RV Tire Maintenance and Fatal Mistakes 

Don't ever lose that smile, your a pleasure to listen to.

The biggest reason for tire blow outs on RV's or campers is the age of the tire. Most RV's sit more then drive, so even though it may have lots of tread on it, most likely, the tires are getting old. Also, old tires have trouble with speed. You should keep it at 55mph or slower if you have old tires. I wouldn't worry to much about the inside tire. The crown of the road doesn't make much difference, especially for vehicles that don't get driven that much. The main thing when running duels is tire pressure. Before any road trip, check your tires. If you've been sitting a while, check your tire pressure. Having the weight of the vehicle on your tires for extended periods isn't a problem. They might be a little rough when starting a road trip (especially if its cold) but that will go away when they warm up a little from driving. I have 18 tires to worry about now. I drive about 8000 miles a month. The biggest thing is tire pressure, then age. In my case, I ware them out in about 2 years, so age isn't a problem. lol I bought my RV in Montana, drove it to California, and put on about another 1000 miles on it when I had a tire blow out. After the second tire blew out, I replaced them all. I drove it every day going someplace. Sometimes cross state lines. Everything I'm telling you is from personal experience. I'm a firm believer in quality tires. Never settle for cheep or recaps. Oh, and stick to Made In USA tires. Non USA tires are hit and miss when it comes to quality. Just my two cents worth from my 1M + miles driven.

Good reminders are always welcome. Thank you.

Pippi, I just stumbled on a few of your RV videos and I just want to say "great job!" for taking the time to educate yourself about RV issues like tire care, roof maintenance, etc. These are complicated machines and you are doing yourself a big favor by taking the time to really figure things out right. Good job! :)

Thanks for your wisdom in regards of tire accident prevention on RVs. It gave me insight on this matter. Keep it up. Blessings

Thank you,,i'm a new owner and I was about to put my gas tank in the bottom ,,right next to the tires and I didn't even think about that ,,,so I really appreciate you info. Keep smiling and be safe.

hiya hun, I have been watching vids for years leading up to my getting my tiny motorhome, ( I wanted to be prepared for all the renovations but your vids have taught me so much more than all of the others put together. The say, " How to" but they dont actually show us how. Your vids are perfect. Especially love this one on what to look for on tyre safety. Thank you so much, love from sher in England :)

Excellent tips, wish I'd acquired this knowledge last month before I bought all new tires.

YOU ARE SO KNOWLEDGEABLE WITH YOUR INFORMATIVE VIDEOS.

Great Video and Suggestions! As you and other folks have pointed out some good reasons for tire failure are the Tire Pressure. I use a Tire Monitor similar to most modern cars. This lets me KNOW the tire pressure, but more importantly the tire TEMPERATURE. When the tires get up around 120° and beyond. As they do in a Texas summer. You run the risk of blow outs. The tire temp. can reach the critical 120° number in just 100 miles. These tire monitors are so sensitive. That just by looking at the temp. difference between left and right sides. You can tell which side of the RV the sun is shining on. As you move down the road. I highly recommend getting a set for any RV.

Thanks, always willing to learn new stuff. Keep having fun.

I had that very tire you spoke about blow out on my rig last December on my way to Florida from Nashville, TN. I was lucky it didn't blow apart it just had a side wall failure and instantly went flat. It stayed intact. Now I've been replacing them a couple at a time as I can afford them...Hopefully have all new by the fall. Thanks for all you do out here. Definitely appreciate your insight...and you're cute as a button too... :-)

Informative job Pippi. I just returned from a trip, starting in Houston, TX and going round trip to the motorcycle rally in Sturgis, S. Dakota. I tried to check and double check as much as time allowed, but it turned out to be a "Murphy's Law" episode. I took my diesel toy hauler rig out of town 2 weeks before as a test run, for all except a load with 2 Harleys in the garage compartment. All went smooth. On the actual fully loaded trip, I got as far as Amarillo and had a blowout . You are right, the rear axle - passenger side ( inside tire) went out with a BANG ! It was in the upper 90's, driving for the better part of the day. Fortunately, I pre-trained on tire replacement, had a compact compressor, breaker bar with heavy duty socket, 2 ton floor jack, and a change of clothes. I got to it, since I would have lost at least 4 hours waiting for roadside rescue. My buddy said he was amazed at what I did. Once done, I drove to the next closest town and bedded down for the night in the parking lot of a truck tire warehouse. Bought a set of 4 new tires, mounted, and rough balanced, and headed to Colorado. Next day as crap would happen, I started having fuel issues, couldn't go over 65 MPH without bogging down. Had to finish the trip doing 60 MPH. We did ride our HOGS through the sites, Devils Tower , Rushmore, and Badlands. Made it home safe and now have done plenty of homework, ordering new fuel filters, 2 new meats for the front axle, and wheel balancing rings. My work is cut out for me, but my rig lost its virginity, and I learned plenty of lessons. Carry extras, filter, fan belt, water, fuel canister, spare, and TOOLS. Do you want to join us for the next adventure ? The CRAFTSMAN369....... JK

I agree re-threads are a horror..I have been next to a big rig when their tire de laminated and it was so dangerous.Not to mention how many times I almost drove over a tire shred laying in the road.One of the reasons I no longer drive my RV at night after dark.Good advice Pippi as always.Most people are clueless about tire dangers and I am glad you are Doing these videos. Thanks.

Thanks Pipi, I watched your tire video today and after seeing the damage it can do I decided to gat new tires on out 99 motorhome. The tires were 8 years old. I got new tires and good thing I did. We found a big split on one tire that looks like it was about to go. Big thanks I think you saved us a big repair bill or worse!

Thanks Pippi...I didn't know about the year numbers on tires, that was every informative. Thanks

Great information for us were gpoing to buy a used RV and actually need all the information we can get and this tire information is good to know, thanks for sharing. God Bless Britt& Brenda From Texas

This is why tire monitors are worth the money. You can see pressures and temperatures.

Some very good tips. Thanks for posting!

OMG!! WHAT ARE GOOD VIDEO! ALL YOUR VIDEOS ARE IN MY COLLECTION!! YOUR SO GOOD!!

Every RV owner needs to see this video. Excellent video. Thank you, I learned more about tires. This is the best in-a-nutshell information on RV tires I am aware of. I was too poor to buy new tires, so I got good used ones that were worn, yet only a few years old for a fraction of the cost of new. I am more concerned with the time the tires will be 'good' rather than tread wear. From my research, sitting one place, the moisture in the air in the tire infiltrates the casing, and rusts weakens the steel belt. My used tires came off a three quarter ton pick up that was a daily driver, so the tires only experienced light duty. I believe it is better to do this, than run around with tires that appear to be good, yet are older than 7 years.

thanks for the info tires are probably top two of important things on your vehicle, I'm going to check my dates tonight!

When I had my blowout in my 2000 Bounder 36s Motorhome, it was the inside right rear tire. Never knew that was the most vunerable tire. Thanks for that info. I am getting ready to go on the road again after being in one place for two years. Definitely checking all systems and all tires.

I had to replace 4 out of 6 tires on my RV just after purchasing it due to the age of the tires. I also found that the max tire load exceeded the max axle load on the front axle. After shifting weight to the rear and doing everything else I could think of, I had to remove the over cab drop down bunk in order to get the axle load within safe specs-just barely though. It's a design flaw to be aware of, I think. Thanks Pippi for another great video with lots of good info! You're awesome!

great clip, having just got a class a, we want our tires to be tip top shape as we do our traveling around, thanks for all the great videos.

Great information. Thank you Pippi

I noticed your bounder is a gas engine. My bounder has a Cummins rear diesel with a Allison 6speed. Excellent video on tires Pippi. Heading to Sturgis soon so I will have all the tires checked.I had to replace 1 bin as the previous owner had a blow out. love your videos and your demeanor smiling always. Go Pippi!

Thanks, Pippi, for another very informative video. I actually learned a few new things. My tires only have 10,000 miles on them but I know I have to replace them since they're on a 2007 Winnebago. Someone suggested having tire pressure monitors installed. They are well worth the minor expense.

We had some trouble on our trip down to Florida this year... One of the valve stems was leaking on an inside tire, we stopped several times to check it, while in Florida we could not find anyone that had a jack that could lift an RV... So long story short we went to a place called.... Business plug.... "Tire King" we was not able to get in for several days.. Scary huh? The day we finally was able to get in was the day we was leaving, the repair was not to expensive, they were awesome. I am such a worrier that just this piece of mind made the trip home more relaxing..

as always great vid. im in the process of deciding weather or not to buy an rv or not im no longer able to work and watching all of your vids is really helpful thanks for that. im just thinking about seeing ohio while i can then selling it.

wow. really good video. so many things to be aware of when on the road.

WOW Pippi, that was greaaaaatttt information. for sure i will check that out since i will be a brand new full timer rver... THANKS SO MUCH

Many truck tires are retreads which are notorious for separating. On a semi with 18 wheels it's not as big of a deal as it is with an RV that only as 6 tires. Loosing a front tire at highway speeds can be extremely dangerous. Excellent advice on the tires. This is a very important subject for RVers to understand and stay on top of. When it comes to tires invest in the best. It could save your life or that of another driver.

WOW PIPPI, thats a lot of info to remember girl, you did great, be safe god bless,,,,

How Tire can be serious hazard if not taken care of, in this video you explained all the necessary details in a very clear way, especially DoT specifications. Thanks for that. This is one of the best informative video.

Very informative, not many helping with tire's. Thx pipi

Thank you for all the good information.

Great info thank you. So glad your friend is ok !

Thank you for such good information! You do such a great job on your research.

Love your videos! Keep them coming!

I love this lady! I don't even have a rig yet and I know what to look for in tires. Keep up the great work. Hope if I get going I'm as thorough and pleasant doing informative VLOG's as you. Say hey to the pooch for me! Live, Laugh, Love ....

Nice presentation. My dad has owned his tire, retread, alignment store over 50 years and I'm the guy who goes out, crawls under, jacks up replaces tires when they blow out on the road. That particular brand which starts with a G was original equipment new to the vehicle and was just a horribly designed tire prone to failure... tread separation or delamination. Where the tread just lifts causing failure usually in hot weather. Air pressure monitors can give you piece of mind but can be a headache when centrifugal force of the tire wheel assembly loosens and causes air loss. I would skip the air pressure monitors and stay with Michelin, Bridgestone or BF Goodrich tires. Check regularly by thumping them with a bar or hammer like truckers do. If they sound differently you'll know one is low on air or has a nail. You are a special person, great dancer and I wish you all the best.

Great Video! You are right about which tire may blowout first. The only blowout in the 23 yrs we have been driving Class A motorhomes was July 6, 2015 and it WAS THE REAR INSIDE PASSENGER SIDE.

This was really informative and not something I would have really thought of. I'm wanting to buy an rv (not sure if short A, B or C class) when my disability is finally approved. I really appreciate the helpful tips from you and a couple of other full timers. Thank you and stay safe! God bless you!

Super scary! Gotta keep this in mind for our future.

Thanks, some really good tips. I had a tire blow out once and I never want that to happen again. It did $10,000 in damage.

Great video; good concise presentation, thank you

You've done some good research. Many don't realize that tires can sit for a period of time, sometimes years, and some states have no "requirement" for how old of a tire you can be sold. Owning performance cars, thus using good performance tires, you must pay attention to these things. With an RV however, due to the nature of use, often they may sit for periods of time, and "regular use" is actually helping tire life. The jacks being extended does help, however the intermittent use will reduce the life due to "heat cycling". The tire manufacturer is always the best place to go for recommendations, and in ANY application, it is really recommended to replace in no more than 7 years from what I've read in many places, especially re-treads, and these may need replace sooner on limited use.

Yes, great information on rv tires enjoy the video👍

Wowzer amount of information! I had no idea how much damage a blown tire causes. Looks like it pays to keep propane tanks well away from tires.

Very helpful information. Thank you.

Hi Pippi, Thanks for putting this info out there, it is much needed. A couple of comments on some of your suggestions. If the tires on the same axel have different weights on them (axel end) always inflate both tires to the weight of the heavest tire, NEVER inflate tires on the same axel at different pressures. Also, the Max psi on the manufactures sticker or the Federal Data Plate indicates MAX psi at MAX load, that is why it is so important to weight the coach and inflate to the weight of the coach. I loved your discription of why the inside passenger tire will wear or blow first. If you notice the max psi of a dual dual tire is less than that of a single tire even if the tires are the same. That is because of the reason you gave, as well as instances wher one dual goes over a pot hole and the other doesen't hence carrying all the weight. You can see this info and all the manufactures tire inflation tables on my website www.rvweigh.com Keep up the good work.

good video. We saw a lot of blow outs yesterday on I 40 between Arizona and California. Check your tires people.

Thanks Pippi! Great advice for me being a new rv owner. :)

I was sitting here listening to Pippi talking and I drifted off into a day dream of me sitting on the couch in the rv listening to her explaining to me about tires while she was making me lunch. :)

Good job, I enjoy your videos. Just want to say it is OK to use notes for details that need to be precise. You are good at adlibbing though, keep it up! Maintaining your tires is an easy way to prevent a preventable mishap.

Thanks Pippi great info!

Hey, Thanks for that, motivated me to check my motorhome tyres. I have one from 2011. Need to keep any eye on that ...

Awesome ... good information ... thank you and Merry Christmas

You nailed it! Great info

Good information thank you.

thanks for the great info, you are so right ,I just had a blowout on the right inside rear ,

Great tips!!! Thanks!!!

Great information and advice - thank you !

Oh man!! An exploding tire can cause incredible damage. I had the right rear tire explode on a car I once owned. The force was so great that it took out the rear quarter glass and wedged the passenger door shut. Never opened again. Good stuff Pippi. Thanks.

Great vid Pippi. I purchased the wireless EEZ TIRE PRESSURE AND TEMPERATURE MONITORING SYSTEM for around $360 with eight tire monitors (3/4 ton truck w/tandem TT). I quickly got tired of blowouts wrecking my wheel wells, fenders, etc. Won't ride without 'em.

Great tip

Good info!

thanks for this warning Pippi. i just replaced all 4 tires on my Class C 6/15/2001 on the back axle, dulles. the tire you were talking about, left rear inside was showing the steel belts and the other inside was spot bald. and replaced all 4 because the new and old ones would not of matched up.

Thankyou Pippi! Take care xxx

When I put new tires on my rig, the tire shop simply inflated them to the maximum rated PSI. I weighed my rig and adjusted the inflation to slightly over the manufacturer's recommendations for the weight on each axle. I get a bit smoother ride that way while being sure that they aren't under inflated.

You covered all the bases👍

Holly cow! Boy you couldn't ask for a better visual as that RV. Too bad for the guy, I hope he can recover from the damage.

your so smart PIPI !!!!

Thank You for the info! I did not know that tires where dated. Rep in Maryland

Excellent advice, specific examples, and very informative. Thank you. I've had an 1-wheeler's tire blow out as I passed the truck, and I thought a bomb had gone off. Scared the devil out of me, but I was lucky that I was able to pull away before the tire shredded and went flying. Very scary and very dangerous.

Good info, thanks. Not sure about RVs, but a lot of big rigs use re-treads on their drive tires. Those need to be monitored even more carefully for proper inflation. You see pieces of them all over the Interstates.

Thanks 4 the tips!

Great Info!

I recommend getting a truckers tire air gauge. they are longer and great to use on duallies. You can get them at T/A, Petro, Flying J, Pilot, Loves, and mom and pop truck stops as well.

Great advise and cute to boot!

Been there and done that. Happened on I-40 Arizona. Right side drives blew out and took out one storage comp. broke propane lines in that wheel well.

Good information

Good tips!! Thanks!!

Thank you for a educational video and an important reminder. It may sound obvious, but tyres are the only point of contact you have with the road. Those few square inches of contact affect your braking and steering - very important. I would stress the importance of checking the air pressure on a regular basis.

Great information and good reminders for any vehicle. Thank you!!

It's easy to check tire pressure on the front tires, but rear duels are a pain so I installed "Crossfires" connects the 2 rear tires together, simple color window Red is too low, black too high, and yellow just right...I love them no guessing, factory set to a certain PSI mine are 100# if 1 tire should lose air it is automatically isolated

great advice thank you

New sub here. This was informative, especially how new tires could be years old. Good luck!

Thanks for the help

We just got all new tires. Was well worth it. Discount Tire, great warranty.

Bounder is what you have and my Mom wanted...Pop and Mom ended up getting a 35 foot Dolphin back in 1987....still sort of rolling along...Ya needs tires !...Thanks...

Good Job, Thanks!

Beautiful and Smart! Wow! and video was great too! lol Some great advise! thanks!

After watching I totally agree with the previous comment

excellent content

Pippi, You are a living doll. your presentation is precious. But listen sugar, after you get set up give yourself a moment to compose yourself and gain more control over breathing. this will make your presentation even more spectacular..!

Hi, Pippi Peterson! Great, great info! You did an amazing thorough explanation! I enjoy your videos! I'm a female desiring to become a camper/RV/van dweller. So important to know these things! Thnx for sharing! 'Keep-On-A-Rocking-N-A-Rolling!' :)

Enjoyed the video. Very important topic. Just FYI the tire pressure listed on the side of the tire is not a recommendation for inflation. It is the max pressure that tire is designed to hold. Manufacturers are supposed to place a sticker or placard somewhere on the vehicle detailing the recommended pressure based on what they created and its needs. Older vehicles may not have it, but in automobiles it is usually found in the drivers door jamb. I'm not sure where it is located on RVs.

This was so intresting!