Tire covers

[John Welte]

I searched the forum for my answer, but does anyone have a preference for type of tire covers?  Ease of use and durability are qualities that I am looking for.  We're in rainy Oregon, but eventually this seemingly infinite cloud will have an edge and we will see dry land and sun.  We bought in November, so wasn't too concerned about covering the tires until now.  Maybe I should have covered them even during the rainy season.

John

[taylor.coyote]

 

We live on the Northern Ca coast and are still running on the original 10 ply Michelin's that came on the trailer. The trailer was delivered in 2016 and had traveled about only 4,000 to 5,000 miles when we purchased it mid-year 2019. We had to take a year off due to medical issues but have put on about another 20,000 miles.  Estimated total milage of 24,000 on tires. Lots of tread left but have been concerned about their age, UV and general abuse due a lot of off road activity. Took them in for a good inspection while rotating last November. I was ready to purchase new tires due to age. Joe, my tire guy said they have evidence of off road travel but the rubber is still supple, no aging on the sidewalls, plenty of tread and in good shape. He talked me out buying new tires and told me to run them one more year. Still concerned about age of the tires, I had My RV guys inspect the tires when repacking the bearings In Feb. He gave me the same report. Nothing wrong with the tires, run them another year. Although in good condition, I hope i'm not operating on borrowed time.

Why all this information when you are asking about tire covers?  If you live west of the cascades, our climate is much like yours. Our trailer lives outside year around. A lot of our off road adventures are in the hot desert. The tires are 6+ years old and we have never used tire covers. UV tire damage is a real thing but but after getting 7+ years from my tires, I question if tire covers are worth the hassle for trailers stored west of the cascades.  I have invited some conversation on the need for tire covers but please don't let my post hijack John's original post wanting recommendations for good tire covers

[Steph and Dud B]

We've had these for 2 years in New England: Explore Land Tire Covers 4 Pack - Tough Tire Wheel Protector for Truck, SUV, Trailer, Camper, RV - Universal Fits Tire Diameters 26-28.75 inches, Tan & Khaki https://a.co/d/e20v5uu (We have the stock Cooper 235/65R16 tires.) They fit snugly and seem to be good quality.

We've always covered our trailer tires in storage, mostly because we have a short camping season. My understanding is they're more prone to UV damage when they're sitting still because the oils in the rubber aren't getting moved around. Maybe an urban myth but I feel better with them covered.

[Patriot]

@John Welte

Hi John,

We purchased these in 2020 and they have held up really well and have as you will see have solid reviews. These will fade a little bit if you’re parked in direct sun, but it has not made the material brittle or show signs of breaking down.

I really don’t use them now since we built our Ollie Hangar.

Patriot🇺🇸

[Patriot]

3 hours ago, taylor.coyote said:

 

We live on the Northern Ca coast and are still running on the original 10 ply Michelin's that came on the trailer. The trailer was delivered in 2016 and had traveled about only 4,000 to 5,000 miles when we purchased it mid-year 2019. We had to take a year off due to medical issues but have put on about another 20,000 miles.  Estimated total milage of 24,000 on tires. Lots of tread left but have been concerned about their age, UV and general abuse due a lot of off road activity. Took them in for a good inspection while rotating last November. I was ready to purchase new tires due to age. Joe, my tire guy said they have evidence of off road travel but the rubber is still supple, no aging on the sidewalls, plenty of tread and in good shape. He talked me out buying new tires and told me to run them one more year. Still concerned about age of the tires, I had My RV guys inspect the tires when repacking the bearings In Feb. He gave me the same report. Nothing wrong with the tires, run them another year. Although in good condition, I hope i'm not operating on borrowed time.

Why all this information when you are asking about tire covers?  If you live west of the cascades, our climate is much like yours. Our trailer lives outside year around. A lot of our off road adventures are in the hot desert. The tires are 6+ years old and we have never used tire covers. UV tire damage is a real thing but but after getting 7+ years from my tires, I question if tire covers are worth the hassle for trailers stored west of the cascades.  I have invited some conversation on the need for tire covers but please don't let my post hijack John's original post wanting recommendations for good tire covers

I have read that a general rule of thumb is to replace trailer tires at 6-7 years of age. These numbers are beyond my risk level of comfort. I will likely replace ours at the 5 yr age mark. I would say you are right, listen to your gut, you’re riding on borrowed time. A visual of the exterior of a tire is ok, but the age of your tires and the things you and your tire tech can’t see in the aging rubber and internally would keep me awake at night.
I would replace them as soon as possible if it were my Oliver. 
 

https://www.discounttire.com/learn/tire-aging

Patriot🇺🇸

[dewdev]

When I bought my Ollie used, the previous owner gave be the tire covers he bought. I use them all the time when the Ollie is in storage (outside). They fit over both tires and I use bungee cords on the back side of the tires to hold them in place since we have a lot of wind in the winter. They do a good job of protecting the tires. The tires are still in good shape with plenty of tread and no signs of deterioration.

[MAX Burner]

3 hours ago, taylor.coyote said:

...still running on the original 10 ply Michelin's that came on the trailer. The trailer was delivered in 2016 and had traveled about only 4,000 to 5,000 miles when we purchased it mid-year 2019. We had to take a year off due to medical issues but have put on about another 20,000 miles.

No intent on hijacking John's original thread topic - but we ran Michelin Defenders on our previous trailer and got about the same age and mileage from them.  We live in a high UV area of the Rockies and used dual axle white wheel covers (secured on backsides with bungees) whenever the rig was not in its protective "Hangar."  I'm thinking the covers helped a bit but don't have any empirical/quantitative data to support the observation.  But after 7 years and 40k+ miles, the tread wear was incredible, however the sidewalls (inside and out) started showing signs of UV cracking - we bought another set at that point, FYI.  May have waited 12-18 months too long to make that new tire set investment... IMHO

[MAX Burner]

Just realized....  My "States Visited with our Ollie Map" is WAY TOO BIG!  No clue how to shrink it down...(?)