This article may contain compensated links, please read our disclaimer for more information.

You probably don’t think all that much about your RV tires. Nevertheless, the fact is that RV tires are among the most crucial parts of any trailer or motorhome. Without tires you really couldn’t get anywhere, and tires that are not well maintained can pose a serious danger to anyone riding in your rig, as well as those on the road around you.

But how do you go about properly maintaining RV tires? We aren’t born knowing this information, and it’s doubtful that your RV dealer shared their favorite RV tire maintenance tips before you left the lot. Fortunately, you’ve come to the right place to learn all you need to know!

Swap Out Factory RV Tires

Our first bit of advice comes into play as soon as you acquire an RV. Once you drive your trailer or motorhome off the lot, take it directly to a tire shop and get those factory tires replaced. You see, the tires most RV manufacturers use are horrible quality and are liable to burst during your first or second trip out. 

Honestly, even if you buy a used rig and the factory RV tires have already been swapped out, it’s not a bad idea to go get a new set put on just so you know how old the tires are and what they’ve been through. 

Test the Pressure Before Each Trip

Before you head out on each camping trip or travel day, take your pressure gauge outside and check your RV tire pressure. Driving on tires with too little pressure will cause them to wear out quickly and could lead to a blowout, so checking before each trip and airing them up if needed is definitely a good practice. 

You might want to carry a portable air compressor, so you can add air easily anytime and anywhere.

Stack of RV tires

Keep an Eye on the Tread

Another thing to keep an eye on and check before you hit the road? The tread on your RV tires. You want to make sure the tires aren’t wearing uneven and that they still have plenty of tread left. While you’re at it, also check for bubbling, cracking, or any other signs of excessive wear or damage that might require a tire replacement. 

Check RV Tire Expiration Dates

Did you know tires have expiration dates? It’s true, and while you aren’t likely to keep car tires around long enough for them to expire, depending on how often you travel in your rig, it’s totally possible for RV tires to expire before they look old or worn.

Unfortunately, an expired tire is a dangerous tire that has likely started wearing out from the inside. For this reason, it’s important that you always check the expiration dates on your RV tires and set a reminder for yourself to have them replaced before they go out of date.

Remember Your Alignments

If you do notice uneven wear on your RV tires, it’s likely that your trailer or motorhome is in need of an alignment. This is a bit of maintenance that you will want to keep on top of in order to avoid constantly replacing RV tires. (And yes, even trailers can be thrown out of alignment.)

Note: There are other things that can cause uneven tire wear. Most of these issues will be caught when an alignment is being done, so the alignment is always a good place to start. 

Invest in a TPMS for RV Tires

You might carefully check your RV tires before every single trip, but that doesn’t mean nothing will ever happen while you’re out on the road. A tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) will help you keep an eye on your RV tires even while you’re driving. 

Such a system is designed to let you know if your tire pressure gets too low, and some can even sense if a particular tire gets hot. This information might just help you catch a tire blowout before it happens.

Cover Your RV Tires Up

RV tires can easily become damaged by bright sunlight, especially if the RV is left to sit for long periods of time. For this reason, we highly recommend purchasing a set of RV tire covers to use any time you’ll be stationary for more than a few days, or for those times when you have to put your home-on-wheels in storage.

The covers will protect your RV tires from damaging rays, helping ensure they last as long as possible. 

Don’t Forget the Spare RV Tire

Lastly, it’s important to note that RV spare tires need care and attention as well. Be sure to cover your spare up to protect it from the sun and other things that might damage it. Check your spare tire every few months for cracking and other signs of age or damage.

You’ll also want to make a note of when your RV spare tire expires so you can replace it before that date rolls around. After all, nobody wants to be caught out on the side of the road with both a flat tire and an unusable spare tire. 

There you have it, the most important bits of advice for caring for your RV tires so they can stay in tip-top shape for all of your exciting travels. Add these things to your maintenance and travel day checklists and you’ll be able to rest easy knowing your RV tires can take on your travel days without issue.

Join Fulltime Families

Fulltime Families Members get access to the best resources, community and discounts.

Fulltime Families is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.