Trailer Off Tires for Winter Storage???

[Rbertalotto]

I'm a bit new to TT. This is my first winter storage of one. Had Truck Campers until this year.

Do you TT owners put blocks under the spring perches to take the weight off the tires during winter storage?

[Gdetrailer]

bfast54 wrote:
Well I look at it this way since I'm the one paying the bill I do what I feel is best --if you're the one paying the bill then you do what you feel is best !!


Where I'm at in the north We can get two to three foot of snow on the roof of an RV and then in the spring when it rains that turns into wet snow ----ever try to pick up a shovel full of wet sloppy snow ???? weighs a lot doesn't it ???

imagine 30. Ft. Rv.. Wet. Snow. 2 feet high on top of the trailer-- I think that adds a pound or two

Purpose of OPs question was SHOULD THEY JACK UP THE TRAILER OFF THE TIRES FOR THE WINTER.

YOUR answer about SNOW LOADS has NOTHING TO DO WITH THE OPs QUESTION ABOUT TAKING TRAILER WEIGHT OFF THE TIRES.

OP'S question comes from many years of repeated MYTHS of days gone by when folks would jack up their antique vehicles (or extra vehicles) they were going to store for the winter.

This was done supposedly to take:

1) weight off the tires to prevent DAMAGE to the tires due to the weight staying in one place on the tires.

2) Prevent damage to the "suspension" of said vehicle while it is sitting long term.

BOTH of the above "reasons" mentioned above are nothing more than a fictional myth..

Born from a story that came from "brother of a friend who had an uncle's friend's cousin relay a story of another distant cousin's brother having a tire blowout sitting while stored.. Or the vehicle broke a spring while sitting stored"..

Tires AND suspensions are designed to not only handle the movement on the road but sitting still for LONG TERM..

ANYONE who is jacking up a trailer off the wheels for long term storage or winter storage is simply WASTING THEIR TIME AND ENERGY and is not needed..

Winter snow loads will have MORE effect on the trailer roof and not tires or suspension..

Winter snow loads SHOULD be delt with on a "as needed" basis very carefully BY REMOVING THE ACCUMULATED SNOW..

Rather than depending on jacking up the trailer.

Jacking up a trailer for the snow load does not accomplish anything since the greatest risk of damage is the ROOF COLLAPSE in that case.

[bfast54]

Well I look at it this way since I'm the one paying the bill I do what I feel is best --if you're the one paying the bill then you do what you feel is best !!


Where I'm at in the north We can get two to three foot of snow on the roof of an RV and then in the spring when it rains that turns into wet snow ----ever try to pick up a shovel full of wet sloppy snow ???? weighs a lot doesn't it ???

imagine 30. Ft. Rv.. Wet. Snow. 2 feet high on top of the trailer-- I think that adds a pound or two

[JIMNLIN]

temccarthy1 wrote:
So which is it now? I posted this same question on this forum a month ago and was advised by every responder that is was NOT necessary and not to do it. I called Keystone directly and they also said NOT to block it.... Now on this thread, I am seeing opposite opinions and now quotes from the tire manufactures ( mine are Carlisle) that say to BLOCK IT.. Jeez.... which is the right answer?

There is no "right" answer.

You can always use the best practice that is the easiest for you to do.
I know what my tire mfg says and I know what others say ....but I store my tires the way that is easiest for me.

I have 20 LT and 4 ST tires (14"/15"/16") on various trailers. I keep them all at max pressures 24/7 365 days a year.....sitting on wood on 1 1/2" crusher run limestone gravel .....out of the sun. Most sit in the trailer shed.
I've stored all my RV/commercial trailers this way since the early '60s. Works easiest for me.

[CavemanCharlie]

Interesting thread.

If we had to take the weight off of all of our farm tires in the winter we would never get anything done except jacking up and then jacking back down everything.
Bet we got over 100 tires. lol

[temccarthy1]

So which is it now? I posted this same question on this forum a month ago and was advised by every responder that is was NOT necessary and not to do it. I called Keystone directly and they also said NOT to block it.... Now on this thread, I am seeing opposite opinions and now quotes from the tire manufactures ( mine are Carlisle) that say to BLOCK IT.. Jeez.... which is the right answer?

[colliehauler]

corvettekent wrote:
I just take mine to AZ for the winter.

Best advice or Florida or South Texas. Great place to store tires for the winter.:B

[JIMNLIN]

Interesting the three different instructions on tire pressure... Carlisle, reduce pressure -- Maxxis, "adjust pressure" -- Goodyear, increase pressure.

Well, that doesn't help! lol!

Carlisle....Everyone by now knows that a Carlisle tire is to be ran at max pressures per their warranty and recommendations. So when the trailer is sitting in storage tires are at max pressures.
And when the trailer is stored sitting on blocks the tires pressure is to be reduced.
...........................................................

Maxxis...... says to reduce pressures to 15 psi when the tires are stored off the trailer or with the trailer on blocks and tires off the ground. And while sitting in storage they should be at recommended pressures.
.........................................................

Goodyear..... my paste and copy above is from a Goodyear PDF RV "tire care" website.
I did some farther checking into the Goodyear "rv tire storage" website which adds more to the story and says;
How to Store Your Tires
-The best place to store tires is a clean, cool, dry, sunless area away from strong air currents. Even though the rubber used to make tires is formulated to resist the effects of sunlight, ozone, and water, the life of a tire can be extended if exposure to these elements is minimized during storage.
-Stack tires flat so that the bottom tire will maintain its shape
-Wrap each tire with an opaque polyethylene covering to minimize the effects of oxygen and ozone. Most Goodyear retailers have storage bags made specifically for this purpose
-If tires are being stored outdoors, they should be raised off the storage surface
-If tires are stored while mounted on rims, they should be inflated to 10 psi.
-If they are put in storage during warm weather, the initial inflation pressure should be about 15 psi to offset the pressure drop during cold weather months.

and

Storing Your Vehicle Without Removing the Tires
-Ideally, a vehicle in storage should be placed on blocks to remove all weight from the tires. If the vehicle cannot be put on blocks, follow these steps for tire protection:
-Completely unload the vehicle so that minimum weight will be placed on the tires
-Inflate tires to recommended operating pressure plus 25%. Ensure that the rim manufacturer’s inflation capacity is not exceeded
-Be sure the storage surface is firm, clean, well drained and reasonably level
-Avoid moving the vehicle during extremely cold weather
-Move the vehicle at least every three months to prevent ozone cracking in the tire bulge area, as well as “flat-spotting” from the prolonged strain of sidewall and tread deflection
-Adjust inflation before putting the vehicle back into service.

And for those that store on asphalt or a highly reflective surface;
How Not to Store Your Tires
-Don't store tires in an area that is wet, oily or greasy
-Don't store tires where they are subjected to direct sunlight or extreme temperatures
-Don't store tires near electric motors or other ozone-generating sources
-Don't store tires on black asphalt or other heat-absorbent surfaces
-Don't store tires on or adjacent to highly reflective surfaces such as sand or snow.
...................................................

I'm sure if we went to each tire mfg website for tire storage they all will have about the same message.

[dodge_guy]

Not necessary. Where I park it's all gravel. I put down patio blocks so the tires are sitting on a smooth surface and up out of any water if it collects. I also cover the tires to keep them from degrading from sun damage during the winter.

[Tvov]

Interesting the three different instructions on tire pressure... Carlisle, reduce pressure -- Maxxis, "adjust pressure" -- Goodyear, increase pressure.

Well, that doesn't help! lol!

JIMNLIN wrote:

...and why is this necessary?
I'm open minded and just trying to learn...

Per Carlisle;

– Keep trailer tires in a cool dry place and out of direct sunlight
during storage.
– Use tire covers to protect tires from the harsh effects of direct
sunlight, moisture and temperature extremes.
– During extended storage, use a thin piece of wood or other surface
barrier under tires to extend tire life. For seasonal or extreme long
term storage, elevate the trailer on blocks to take the weight off the
tires. Reduce the air pressure and cover the tires to protect them
from direct sunlight.

Per Maxxis;

Tire Storage

Maxxis recommends storing tires indoors in a clean, cool and dry area away from UV rays or ozone gases (eg. generators). Tires should be stacked flat and reduced to 15 psi if mounted on wheels during storage.

If tires must be stored outdoors, Maxxis recommends raising tires off the storage surface to avoid excessive contact with the elements. If possible, wrap the tires in an opaque polyethylene cover to minimize the effects of ozone and oxygen.

If a trailer is being stored without removing the tires, place blocks under the trailer to remove all weight from the tires. Avoid moving the trailer during extreme cold weather.

Always adjust inflation pressure before putting tires back into service

Per Goodyear;

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.

Now if anyone need to know why the tire makers recommend all this ...give them a 1-800.

My RV sits on 2" x 8" x 48" long on limestone crusher run in a trailer shed out of the sun. I keep LT tires on my trailers at max pressures 24/7. I change them out at 7-8 years and 50k-55k miles as their getting close to the wear bars.

IMO the best idea is keep them dry and out of the sun when sitting for several months.

[Lynnmor]

mordecai81 wrote:


I understand about not jacking up under the axle tubes, but putting blocks under the frame must be o.k.. Or is their something I'm not getting about this?

Just block it as close to the axles as possible.

[mordecai81]

Campfire Time wrote:
Most don't. I don't. And you have to be careful. If you have Dexter torsion axles you can't jack them up or put blocks under the axle itself otherwise you'll damage it.

I park on a gravel pad and have 2 in boards under the tires so it doesn't sink in the spring when the ground is wet.

I understand about not jacking up under the axle tubes, but putting blocks under the frame must be o.k.. Or is their something I'm not getting about this?

[corvettekent]

I just take mine to AZ for the winter.

[atreis]

I raise mine up a little with a jack on the frame and put blocks under the spring clamps (to keep from bending the axle). It takes most of the load off of the tires. I suspect that would only matter if one of them happened to lose enough air to go flat, but I do it anyway. 🙂

[bfast54]

I live in the great frozen north lol-----( not this year it's not so cold anyways).
We get a lot of snow up here--- I dropped the nose of my fifth wheel put three sets of concrete blocks onthe back of the frame.....Then.. raise the front end---- to lift the tires off the ground a little bit ---which takes a load off the suspension and off of the tires.

I lift it so it angles to the back a little bit --so snow melt runs off...and putting stacks of concrete blocks at the front ---that way it's sitting firmly on concrete blocks ----and the suspension is not loaded.

so when we get lots of snow its( the weight ) is just transferred down to the ground through the frame..


Then in the spring......its easy to service the bearings, check brakes...etc.....:W