TIRES TIRES TIRES

Yes they make the world go round, but they can also make the world stop on a dime.

We are now on our second set of tires in 2 months. Over the last decade of camping, blown tires are unfortunately not a shocker. It doesn't surprise me much with the original affectionately named "China bombs," but how and why do top tier name brand tires still blow on your camper?

Through many brands and many miles we have found a few common culprits:

• Over inflating
• Under inflating
• Road debris
• Significant suspension wear
• Weight distribution
• Heat

And sometimes… just bad luck.

Lesson 1 — Know Where Your Equipment Is

In our early camping days we were weekend warriors. We would take off after work and drive through the night with a cute little tot sleeping quietly in the backseat.

On an 8 hour power-through around central Georgia we lost a tire on our 22 foot Jayco. We safely pulled off the interstate and assessed the situation. No big deal, quick swap to the spare and we could still make our destination.

Everything was fine until we realized our jack and tire equipment sat in the equipment box directly underneath the sleeping bundle of joy in the backseat.

So there we were at 2 AM on the side of the interstate in the dark waking up our sleeping child so we could get to the jack.

You are welcome for the lesson lol.

Make your emergency equipment accessible.

Lesson 2 — Birmingham

When evacuating to Alabama for Hurricane Irma with a 9 month old and 2 large dogs while Todd was mandated at the fire department, I took off alone in the wind and rain after they closed down the campground we had evacuated to due to "tropical storm warnings."

This was also the first time I had ever pulled the camper completely on my own.

The drive was largely uneventful other than being dark, rainy and stressful. About an hour outside our destination I entered Birmingham. Construction lights flashed everywhere and traffic zoomed around me.

As I entered one of the winding interstate flyovers high above the city, I suddenly felt a tug and heard a loud BOOM.

I knew instantly I lost a tire.

I slowed the camper, but concrete barriers had completely taken away the shoulder and restricted traffic to a single lane. Ahead of me the signs flashed:

"NO EXITS NO SHOULDER NEXT 2 MILES"

I looked at the traffic flying by and realized there was absolutely no way I could merge the limping camper into traffic without risking getting rear ended or broadsided.

I quickly called 911 to report that I would likely be blocking traffic. They advised me to stay exactly where I was and put on my flashers until help arrived.

Coming toward me against traffic I suddenly saw the flashing lights of a police cruiser.

After coming to my door, the officer also advised the camper was unable to move safely in its condition.

Roadside service was called, but because of the idiot (me) in the camper blocking traffic, they couldn't even get to me.

Unfortunately I was not strong enough to remove the lug nuts myself, and though I am sure it was against policy, the incredible officers from Birmingham PD helped get my spare mounted and safely got me back on the road.

I still tear up thinking about them thanking my husband and me for serving our community during the evacuation.

This could have been the absolute worst scenario possible, but because of some amazing people, it had the best possible outcome.

My eternal gratitude to the gentlemen in blue who came to our rescue that night.

What We Have Learned

1. Tires Get HOT

Not all tires are rated to run interstate speeds for long periods of time, especially carrying heavy RV loads in summer heat.

Check your tire ratings and speed ratings carefully.

2. Weight Distribution Matters

Depending on how you load your camper, combined with tank locations, storage bays, and the capacity of your black, grey and fresh tanks, it is very easy to put too much weight on one side or one section of the camper.

That means directly stressing a single tire or axle.

A CAT scale at a truck stop is a great way to check your weight distribution and make sure things are balanced properly.

3. Weekend Warriors — Check Tire Dates

A lot of campers sit.

It is easy to look at a tire that appears "new" but is actually dry rotted or aged out.

Always check tire dates and inflation, especially if your camper has been sitting for long periods or was recently purchased from a dealer or third party.

4. Check Your Rig Every Fuel Stop

Every time we fuel up on a long haul we do a full lap around the rig.

We check:

• Inside and outside of each tire
• Suspension
• Leaf springs
• Axles
• Compartments
• Loose trim
• Anything that looks suspicious

Roads can absolutely destroy suspension systems and tires over time, especially on long cross country trips.

Sometimes catching something early is the difference between a quick repair and sitting on the side of the interstate wondering how expensive the next hour is about to become.

5. Hubs, Bearings & Lug Nuts Matter Too

A loose hub, over tightened lug nut, improperly torqued wheel or ungreased bearings can absolutely wreak havoc on your tires.

One of the biggest things you are looking for when inspecting tires is even wear across both the inside and outside of the tire. Uneven wear can point toward suspension problems, alignment issues, bearing wear or hub problems before they become catastrophic.

Wheel bearings and hubs are not something to ignore on a heavy RV, especially if you travel often or run long interstate miles.

Dexter Axle and Lippert are both great places to start for maintenance schedules, bearing service intervals and torque specifications for your setup.

A little preventative maintenance is a whole lot cheaper than replacing a shredded tire, damaged skirting, ripped out wiring or an axle sitting on the shoulder of the interstate.

Brands We Personally Like

We are not tire experts and everybody has different experiences, but through our travels we have personally had good luck with:

Sailun Hercules H-901

That does not mean they are immune to failure, but we have had significantly better experiences with them compared to some of the cheaper factory tires we started with years ago.