Proper Tire Care when the Coach is parked or in long term storage.

[David Pratt]

Good Afternoon Everyone. I was on the phone with one of our members and the issue of new tires and what should be done to protect the tires when the coach is parked at a campground or in storage for an extended length of time.

This Subject is brought up every year at the Gathering and there is a lot of various discussions on how members address it.

I thought that maybe it might be a good time to do a refresher course on what to do.

The question was, and I Quote;
"Does any one have any concrete (no pun intended) information as to the real value of parking on wood, etc over concrete.I have never thought about it much, but I have read on other Forums all kind of answers and they are all over the map about the best way to take care of the tire when the coach is in storage. But, as a almost new tire owner I want to treat all tires to a good and happy life. Big deal or no big deal?"

I dug into my notes and old files from past Gatherings and tire discussions and will share them with you.

First of all, regarding the effects of storage:
A cool, dry, sealed garage is your best condition for storage, however, it is realized that this is not often an available option. Concrete is not the tire enemy some people think it is.
The following steps have been brought up as recommendations and make good common sense to use when storing your motor coach or any vehicle:

1. Make sure the floor / ground surface is free of any petroleum product contamination (Oil, grease, fuel, etc.) since petroleum products will attack rubber and can cause significant damage to tire rubber compound characteristics.

2. Thoroughly clean your tires with soap and water.

3. Regardless of what kind of surface you park your coach on, place a barrier such as plastic, cardboard, or plywood between the tires and the ground surface. The rubber in our tires can act like a sponge and can possibly absorb water,(known as leaching), when stored without a protective barrier for long periods of time. This will occur more often when the tires are filled with just air. Tires filled with Nitrogen  in most conditions will not allow moisture to leach into a tire and can actually push the moisture out of the inside of the tire because the Nitrogen Molecule is heavier than the Air Molecule.

4. If possible cover your tires to block out direct sunlight and ultra violet rays if you have to store the coach outdoors.

5. Do not store the coach in close proximity to steam pipes, electrical generators or animal manure since these accelerate the oxidation of the rubber.

6. Make sure your tires are fully inflated with air.

7. When the coach is ready to go back into service, inspect the tires for excessive cracking in both the sidewall and tread area and check all tire air pressures. Tires will normally lose about 1 to 2 PSI per month so you should expect to find the pressures lower than when you put the vehicle into storage. Re-inflate the tires to the correct air pressure before operating the coach on the highway.

Now, about the effects of time:
Rubber compounds slowly change over time, becoming "harder" as the tire ages. But unless we are talking years, this would be virtually undetectable. However; the most likely effect of storage will be:

1. Flat spotting of the tires from taking a 'set' while sitting in one position for an extended length of time. This 'set' may work itself out of the tires after being put back into operation, but not always. This, of course, would result in a vibration.

2. Tires have waxes and oils specially formulated to protect against ozone damage built into their rubber compounds. When the tire rotates and flexes, these waxes and oils are forced to the tire's surface and are thus able to protect the tire. When a tire is stationary, these waxes and oils are not coming to the surface and thus the tire is at greater risk of ozone damage.

3. Several days of non-use at a time is not nearly as detrimental to tires as long storage periods are. The tires would still be operated often enough to avoid excessive 'set' and the waxes and oils are being forced to the tire's surface often enough to provide adequate protection against ozone.

 





 

[Tom Cherry]

5 hours ago, David Pratt said:

Good Afternoon Everyone. I was on the phone with one of our members and the issue of new tires and what should be done to protect the tires when the coach is parked at a campground or in storage for an extended length of time.

This Subject is brought up every year at the Gathering and there is a lot of various discussions on how members address it.

I thought that maybe it might be a good time to do a refresher course on what to do.

The question was, and I Quote;
"Does any one have any concrete (no pun intended) information as to the real value of parking on wood, etc over concrete.I have never thought about it much, but I have read on other Forums all kind of answers and they are all over the map about the best way to take care of the tire when the coach is in storage. But, as a almost new tire owner I want to treat all tires to a good and happy life. Big deal or no big deal?"

I dug into my notes and old files from past Gatherings and tire discussions and will share them with you.

First of all, regarding the effects of storage:
A cool, dry, sealed garage is your best condition for storage, however, it is realized that this is not often an available option. Concrete is not the tire enemy some people think it is.
The following steps have been brought up as recommendations and make good common sense to use when storing your motor coach or any vehicle:

1. Make sure the floor / ground surface is free of any petroleum product contamination (Oil, grease, fuel, etc.) since petroleum products will attack rubber and can cause significant damage to tire rubber compound characteristics.

2. Thoroughly clean your tires with soap and water.

3. Regardless of what kind of surface you park your coach on, place a barrier such as plastic, cardboard, or plywood between the tires and the ground surface. The rubber in our tires can act like a sponge and can possibly absorb water,(known as leaching), when stored without a protective barrier for long periods of time. This will occur more often when the tires are filled with just air. Tires filled with Nitrogen  in most conditions will not allow moisture to leach into a tire and can actually push the moisture out of the inside of the tire because the Nitrogen Molecule is heavier than the Air Molecule.

4. If possible cover your tires to block out direct sunlight and ultra violet rays if you have to store the coach outdoors.

5. Do not store the coach in close proximity to steam pipes, electrical generators or animal manure since these accelerate the oxidation of the rubber.

6. Make sure your tires are fully inflated with air.

7. When the coach is ready to go back into service, inspect the tires for excessive cracking in both the sidewall and tread area and check all tire air pressures. Tires will normally lose about 1 to 2 PSI per month so you should expect to find the pressures lower than when you put the vehicle into storage. Re-inflate the tires to the correct air pressure before operating the coach on the highway.

Now, about the effects of time:
Rubber compounds slowly change over time, becoming "harder" as the tire ages. But unless we are talking years, this would be virtually undetectable. However; the most likely effect of storage will be:

1. Flat spotting of the tires from taking a 'set' while sitting in one position for an extended length of time. This 'set' may work itself out of the tires after being put back into operation, but not always. This, of course, would result in a vibration.

2. Tires have waxes and oils specially formulated to protect against ozone damage built into their rubber compounds. When the tire rotates and flexes, these waxes and oils are forced to the tire's surface and are thus able to protect the tire. When a tire is stationary, these waxes and oils are not coming to the surface and thus the tire is at greater risk of ozone damage.

3. Several days of non-use at a time is not nearly as detrimental to tires as long storage periods are. The tires would still be operated often enough to avoid excessive 'set' and the waxes and oils are being forced to the tire's surface often enough to provide adequate protection against ozone.

 





 


 

100% agree.  I have a carport style storage and the two MH on each side tend to block the sun’s UV rays.  I used to cover….but changed my storage habits.

I had a few phone calls with the “engineering manager” of the Bridgestone operation in Nashville.  He was a MH owner.

He said my tires would be OK on the coarse gravel or stone in my storage bay…..basically “rock be inert”….which putting down a covering or barrier will also accomplish….as long as it is NOT wood or something that will absorb or transfer moisture…

He said covers were good, but with shading or protection from the two side units…OK for me.  That eliminated most of the direct UV damage.

He EMPHASIZED driving the MH for maybe 30 minutes every 2 months or so.  That was of double value as the engine and tranny got hot.  I run the genny and use the AC or HP mode OUT.  I use the Aquahot on the way back to keep it working.  I ran my Bridgestone for 10 years (rears) due to my 2 year Non or minor use while my broken leg (12” titanium plate and 10 titanium “deck screws” in my left femur….  They were not checked.  The last 6 months were low speed drives and I promptly put 4 new Toyo’s on the rear to match the Toyo’s i had to buy on an 8,500 mile trip where an “internal” failure or a defect ground off the outer rib in 2000 miles….and no plausible explanation other than Barry at Josams said he was seeing the same thing…one every few months…but all exactly like mine…

Thanks for posting this….always a great question…

He said that driving and flexing the tires, as you wrote, was the best as the oils in the rubber (maybe natural as well as synthetics blended in), kept the exterior surfaces more resistant to UV 

[veraken]

I made some storage pads from 2 x 12 cut to @ 4' long. I then covered them with rubber stall mat which I purchased at Tractor Supply.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/4-ft-x-6-ft-x-3-4-in-thick-rubber-stall-mat?cm_vc=-10005&cm_mmc=Affiliates-_-Pepperjam-_-Generic-_-Offer&affiliate_id=21181&click_id=3264384200&utm_source=pepperjam&utm_medium=affiliate&clickId=3264384200

For winter storage, I leave my jacks up and put a set of wood blocks under each jack. I then dump the air bags. The coach will lower down on these blocks without extending the jacks. This takes the weight off the tires. I asked (Paul) Azpete, the resident HWH expert, about this procedure and said it is OK.

[dl_racing427]

4 hours ago, veraken said:

I made some storage pads from 2 x 12 cut to @ 4' long. I then covered them with rubber stall mat which I purchased at Tractor Supply.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/4-ft-x-6-ft-x-3-4-in-thick-rubber-stall-mat?cm_vc=-10005&cm_mmc=Affiliates-_-Pepperjam-_-Generic-_-Offer&affiliate_id=21181&click_id=3264384200&utm_source=pepperjam&utm_medium=affiliate&clickId=3264384200

For winter storage, I leave my jacks up and put a set of wood blocks under each jack. I then dump the air bags. The coach will lower down on these blocks without extending the jacks. This takes the weight off the tires. I asked (Paul) Azpete, the resident HWH expert, about this procedure and said it is OK.

For storage I lift the coach with the jacks, and place heavy duty jack stands under the chassis hard points, and retract the jacks fully to protect the shafts from dirt or corrosion..
This automatically bleeds the airbags through the ride height valves.  The only weight on the tires is that of the axles and H-frames, etc.

[tomevansfl]

All good advice. Thanks for posting. 

[96 EVO]

I keep mine away from steam pipes, and, animal manure!

Have a full set of covers, but, they haven't come out of the basement in a few years!

Edited June 24, 2023 by 96 EVO