Travel Trailer Tire Maintenance Tips
Keeping your camper’s tires in good working order is one of the most important aspects of general travel trailer maintenance. Ignoring them could lead to a costly and dangerous tire blowout. It’s best to stay one step ahead and keep your tires in good shape. We have created this brief guide to give you the information you need to keep your tires in the best shape possible.
Inflation
Inflation is the most important element in maintaining your travel trailer’s tires. Under-inflated tires will decrease fuel efficiency, while over-inflated tires will wear out unevenly. To check your tire pressure, you’ll want to give up the old “kick the tire” trick and opt for an actual tire pressure gauge. The manufacturer’s recommended tire pressure should be printed on the tire itself. You can also put electronic tire pressure sensors on your wheels that will do this for you and send the information to a device in your tow vehicle cab. If you are someone who puts a lot of miles on your rig, this is the best way to stay on top of your tire health.
Wear & Tear
The wear and tear on your tires will tell you a lot about what’s going on with your travel trailer. Campers carrying asymmetrical weight loads will tend to have uneven tire wear. Other culprits for uneven tire wear include problems with the suspension, axle, or brakes. Even if your tires are wearing evenly, you’ll want to check your tires regularly to make sure that there are no nails, screws, scraps of metal, or other foreign objects lodged in them. You may not notice them immediately, but eventually, they will deflate your tire or possibly even make it blow out on the freeway.
Other Tips and Tricks
With a few tricks, you can maintain your tires without ever getting near them. Uneven weight distribution can quickly damage the tires. By loading weight correctly in your travel trailer, you can make sure that the weight is distributed evenly and your tires will wear out symmetrically. You can also help keep your tires in better shape by driving slowly and avoiding poor road conditions. Travel trailer tires can blow out by driving too fast on the freeway, so bringing your speed down from 75 mph to 55-60 mph will improve the life of your tires.
Maintaining your tires is important and if you inspect them regularly, then you’ll hopefully catch problems before they become catastrophes. If you ever need professional assistance with your travel trailer, feel free to contact the service department here at White Sands RV in Summerdale, Alabama. Our team will be happy to help you! We welcome all our patrons visiting us from Mobile, AL, and Pensacola, FL.