We have heard these all our lives but do we actually live them? When RVing, we probably are actively concerned with fire safety, first aid safety, proper food handling and storage, the buddy system and maybe even wild-critter safety. We have our band-aids, fire extinguishers, flashlights, proper clothing and footwear, but unless we arrive at our destination safely, what good are they? Do we take great lengths to ensure our safe travel on the road? We all know to check under the hood for oil and transmission fluid, but how often do we really check and maintain our tires before hitting the road and during our travels?

Ask any tire manufacturer to name the single most important factor for increasing tire life and the answer will be maintaining proper air pressure. According to statistics that have been released by the Recreational Vehicle Safety Education Foundation (RVSEF) they found that nearly 40% of RV users say they go six months or more between inflation pressure checks. According to another survey conducted by Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire, LLC, 80% of RVs had at least one under-inflated tire and 30% of those were under-inflated close to risk of failure point.

One of the problems with tires is that they are just about the only part of a vehicle that can be totally abused and the vehicle will keep moving. Technology and Maintenance Council (TMC) investigated and found that 90% of tire failures were caused by under inflation. Tires that are run under inflated long enough WILL come apart!

HOW DO TIRES BECOME UNDER-INFLATED?

• Tires even in good condition can lose between one and two pounds of inflation pressure per month. This is normal and results from air molecules diffusing through the sidewalls. At this rate, with no puncture of any kind, a tire could be six to twelve pounds under-inflated after six months of neglect.
• Air is lost through valve cap leakage
• Running over nails and debris will cause a tire to deflate
• Overloading
• Using a club or thumping device to measure air pressure rather than a
  properly calibrated air pressure gauge.

WHAT PROBLEMS CAN OCCUR WITH UNDER-INFLATED TIRES?

• Dangerous, life-threatening situations can occur by ignoring the pressure in your RV tires. Under-inflated tires cause tire flexing or what is also called deflection. This flexing generates excessive heat, which ages tires and can cause the tire to come apart.
• According to TMC, a constant 20% under inflation decreases tire life by 30%.
• Excessive flats and emergency road service from $100.00 to $1000.00
• Irregular wear and reduced fuel economy. Soft tires will cut into your gas mileage.
• Increased rolling resistance, which makes engines work harder and burn more fuel.
• When a front tires pressure is low a vehicle wants to go straight thus requiring more steering wheel input to make a curve.
• Braking is also adversely affected. Tires are designed to maximize their performance at a specific inflation pressure. When tires are under-inflated, the shape of the tires’ footprint and the pressure it exerts on the road surface are both altered. This lessens the tires’ ability to transmit braking force to the road surface.

WHY DON’T WE CHECK OUR TIRES?

• I enjoy the wait on the side of the highway for my buddy at Tows-R-Us.
• Being retired, I have so much extra cash to blow on service calls and new tires.
• The Robinson Caruso style “stranded” vacation has always been appealing to me.
• The more gas I waste, the better I am helping the economy.

Okay so these are a bit sarcastic, but I have to admit that checking my tire pressure has just not been a priority with me. Now on a beautiful sunny day, I actually may find myself crawling on the ground with my shiny, perfectly calibrated air tire gauge checking out my tires. However, I am guilty of ignoring such task when it is cold, damp, snowy, rainy, and dark. But since tires need to operate all the time, it is time for me to find a new solution.

My RV dash reminds me when I have low fuel, low battery, and open doors, why not low tires? A new product on the market that is intriguing to me is the tire pressure monitor. Most tire pressure monitoring systems are simple and some are as basic as valve stem caps that change colors when your pressure falls below a preset percent. Although very inexpensive, you still have to leave your RV to look at the caps and manually check your gauge to get a reading.

For those of us needing more hi-tech assistance, there are wireless systems now that use RF microchip technology, which continuously monitors the tire pressure from inside your RV. Of the more sophisticated systems, some have display monitors that alert you visually and audibly when you have a low pressure and some offer more detail such as which tire has the low pressure and the actual pressure reading on a digital display. Others will allow you to scan through the display to get the reading on all tires at any time. Do your homework because there is a wide range of products now available. Some of the more sophisticated models use sensors attached to a band, which is mounted to the wheel before the tire is mounted. Some use state of the art sensors that replace the valve stem caps, making them easy to install. Make sure the units are made for RVs and tow vehicle compatible if that is a requirement for you. And remember - just like gas and oil gauges alert us to a problem or lack of fluid, it is still ultimately our responsibility for pulling off the road and filling up. The same is true for the tire pressure monitors. If alerted, fill ‘er up!

Do not Overlook Safety! Keep Yourself and Family Protected. Check Those Tires!

Note: Check tires’ inflation pressure when tires are cold. Hot tires do not give accurate pressure reading. It is not uncommon for tires to experience a significant increase in pressure after they have been run. Adding air to a hot tire will not result in a proper inflation level and bleeding out the air will probably cause it to become under inflated.

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