Tire Blow-Out on your RV

RV Tire Blow Out - How to Protect Yourself
By Keith A. Williams

Most RV tires do not fail due to excessive wear but due to deterioration over a period of time. I had a spare tire on my Hitchhiker II which had never been used ---yet it disintegrated while mounted to the rear of the trailer and covered, so I know it can happen!

Warren Hull's ezinearticles article titled "RV Tire Protection" covers the situation rather well. That article gives some tips on ways to retard the inevitable deterioration.

The bottom line to protecting yourself from the problems associated with a tire failure is simple:

Replace the tire before it causes a problem!

The next question, "When do I do that?" is not as simple to answer.

It has been said that RV tires should be replaced after about six years, regardless of the condition of the tread. My experience with my previous trailer would indicate that number is about right. Had I done so, it would have saved me a lot of inconvenience and some minor damage to the trailer.

But last week, I had a failure of a tire which was barely five years old! And it was on the north side of the trailer, winter and summer. My personal feeling is that a tire should last six, seven, or eight years.

I'm hoping that this failure was a fluke. If another one fails this year, it's straight to the tire store for a new set!

Tires have a date code molded into the sidewall, so it is easy to know the age of our tires. The code is four digits, with the first two being the week of the year and the second two being the year the tire was manufactured. Example: A tire with the date code "0607" would have been made in February (sixth week of the year), 2007.

The four-digit code went into effect in July, 2000. Prior to that, the date code was a three-digit code, with the year being represented by a single digit.

If your tires have a three-digit code, don't be surprised if they fail! They're over seven years old and definitely will not last forever.

Copyright 2007 Keith A. Williams

The author is a part-time RVer who has learned about tire failures and date codes by experience.

He has published other RV-related articles which you may find educational. His websites are also useful: http://countyparks.us reveals the "hidden secret" of county parks. (So far, it doesn't live up to its full potential, but bear with him.)

Two others relate to the RV Awning Travel Lock which he markets ---again, because of a very unpleasant experience. You can visit them here: http://awninglock.com and http://awninglock.info The info there could save you a big mess and hundreds of dollars.

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