Tires on Rpod
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Category: R-pod Discussion Forums
Forum Name: Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks
Forum Discription: Ask maintenance questions, share your podmods (modifications) and helpful tips
URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=3264
Printed Date: 25 May 2025 at 5:18pm
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Topic: Tires on Rpod
Posted By: manrocker
Subject: Tires on Rpod
Date Posted: 21 Feb 2013 at 5:18am
 I am confused with the many different fews on the live of tires on the Pod.Some say you should change every 3 y ,even if there is no damage and plenty rubber on it.If you store your Pod for a while you must move it every so often to rotate the tires so they do not get any flat spot and the build in fluid in the compound moves around ,I guess.I bought my 177 in jan 2012,used it 3 times ,once on 2000 miler and 2 shorter trips about a week each.The rest of the time I keep it stored in my backyard,the tires rest on 4-4s I put I 4feet length under the tires,so they are dry and not sitting in the grass.I wonder what you all think and do .By the way I use my Rpod for my 5 hour clock Coctail hour every day,but that shouldn't hurt the tires too much.Manfred kh6rp Venice fl ------------- Manrocker Kh6rp |
Replies:
Posted By: tsunami123
Date Posted: 21 Feb 2013 at 9:39am
| I store my Pod in a machine shed with a concrete floor. A tire retailer friend of mine told that concrete can migrate moisture from the floor into the rubber of the tires. He recommended putting some vinyl carpet runners under the tires to block any moisture. I ended up raising the tires by placing some jacks under the axle jack flanges. The tires do not touch the floor. About once a month I hand spin the tires a couple of reverse rotations. This moves the axle grease around evenly and moves the position of the brake pads on the drums. And there is no weight on the tires to 'warp' the radial belts. |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 21 Feb 2013 at 2:01pm
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As long as there is no visible dry rotting up to the 5-year mark, and plenty of tread, I wouldn't worry. After the 5-year mark I would replace them before a big trip but not for shorter local ones - as long as there was no visible dry rot.
My father bought a utility trailer in 1987. The trailer had heavy use until we refurbished it in 2011, including a new axle/wheels/tires. It still had the original tires on it and they were still good, just a noticeable reduction in tread thickness compared to the spare which was always mounted on the front of the trailer. We never did anything special - the tires were on the ground, sat for long periods in one spot, uncovered so they got full UV exposure. Go figure! ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual 
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Posted By: tsunami123
Date Posted: 22 Feb 2013 at 10:57am
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My sister and her husband hauled their 30 ft fifth wheeler from their previous home in California to MN last summer. The trailer had sat out in the open in the woods in CA, between trips...my bro-in-law inspected the tires, which were five years old. They looked ok. In Nebraska, one of the left tires blew its radial tread right off the rim! The extra weight then dropped onto the tandem wheel which then also blew out. He had checked the tires whenever they stopped for gas and didn't notice anything. After being hauled into a repair shop...it turned out that the tire(s) inside side wall had blown out! It probably had been deteriorating for quite awhile. They had not slid under the trailer to look at the other side of the tire. Nearly $10,000 worth of damage! They should have taken the trailer in for a professional tire check. My tire expert friend insists that 7 years is the safety maximum for any tire you are going to depend, and an even shorter time period for 'cheaper' tires. So, check 'all' of your tire before you go on a trip. |
Posted By: Outbound
Date Posted: 22 Feb 2013 at 5:03pm
A pair of trailer tires should last about 60,000 kms. But there are other considerations...
Before heading out on a trip, always check the tire pressure and top-up as necessary. Also, check your lug nut torque while you're at it. Over the years, most of my trailer tires (on the various trailers I've had) have made it five years. They start to show a little bit of cracking around the rims, and they start to look a little dry. When it comes time to replace them, don't forget to replace the spare as well - although it'll look perfectly fine on the outside, its likely suffering from dry rot from the inside out.
------------- Craig :: 2009 RP171 towed by a 2017 F150 |
). During the summer, I apply tire cleaner/shine with a UV protectant every two weeks.Posted By: manrocker
Date Posted: 22 Feb 2013 at 8:57pm
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So far I learned a lot ,thank you gentlemen m ------------- Manrocker Kh6rp |