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Old 05-14-2020, 03:40 AM   #1
Tdesrosiers
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Parking question and tires

Hi, I was wondering if it is ok to park a camper on a packed surface such as stone dust for extended periods of time, like overwinter? I understand the need to move the camper to prevent flat spots on the tires, but wasn't sure if the tires would be affected if not on pavement. Thanks,
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Old 05-14-2020, 03:56 AM   #2
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I hope there is not a problem with this. Mine has been stored on gravel/stone dust every winter. No problems that I have found.

I have stored RVs and boat trailers that way for about 30 years without problems.

And the way it's going this year, it might be in storage all year!
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Old 05-14-2020, 05:18 AM   #3
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To my knowledge flat spots occur tor two reasons:
1. A locked wheel when traveling ex. brakes locking up, bearing failure etc. wearing the tread down in one spot
2. During extreme cold weather before the tire has had a chance to warm up. The natural friction of the tire rotating and making contact with the road will warm the tire to make it flexible.
Tires also have a temperature rating so this can play in to the picture.
CW The Man is one of the tire gurus here. I am sure he can enlighten us more.
The ground is soft where I park my trailer, so it sits on Marston Mats also known as PSP preforated steel platform. Never had a flat spot parking it in October and pulling out in April.
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Old 05-14-2020, 07:06 AM   #4
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Originally Posted by ADQ K9 View Post
To my knowledge flat spots occur tor two reasons:
1. A locked wheel when traveling ex. brakes locking up, bearing failure etc. wearing the tread down in one spot
2. During extreme cold weather before the tire has had a chance to warm up. The natural friction of the tire rotating and making contact with the road will warm the tire to make it flexible.
Tires also have a temperature rating so this can play in to the picture.
CW The Man is one of the tire gurus here. I am sure he can enlighten us more.
The ground is soft where I park my trailer, so it sits on Marston Mats also known as PSP preforated steel platform. Never had a flat spot parking it in October and pulling out in April.
Based on my long experience as a volunteer fireman, we had substations within our area of operation with old clunker firetrucks that would only be started and run once in a blue moon. These trucks were pretty much decades old as were the tires. When the truck sat for say 6 months, flat spots developed and after airing up the tires and taking off for a shake-the-rust-out run, they would CLUMP CLUMP from the flat spots for a few miles then the flat spots went away.

We have never developed flat spots on any of our camper tires even if the camper sat for much longer than six months and we part on a road-base pad; can't imagine pad surface playing a part in tire deterioration.
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Old 05-14-2020, 08:08 AM   #5
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I'm no tire engineer but I always thought of a "flat spot" as an area ground off from a long skid. The old bias ply tires of years ago would "deform" or become "out of round" (especially in cold weather) and a few miles of rotation would flex it back into shape. But that's all just semantics.

As for parking on gravel it shouldn't be an issue if it drains well.
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Old 05-14-2020, 08:26 AM   #6
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I park on crushed limestone (in the pole barn) every year for somewhere between 5-8 months (depending on how soon spring happens to "appear"...

So far, in the past 10 years, I've not had any issues with tires that were a result of parking on crushed limestone. I'd be more concerned with parking in a location where the tires were subjected to standing water, mud, asphalt chemicals, UV rays from the sun and/or ozone from a motor or other source that may be located right by the tires. I have a friend who has a pole barn with a furnace that's located right beside his fifth wheel. The furnace is "maybe 18" from the furnace. His roadside tires, in the spring, are visibly different in appearance than the curbside tires. So ozone can make a difference.

I wouldn't be as concerned with parking on gravel as I would be with other problems and with keeping the tires properly inflated during storage.
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Old 05-14-2020, 10:14 AM   #7
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The storage surface should be level and free of moisture build-up. The vehicle manufacturer’s recommended tire inflation pressures should be maintained at all times. Insure the trailer is not overloaded (don’t use it for a storage facility). Overloaded tires degrade even when not moving down the road.

Personally I stored our trailer on leveling blocks. It keeps the trailer weight evenly distributed and prevents contact with liquids. It also helps insure a quick recovery of the refrigerator to normal operation. However, our trailer was in a paved storage facility when not in use and it had asphalt pavement. IMO tires should always be protected from long term stationary contact with asphalt. I see no problem from parking on well drained gravel. However, all small pieces penetrating the tread area of the tires should be removed before traveling on the tires.

Flat spotting is not a problem with radial tires. However, whenever our trailer was in storage for more than a month or two I hooked-up and moved it to rotate the tires 180 degrees every 30 – 45 days (Unless they were scheduled to be replaced before the next trip).
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Old 05-14-2020, 03:43 PM   #8
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Thanks everyone for the input. Sounds like stone dust is fine, as long as it drains well.
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Old 05-15-2020, 04:51 AM   #9
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Thanks everyone for the input. Sounds like stone dust is fine, as long as it drains well.
Flat spots are a thing of the past. New tires dont have that problem. Tire compounds have come a long way since the early bis ply tire. Water doesn't hurt tires ether. You can leave them out in the sun and rain and they just don't disintegrate. As a matter of fact they have been trying to figure out what to do with old tires. You can see piles of old tires all over America just sitting there not melting or falling apart. You don't have to overthink what surface you park on. Tires just don't seem to care
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Old 05-15-2020, 05:18 AM   #10
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tires

There was a recent thread on the same subject on the Montana Owners Forum. I thought the answer below was interesting...something to consider. I store my unit on crushed limestone gravel drive...(click on it and it gets big enough to read).
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Old 05-15-2020, 06:37 AM   #11
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There was a recent thread on the same subject on the Montana Owners Forum. I thought the answer below was interesting...something to consider. I store my unit on crushed limestone gravel drive...(click on it and it gets big enough to read).
That engineer may well be correct in "leaching out" but how can you see "black marks on asphalt? and what about what's "leaching in" from the surface to the tires ???

I'd suspect there's a bit of the "what I heard, what I repeated and what the next person heard, then repeated" in that post ????
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Old 05-15-2020, 07:19 AM   #12
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I have been lucky so far since 1985 all my RVs have been parked at home on concrete as my boat trailers and all motor vehicles. That said I clean the driveways every year at least once and the only, yes ONLY tires prints I have ever found are the ones from the steering axle on a motor vehicle when, guess what. It is turning the tires as I turn the steering wheel.
I call BS on that tires leeching on concrete and leaving stains or marks. At least here in Oregon it has proved to not be happening.
Starting next month the TT will be parked on crashed gravel and I do not plan on doing anything except maybe cover the tires from UV. Time will tell if it's a issue.
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Old 05-15-2020, 02:28 PM   #13
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For over forty years I have been storing all sorts of trailer... boat, horse, utility, camper, etc.. on slabs made of 2x10 pine, ten inches long, on dirt (used to be lawn. LOL). Tried cement pavers, but the broke down over time.

During the season, those same "pads" are great under leveling jacks! The cheapest thing on an Alpine is usually the owner! (GUILTY)

1. Keeps tires out of the mud puddles. A wet tire bruises easier.
2. Gives me a head start in the spring. backing out. No tire sinking
3. Lower maintenance mowing. Don't need line trimmer to keep grass down.

Good Luck,
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Old 05-15-2020, 02:39 PM   #14
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it is fine, don't lose any sleep over it.
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Old 05-21-2020, 07:18 AM   #15
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Originally Posted by flybouy View Post
I'm no tire engineer but I always thought of a "flat spot" as an area ground off from a long skid. The old bias ply tires of years ago would "deform" or become "out of round" (especially in cold weather) and a few miles of rotation would flex it back into shape. But that's all just semantics.

As for parking on gravel it shouldn't be an issue if it drains well.

Well I am a Tire Engineer and the correct terms are "Flat Spot" for an out of round condition. and "Brake Flat Spot" for having an area of the tread worn off due to locking up the brakes so the tire is dragged along and does not rotate.


You can develop "Flat Spot" from long term parking. The degree or level or amount of flat spotting depends on time, temperature load, inflation pressure rubber chemistry and tire construction.
You can decrease this flat spotting with:
Lower Load or Higher inflation or not parking when the tire is still hot or keeping the tire out of direct sunlight
The owner has no control over the rubber chemistry or tire construction.


FYI In general tires with Nylon cap ply (seen in tires with higher speed rating) tend to develop and hold the flat spot longer, but I would not reject tire purchase because of the Nylon cap ply as that might give you more life of the tire.


The primary concern when parking/storing vehicles is to keep tires out of direct contact with moisture and out of direct exposure to Sunlight or ozone from electrical sources. Do not park on asphalt as the oil can attack the rubber.
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Old 05-21-2020, 12:29 PM   #16
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Sounds like someone should tell the asphalt producers that pave the vast majority of roads, pave the vast amount of driveways, and pave the vast amount of parking lots at malls, shopping centers, apartment complexes, storage lots, schools, churches, etc. that they are killing our tires!
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Old 05-21-2020, 06:11 PM   #17
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Sounds like someone should tell the asphalt producers that pave the vast majority of roads, pave the vast amount of driveways, and pave the vast amount of parking lots at malls, shopping centers, apartment complexes, storage lots, schools, churches, etc. that they are killing our tires!



Ya we hear that but it is a long term static thing where the oils have time to react with the polymers in the tires.
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Old 05-21-2020, 07:05 PM   #18
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Ya we hear that but it is a long term static thing where the oils have time to react with the polymers in the tires.
So all those school buses that set on blacktop when schools out over the summer are doing damage to their tires? The average camper sets for aaa few months in storage lots over winter alongside boats on trailers, motorhomes, etc. I'd like to see the supporting data.
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Old 05-22-2020, 08:50 AM   #19
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So all those school buses that set on blacktop when schools out over the summer are doing damage to their tires? The average camper sets for aaa few months in storage lots over winter alongside boats on trailers, motorhomes, etc. I'd like to see the supporting data.

You can do the test yourself.
Take a tire and wipe it down with motor oil You can speed up the test if you cut the oil with gasoline. or put it in a metal trash can and pour in the gas/oil mixture. Cover and let sit a few weeksini sunlight then check on the condition of the now scrap tire.
May be best to try and get a piece of a failed or worn out tire rather than a complete tire.
We will all look forward to seeing the results of your test.




Sorry for the sarcasm
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Old 05-22-2020, 11:41 AM   #20
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You can do the test yourself.
Take a tire and wipe it down with motor oil You can speed up the test if you cut the oil with gasoline. or put it in a metal trash can and pour in the gas/oil mixture. Cover and let sit a few weeksini sunlight then check on the condition of the now scrap tire.
May be best to try and get a piece of a failed or worn out tire rather than a complete tire.
We will all look forward to seeing the results of your test.




Sorry for the sarcasm
The above mentioned scenario would be comparable to about a 100 years of a tire rolling on an asphalt highway or parking on asphalt for few months a year.
Typically my tires, whether worn or aged out, are replaced in about 5 years so doubtful they are being harmed, if at all, enough that you or I would ever notice.
By the time crude oil has had all the good stuff refined from it there's not a helluva a lot of petroleum left, basically a sludge which further down the process is the carbon to make the tires.
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