RV Storage and tires

[eskins]

Hi Forum members,
I'm moving up from a TT to a class A and curious about when I put the RV in storage should I put the levelers down to reduce the weight on the tires. I do have a covered storage facility reserved and the slot faces north.

I found a used RV, tires are about 7 years old, look fine, but pretty sure I should replace them for safety reasons.

Feedback Appreciated.

[eskins]

Thanks again everyone, we replaced all 6 tires and kept the best one of those old ones for the spare, which by the date code was the original spare! Agree, we didn't want to travel with that concern always in the back of our mind.

[dalerussel]

Just because the tires do not show age is not a reason to replace old tires. We had great tread and no cracks on the tires of the 6 yeat old, used RV we purchased. On our first major trip, one tire slipped a steel belt and we had a blowout on the road, kind of scary. I would replace the tires. We replaced ours immediately. We learned our lesson about the hodden deterioration of tires over time.

[Ray_IN]

For long-term storage/ parking, inflate tires to side wall stated pressure. At least one tire mfgr. recommends inflating 10# above sidewall stated pressure for storage. Even doing this, some tire mfgrs. also recommend moving tires so they rest on a different spot every month.

[eskins]

Thank you everyone for the responses. Pretty much what I concluded, but great to have the voices of experience! This is a good forum, I was on the TT forum before and the time length for responses and quality seem much more engaged.

[mmiille]

I park on some old rubber mud flaps and put the levelers down on plywood. There are many threads about replacing tires. 7 years for me.

[Mr_Mark1]

We used our levelers in storage to keep the weight off of the tires (previous coach). We have an enclosed storage garage with a 30 amp plug.

Our new coach has air leveling only and I leave it at ride height during storage.

If I were you, I would use the levelers.

Good luck,
MM.

[Kayteg1]

Tires should be inspected for cracks.
With no cracks, you should be good for some time.
Also depend on the tire size, some are good beyond believe.
When I bought my vintage bus conversion, the 22.5 tires had cracks around the rims in the size where I could stick tip of my finger in.
Yet pumped up hold for few hundred miles before I replaced the split rim wheels.
Later on out of curiosity I started to cut the tire.
Commercial tire has 3/4" of rubber on sidewalls close to the rim.
Car tires not much above 1/8"

[Blaster_Man]

Put the jacks down, that's what they are for. Check the date code on the tires. Since you don't know their history, replacing them would probably be a good idea.

[10forty2]

At 7 years old without any knowledge of how they were maintained....like rgatijnet1 said...replace the tires.

As for storage with or without levelers down...I think there are equal arguments for and against. If you are storing on gravel, I tend to think that it would be better to take the pressure off the tires to keep the rocks from pressing into the rubber as badly. If you are on a paved surface then I think you'd be fine either way. Just inflate the tires properly and keep them out of the sunlight.

[rgatijnet1]

Depending on length of storage, some people put down the levelers to raise the coach, and then put jack stands under the frame to support the coach while the levelers are retracted.
Since the shaft on my levelers are not affected by weather, I keep my levelers down.
Keep in mind that most full timers have their levelers extended 24/7.
I would replace the tires only because you do not know the history of pot holes, under-inflation, etc.