Tires And The Sun

[Dave Gantz]

The thread about trailer tires makes me wonder.
Why is it frequently suggested to cover a trailer or RV's tires to protect them from UV while they sit, but a daily driver is okay w/o a cover? The daily driver sees just as much sun.

[nhramnl]

Great question... kinda like the old question "When you take aspirin, how does it know where you hurt"?

[MR DERBY CITY]

Originally Posted by Dave Gantz

The thread about trailer tires makes me wonder.
Why is it frequently suggested to cover a trailer or RV's tires to protect them from UV while they sit, but a daily driver is okay w/o a cover? The daily driver sees just as much sun.

My daily driver tires cost a whole lot less than TR tires. My daily driver weighs a whole lot less than my Trailer. My daily driver is always moving about, not sitting in the same spot for weeks or even a month at a time. If my daily driver has a flat or blowout I call AAA, if my trailer has a flat or blowout you can bet your AZZ that it’s on the busiest frickin freeway right around rush hour ........You see, I will do anything in the world to keep my trailer tires and MYSELF safe........

[Chuck Norton]

Originally Posted by MR DERBY CITY

My daily driver tires cost a whole lot less than TR tires. My daily driver weighs a whole lot less than my Trailer. My daily driver is always moving about, not sitting in the same spot for weeks or even a month at a time. If my daily driver has a flat or blowout I call AAA, if my trailer has a flat or blowout you can bet your AZZ that it’s on the busiest frickin freeway right around rush hour ........You see, I will do anything in the world to keep my trailer tires and MYSELF safe........

And...that's not to mention the additional stresses that are placed on trailer tires when they are twisted and pulled sideways during turning and maneuvering. A guy who was mounting up a new of tires on my trailer in Amarillo early one summer morning told me that driving a fully loaded, multi-axle trailer at highway speeds, then turning sharp corners while parking is a major factor in peeling off the entire tread long before the tread depth becomes a factor.

c

[340Cuda]

I have covered my trailer tires for years. While it keeps them from weather cracking I don't think it makes the tire itself last any longer. Another way of saying it is that I have had old tires that look great and have lots of tread come apart out on the road.

Back in the day we had an open trailer with nylon truck tires. We never covered them and they got so old and weather cracked that chunks starting coming off the sidewalls. We replaced them finally just caused they looked so scary but we never had one fail.

It was a heavy all steel trailer with a big box on front taller than the car.

[Lew Silverman]

The truth is that ALL tires have a recommended "service life", no matter what they are installed on (or hanging from a garage wall!). The suggested life of a trailer tire is 6-7 years from the date of manufacture, whether or not the tread-depth indicators are showing. Sunlight accelerates the affects of chemicals in the air, mostly Ozone, from decomposing the rubber of the tire, which is why vehicles that don't see much use have their tires covered when not being used. One less chance for the tires to be damaged by natural causes.


Passenger and light truck tires have about a 10 year service life, depending on the manufacturers recommendations. I've replaced tires on vehicles after 10 years that looked like they could've lasted twice as long (based on physical condition), and had to remove others that had noticeable deterioration after only 5 years. That's why proper air-pressure, balancing and periodic tire rotation is so important. Bottom-line is to buy the best tires you can afford and maintain them properly.

[Myron Piatek]

I had a 16" trailer tire that was stored either inside the trailer or in a garage and was 6-7 years old before it was ever "used". It "looked" perfect. But when I did use it as a spare, the entire tread peeled off of it like a banana before it had 2,000 miles on it! Luckily it still kept full inflation pressure and rode on the steel belts because I had to drive several more miles before I found a place to pull off to change it.

[lorenr]

Lew

Everything I've learned about tires over the years is exactly what you just said.

Additionally, rubber deteriorates naturally and I suspect that it has to do with the way synthetic rubber is made.
Synthetic rubber also does not get along well with steel tire belts and if the belts should get wet because of tire cracks, well, good luck. The cracks just allow more oxygen (ozone is a serious corrosive) and moisture to mix in the rubber.

Loren