tires off the ground?

ThePimster

New Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2023
Messages
8
Location
Falls Church
Hi all,
Travel trailer newb here, so I want to pick you brain on proper winter storage.
I have the trailer parked in the backyard, and just winterized the plumbing system with anti freeze.

Fact or myth? I have heard that I should get the load off of the tires during winter storage, until we are ready in spring to go camping again.
If fact; how to go about this? Should I jack it up and put 4x4 lumber under the frame, or cinderblocks? Where are the best spots to do this; just before and after the double axle, as well as the stabilizers? etc.
Thanks very much for your experience, insight and pointers.
Happy weekend!
 
I use 4 jack stands during the winter months and keep the tires at 50 PSI. I also cover them to keep them dry. Been doing this for 10 years now because I’ve been told it’s probably a good idea. Jack’s are on the axel frame and not the trailer frame
 

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I park the tires on 2x10's. Call me backward, traditional, whatever...it makes me feel better about the camper tires.
 
Similar here too. I have boards spiked into out pea stone driveway as a "target" to park it beside the house, pump them up to spec, wipe them down with 303 Protectant and cover them up.
 
For over 20 years now I have used the plastic lego style 12"x12" blocks. Prior to that I used pressure treated lumber up until I was told that pressure treated wood was bad for tires. Many RV'rs report that there is no issue using pressure treated wood so I don't know, just that I had the orange plastic blocks and decided to start using them instead, and interesting enough, if you are in a long term campsite like where I had my 5th wheel for many years, those plastic blocks will turn brittle although it took many years for them to do so. ~CA
 
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Mine is in an enclosed RV garage with concrete floor. I use a HI-LIFT jack for 4x4 off road, like Jeeps, with the hooks/straps and lift each tire from the holes in the wheel an inch or two and place a jack stand between the u-bolts on the axle. So I keep all four off the ground. I've seen first hand at my employer's (police department) Fleet Service brand new vehicles that have sat for too long awaiting build-up, losing air pressure over time and eventually pinching the steel belt at the compression point causing an out-of-round that can't be fixed. I don't pay attention to the air pressure in the tires as they have no weight on them. It takes about 15 minutes to lift and set all four wheels, so I don't mind doing it.
 
I have read on tire sites that you should long term store tires off the ground at a reduced pressure. My TT is stored at the fairgrounds all winter with me not having access to it (they park it). It sits on the concrete floor all winter. I have not noticed any reduced tire life. If the tires were bias I think it would be more important than modern radial.
 
This is what Goodyear recommends
Ideally, a vehicle in storage should be placed on blocks to remove all weight from the tires. If the vehicle cannot be put on blocks, follow these steps for tire protection:

Completely unload the vehicle so that minimum weight will be placed on the tires
Inflate tires to recommended operating pressure plus 25%. Ensure that the rim manufacturer’s inflation capacity is not exceeded
Be sure the storage surface is firm, clean, well drained and reasonably level
Avoid moving the vehicle during extremely cold weather
Move the vehicle at least every three months to prevent ozone cracking in the tire bulge area, as well as “flat-spotting” from the prolonged strain of sidewall and tread deflection
Adjust inflation before putting the vehicle back into service
 
I did this today..

I park the tires on 2x10's. Call me backward, traditional, whatever...it makes me feel better about the camper tires.

Bought an 8’ 2x10, cut in half. Covered each half with 2 rubber stair treads, hooked up and pulled onto them. I think a 10 footer might have given a bit more room for error, but I managed to get it up there. Used my ‘failure’ concrete pavers for extension surface for proper chocking.
 

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"Avoid moving the vehicle during extremely cold weather"


Now that is funny:)

Every time we leave for Florida the temp is below of near zero.
 
I used to park on plywood and rotate tires every three months.
Now I park on concrete with tires at max inflation and covered.
Every 3-4 years I install a new pair of GY Endurance tires.
It's easy and has worked for ~50,000 trailer miles over the years with no tire problems.
There are factors involved such as trailer weight, parking surface, in-season tire usage, and what makes an owner feel comfortable and competent.
 
2022 31ul

This is information I'm interested in. I'm a newb to MH life. Would it be a good practice to take the weight off the tires with the leveling jacks on our new MH?
We are currently parked on the asphalt driveway with nothing under the tires.
 
This is information I'm interested in. I'm a newb to MH life. Would it be a good practice to take the weight off the tires with the leveling jacks on our new MH?
We are currently parked on the asphalt driveway with nothing under the tires.

Welcome to the forum. It's a wealth of info and support.

Not with leveling jacks. Use hydraulic jack and jack stands. When I raise our 16XRB, I jack up the frame just behind the tire and place a jack stand there, never under the axel.
 
This is information I'm interested in. I'm a newb to MH life. Would it be a good practice to take the weight off the tires with the leveling jacks on our new MH?
We are currently parked on the asphalt driveway with nothing under the tires.

It depends on what your manufacturers recommended instructions are for jacking the MH off the ground. I would then use jack stands to stow it on for the winter
 
This is information I'm interested in. I'm a newb to MH life. Would it be a good practice to take the weight off the tires with the leveling jacks on our new MH?
We are currently parked on the asphalt driveway with nothing under the tires.

Everything I've read advises against using the leveling jacks like that. They are meant to stabilize the trailer, not lift it.
 
I auto-level to take some, but not all of the weight off the axles, springs and tires. But we try not to let it sit still more than a month or two. If we needed to park it long term, I would support it at the frame and let the axles hang. I would use concrete blocks and wood instead of jack stands.
 
LOL, Anything below 40f is extremely cold for me. :) ~CA




Anything below 65 is cold for those of us in south central Arizona. The joke here is when it gets to 70 everyone is wearing jackets, except those that just moved from Minnesota.
 

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