Long-term parking effects on tires

[Rmack1]

A friend advised me that I shouldn't leave my new TT parked for long periods right on the ground. He recommended pieces of plywood cut to insulate the tires from the ground. His understanding is that some types of soil can leach moisture from the tires, causing them to crack and wear.

Anyone confirm this? Does this include concrete or asphalt? How about gravel? I noticed some of the small rocks stuck to my tire for a few revs after it was parked a couple of months, which was disconcerting, but didn't seem to do any damage.

How long is long term?

I have my two-axle trailer parked on gravel. No one else in the storage facility seems to have their tires on anything but the asphalt or gravel. Many are much longer term than my two or three months between trips.

BTW, I know about solar damage. Tire covers of one sort or the other when the rubber is exposed to the sun seems universally agreed upon as being a good idea.

[mobeewan]

Make sure to add pure nitrogen to them. Helium would be better as it will help take some weight off the treads.

[ac_bill1]

Rolling the unit forward or backward a few feet, every month is a good idea. If you can't do that because of the parking situation, then jacking it up and rotating the tire as TX Tiger mentioned is the way to go.

[john_bet]

Just to let you know my experience, my 5er has been parked on gravel all winter(OCT.-MAR.) since new. Not one tire failure or anything else with them. I just replaced them this past SEPT. before we went on a big trip. Tire date code was 24804.

[WoodGlue]

If you're going to park long term on any surface the preferred surfaces are (in order)

1) Asphalt (will not leach out the petroleum products in your tires as quickly)
2) Concrete
3) Gravel
4) Wood or Lynx Levelers
5) Dirt or sand (will leach away the petroleum products in your tires quickly)

WoodGlue

[NC_Hauler]

I parked mine on a concrete pad first week of March last year, kept tires aired to 110 psi, (G rated tires), and didn't move it until after thanksgiving when I towed it 255 miles home. I had the tires covered till the week of thanksgiving...checked air in all tires, and drove it out of there, no problems, no issues, no flat spots, nothing....Towed on interstate at 60-65 mph, again, no problems and 5er had set almost 9 months..

[TxTiger]

I've had mine at an RV site for about 10 months with tire covers. About every three months I jack it up one wheel at a time and rotate the wheels to avoid flat spots on the tires. I'm not sure it helps and I don't know if the tires would develop a flat spot, but it makes me feel better.

[NC_Hauler]

Some good ideas and some "overkill" also...Funny that the rv lot's can leave these units setting in one place for months and months on end, not leveled, with all slides out, never checking the tire pressure, until they sell them, (IF THEN), and yet, we buy them and drive off the lot not thinking much about any of that. I purchased my 06', brand new off the lot in Oct. of 07'. It set for almost a year. when I purchased it. I made sure tires were aired to recommended psi, and I've really had no issues to amount to much of anything, and it is 7 yrs old.

I keep mine parked on concrete when camping, if at home, which is gravel, I drive up on 2 X 12 X 6 ft. pressure treated lumber and cover the tires.....never have raised the unit off the ground to take pressure off tires or axle no matter how long it set...

[Handyman_Xenabl]

We use Lynx levellers under the tyres and covers over the wheels.

[h2guy]

Go to Office Depot (or the like), purchase a chair pad (cheapest they carry), whack it into as many pieces as you need to roll the tires up onto.

[mlts22]

I am leery about leaving a vehicle on jackstands for fear it would crack or tweak the frame.

In Europe, they take off the wheels on their trailers and use something called locking winter wheels. These not just allow the tires/wheels to be stored out of the weather, but provide substantial theft resistance as well.

[Clay_L]

Michelin says it is best to cover them and to put something between them and ground, gravel, or concrete.
I use the flexible cutting boards between the tires and whatever I am parked on if it is going to be more than a week or so. Same for tire covers.
I changed my first set of tires out at a little over seven years and they still looked great.
Michelin says the replace them after no more than ten years but to have them inspected each year after five.

[Rmack1]

gat75 wrote:
If I am planning on leaving my 5W parked for longer term (+2-weeks), I jack up each wheel & place axle on adjustable jack stand. This keeps the weight off of the tires. I personally feel that this is more of an issue than any chemical issues with ground touching tires. Doing this also makes living in the RV much more stable; (mine stays parked at the lake 80% pf the time). If you decide to do this, I can send you more info if you like. I also use wheel covers to keep the elements off of tires.

I would be interested in learning more.

ray.mcdonough@verizon.net

[Dick_B]

Try www.michelinrvtires.com for their advise.

[PawPaw_n_Gram]

The biggest long term parking effect on tires is the lack of tread wear convinces people they can run the tires longer than is safe.

I've even met folks who brag about their tires being seven years old and not showing wear. "Good for another seven years"

Parking on something other than concrete, asphalt, grass, gravel or ground helps keep the tires in better condition. Using UV protection - be it covers or chemicals helps. Making sure the tires are inflated properly when traveling helps even more. Making sure the axles and brakes are in good working order helps.

Making sure to not run the tires over their speed rating regularly or over they load rating really helps.

But no matter what you do - tires need to be replaced no more than six years after their manufacture date. That ends up being five years of use for most tires.

Be careful when you buy new tires - they could already be over a year or 18 months old. Check the manufacture date, and if they are over six months old - don't take them. The shop will try to put on the oldest tires in their inventory.

I actually had a shop tell me "Wait a minute - he pulled out the wrong set" when I went to check the mfg date on a new set of tires for my truck. The ones they brought out next were five months old.