Some miscellaneous but very important tire info for RV owners

What to do with tire date codes

We all know how to “read” the Date Code on our tires, with the last 4 digits standing for the week of the year (first two digits as “01” through “53”* and then a 2-digit code for the year). Whenever you get new tires, you need to:

(1) Be sure the full DOT serial, INCLUDING the date code, is recorded on the sales receipt.

(2) Keep a copy of the receipt safe, as the date of purchase starts the clock ticking on any warranty. That can mean the difference between having no coverage and getting a free replacement if you have a problem and the tires are covered.

What to do if the tire Certification Label is unreadable

If you cannot read the Certification Label aka Sticker, you should contact the vehicle manufacturer with the vehicle VIN, and they should replace the sticker with all the appropriate info. If the vehicle is pre-2000 or the RV company is out of business, you can learn the proper tire info by getting on a platform scale and learn the weight on each axle with the vehicle fully loaded. Look up the tire size, load, and inflation info in the published Load & Inflation tables.

For RV trailers with ST or ST-type tires, I would suggest you set the MINIMUM inflation to the tire sidewall PSI + 5%. For RV motorhomes on LT or truck-type tires, I would select the table PSI for the heaviest load + 5%. And for “classic” cars, I would inflate to table PSI + 25% or 35%.

How old is too old to keep a tire as a spare?

I received this question: “My wife and I are heading to Alaska in our Winnebago Vista 29VE. A friend has offered up a spare tire and rim that he has, which fits our rig. My concern is that the never been used tire has been sitting for 10 years. I know trailer tires can start to dry out after 5 years and become an issue. In your opinion, would there be an issue with using this tire in an emergency?

My answer:  If the tire still looks OK, you can do a “Free Spin Inspection” as seen in this VIDEO and covered in detail on my blog on how I inspect a tire. It it has only been in storage and not outside in the sun, I would consider it OK as a spare. FYI, my spare has been in the “basement” of my Class C for 9 years and has never been used or been in sunlight. When I store my RV here in Ohio, it is under cover to keep the heat down.

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*While most years have 52 weeks, the way D.O.T. week numbers are calculated can sometimes result in a 53rd week at the end of December. This happens because the first full week of the calendar year is designated as week one. If December 31st of a particular year falls on a Sunday, it can lead to the occurrence of a 53rd week in the tire’s date code.

Roger Marble

RELATED

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• Learn the basics of setting tire pressure and testing TPMS
• If I upsize my RV’s tires, can I lower their inflation?
• Should you carry a spare tire in your RV or not? – Part 1
• Should you carry a spare tire in your RV or not? – Part 2

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If you have tire questions, check out Roger’s Blog as well as his posts on RVtravel.com. There are hundreds of posts covering everything to do with tires.

If you still have a question for Roger after searching the above posts, send your inquiries to him using the form below.

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