Study shows most RV tires overloaded

(June 2, 2003) – Almost a quarter of all recreational vehicles on the road today have overloaded tires. Nearly 40% of RV users say they go six months or more between inflation pressure checks, and 85% of motor homes or campers are unevenly loaded or have out of balance loads by 400 pounds or more.

These startling statistics were recently released by the Recreational Vehicle Safety Education Foundation (RVSEF) in a study they conducted to determine maintenance habits of RV owners.            

"These numbers continue to amaze me. We have been tracking this data for years and there has been little change in how people maintain (or perhaps in how they don't maintain) their vehicles," said John

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Anderson, executive director of RVSEF. “When we initially decided to review the practices of RV owners some years ago, we did not know how big a problem the lack of maintenance had become."

Everyone knows that being overweight can shorten their life, but it can also shorten the life of a recreational vehicle and its tires. An overloaded vehicle with under-inflated tires can be a dangerous combination. Tires, bearings, suspensions and other components all wear out more quickly with heavier loads. Handling is also compromised and stopping distances are lengthened when a vehicle is overloaded — both of which compromise safe driving.

In a similar survey conducted by Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire, LLC, four out of five RVs had at least one under-inflated tire, and a third of those were dangerously under-inflated to the point of being at risk of failure.

The fact that 40 percent of RV owners admit they go six months or more between checking tire pressures is problematic. Tires, even in good condition, can lose between one and two pounds of inflation pressure per month. (Such losses are completely normal resulting from diffusion of air molecules through tire sidewalls.)

At that rate, with no puncture of any kind, a tire could be six to twelve pounds under-inflated after six months of neglect — assuming it was inflated to the correct pressure to begin with. That’s enough to put a tire at serious risk of sudden failure.

Both overloading and under-inflation have similar effects on tires. Air is the “muscle” of the tire and essentially supports the load. If there’s not enough air (under-inflation), or if the tire is overloaded (not enough air for the load), the tire can flex excessively. This stress creates excessive heat that can overheat the tire, causing it to come apart.

It is vital that RV owners weigh their vehicles, by wheel position, to determine whether they’re within the weight limits set by the manufacturer; whether the load is properly balanced; and whether the load capacity of the tires matches the actual axle weight on them. Tire inflation pressure should be checked at least monthly and maintained in accordance with the vehicle manufacturer's load/inflation tables matching the proper inflation pressure to the tire load.

All of this should be conducted with the vehicle fully loaded. This means with passengers, travel gear, and fuel and water equivalent to what the vehicle will be hauling at its maximum load. The load must also be appropriately placed over the axle on which it will be carried or in the "appropriate wheel position." Many people don't stop to consider that alone water, fuel and propane can easily exceed 750 pounds.

To help RV owners make sure they’re taking good care of the vehicles’ tires, Bridgestone/Firestone has published a free booklet titled “Rx for Light Trucks, RVs, Mini-buses & Ambulances.”

In addition to tips on tire selection and tire care, a worksheet and instructions are also included to help RV owners understand the importance of proper vehicle maintenance. Order a copy of the brochure here .

Copyright 2003 by Out West Newspaper

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