Tire Cleaning/ Maintenance

[jleamont]

Hoping Roger chimes in on this one. What do you use to clean your tires?

Any products to avoid that might accelerate degradation (aka dry rot)? I have often thought of using Wesley's Bleach White tire cleaner on the motorhome to remove the brown build up and then reapply the 303 protectant I use to keep the UV exposure to a minimum. 

At the moment I just wash them along with the coach with car soap. I use that product on our car tires but they wear out long before age out, so what is a good practice not to accelerate degradation when performing routing cleaning?

[CarlAda]

I use Griott's Rubber Cleaner then apply 303 protectant.  I also use tire covers.

[jerryj]

Michelin and tire seminars have told me that only wash the tires with mild carwash soap and that is it. No spray or wipe on "protectant". The brown is the oil protection coming to the surface of the tire and will throughout the life of the tire. i also cover if staying for an extended time and park on placemats. The best thing for a tire is to drive and exercise the tire to keep them supple and the oils moving inside to the outside. I try not to stay in one place more than a month. It is better for the tires and coach.

[obedb]

Thanks Jerry/ I have heard pro and con on protectant. I do remember discussions on tires on OOIDA's website about exercising tires to "keep them young." I am guilty of not doing that though. Getting our coach out of storage is a chore. When I setup for storage or when we are going to be in a park for a week or two, I usually run the tires onto sections of 2 by 12 pine. I place blocks of oak non dimensional or rough cut oak ( having a saw mill a short distance away is a help) under the levelers along with some pine on top of them. Oak is very strong and mine is 2 3/4 thick. I don't dump the airbags. Then I Level the unit. 

Took the coach to a nearby RV repair service recently after five months in storage and the ride was really smooth. No flat spots on the tires from setting too long. I also run tire pressure up to  to at least the max or a little over. I remember that our first coach sometimes took a while for the tires to smooth out on the first trip after storage. Did not use the method mentioned back then.

[tireman9]

Was at FMCA GLAMARAMA last week. Home and catching up.

"Brown" build up is the anti-ozone wax that is built into all tires so removing it is not desirable.

I use the same soap and water I use to wash the side of my coach. I also use a cloth rag to wash the tires and NEVER a stiff bristle brush which can leave microscopic scratches on the tire surface.

Finally the only stuff I put on my tires does wash off when I drive in the rain so I know there is no petroleum distillate in it.  It foams when sprayed on the tire and needs no rubbing and I do not need to even touch the tires. There are probably a couple brands so I won't name them here.

[jleamont]

Roger, I figured that's where everyone was at, its been quiet on here.

I also use a foam product like the one you described.

Thank you for the response.

Joe

[kaypsmith]

I have stated on previous post, I take the bus out for a spin about 25 miles down the interstate then back to the nearest truck stop for a refill as often as two weeks to at least once a month, just to keep things working correctly. This of course includes the tires, and when returning home, I park on rubber mats.

[obedb]

Kay/ where our coach is stored in the winter months, the snow is plowed in such a way that I would not try to take it for a ride, although I wish that I could. This ain't Alabama. By the way, I was born there. Why should we even wash  the tires unless they are covered with Alabama or Georgia mud? Just polish the rims and be done with it. 

[jleamont]

I refuse to move it out of the driveway into the salt and salt brine. Everything will get moved but in two years it will be all rotted out . We looked at an American Dream when we were shopping the underside had holes in it, no thanks.

If I could I would, believe me. It's so bad it gets dusty, our oil samples at work in the winter have higher sodium levels from the dust getting sucked into the engine. 

[kaypsmith]

I must be living in Dreamland, oh excuse me, that's where we go for BBQ. I did forget that you guys do have those lousy conditions.

[jleamont]

21 minutes ago, kaypsmith said:

I must be living in Dreamland, oh excuse me, that's where we go for BBQ. I did forget that you guys do have those lousy conditions.

If it weren't for employment I would be down there also. From the first thought of precipitation to at least the end of March its messy up here. My jeep also isn't allowed out of the driveway in that window the other cars are disposable, if you like them too bad they wont last. 

[royclem]

I use Griots tire cleaner and then 303 Protectant, is this bad for my tires?

[kaypsmith]

Joe, I have a brother that lived in Pittsburgh for four years too long, he is the one that put USS on computers, he left that job to come back to bama because of the nastiness. If you will e-mail me when you plan to come through this area, I will be glad to take you and family to Dreamland in Tuscaloosa for a meal, the ribs are awesome very well known.

[jleamont]

Kay, I just might take you up on that. Is the parking lot big enough for coach and toad, 56' total?

 

[tireman9]

13 hours ago, royclem said:

I use Griots tire cleaner and then 303 Protectant, is this bad for my tires?

IMO many tire "cleaners" are tough on the surface rubber. If you are only keeping your tires for 3 or 4 years it may not be an issue with the cleaner "dissolving" surface rubber and protectants the tire co put in your tires and you paid for.

Not aware of any negatives for 303. I really would like to see the data from a controlled lab comparison but I doubt if any of the companies making the protectants want to foot the bill if they can't be sure of winning.

[desertdeals69]

303 is good for some things like graphics but never on tires.

[five]

On 6/15/2016 at 6:39 AM, jleamont said:

...If it weren't for employment I would be down there also...

Those darn J O Bs  can sure put a glitch in your life style.  Since I retired, I am so busy I don't have time for a job.  Your day is coming.

[jleamont]

2 hours ago, FIVE said:

Those darn J O Bs  can sure put a glitch in your life style.  Since I retired, I am so busy I don't have time for a job.  Your day is coming.

Yea, I have heard its that way. 

[wildebill308]

1 hour ago, jleamont said:

Yea, I have heard its that way. 

I don't know how I ever had time to go to work.

Bill

[five]

On 6/16/2016 at 10:45 PM, desertdeals690 said:

303 is good for some things like graphics but never on tires.

What's wrong with 303?  No petroleum products, no harm to the tires.

[desertdeals69]

I never saw it in print, just one of their reps mentioned it.

[five]

14 hours ago, desertdeals690 said:

I never saw it in print, just one of their reps mentioned it.

Don't know why one of their guys would say that.  Based on what I read and talking to fellow RVers, it is the favorite due to no petroleum in it.

[obedb]

If the brown stuff appearing on the sidewalls is good for the tires, why not just leave it on? That would be unless you are taking you rv to a beauty contest. Never noticed the stuff on my 18 wheelers because I used Blue Beacon and their pressure wands blow the sidewalls clean. Of course tires in that use wear out before timing out. I am going to gently wash the sidewalls from now on.

[wayne77590]

Until reading this I always thought it was discoloration from rust on the steel wheels. 

[desertdeals69]

On June 18, 2016 at 10:44 PM, desertdeals690 said:

I never saw it in print, just one of their reps mentioned it.

I believe it was said that the rubber does not breathe enough.  Maybe tireman can comment.