A common problem with an Rv is the blowout tire and flat tire. A blowout tire can cause considerable damage to the RV. The tire’s blowout causes damage to the tire, which is repairable but sometimes causes not repairable damage.
Repairing a damaged tire of an RV is not easy. It is better to have a professional to fix the damage. If any problem arises with the tires on a trip and it is not possible to get help. You may need to repair the tire. So you should know the process of how RV tires repair.
Here we will give you some suggestions to help you with the causes and fix the problem that causes damage to the tires. You can also have tips on how you can protect your tires from this kind of damage.
This article is a complete guide for beginners to repair RV tires.
RV Tire Repair: Problem With Tires And How To Fix Them
If the tires get a blowout, it may cause vital damage to the wheel wells. This damage can lead to different problems for the RV. Some of them are repairable, but some are hard to overcome.
For repairing a damaged blowout tire or punctured tire at first, you need to know if the tire is repairable or not.
How to Prevent Blowout Of A Tire
Prevention is better than cure. Some common issues can cause blowouts of RV tires. If you can overcome these, it is possible to prevent tire blowout.
Excessive heat
Heat is the worst enemy for RV tires. Excessive heat can produce from over or under-inflation. Driving faster than speed rating and overload than the tire’s capacity can also cause heat. That may lead to tire blows out.
Excessive heat can be prevented by check the pressure of tires before going on a trip. And also, you need to maintain the speed according to the tire’s speed rating. The recommended speed rating of RV tires is up to 81-mph.
Bad Alignment of Axle
A tire with a bad alignment of axles can wear out at any time. It is another issue that can cause damage to RV tires. If the spindle is bent or the springs are sagging, the leaf springs may wear out and lose their capacity to carry weight within a few years.
To prevent this, RV’s suspension and the shackle straps mounting should be inspected.
Overloading
RVs have a specific safety rating for weight. Weight exceeding the safety rating may add speed to the RV. This will make it challenging to keep the RV steady.
To prevent this situation, you need to keep the weight distribution near the middle of the RV’s safety weight rating.
Porpoising
Porpoising is bouncing up and down when RV hit a pothole on the road. This is one of the main causes of blowing a tire. One of the leading causes is the water movement in the RV tanks. Water is heavy. If the water is set in motion, it may continuously move for some time.
To prevent the porpoising, inspect the water tank first and try to stop the movement.
Wrong tire size
Using the wrong size of the RV tire can cause tire blowouts on the road. The faulty size tires make two tires come in contact with each other while RV hits a bump. It indicates that you may put on the wrong tire size on it.
To prevent this, you need to check the RV for the plate that lists your RV’s correct tire size.
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HOW to DO RV Tire Blowout Damage Repair
Can you drive in a flat dual RV tire? The answer would be No. Severe damage to the internal structure driving in a flat tire may cause. It is better to repair or change the flat tire as soon as possible.
There are two ways to repair blowout tire
- By repairing the puncture
- By changing the tire
When Are The Tires Repairable?
After taking all precautions, if the tire blows out and causes a flat tire, you may need repair or change it. At first, you need to determine the tire is repairable or not
- If the puncture is within the tire’s crown area, it is possible to repair the puncture.
- Damages on the sidewall or shoulder of a tire are not repairable.
- The diameter of the puncture should be within 1/4 inch.
- If one damage does not overlap another crack, they are repairable.
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Flat Tire Repair Process
If you know how to repair a flat tire, you can fix it. First, you need to evaluate if the puncture is repairable or not. For repairing a flat tire, you are going to need
- Lug wrench
- Ramp jack
- Chocks
- Special vulcanizing glue
- Portable air compressor
- Rubber plug
If the damage is repairable, then follow the following steps
Step 1: At first, you need to pull over the RV to a safe place out of the road.
Step 2: Then, you need to remove the RV flat tire and unmount it from the rim.
Step 2: Then, inspect the inside and outside of the tire thoroughly to detect the damage.
Step 3: Next, clean and stabilize the puncture area. To do so, trim the puncture site of the tire.
Step 4: Drive a rubber plug through the puncture from the inside to outside, then seal off from the inner side.
Step 5: Rub-down the puncture area and apply vulcanizing glue.
Step 6: Then install a patch to prevent air from escaping and maintaining the tire’s pressure.
Step 7: Mounted the tire on the rim and inflated it with an air compressor to the proper tire pressure.
Step 8: Finally, recheck the tire to make sure the repair is appropriate.
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The Changing Process of Flat Tire
If damage happens in the non-repairable area, it is better to change the tire. To change a blowout tire, you are going to need the following tool
- A spare tire
- Lug wrench
- Ramp jack
- Chocks
- Portable air compressor
The changing process of an RV tire is given here
Step 1: At first, pull over your RV away from the road to a safe place.
Step 2: With a lug wrench, lose the lug nuts. Please don’t remove the nuts as the tire get off; lose them a quarter-turn of your flat tire.
Step 3: To lift your tire off the ground, on the same side of the flat tire, Place the ramp jack behind a nearby wheel and drive it on.
Step 4: Adjust the height of the ramp so that the flat tire can spin freely.
Step 5: On the opposite side of the RV where you will not work, place tire chocks to secure from unwanted rolling while changing the flat tire.
Step 6: After securing the RV, remove all the flat tire’s lug nuts and Keep the nuts securely. Then from the hub, take off the damaged tire.
Step 7: Now, install the spare tire in the place of the flat tire. After that, place the lug nuts and tighten them securely in place.
Step 8: Finally, remove the chock and drive off the RV from the ramp jack.
How To Maintain RV Tires for a Long Tire life
There are some tips for the maintenance of RV tires. These will not make the tire last forever, but they will maximize them. Following them will also save your money and minimize the risk of a tire blowout. For proper maintenance, you should go for professionals once a year and check these.
Check The Pressure of Tires
To properly maintain the tire, you need to check the tires’ pressure before every trip physically. Visual inspection of the tires is not enough. If your tires have less tire pressure than the recommended pressure, it will reduce weight carrying capacity.
With the help of a tire gauge or compressor, you can check the pressure of the tires. Each tire should check individually.
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Properly Inflate The Tires
Before the trip, need to ensure the proper inflation to the RV tires. An accurate tire pressure gauge will help to measure the proper inflation.
Tires have a specific pressure rating. If the tires are improperly inflated or overloaded, they both can cause failure to the tires. The treads will break faster if drove with under-inflated tires.
You need to check the tire pressure when the temperature changes. Temperature change also affects tire pressure.
- Inspect the Sidewalls
Usually, we do not drive an RV regularly. We move them to a location and let them sit for a period. Espouser to the weather can damage the tire’s wall.
Before driving an RV, the tire’s wall should check if there is any crack or splits. Suppose there is any crack on the sidewall, you should the tire.
- Balanced Weight
Balance the weight according to the weight limits of an RV is important. Overloading may cause damage to the tire and blowout. Checking each tire individually for every tire’s specific weight will help distribute load and balance equally.
- Covering RV Tires
In the storage, condition lifts and cover the Rv tires will help with preventing damage. Covering the tire store, the softness of the tire and slow the aging of the tire material. Lifting the tire from the ground relieve tire pressure and keep the tire from water and oil damage.
- Regularly Rotate The Tires
Rotating the tire is not the same as spinning the tire. It indicates to move tires from inner to outer, from left to right.
When the tires are left, the outer wall of the tires gets damaged faster. Rotating the tires of the RV makes it easy to handle the damages of the tires. This rotation also helps to smooth the ride of an RV.
Use Right Tires
Using the proper size tire in RV is also essential to avoid unwanted problems with tires. Every RV has a recommended tire size by the manufacturer. Small or big size tire installations can cause damage to the tires and lead to blowout tires.
Check and Replace Tire
After a certain period, the tires need to be replaced. Most of the tires last three to six years; they should replace even if they are not damaged. You can check the date of manufacture stamped on the tire’s sidewall to determine the tire’s age.
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Related Question
Answer: The RV tires may last three to six years. It depends on the miles the RV has travelled. If the tire travels 10000 to 15000 miles in a year, it may last less than five years. It is recommended to replace a tire every five years.
Answer: RV tire cover protects tires from dirt and dust that will save the tires from aging. It also gives you relief from cleaning and washing the tires regularly. That makes covers necessary for RV tires.
Conclusion
The RV tires need proper care for safe travel. Besides, they can cause life-threatening damage with economic damage to you.
Taken proper care of RV tires regularly is very important. It ensures the repair and changes the tires in time when it is necessary. If you know how to repair small damages of the tire, it will in emergencies and save your money.
Here we give the entire guideline of the easy process of Rv tire repair and tips to prolong tires’ lives for beginners. We hope that this article will prove helpful for you in repairing RV tire problems.
