Winters coming.

[Englishman]

With winter on its way I have couple of questions.
1: should you cover the tt with tt cover?
2: should you put the trailer on axle stands to get the weight off of the tires
as its going to be standing in one place for the 5 to 6 months.


Thanks lets hope it a mild winter with only a little snow.

Roy.

[SteveC7010]

Originally Posted by Englishman

1: should you cover the tt with tt cover?

Here in the Northeast, very few folks use them. When old man winter whips up the wind, the covers, no matter how well folks try to fasten them down, will flap in the breeze. That flapping will quickly damage whatever is under it, be it roof or wall or trim.

I've seen folks use that stuff that is like Gladwrap to hold the covers down. IMHO, that just traps moisture under the cover and in the trailer. And there will still be a corner or section that flaps in the wind.

Originally Posted by Englishman

2: should you put the trailer on axle stands to get the weight off of the tires as its going to be standing in one place for the 5 to 6 months.

Most people don't remove the tires or put the trailer up on jacks for blocks for the winter. I've never heard anyone report problems because the trailer sat on the tires for the winter. I'd recommend some type of cover to keep them out of the sun. I used a large sheet of plywood on the sun side of the trailer.

There is also a school of thought that says you should put something between the tires and concrete. Over time, concrete is supposed to leach oils and such out of the rubber of your tires. I don't know for sure if this is 100% true, but I have always driven the trailer up on wooden boards for storage.

Just as important is adequate winterizing of the water systems and the rest of the trailer.

Also, rodent prevention is a must. I've always used the D-Con baits with good success. Others like the Bounce fabric softener sheets. Mothballs work, but getting the odor out in the spring is sometimes more of an issue than the rodents.

[Festus2]

"To cover or not to cover?" This question has been discussed at length on this and other forums. The general concensus is, I believe, not to. You can do a forum search on this topic and read all of the various posts about RV covers - pros and cons.
Just recently, I had my RV's suspension checked and the alignment guys suggested that I might look into putting jacks/blocks under the RV to take the weight off the tires. He indicated that if it is sitting in one place for 5-6 months, the tires may go out-of-round. Another option, he explained, would be to move the RV a foot or two every so often so as not to have the weight on the same place on the tires.
Not sure about the tires going "square" ---- consider all the RV's sitting on lots for long periods of time????? Do their tires go out-of-round?

[hankpage]

Originally Posted by Festus2

"To cover or not to cover?" This question has been discussed at length on this and other forums. The general concensus is, I believe, not to. You can do a forum search on this topic and read all of the various posts about RV covers - pros and cons.
Just recently, I had my RV's suspension checked and the alignment guys suggested that I might look into putting jacks/blocks under the RV to take the weight off the tires. He indicated that if it is sitting in one place for 5-6 months, the tires may go out-of-round. Another option, he explained, would be to move the RV a foot or two every so often so as not to have the weight on the same place on the tires.
Not sure about the tires going "square" ---- consider all the RV's sitting on lots for long periods of time????? Do their tires go out-of-round?

Flat-spotting does not seem to be a problem with radial tires. Keeping them fully inflated and protected from UV is more important. I would be more concerned with weight on springs but not enough to worry about. I do have boards between tires and concrete.

I covered my old 5r one year and will never again. Holes rubbed in four corners of roof and finish damaged on sides. I can't even bring myself to give the cover away and see it damage someone else's trailer. JM2¢, Hank