How to Prolong the life of your Motorhome and Campervan Tyres – Storage Advice

Are you switching your motorhome or campervan tyres between summer and winter tyres, or putting your motorhome into storage for a while? If so, follow our tips to learn the best way to store your campervan tyres!

 

First, before storing away your motorhome or individual tyres carry out these essential steps:

• Remove any debris stuck in the tyre treads.
• With a sponge or wheel brush, use lukewarm water mixed with car shampoo to wash your tyres.
• After cleaning, examine the tyres for any signs of wear and tear or damage, this will be easier to spot when the tyres have been washed.
• Check your tyre pressure and ensure it matches your vehicle’s optimal tyre pressure.
• If you plan to store your motorhome or campervan for an extended period such as during the winter months, consider unloading your vehicle to lessen the weight on your tyres.

 

Next, you need to think about where you are storing your tyres, here are some details to consider when looking at storage. 

• Make sure the temperature of the storage is below 25°C and above 0°C.
• To avoid build-up of moisture or condensation, look to store tyres somewhere dry and well-ventilated.
• Keep tyres somewhere out of direct sunlight.

 

Protect Tyres on your Motorhome in Storage

To prevent flat spots or tyre cracking, when storing your campervan or motorhome when it is not in use, you should move your vehicle at least once every 3 months.

The following tools will help with the longevity of your motorhome/campervan tyres, these methods are most effective for short-term storage of 2-3 months but are still worth doing if you are storing your vehicle for longer.

Hydraulic Jacks

If your motorhome or campervan has a built-in self-levelling system this is a great way to take some weight off your tyres while it is in storage. It’s advised that when using a self-levelling system to place stabilising pads under the jacks to protect the ground underneath and reduce the risk of sinking when on softer terrain.

Tyre Saver Blocks

If your leisure vehicle does not have a self-levelling system, tyre saver blocks are a great alternative to help with weight distribution on your tyres, wheel blocks are easy to use and help to extend tyre life and avoid flat spots.

 

Storing Tyres that are separate from your vehicle

There are two categories for tyres storage when they are not on your vehicle: tyres with rims and tyres without rims.

 

Storing Tyres without Rims

When storing motorhome or campervan tyres without rims you have a few storage options:

• One way you can store tyres is by standing them up vertically on their treads, with this method you should rotate the tyre 90 degrees around once a month to avoid flat spots.
• Tyres can also be placed vertically on a tyre stand or shelf so they are off of the ground (again like before tyres should be rotated regularly.)

 

Storing Tyres with Rims

Here are some storage options for storing motorhome or campervan tyres with rims:

• Like tyres without rims, tyres with rims can be stored standing up vertically on treads but only when placed on a tyre stand or shelf (the same rule from before also applies of rotating the tyres 90 degrees once a month.)
• Tyres with rims can be placed on top of each other, however, your bottom tyre should be regularly swapped out to avoid deformation of the bottom tyre (for optimal tyre longevity it’s best to stack tyres in piles of 2 instead of 4.)
• When stacking tyres put a piece of cardboard or fibreboard underneath the bottom tyre to prevent it from creating friction against the floor.
• Tyres with rims can be hung on specialised hooks or stands, this option is good if you don’t have a lot of floor space!

 

Prolonging the Life of your Tyres with Covers

If your spare tyre is located on the outside of your motorhome or campervan such as on the roof or the back of the vehicle it may be worth investing in a tyre cover.

A good quality cover will do the following:

• Prevent weather damage
• Prevent accidental scratches
• Prevent sunlight and heat damage
• Protect tyres from debris

 

Get a quote for reliable cover

Get motorhome insurance cover you can depend on! With over 30 years of experience in the motorhome and campervan insurance world, we provide a high level of cover at a price that makes sense! To learn more, give a member of our experienced team a call on 0208 984 0666!