Rotating tires on stored TT.

[German Shepherd Guy]

So this week I am going out and rotating/spinning the tires on the 26RBPR. I am thinking about flat spots developing, am I being overly cautious?


The tires are new this last year, Goodyear Endurance.


Any thoughts?


It is cold, snow is deep, would rather not do this if it is not necessary.
Thanks
Oak

[ChuckS]

Don’t see the need to do anything with the tires My fifth wheel sits from Nov to May every year ... no flat spots. Just keep them aired up and covered to protect from UV exposure.

Inspect closely prior to first use of the season and inflate if needed to proper pressure

[Ken / Claudia]

I do those tire checks in spring, jacking up 1 side at a time. Removing the tires to hand roll them looking close for cuts, out of round, bugles, thread wear. And than rotate front to back since there both off. It is important to rotate positions, I do not think so. Inspecting the tires is very important. Is it important to remove tires and roll them to prevent flat spots, I did not know. Never done it.
I am not sure we can feel an flat spot on the RV trailer tire while towing. I get flat spots on my tandem boat trailer since only 1 axle has brakes. I cannot feel them while towing. I rotate them each spring during inspection and see the flat spots.

[flybouy]

Have never rotated them during storage. If any get a flat spot it would only take a few miles to get them round again.

[Customer1]

Waste of effort.

[German Shepherd Guy]

Thanks for the advice.
Believe I will wait for warm weather.
Oak

[bsmith0404]

I do it with mine about every other month, but I have auto level and just raise one side at a time with the jacks and spin the tire. Entire process takes me less than 5 mins. On previous RVs without auto level.....never bothered. I believe you can stress or break down one portion of the sidewall from prolonged sitting on one spot, but I have no idea how much difference it makes. I think the most important thing is keeping the tire pressure at max to help carry the weight

[Roscommon48]

yes. waste of time

[JRTJH]

I'm in the "waste of time camp" too....

That said, if I were "hell bent to do it anyway", rather than jack up the trailer over and over all winter, I'd be inclined to jack it up once in the fall, invest in jack stands and just leave the tires off the ground. That way, you can walk out and 'spin 'em every day" if that's what gives you jollies. It just seems a waste of significant time and effort to repeatedly jack the trailer all winter, usually in inclement, messy conditions. Jack it up once, block the frame and not worry about it for the rest of the storage season...

But then, being in the "waste of time camp" like A.E. Newman, "What, me worry?"

[CWtheMan]

This is what the USTMA recommends when the weight of the trailer is supported by the tires while in storage; The vehicle should be moved every three (3) months so the tire flex area is changed.

I did mine every 30 days by physically moving the trailer forward/backward enough to rotate the tires 90 degrees.

[+Ruff Rider]

Back in the OLD days with bis ply tires they would flat spot especially in winter. I remember hearing the thump thump going down the road till the tire warmed up. LOL
those days are long gone.
Also covering the tires. Big waste of time. Do you cover the tires on your truck or car. Probably never. Tires these days have little or no rubber in them. they get old and need to be replaced long before the sun gets to them.
Inspecting them is a must because I have seen newer tires with tread separation and cracks. It's something I do before the season. I inspect the tires on the truck before I set out on a trip.

[Tireman9]

I do those tire checks in spring, jacking up 1 side at a time. Removing the tires to hand roll them looking close for cuts, out of round, bugles, thread wear. And than rotate front to back since there both off. It is important to rotate positions, I do not think so. Inspecting the tires is very important. Is it important to remove tires and roll them to prevent flat spots, I did not know. Never done it.
I am not sure we can feel an flat spot on the RV trailer tire while towing. I get flat spots on my tandem boat trailer since only 1 axle has brakes. I cannot feel them while towing. I rotate them each spring during inspection and see the flat spots.




Be sure to do a "Free Spin" inspection (video in my blog post on tire inspection) as rolling a tire not on a fixed hub will not reveal small levels of runout. You will need to GOOGLE to find the post and video as I am not allowed to post a hot link here.

[Tireman9]

I do it with mine about every other month, but I have auto level and just raise one side at a time with the jacks and spin the tire. Entire process takes me less than 5 mins. On previous RVs without auto level.....never bothered. I believe you can stress or break down one portion of the sidewall from prolonged sitting on one spot, but I have no idea how much difference it makes. I think the most important thing is keeping the tire pressure at max to help carry the weight




^x2 I agree with max pressure to decrease both Interply Shear and flat spotting

[Tireman9]

Back in the OLD days with bis ply tires they would flat spot especially in winter. I remember hearing the thump thump going down the road till the tire warmed up. LOL
those days are long gone.
Also covering the tires. Big waste of time. Do you cover the tires on your truck or car. Probably never. Tires these days have little or no rubber in them. they get old and need to be replaced long before the sun gets to them.
Inspecting them is a must because I have seen newer tires with tread separation and cracks. It's something I do before the season. I inspect the tires on the truck before I set out on a trip.




Sorry but you may not have been in Organic Chemistry class the day they discussed chemical reaction rate. But as many of us remember and as I cover in my RT Tire Safety blog the chemical reaction (aging) rate of the "rubber" in tires doubles with every increase in temperature of 18°F


Also Synthetic rubber as used in tires and natural rubber as used in some tires BOTH respond to this same chemical reaction.


While you don't need to cover your car tires because you don't park them for weeks at a time and you replace your car tires about every 4 years many folks do not wantt o replace their 1/4 worn RV tires at 4 years.

[johnlewis]

I do those tire checks in spring, jacking up 1 side at a time. Removing the tires to hand roll them looking close for cuts, out of round, bugles, thread wear. And than rotate front to back since there both off. It is important to rotate positions, I do not think so. Inspecting the tires is very important. Is it important to remove tires and roll them to prevent flat spots, I did not know. Never done it.
I am not sure we can feel an flat spot on the RV trailer tire while towing. I get flat spots on my tandem boat trailer since only 1 axle has brakes. I cannot feel them while towing. I rotate them each spring during inspection and see the flat spots.

I'd be worried about my tires too, if they had bugles in them. Do they play as you drive down the road? ;)

[skmct]

The tires probably don't matter but the wheel bearings do. most bearing manufactures recommend grease packed bearings to be rotated every six months to keep the grease from hardening on the rolling elements.

[CWtheMan]

Read closely. Nylon overlays are mentioned.

https://www.ustires.org/sites/default/files/TISB_23_USTMA.pdf

[Macgregor]

Good information in that article. I believe tires should be rotated when not in use. I have seen sidewall cracking from the loaded area of tires that have been sitting.
Interesting comment on the bearing lubrication as well.

[flybouy]

So this week I am going out and rotating/spinning the tires on the 26RBPR. I am thinking about flat spots developing, am I being overly cautious?


The tires are new this last year, Goodyear Endurance.


Any thoughts?


It is cold, snow is deep, would rather not do this if it is not necessary.
Thanks
Oak
Back to your original post...when I was young I used to "spin the tires" quite often but it was only the rear tires on the ground! :facepalm: And then I got married, fast cars - gone, speed boat - gone, well you get the picture.:banghead:

[+Ruff Rider]

Sorry but you may not have been in Organic Chemistry class the day they discussed chemical reaction rate. But as many of us remember and as I cover in my RT Tire Safety blog the chemical reaction (aging) rate of the "rubber" in tires doubles with every increase in temperature of 18°F


Also Synthetic rubber as used in tires and natural rubber as used in some tires BOTH respond to this same chemical reaction.


While you don't need to cover your car tires because you don't park them for weeks at a time and you replace your car tires about every 4 years many folks do not wantt o replace their 1/4 worn RV tires at 4 years.
Do they not recommend replacing tires every 6 years/
I have a car that only has 17,000 miles on the original tires. The tires still had lots of tread left. $1,200 later new tires and still only 150 miles on them so far.