Essential RV Maintenance You Probably Aren’t Doing The Right Way
Since going full time one thing I have learned the hard way is that it is much better to waste a minute now than a day later. How long does it really take to check the tire pressure? Not very long at all. We have 6 tires on our RV and it takes me less than 5 minutes to manually check them all.
If we put it in park, we check them before we put it back in drive. That’s our current procedure, and it hasn’t ever once bitten us in the ass. I prefer to check my tires with a tire pressure gauge manually. For one reason I get to stretch my legs a little bit longer at the rest stop.
The other reason, is that I get a visual of every single tire every single time. I know guys that swear by their Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) and won’t travel without one. I’m not knocking them either.
Do You Need A TPMS
You could get an add on TPMS like the one pictured here and always have the peace of mind knowing your tires are the right pressure even while going down the road. They come in really handy if you run something over after your last manual check and have a tire starting to go down in pressure. You can catch it before it goes flat and blows out taking RV Body Panels with it.
What a TPMS can’t tell you is how much tread is left on your tire, if the tread is wearing evenly, or if there is a chunk missing out of the sidewall from that curb you scuffed going around the corner. Don’t forget to check the Inside sidewall too! Perhaps the best way to do is is with a TPMS and a manual inspection every time you stop.
Pro Tip: Check the pressure in your Spare Tire Too!
Did you know that RV Tires have an expiration date?
RV Tires have a date stamped on them when they are manufactured. Even if you only drive your RV to the campground on the other side of town twice a year, they are going to need to be replaced at some point. There are many opinions on how long they last, my opinion is about 5 years. The amount of sun exposure your RV tires get every year will affect this number.