of new ones.

Spending an additional 10-15 minutes preparing my RV for storing it for months is time well spent, in addition to the time needed to winterize. Your mileage may vary.

Think you may be over doing it here Jo or whatever as in over the top. My minor no worry chores were absolutely no inconvenience or real expense to me John but thank you for your in depth thoughtful well meaning RV experience for. And yes I do have a lot of time on my hands for fishing, camping, RVing and other frivolous activities as a retired and disabled vet since 2000. Thank you for your tax dollars and cheers to the brave

wildtoad wrote:
Well it may be “Old wives tale” here is what Goodyear states for storing. You choose what parts you may or may not want to use.

storing your vehicle properly helps protect your tires.

• Keep your vehicle in a cool, dry storage area out of direct sunlight and UV rays.
• Unload your vehicle so that minimum weight is on the tires.
• Inflate your tires to recommended operation pressure plus 25%, but don’t exceed the rim manufacturer’s inflation capacity.
• Thoroughly clean your tires with soap and water before storing them to remove any oils that may have accumulated from the road.
• Move your vehicle at least every three months to help prevent cracking and flat-spotting, but avoid moving it during extremely cold weather.
• Place your vehicle on blocks to remove the weight from the tires. If the vehicle can’t be put on blocks, make sure the storage surface is firm, clean, well-drained and reasonably level.

Yeah, putting on blocks? :R

I would expect that coming from a manufacturer that doesn't wish to pay for warranty replacement in case of irate customer.. All they have to do is pull out the fine print that states the nonsense above and they are free and clear of any and all defects since the customer failed to do any one of the items in the list.

Listen, vehicles of all types and sizes sit outdoors ALL the time.

Vehicles sit outdoors all the time with weight on the tires.

Vehicles sit outdoors with varying tire pressures.

Vehicles sit outdoor all the time unwashed.

Vehicles sit outdoors all the time for more than 3 months in cold and hot weather..

AND very few if any of those vehicles will ever experience a tire blowout due to never following that list..

And by the way, flat spotting goes away after a few miles and unless you flat spotted by allowing the tire to go completely flat (IE rim on the ground), no damage is going to happen..

You follow those rules, you must not have much to do in life..

I don't "baby" things like tires, they are expendable wear items and giving them baths and blocking them up every night will not give one second more life to them but it will eat up your personal time in doing so.

What next? Perhaps we should all wax the underside of the RV? Maybe tell the RV a bedtime story? Tuck it in and say it's prayers?

My DRW Truck and RV are both in the sun year round. NEVER have I covered a tire and NEVER have I had a checked/cracked tire. Buy quality tires and don't worry about it.

For many years I covered the TT tires with cloth tire covers when setting outside on storage lots in very hot Texas sun and periodically applied 303 protectant to them. Never had any cracks or dry rot and towed the TT all over western states and Rockies. Except at the beginning with Goodyear tires I used Maxxis tires always.

The task of covering my tires took only a few minutes and applying 303 protectant was fun and satisfying to all the Jo's out there.

Well it may be “Old wives tale” here is what Goodyear states for storing. You choose what parts you may or may not want to use.

storing your vehicle properly helps protect your tires.

• Keep your vehicle in a cool, dry storage area out of direct sunlight and UV rays.
• Unload your vehicle so that minimum weight is on the tires.
• Inflate your tires to recommended operation pressure plus 25%, but don’t exceed the rim manufacturer’s inflation capacity.
• Thoroughly clean your tires with soap and water before storing them to remove any oils that may have accumulated from the road.
• Move your vehicle at least every three months to help prevent cracking and flat-spotting, but avoid moving it during extremely cold weather.
• Place your vehicle on blocks to remove the weight from the tires. If the vehicle can’t be put on blocks, make sure the storage surface is firm, clean, well-drained and reasonably level.

First. I've done some testing on tire covers... And they really don't do much to block the harmful rays of the sun.
Foil will block it (Tin foil aluminum)
Sheet aluminum
quarter inch plywood.
Cut a circle as bit or a bit bigger than the tire
Cover edges with pool noodle type stuff
Then put the tire cover over that

Covers look good. but not many slow down UV light that does the damage.