The recent Firestone tire recall has raised our consciousness of tire safety but the fact is most tires are safe and most tire problems can be avoided. With that in mind lets review basic tire care and maintenance.

There are two factors that affect tire life: proper application and good maintenance.

For most of us choosing the right tires is easy, we use the tires installed by the RV manufacturer. However, while the tires installed by the manufacture may be adequate they may not provide much margin of safety if the RV is loaded to the maximum GVWR. To know if your tires are the right ones for the job it's important to compare the fully loaded weigh of your RV to the weight rating of the tires. Ask your tire dealer or the manufacture for a weight rating chart for your tire brand and model. Most manufactures also have these charts on their web sites.

When it comes to maintenance, keeping your RV tires inflated to the proper pressure is the most important thing you can do to insure their long life. Follow the guidelines in your RV owner's manual if you have one. If you don't have an owners manual then asked an expert, either a good tire man or your RV service tech.

The maximum pressure allowed for a tire is embossed on the side wall. That's the maximum pressure when the tire is cold. It's okay for it to be over that by as much as 10 psi if the tire is checked while hot. The proper pressure for your RV tire may not be the maximum tire pressure. The right pressure is determined by the weight carried by each tire on the RV and the pressure recommend by the tire manufacture for that weight.

Running a tire in an over pressure condition will cause uneven tread wear.

Running a tire in an under pressure condition will also cause uneven tread wear and can cause damage to the side walls of the tire. Keep in mind that a tire can loose as much a 1 psi per month and as little as 5 psi can make a difference in the load carrying capacity of a tire. So, it's especially important to check your tire pressure before taking your rig on that first trip of the season.

Improper inflation pressure isn't the only thing that can cause unusual tread wear. It may also be caused by a mechanical problem such as wheel alignment, a bent wheel or an unbalanced tire. I'm not going to go into the different tread wear patterns and what problems they indicate. It's enough to say that if you spot unusual tread wear it's time to see a mechanic. If you're not sure what you are looking at is unusual then check with a mechanic or tire shop.

The amount on tread on an RV tire is not the best indication of the it's condition. While some RVers put lots of miles on their rigs and may actually use all the tread on a tire most of us don't get to travel that much. Our RVs may never wear all the tread off our tires before they need to be replaced.

Ozone is the biggest natural cause of tire failure. Ozone is a gas which causes the rubber to become brittle which result in surface cracks which, over time, become wider and deeper.

Tire manufactures do not recommend any type of dressings or cleaners other than soap and water and say that keeping your tires clean is the best thing you can do to minimize ozone damage.

If you do use tire dressings they should not contain petroleum products or alcohol.

Since high temperatures and ultraviolet light accelerate this destructive process, covering your tires when not in use will also help prolong their life.

Tire manufactures recommend replacing tires five to seven years old. You can determine the age of your tires by looking for the serial number embossed on the side wall. Look at the last three digits. The first of the three is the week of the year. The last digit is the year the tire was manufactured. So, the number 029 would indicate the tire was made in the second week of 1999. Of course if the tires are really old it could mean the second week of 1989 so if you have purchased an older RV ask the tire manufacture. With the complete serial number they can determine which year.

One last tire care tip:

If you use leveling blocks they should be large enough so the entire foot print of the tire will fit on them. If you have a dual wheel axle both tires must be completely supported. If you have a multiple axle trailer the tires on the side being raised must be supported equally