Nothing lasts forever and tires are no exception. Tires are manufactured by bonding rubber to fabric layers and steel cords. And despite the anti-aging ingredients mixed into the rubber compounds, tires are perishable. As a consultant to Final Touch Coach Works – an RV collision center – I have seen most of the things that can happen to an RV. Accidents happen. Some are preventable. Some are ticking time bombs waiting to happen. Tire failure is one of those ticking bombs.
Tires age. They have a useful life expectancy. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and tire manufacturers are currently studying the many variables that affect dependable tire life. Exposure to the elements, regularity of use, and quality of care (i.e. maintaining proper inflation, wheel alignment, etc.) all influence tire life. Another variable is if, and how, the tire is stored. New RVs have Original Equipment tires that are mounted and put into service right after being received by RV manufacturers, so their calendar age begins immediately. However, some tires are stored in warehouses or distribution centers before they go into service. Properly stored tires that are protected from the elements and are not mounted on a wheel, age very slowly. My experience has been that when properly stored and cared for, most RV tires have a useful life of between five to six years from the date of manufacture. Safety experts and the NHTSA have taken the position that tires over six years old can be involved in catastrophic failure. This is true even if the tire has not been in use for all of those years. The chemical and physical components of a tire make it a product that changes (degrades) over time. The danger of tread separation is very serious, potentially causing an RV driver to lose control. The RV owner must keep their tires safe, not only with routine maintenance such as checking tread depth and air pressure, but also by knowing the age of tires by checking the last four digits of the D.O.T. code on the tire. 0110 means the tires were manufactured in the first week of 2010. 5208 means they were made the last week (52nd week) of 2008, and so on.
Be safe and enjoy the RV life.
Final Touch Coach Works is located at 28532 Livingston Avenue in Valencia. For more information, please call 661-775-8375 or visit www.FinalTouch-USA.com.